My Kohler Whitehaven does not always look dirty but I have the grills and make an effort not to let food - especially fruit scraps - sit in the sink. This is much easier now that I don't have a bunch of little ones to watch after - though husband still drops tea bags in the sink - usually right after I cleaned it:) As cast iron sinks get older they get micro abrasions in the finish and stain more easily, but it is very easily cleaned. I will use the same philosophy of those with white cabinets - I can see when cleaning needs to happen. My previous cast iron sink was 20 years old. Almost every night I would give it a spritz of clorox and it would whiten right up. I do't need to clean my Whitehaven that often - maybe twice a week, but as time goes on it may need cleaning more often, but then its a sink and should be cleaned regularly.

Monika and HU - I wonder if you're having problems because the Kohler plant had a fire several months ago and are really backed up in production, and thus, things are being rushed or done half ass to try to keep up with orders. I just replaced a double sink Kohler (can't remember the model but it was 20 years old) and wanted to go with a single basin. When I looked into Kohler, I was told (by Kohler) that they were back ordered nearly 6 months. (You could get it in almost any color but white, and white is what I wanted). I didn't have that time to wait so I went with a stainless steel (also by Kohler).

If the sink is going to sit on the cut down sides, you're going to have problem if the sink ever has to be replaced, assuming you're using some sort of stone/quartz/solidsurface. The sides will probably support it fine, but I'd put a sink strap/hush strap on it as well because the 5 bucks up front is cheaper than any future problem.

I've always had Kohler cast iron sinks in all of my kitchens. Cast iron has always felt so fresh and welcoming to work in, certainly in comparison to a stainless steel sink. SS always seems like a dark-dingy hole in the countertop, with lots of water/grease spots--unless it was recently cleaned with Barkeeper's Friend and buffed dry. My appologies to the many folks who own stainless steel sinks, SS definitely has its advantages over cast iron in some areas, but so does cast iron over SS. It's a matter of pros and cons and personal preferrence. Anyway, my first cast iron sink was ancient and dull, so I had to use an abrasive scrub on it with plenty of bleach to clean it up for company. As for the many new sinks I've owned, I've use a non-abrasive scrub with or without bleach. I also use sink grates, which eliminates the black marks from rubbed metal objects--not to suggest that the black marks are permanent, but black marks are definitely a worry when you want your sink to look pristine at all times. None of the many cast iron sinks that I've owned have ever chipped or cracked. I've broken many drinking glasses until I got sink grates.