edit: the kraus was under 300 and came with the grate...

Agree Kraus is a wonderful sink and the grate is awesome!

We replaced an old double bowl Franke with the Kraus deep single bowl sink. While the Kraus is a great sink for the price and I have no regrets, I agree that the finish on the Franke was more scratch resistant. When I scrub the satin finish on the Kraus with SoftScrub, I have to go in the direction of the finish or it will leave visible scrub marks. And I can't use Bar Keeper's Friend at all like I could on the Franke. It's too abrasive for the satin finish on the Kraus.

We have the same Kraus sink and love it. Love the size and love the grate. Also love that we didn't have to spend a fortune for a kitchen sink. Also have a Kraus prep sink which is great as well. Main sink has more of a polished finish and the prep sink is satin.

As far as cleaning we use Bio Cleaner. We tried many different cleaners and this was by far the best. Cleaners we tried were bar keepers friend as well as Hopes. Neither were as good as the Bio Cleaner.

https://www.qvc.com/Bio-Cleaner-Set-of-3-Supersize-Cleaning-Clay-w-Accessories.product.V36122.html?sc=SRCH

update....I am questioning my decision to go with kraus. I used a new scott scrubber sponge (I've used the ones with the blue or green scrubby material before) but bought a new type of Scott sponge with a flatter and what I thought was a more gentle material. it gouged my sink. I don't think the sink will hold up over time. I don't have kids or a husband that is rough on things and after 5 months see a lot of scratches. you may want to reconsider Kraus. a sink can't be replaced without replacing the counter so if I could go back and do it again I would have spent the 2k on a high end Franke

I have two stainless sinks, one of which is that exact Kraus sink. I use baking soda and a damp dish rag to clean them. Cleans well without scratching. The good news is that stainless sinks can be refinished.

"I used a new scott scrubber sponge...it gouged my sink."

A scrubber sponge would have done same to the Franke sink. Then you would have been posting on here "I cannot believe l spent $2k more on a Franke sink and it shows scratches after I used a scrubber sponge". The sponge you used is meant for "baked-on messes, oven racks, concrete, tools and more!" according to its packaging. Not appropriate to blame Kraus for the scratches, and incorrect to think that a Franke sink would not scratch.

There's no reason to even need to use a scrubber sponge on the sink. It would have been the same results on the Franke sink. I use a regular sponge with dish detergent each night to clean the sink and it works great. On Sundays we use bio clean clay cleaner to clean and shine it up a bit. That's it.

What exactly is a scrubber sponge? Is it one of the those sponges that has a scotch brite pad (green or blue) on one side and a soft sponge on the other? If so, I normally use the blue one (safe for nonstick) to clean my Franke sink with no ill effect.

I also have the exact same Kraus sink in my laundry room. Though I rarely use it, it has quite a few scratches in it already. I'm not sure where the scratches came from, since I only really use that sink the rinsing out detergent cups.

FWIW, I think part of the reason is metallurgy; whatever alloy Kraus is using is softer than the alloy that Franke is using. I use my Franke a lot more often (daily) than my Kraus sink (weekly), but my Franke, but there are visibly more scratches in my Kraus sink.

But the other part is the finish. My Kraus sink has a rougher brushed finish where the grain is all in one direction. My Franke sink has a very smooth finish that looks like it has been very lightly brushed in one direction on the sides and a "random/circular" brushed finish on the bottom. The finish on the bottom of my Franke sink sort of resembles a very light version of the "patina" that you would expect an stainless steel sink to eventually develop. As such, it hides scratches a lot better.

I suspect what has happened with the OP is that the scrubber pad has removed or flattened the grain from the brushed finish and there is a "flatter area" in the sink that now reflects light differently. I don't think there is a lot to worry about. Eventually, there will be enough scratches in the bottom of the sink (patina) that you won't notice the current spot. The OP doesn't have to worry about the sink wearing out, as there is a lot of thickness to wear through before that would ever become an issue.

hi I'm the op. I know what happened a little avocado was crusted over and I went over it with the reverse side of the doing. ultimately to each their own. the sink is pretty scratched from the new sponge. now that I know will be more mindful but based on my experience and I'm pretty good with maintaining my things, if I could do it again if go with this higher end Franke in my kitchen. I doubt the Franke would have scratched like this.

remodelingincali - I have a custom-made 14-gauge stainless steel sink. It scratches. All stainless steel scratches. That Franke in 18-gauge SS (i.e. thinner gauge) in your OP would also scratch with that sponge, and with day-to-day use. 100% guaranteed. Get it for your new kitchen. You’ll see.

You either need to be OK with scratches in stainless steel that eventually form a patina, or if you cannot, it would probably be best to choose a different material sink for your new kitchen.

Also, clean your sink with a sponge and BarKeepers Friend. Crusted-over avocado you mentioned should have melted away with hot water and a soft sponge. There was no need for an abrasive scrubber sponge.

thanks for all the Monday morning quarterbacking comments. I've had sinks before,I've cleaned sinks before. this has never happened. to those that are remodeling, feel free to ignore.

The gauge of the stainless steel does not determine the hardness. The alloy and subsequent surface treatment would affect the hardness. I have watches that have a DLC coating on them that are basically impervious to scratching. You can scrap them against concrete block walls without scratching.

I looked on the Scotch-Brite site and it looks like those are the Scotch-Brite Scrub Dots Heavy Duty Scrub Sponges. I've never used those before. But a quick look on Amazon shows a lot of people have had problems with this type of sponge scratching everything.

The scratches on your sink are especially visible since they are also against the grain.

I have an 18G Franke sink (Kubus) and it lasted for 7 years so far. I use bar keepers friend when it get really dirty and just srcub it in all directions without any note on the direction of the grain etc.. Most generally my cleaning is usually a quick swipe with the soapy water after washing the dishes - thats it - no scrubbing realy

Now I'm buliding a modern home and looking at minimum radius sinks so looking at the Planar PEX 110-31 (Made in China) or the Peak 110-28 (samller sink, made in Switzerland like the Kubus) and cost a lot more than the Planar.

Is Made in China Franke sinks bad? vs Made in Switzerland? Thanks!

buy the best sink you can. I made the mistake of buying the krauss. bar keepers friend stained my sink permanently. get the made in swity

I’m definitely sticking with Franke.

Having a hard time deciding between the Planar or the Peak.

Like the size of the Planar 31” (Peak only comes in 28”) I only have experience with the Kubus which is made in n Switzerland like the Peak. Planar is made in China - not sure if that matters.

Also Peak is a LOT more expensive than the Planar.

In decision paralysis!!

This is a great thread. We have a smallish kitchen we are now remodeling and I am looking at the Kraus and Franke undercount sinks. I like that the Kraus single bowl comes with accessories such as the dish dryer and cutting board. The Franke single bowl stainless I am considering has the grate insert that can be moved from side to side. For my small to mid size kitchen would the 28 inch Franke sink be sufficient? Or the 31 inch better? We need to conserve counter space that is for certain! Any other opinions on these brands and accessories?

Had the Frankie Kubus 28” and it’ has lasted and served us well for about 8 years now (In a 9.5’x14’ kitchen).

We only bought the bottom grid, although the Kubus sink has a ledge for other accessories, I didn’t care for accessories - they looked great but I didn’t like the fact I had to store them away just to use the “whole” sink. I’m happy using the entire sink and use the counter space for using the cutting board etc.

Always get the largest sink that will undermount. The sink will always undermount in a cabinet with the same width, no matter what the sink manufacturer says as long as you strap, not clip, the sink in place.

Updating this thread as my sink is now rusting and discoloring. Buyer beware. Ratings for the sink are very good, which is why I purchased, but I note a few others have the same issue I have. I would go with Franke (I would even go with the cheap Dawn sink (1) over this one. I know I used the scotch pad on it one time -- I've never used it again -- and these rust marks are not where I made the scratch, They are on the sides of the sink as well as bottom....

Remodelingincali thank you for coming back to post these updates.

I've noticed quite a number of Amazon reviews commenting on rust and scratches in the Kraus sinks. This is troubling... I wonder if they switched to a cheaper alloy or if these are fakes made by a different Chinese company? I may switch to a different brand and send an update to the KD who is designing my cabinets now.

I have no experience with Kraus but everytime we built a house I re-visited this question and every single time went with Franke and it worked very well. FYI: Some Franke sinks are made in Switzerland and some are not.

billy_g - I have two friends has a Kraus - no issues at all. They do not baby their sinks, use the same sponges and cleaners I did (I've subsequently changed to microfiber and dawn only). Issue is that mine is rusting and discoloring, so some people may be lucky. Perhaps Kraus changed raw material suppliers, I don't know. But I do know, when I remodel my kitchen in the future or need a new sink, it won't be Kraus and I won't buy online. If I spend 200 - 500 more it would have been worth it for me.

@remodelingincali, this makes sense to me. Rusting in a stainless steel sink makes me run the other way.

By the way, my plumber said that buying plumbing fixtures through build.com is much safer than on Amazon because build.com is owned by Ferguson - the large bricks and mortar plumbing and lighting supply chain..

Yes, I would trust build.com/ferguson