Hi there Dadoe, I’m back again for your wisdom, I still have the Iwl16 machine and it’s been working great since you last helped me out, the drain pump went out on it in February 2019 and I replaced it, however now whenever it runs out of water but the machine still has it engaged it’s making a screaching sound that’s pretty noticeable even with the laundry room doors closed. Pump sounds fine as long as it actually has water to pump out or recirculate...once it gets to the rinse and spin phases where the pump is engaged but not having much water to pump is where the problem comes in...I have tried another brand new pump and it’s actually worse than the one I installed a year ago, I even tried a new motor controller board only to have the same issue. Am I missing something or are they just really making crappy quality pumps now?? The machine works fine, just noisy now and it’s definitely the drain pump but I’m not gonna keep purchasing drain pumps til I get a good one...any advice would be appreciated

Now you're getting into the design aesthetics of the kitchen. How important is it for you to have that specific tap. If you plan on it being a show piece then you have to show it off and putting it underneath cabinets in a cramped position is not going to do it. If you want to show it off - then raise the cabinets which makes sense anyway, and put glass doors in them OR put some higher open shelves above the sink - maybe 2 of them. Then you are creating a focal point for the tap. If the storage is more important than the tap then I would suggest a lower tap to avoid the cramped feeling. But raising the cupboard level over the sink is a good idea to avoid bumping your head and the claustrophobic feeling which may develop.

Well, your story sounds like a stressful one. And though you want to move in right away, I still don't understand why you can't take a breath and sort out your sink and faucet choices. Just about everyone on this forum redoing a kitchen has lived without a kitchen sink and faucet for a while, sometimes months, so I wouldn't use that as a reason to rush your decision. In any case, your second post makes it sound like you really want the Silgranit Cafe Brown, so get that one. The designer you ran into likely is just stuck in a stainless habit, and is unfamiliar with Silgranit. Did the designer give you a reason not to choose Silgranit? Just cause your appliances are stainless doesn't mean your sink needs to be stainless (BTW, why are you saying the Silgranit Cafe Brown sink would take 2-3 weeks? We ordered our Silgranit sink from homeandstone.com, and it came about 3 days after we ordered it.) I can only tell you our thought processes for how we chose our Blanco Blancoprecis Super Single Silgranit sink: Stainless vs. Silgranit - we chose stainless at first, then decided we didn't want to live the with the water marks, and switched to Silgranit. Silgranit color - we chose Anthracite cause it looked good with our granite. Sink Size - the kitchen is small so we were limited to a 30" wide sink. You haven't said what size is your sink cabinet--how can you order a sink without knowing that information? Shape - rectangular seemed to be the most efficient use of space, fit the largest pans better than a D-shape, and has a look we like. We really like the apron front style the most, but Silgranit doesn't come in an apron front sink. Single vs double - we chose single because a double sink in a 30" size provides two bowls that are too small for large pans. Since you are having a prep sink too, I would recommend a single bowl sink. Just a note about the Franke you mentioned. Before we went with Silgranit, we were going to have a stainless sink, and were about to purchase the Kraus 30" KHU100-30 16-gauge sink. The Franke sinks are typically 18 gauge, not 16 gauge (16 gauge is thicker). The Franke sinks are also expensive; you are paying a lot for the name. The Kraus sink we liked sells for $370 on Overstock, and comes with the grid and strainer for free. Ticor sinks also are a good buy. I would never buy a Franke sink cause I feel their prices are ripoffs. As to the faucet finish, my personal preference is not oil-rubbed bronze for a kitchen. It is a living finish, and I am just not a fan of a living finish in a kitchen, just MHO. But if you like the oil rubbed bronze get it. We can't give you much advice about faucet finish because as Buehl already said, and you haven't responded, you haven't provided any info on your cabinets, countertops, wall color, or backsplash.

I think you'll be fine with a stainless prep sink. It'll be an undermount, so it's not as if you'll have a big stainless apron front sink which might (depending on placement) look out of place with your Shaw's. If you really do want a stainless then you must get it. It's going to be your workhorse sink and the last thing you want to have to do is baby it or worry about it.