Help choosing kitchen sink! Torn btwn cast iron and granite composite.
lekhouse
2 years ago
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Joseph Corlett, LLC
2 years agoJoseph Corlett, LLC
2 years agoRelated Discussions
white or bisquit cast iron sink?
Comments (16)We have an old Kohler cast iron sink in our kitchen (it came with the house). It's white ... sort of. It has seen its share of hard use. The only thing that I can clean it with now is bleach spray, otherwise it constantly looks stained and dirty. I'm grateful that my sink is white so the bleach spray is an option because I'm not sure how a colored sink would handle that. Anyway, my vote is for white everytime. White sink, white toilet, white tub. It's classic and the whole room can be changed around it and it will still work. Plus ... 25 years from now ... you can use bleach spray....See MoreBroken Kohler Cast Iron Sink
Comments (15)I had a similar situation. The only countertop I have is built over my undermount, Koehler farm sink, "Hawthorne." It's discontinued & they had no touch up kits. Mine was damaged because it sat on my garage floor for 2 years with water softener overflow, crap sitting in it, all kinds of stuff my STBX said didn't matter because it was enamel over cast iron. Well, cast iron rusts & up under the apron, I noticed it was well after it was installed. At the same time I noticed a kind of "slice" into the enamel in the bowl. It took a particular light to see it, but I could. They were actually wonderful. The only thing they could offer was to replace the sink because even with the horrible wear and tear it took due to OUR negligence, it shouldn't have been damaged. I can't afford to have my sink torn out, countertop ruined, just to put a new one in. I know I'm the only one who could see the slice, and the rust is underneath with a tiny bit on the not so evident corner. I told them to send it, though. So I have a brand new one sitting in my barn. At 150 lbs? Not changing anytime soon. How many people have TWO of their $1500 sinks! [LOL] I realize this doesn't help you at all, but I thought you might want to know they do try. Within their boundries, I guess. Good luck with your sink & contractors. It's heartbreaking to find something you just love is broken. Christine...See MoreSinks which type? Silgranit, stainless steel or cast iron?
Comments (58)After 21 years of use, I am replacing a white Franke composite sink, as I am removing worn laminate countertops and replacing them with quartz. I have agonized over the choice of a new sink and have done much research about them. While I love my current sink, it has developed many small cracks around the disposal drain presumably from hot oil poured into the sink. You cannot feel the cracks, they are not raised, but there is a web of them all around the drain. Of course, this has been after many years of heavy duty use. Since Franke no longer makes granite composite sinks,(which has me curious as to why they discontinued them), I am down to a choice of SS, Silgranite II, or Iron coated with enamel. After much research, most chefs and other serious cooks recommend SS sinks. In fact, many of the current sink offerings for residential use are channeling the sharp angled configurations of restaurant SS sinks. On line reviewers and the salesperson at my local plumbing supply have experienced staining and chipping with cast Iron sinks. The salesperson told me that many companies will replace them if they do chip or stain, but they only send you a new sink, the owner is responsible for the cost of installation. Some reviewers on line talk about scratches in Silgranite sinks, especially on the darker colors. One magazine editorial that reviewed sink materials even included a picture that was taken of a showroom sink that had a scratch in the bottom that would not come out when the editor tried to remove it while in the store. From my on-line research, the cracking with Silgranite seems to have been only during transport and installation, however people have written about scratches that occurred during use. Missing from the comments on this site is the type of cooking being done by those offering their opinions. There is a big difference in experience with kitchen gear between a person who makes light meals for one or two people versus a gourmet cook who executes complex multi-course meals for many guests. As for myself, the utility of a sink is a more important consideration than how it looks. If I am in the middle of preparing a complex meal, I do not want to worry that I might damage my sink if I lob a heavy skillet or pot into it!...See MoreKohler cast iron sink vs. Whitehaus fireclay sink vs ??
Comments (15)It occurs to me, re household help, potential future babies, and a kitchen you have to baby, that given your parameters you really don't want to deal with the clay sink. The marble only needs to be babied if you hate patina. When I had marble (cheap beige in an apartment abroad) I promise I didn't baby it. It was fine. Yes, you can get scratches and pits, and if something colorful soaks in it's a pain to get it out (though sealer probably helps a heck of a lot with that), but, as the guy from The Petch House famously said here on GW, "It's ROCK!". Fireclay is more durable than vitreous china (what normal bathroom fixtures are made out of), but it's not iron. It's fine for the woman who doesn't cook, but all the ifs of who else might be dropping a heavy hot pan or banging into it on his bicycle make me think it might be a problem in the long run. Kohler's current surface is fired at extremely high temperatures which is what they say makes it so very hard to chip. If a greige (thanks, again, Casey!) chip in your dark blue won't bother you, you won't mind redoing that part of the kitchen if it has a problem, or if you're willing to chance that yours is going to be one of the ones that never gets damaged (because plenty don't), then go with the fireclay if you think it's prettiest. And in a very blue moon a Kohler gets damaged too (though I think there's a warranty). But I have a whole list of things that my housekeeper, who's very careful and conscientious, but not emotionally attached to my stuff the way I am, has nicked, misused or broken. And she's a treasure! I was mightily tempted by a V&B fireclay sink, but life's too short to worry about it....See MoreJoseph Corlett, LLC
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