We are replacing kitchen sink with new drop-in, plain white but can't decide which type of material to purchase. We want a sink that is easy to clean and will resist scratches and marks.
We find several types of materials, all of which brag about their great finish but would like opinions from actual users.
We have a RO unit so must have at least 5 holes cut in the sink for connecting faucets etc. Can all materials be drilled for these connections?
We have been told that enamel on cast iron is tough but will show a mark whenever a pan is placed in the sink??
Other materials show less marks but are subject to scratches??
As the old saying goes, opinions are like asshole. Everybody has one. Mine is this: If materials other than stainless steel were so terrific, they'd be used in restaurant kitchens. They are not. You have to be out of your mind to have anything but stainless.
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Home Depot & Lowe's don't seem to carry top of the line sinks. You'll need to open the yellow pages and find a kitchen specialty or plumbing store. Probably no single place carries all models, so this will take some leg work. One downside to cheap stainless sinks is that the decks will flex when you move the faucet around while washing pots. When the deck flexes, the deck plate gasket may eventually stop doing its job and you get just enough drips into the cabinet to be annoying. ("Hmm....is it a leak from a pipe, or what?" - 20 minutes before you're expecting guests and you don't need any aggravation).
Drilling: Any material can be drilled for whatever you want. The question is whether the sink of your choice will be large enough to accomodate all the accessories.
As far as marks on enamel, I never had that problem unless it was a cast iron pot, and even so, it cleaned off easily. As far as the composite materials, I've never lived with them, so I don't know what happens if you take a pot directly from the hot stove burner and place it in the sink. Stainless does nothing when it encounters high heat. You don't have to "baby" a stainless steel sink.
13 years ago I went through the same data gathering. I ended up getting a white porcelain on cast iron sink from Kohler. It has held up fine but we do have to scour it once in a while. Note: the first one that arrived had a corner smashed, so inspect carefully.
I was cautioned about getting stainless steel because it attracts dirt and grease and needs to be cleaned often. My GF insisted that I not get stainless appliances because of the cost and cleaning.
Also, I am happy with the uneven double sinks. However, apparently wooden cutting boards are no longer available. Some health nazi decided bacteria might grow on them. (I'm still using a 100+ year old hardwood board my grandmother had. Nobody has gotten sick from it as far as we know.)
I don't know what a "RO unit" is, but I would never think about drilling holes myself.
A related feature that I'm happy with is the Chicago faucet. I really like the high rise spout, similar to what you see in a chem lab. It lets large pots be moved under the water for washing. Chicago is an old company that makes quality products (at a price!).
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finish has remain perfect with no chipping, blistering or cracks. The valves do not leak, although I have replaced the rubber seals twice.
Comparing a stainless sink to stainless appliances makes no sense. Appliances are harder to BE HAPPY with because you cannot clean them in exactly the same way as a stainless sink, so you may end up with streaks. (Rubbing alcohol's the trick, by the way). But, stainless sinks do not "attract dirt and grease". That's silly.
Referring to store names, where have you shopped and been unable to find wooden cutting boards?
Been around for 90 yrs and seen a few sinks in my time from Toyko to Istanbul My advice, a good grade double deep stainless. Will serve any need that arises now and in the future. Not cheap exactly but worth ever penny. Jack
We have a porcelein on cast iron Kohler. Finish is worn out after 9 years. Will be going with Corian soon but otherwise I would go with a deep stainless steel double sink drilled at the factory. Consumer Reports says thickness doesn't matter but my parents have a cheap thin one and even though the faucet is mounted tightly it flexes because of the thin stainless steel rim.
Better ones often have some sort of coating underneath, which lowers noise (from clattering objects in sink, and running water), and, I suspect, help keeps a sink full of water hot longer, if you're soaking things in one side and washing in the other.
Stainless steel kitchen sinks are my preference actually. Haven't had a single problem cleaning mine, and it's the only material I haven't had to scour periodically to keep clean.
Regular SS for appliances I agree can be a pain to keep up with if the appliance is in a place where fingerprints are common.
I have had white enamel on cast iron in many homes with no problems. Occasionally, in my well-traveled renter days, I would get an enamel on cast iron sink that had a chip in the enamel, so apparently that can happen, but I have never managed to chip one no matter what I dropped on it, so don't know how the previous residents managed to pull that off.
I have never had a problem with staining in any but the very oldest ones, in which the enamel had been scratched and worn away over the years, and even then I was usually able to remove staining with a bleach soaking. Rust staining could be a problem, but if you take the usual care to avoid it (don't leave SOS pads on the sink, don't leave damp cast iron or rust-prone metals in the sink, etc.), I don't see it being a problem.
I've also had many stainless steel sinks and actually, based on my experience, find them no harder and no easier to maintain -- just different.
Currently, I have a bathroom sink made of Corian (the vanity top and sink are one seamless piece) and have found it scratches readily. Not big, deep gouges, but it takes more care than I would have expected (based on Corian's advertising, having had no prior experience with it) to avoid fine scratches. That's the one sink material I've had that I wouldn't recommend.
Jo Ann
gr> We are replacing kitchen sink with new drop-in, plain white but can't
Sadly, that's not my experience. I've found that slight touches from a metal pan can leave marks that are moderately hard to remove. Certainly not impossible to remove but an inconvenience nevertheless.
More recently, I created a chip of several square inches simply by pouring some hot (near boiling) water into the sink. There was a loud "ping" and I found several large "flakes" of enamel had detached from the cast iron. I was not a happy camper at that point.
I've always found SS easy to clean. My caffeine problem does lead to some slight staining which is soon eliminated with a little bleach once a month or so. I figure that also helps to disinfect the waste disposal and P-trap.
I agree. Corian is certainly a neat material but I don't think it's sufficiently durable for kitchen sinks. At least, not one that is subject to all of the abuse a large family will throw at it.
I recently installed granite sink (80% granite and 20% resin to hold the granite). There have been no issues with cleaning or scratches. The manufacturer is Blanco. The one I have is black.
There must be more than one brand of sink, then, because three years ago, the apartment complex I lived in was replacing porcelain sinks with SS, none of which had any coating.
Thanks to all of you that responded. I gave me good information to consider when making the purchase.
Bottom line is that wife selected solid white American Standard "Americast" sink. Now the problem is that we need one more hole drilled for mounting faucets etc.
Anyone have any experience drilling holes in this particular sink?
This last question is now buried pretty deep within a bunch of others. You might want to start a whole new thread so it's more visible. Or, maybe I'm wrong. I'm going for more coffee.
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