We have been bouncing all over the place so I'm posing the question to
the public, what's the best sink material for a kitchen sink? We have
looked at stainless steel with sound deadening and it's sturdy,
lightweight, easy to mount, doesn't stain, chip or get affected by
heat or hot water. But it looks industrial. We have looked at
porcelain cast iron sinks as we have white appliances but the counter
top company is sounding touchy about mounting it under counter because
it's so dang heavy. We have heard porcelain marks and dings and isn't
the sturdiest of sinks. We have looked at granite sinks as they
advertise that they don't chip, stain and aren't affected by heat and
we like the black with the color scheme we were heading for. The last
counter place we talked with said they refuse to mount granite sinks
because they chip so easily. We also looked at cast sinks like
Americast which also has a coating they advertise can handle 1000-
degrees but we have heard they mark and rot and are not worth the
effort.

We're kind of leaning back to stainless but would rather not have the
industrial look but do we have any other options? We're redoing the
kitchen complete and the stainless sink we're replacing has been in
the house for 26 years and is still in mint condition.

On Sep 16, 8:00*pm, infiniteMPG wrote:
We have been bouncing all over the place so I'm posing the question to
the public, what's the best sink material for a kitchen sink? *We have
looked at stainless steel with sound deadening and it's sturdy,
lightweight, easy to mount, doesn't stain, chip or get affected by
heat or hot water. *But it looks industrial. *We have looked at
porcelain cast iron sinks as we have white appliances but the counter
top company is sounding touchy about mounting it under counter because
it's so dang heavy. *We have heard porcelain marks and dings and isn't
the sturdiest of sinks. *We have looked at granite sinks as they
advertise that they don't chip, stain and aren't affected by heat and
we like the black with the color scheme we were heading for. *The last
counter place we talked with said they refuse to mount granite sinks
because they chip so easily. *We also looked at cast sinks like
Americast which also has a coating they advertise can handle 1000-
degrees but we have heard they mark and rot and are not worth the
effort.

We're kind of leaning back to stainless but would rather not have the
industrial look but do we have any other options? *We're redoing the
kitchen complete and the stainless sink we're replacing has been in
the house for 26 years and is still in mint condition.

With the economy as shaky as it is, wouldn't it be prudent to not
obsess over fancy ways to waste money and simply appreciate the
outstanding quality/performance durability of your SS sink? If you
want to throw a more modest sum of money around and have a
conversation piece in the kitchen, then go wild with some of the avant
garde faucets from Kohler, especially, and even staid old Delta. Wall
mount controls, two foot high goose neck outlets, there's enough
foolishness out there to have fun without being stupid. SS appliances
are big now, so are range hoods. Why not sinks? The patina on your 26
year old sink is priceless from an appearance standpoint. If you put
it out on the curb it would be gone before you got back in the house
in many places. If you must replace the sink, consider the many
variants available today, again citing Kohler as an innovator. The
array of products out there is really dazzling, so have fun deciding.

Joe

On Sep 16, 8:00*pm, infiniteMPG wrote:
We have been bouncing all over the place so I'm posing the question to
the public, what's the best sink material for a kitchen sink? *We have
looked at stainless steel with sound deadening and it's sturdy,
lightweight, easy to mount, doesn't stain, chip or get affected by
heat or hot water. *But it looks industrial. *We have looked at
porcelain cast iron sinks as we have white appliances but the counter
top company is sounding touchy about mounting it under counter because
it's so dang heavy. *We have heard porcelain marks and dings and isn't
the sturdiest of sinks. *We have looked at granite sinks as they
advertise that they don't chip, stain and aren't affected by heat and
we like the black with the color scheme we were heading for. *The last
counter place we talked with said they refuse to mount granite sinks
because they chip so easily. *We also looked at cast sinks like
Americast which also has a coating they advertise can handle 1000-
degrees but we have heard they mark and rot and are not worth the
effort.

We're kind of leaning back to stainless but would rather not have the
industrial look but do we have any other options? *We're redoing the
kitchen complete and the stainless sink we're replacing has been in
the house for 26 years and is still in mint condition.

Yea the counter top guy want you to use stainless so he has an easy
job, Use cast iron porcelin and tell him to build a brace under it.

On Sep 16, 6:00 pm, infiniteMPG wrote:
We have been bouncing all over the place so I'm posing the question to
the public, what's the best sink material for a kitchen sink? We have
looked at stainless steel with sound deadening and it's sturdy,
lightweight, easy to mount, doesn't stain, chip or get affected by
heat or hot water. But it looks industrial. We have looked at
porcelain cast iron sinks as we have white appliances but the counter
top company is sounding touchy about mounting it under counter because
it's so dang heavy. We have heard porcelain marks and dings and isn't
the sturdiest of sinks. We have looked at granite sinks as they
advertise that they don't chip, stain and aren't affected by heat and
we like the black with the color scheme we were heading for. The last
counter place we talked with said they refuse to mount granite sinks
because they chip so easily. We also looked at cast sinks like
Americast which also has a coating they advertise can handle 1000-
degrees but we have heard they mark and rot and are not worth the
effort.

We're kind of leaning back to stainless but would rather not have the
industrial look but do we have any other options? We're redoing the
kitchen complete and the stainless sink we're replacing has been in
the house for 26 years and is still in mint condition.

I don't see stainless as "industrial". I have it and would use it
again.
You said yourself that the old one is in "mint condition".

I like the aesthetic effect produced by echoing the stainless look in
the trim
on the wall oven and a few other elements in the kitchen.

"infiniteMPG" wrote in message
...
We have been bouncing all over the place so I'm posing the question to
the public, what's the best sink material for a kitchen sink? We have
looked at stainless steel with sound deadening and it's sturdy,
lightweight, easy to mount, doesn't stain, chip or get affected by
heat or hot water. But it looks industrial. We have looked at
porcelain cast iron sinks as we have white appliances but the counter
top company is sounding touchy about mounting it under counter because
it's so dang heavy. We have heard porcelain marks and dings and isn't
the sturdiest of sinks. We have looked at granite sinks as they
advertise that they don't chip, stain and aren't affected by heat and
we like the black with the color scheme we were heading for. The last
counter place we talked with said they refuse to mount granite sinks
because they chip so easily. We also looked at cast sinks like
Americast which also has a coating they advertise can handle 1000-
degrees but we have heard they mark and rot and are not worth the
effort.

We're kind of leaning back to stainless but would rather not have the
industrial look but do we have any other options? We're redoing the
kitchen complete and the stainless sink we're replacing has been in
the house for 26 years and is still in mint condition.

For what it's worth a cast iron sink has a thicker coat of porcelain than a
metal sink. Another factor is what type of counter tops? If it's granite an
undermount sink looks the best but once you say undermount the price jumps
up. There's a wide price range of stainless sinks. There are some really
nice stainless sinks out there. Cast iron sinks are very strong and durable.
Another thing to think about if you are going to use a Tile in or undermount
sink, it's there until you change the counter top. If you do a tile in I
would stash enough tile (and trim pieces) to do a sink replacement. Also a
lot of the newer sinks are deeper than your old one so if you going with a
deeper one (they are nice) make sure your waste stub out is low enough. You
might have to lower it that's an additional cost factor. Myself I never
cared for clay/porcelain sinks. In my house I have granite counters with a
stainless undermount; stainless sinks have come a long way.

Sounds to me like your doing a major kitchen remodel so I might
add this, think about every thing you want in advance such as additional
electrical outlets. Under counter lights, trash compactor just whatever try
and avoid extras that's were the$$$$ add up. I will assume your contracting
the job out if so ask for PROOF of Liability and workman's comp insurance.
Last thing you will get sick of eating out have fun.

On Sep 17, 12:53*am, "Sac Dave" wrote:
"infiniteMPG" wrote in message

...





We have been bouncing all over the place so I'm posing the question to
the public, what's the best sink material for a kitchen sink? *We have
looked at stainless steel with sound deadening and it's sturdy,
lightweight, easy to mount, doesn't stain, chip or get affected by
heat or hot water. *But it looks industrial. *We have looked at
porcelain cast iron sinks as we have white appliances but the counter
top company is sounding touchy about mounting it under counter because
it's so dang heavy. *We have heard porcelain marks and dings and isn't
the sturdiest of sinks. *We have looked at granite sinks as they
advertise that they don't chip, stain and aren't affected by heat and
we like the black with the color scheme we were heading for. *The last
counter place we talked with said they refuse to mount granite sinks
because they chip so easily. *We also looked at cast sinks like
Americast which also has a coating they advertise can handle 1000-
degrees but we have heard they mark and rot and are not worth the
effort.

We're kind of leaning back to stainless but would rather not have the
industrial look but do we have any other options? *We're redoing the
kitchen complete and the stainless sink we're replacing has been in
the house for 26 years and is still in mint condition.

For what it's worth a cast iron sink has a thicker coat of porcelain than a
metal sink.

For the record, cast iron sinks, AFAIK, are actually coated with
enamel. While it's fired and forms a hard surface similar to
porcelain, I believe in the sink business porcelain means it is a
solid ceramic product, formed out of a clay type material, containing
no metal. If you look at Kohler cast iron, they do not refer to them
as porcelain, but rather enamel coated.

I have one and am very satisfied with it. I looked at American Std
which only makes Americast, which appears to me to be the mystery spam
of metals. It's not true cast iron, but some composite, lighter
weight metal. If you look at one carefully in the store next to a
Kohler, there is no comparison. The finish on the Kohler looks rich
and luxurious compared to the duller looking American Std. The Kohler
also has a slightly uneven, slightly ripple like look to it, as it
takes on some of the texture of the underlying cast iron. I think
that makes it look more authentic.

I've had mine a couple years now and no chips or any problems at all.
There is no question it can chip, but it also depends on if you're a
total idiot or have kids, etc who are. With reasonable usage care I
don't see chipping of a ture quality cast iron sink as a problem. I
like the warm look of a white sink compared to stainless. When I'm
doing prep work, etc, the white background makes it easier to focus on
and see what I'm doing.

Regarding the counter company, I don't know what being "touchy" about
undermounting a cast iron sink means. If they can't tell you a simple
yes or no regarding undermounting a cast iron sink, I'd find another
granite company. Also I'd stay away from the counter company that
refuses to mount a cast iron sink because they allegedly chip so
easy. Even if that were true, what business is it of theirs? It's
your sink and your kitchen. It sounds like they are saying they are
too dumb to handle it the right way while installing it. Cast iron
sinks are widely available in undermount versions and with all the
granite out there today, it's hard to imagine that it's a problem.
I'd also check with Kohler and see what they say.


Another factor is what type of counter tops? If it's granite an
undermount sink looks the best but once you say undermount the price jumps
up. *

Price of the sink or install in the countertop? Either way, compared
to the cost of a job including granite countertops, the cost delta has
to be negligible, especially for something that is a focal point and
will be there for decades.




There's a wide price range of stainless sinks. *There are some really
nice stainless sinks out there. Cast iron sinks are very strong and durable.
Another thing to think about if you are going to use a Tile in or undermount
sink, it's there until you change the counter top. If you do a tile in I
would stash enough tile (and trim pieces) to do a sink replacement. Also a
lot of the newer sinks are deeper than your old one so if you going with a
deeper one (they are nice) make sure your waste stub out is low enough. You
might have to lower it that's an additional cost factor. *

Yes, I went with a double sink that is very deep on the left, larger
bowl side. It was the Kohler Marsala, which uses a single hole in
the back at the divider point, which lets both bowls go all the way
back, giving additional depth. I'd also look into the sinks that have
a lower center divider. Also factor in the garbage disposal plumbing
with regard to the waste stub.



Myself I never
cared for clay/porcelain *sinks. *In my house I have granite counters with a
stainless undermount; stainless sinks have come a long way.

* * * * * * Sounds to me like your doing a major kitchen remodel so I might
add this, think about every thing you want in advance such as additional
electrical outlets. Under counter lights, trash compactor just whatever try
and avoid extras that's were the$$$$ add up. I will assume your contracting
the job out if so ask for PROOF of Liability and workman's comp insurance..
Last thing you will get sick of eating out have fun.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Stainless steel will look the best in the long run. White sinks get a
dingy, grungy look way too easily. Stainless cleans up easily.
Besides, stainless steel below the counter won't look nearly as
"industrial" as a giant stainless steel refrigerator.

On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:40:57 -0700 (PDT), mike
wrote:

Stainless steel will look the best in the long run. White sinks get a
dingy, grungy look way too easily. Stainless cleans up easily.
Besides, stainless steel below the counter won't look nearly as
"industrial" as a giant stainless steel refrigerator.

This is our experience as well; we are very happy with our undermount
stainless steel sink after living with a nice white, but
maintenance-intensive high-end Kohler cast iron sink. Life is a lot
easier with the stainless, and the sink really isn't that visible
relative to other appliances/elements in the kitchen (plus we do have
a high-end stainless GE range hood and a pair of high-end stainless
pendant lights to go with a stainless-topped center table).

On Sep 17, 9:25*pm, KLS wrote:
On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:40:57 -0700 (PDT), mike

wrote:
Stainless steel will look the best in the long run. *White sinks get a
dingy, grungy look way too easily. *Stainless cleans up easily.
Besides, stainless steel below the counter won't look nearly as
"industrial" as a giant stainless steel refrigerator.

This is our experience as well; we are very happy with our undermount
stainless steel sink after living with a nice white, but
maintenance-intensive high-end Kohler cast iron sink.

What exactly is so maintenance intensive about a Kohler cast iron
sink? I have one and find it's very easy to keep clean. I use
mostly just dishwashing soap and water to clean it, occasionally soft
scrub for anything that is harder to remove and it cleans up very
easily. I've had stainless too, and can't say that there is any big
difference in how easy it is to keep either sink clean.




*Life is a lot
easier with the stainless, and the sink really isn't that visible
relative to other appliances/elements in the kitchen (plus we do have
a high-end stainless GE range hood and a pair of high-end stainless
pendant lights to go with a stainless-topped center table). *

On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:39:37 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Sep 17, 9:25*pm, KLS wrote:
On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:40:57 -0700 (PDT), mike

wrote:
Stainless steel will look the best in the long run. *White sinks get a
dingy, grungy look way too easily. *Stainless cleans up easily.
Besides, stainless steel below the counter won't look nearly as
"industrial" as a giant stainless steel refrigerator.

This is our experience as well; we are very happy with our undermount
stainless steel sink after living with a nice white, but
maintenance-intensive high-end Kohler cast iron sink.

What exactly is so maintenance intensive about a Kohler cast iron
sink? I have one and find it's very easy to keep clean. I use
mostly just dishwashing soap and water to clean it, occasionally soft
scrub for anything that is harder to remove and it cleans up very
easily. I've had stainless too, and can't say that there is any big
difference in how easy it is to keep either sink clean.

The white cast iron showed dirt almost instantly, sending the OCD
individual in this house into a tizzy just about any time it was used
and not immediately cleaned up, whereas the stainless is less obvious.
The other thing for us was that periodically we had to bleach the cast
iron sink (this one was 20+ years old) to get stains out, something we
don't have to do with the stainless.

On Sep 19, 4:22*am, KLS wrote:
On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:39:37 -0700 (PDT), wrote:
On Sep 17, 9:25*pm, KLS wrote:
On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:40:57 -0700 (PDT), mike

wrote:
Stainless steel will look the best in the long run. *White sinks get a
dingy, grungy look way too easily. *Stainless cleans up easily.
Besides, stainless steel below the counter won't look nearly as
"industrial" as a giant stainless steel refrigerator.

This is our experience as well; we are very happy with our undermount
stainless steel sink after living with a nice white, but
maintenance-intensive high-end Kohler cast iron sink.

What exactly is so maintenance intensive about a Kohler cast iron
sink? * I have one and find it's very easy to keep clean. * I use
mostly just dishwashing soap and water to clean it, occasionally soft
scrub for anything that is harder to remove and it cleans up very
easily. *I've had stainless too, and can't say that there is any big
difference in how easy it is to keep either sink clean.

The white cast iron showed dirt almost instantly, sending the OCD
individual in this house into a tizzy just about any time it was used
and not immediately cleaned up, whereas the stainless is less obvious.

Yes, I see your point.



The other thing for us was that periodically we had to bleach the cast
iron sink (this one was 20+ years old) to get stains out, something we
don't have to do with the stainless.- Hide quoted text -


For anything that doesn't just wash off, I use Soft Scrub that comes
with bleach already in it.

On Fri 19 Sep 2008 01:22:17a, KLS told us...

On Thu, 18 Sep 2008 00:39:37 -0700 (PDT), wrote:

On Sep 17, 9:25*pm, KLS wrote:
On Wed, 17 Sep 2008 08:40:57 -0700 (PDT), mike

wrote:
Stainless steel will look the best in the long run. *White sinks get a
dingy, grungy look way too easily. *Stainless cleans up easily.
Besides, stainless steel below the counter won't look nearly as
"industrial" as a giant stainless steel refrigerator.

This is our experience as well; we are very happy with our undermount
stainless steel sink after living with a nice white, but
maintenance-intensive high-end Kohler cast iron sink.

What exactly is so maintenance intensive about a Kohler cast iron
sink? I have one and find it's very easy to keep clean. I use
mostly just dishwashing soap and water to clean it, occasionally soft
scrub for anything that is harder to remove and it cleans up very
easily. I've had stainless too, and can't say that there is any big
difference in how easy it is to keep either sink clean.

The white cast iron showed dirt almost instantly, sending the OCD
individual in this house into a tizzy just about any time it was used
and not immediately cleaned up, whereas the stainless is less obvious.
The other thing for us was that periodically we had to bleach the cast
iron sink (this one was 20+ years old) to get stains out, something we
don't have to do with the stainless.

This OCD individual freaks at the sight of a water spot on a stainless
steel sink. I'll never own one again..

--
Wayne Boatwright

*******************************************
Date: Friday, 09(IX)/19(XIX)/08(MMVIII)
*******************************************
Countdown till Veteran's Day
7wks 3dys 11hrs 7mins
*******************************************
Of course I'm crazy. But that doesn't
mean I'm WRONG!
*******************************************

On Sep 19, 12:58*pm, Wayne Boatwright
wrote:

This OCD individual freaks at the sight of a water spot on a stainless
steel sink. I'll never own one again..

The OP noted that his old stainless sink was in mint condition, so his
water likely isn't a problem. If yours is, you might try cleaning
your stainless items with vinegar or oxalic acid based cleaners like
Bar Keeper's Friend.