Composite is another form of plastic. Cast iron is capable of chipping, but modern ones are less likely to do so. More likely is you'll break more dishes and glasses because it is unforgiving in that regard. Well cared for, cast iron will outlast you and your house!

I like them, but anything except white is pricey. Of course, it's true that it will last forever--but it would outlast me for sure. LOL The descriptions of the composites say they are a blend of granite and acrylics. They SAY they are durable and heat resistant, but am wondering about the truth of that. I was just curious if anyone had personal experience with them.

I'm also debating the merits of a double-bowl sink vs. a single bowl. Kohler makes one with a dropped center bar that has the advantages of both, too. Too may things to consider...

You must consider in the swap out- the granite should the sink cut out not match your new sink -you will have to have the counter top re cut for fitting in your new one. It can be larger but not smaller. You will need the dimensions of the sink cut out when you shop for a new sink because you have granite counter tops. If you are lucky ,you will find a new sink that fits the cut out.

Don't know if you have already figured into that or not.

yes, I've thought about this. The current sink is a pretty standard 33 x 22 size, so am only looking at sinks in that size. I'll be sure to check the manufacturer's specs for the cut-out dimensions before I buy anything. You're right: I don't want to have to cut granite!

If it were me, I would remove that sink and get an exact measurement on the cut out. Because I would be real concerned about the fitting in of the new sink in every detail because I wouldn't want to scratch the granite. But scratches can be repaired than buffed out to reach consistency.

Seems to me you covered all bases.
Do tell how the installation goes on your new sink.
And good luck with your project.

It has double bowls but a low center divider (they call it Smart Divide) to give the advantage of a single bowl as well. It has good reviews. It's a bit pricey for my pocketbook right now, but might be a good long-term investment nonetheless.

Some of the composites look nice and are much cheaper, but reading the reviews scared me off those. Some reviewers reported cracking. One reviewer of a model that says it's heat resistant (up to like 550 degrees, I think) said that the bowl cracked in half when she drained potatoes in it. Sheesh! That's ridiculous. Who wants a sink you can't use to drain potatoes or pasta? Others said they developed small cracks over time and leaked, and some said they scratched easily. I don't want to take a chance on something like that.

I'm rethinking stainless steel as well, though. It might not look as bad as I think. One of the reviewers had a picture of it with a Venetian bronze faucet, and it didn't look bad at all. We do have some stainless steel small appliances that it would coordinate with, and it would be cheaper. Kohler has a sound-shielded, heavy-guage stainless steel one I like that has good reviews. It's called the Staccato. This one has unequal double-bowls and does not have the lower divider of the Langlade, but the larger bowl will easily accommodate larger items. It also has centered holes for the faucet, which I need for aesthetic reasons since the symmetrical backsplash design behind the sink is a focal point of the kitchen.

Still thinking... all input welcome!

in our old house and it was great -,had the deep sink for pans -it was spendy. But here is the thing ,chips in the porcelain showed up in time. American Standard I think it was.She always said I did those chips because I am not careful enough- I really don't recall doing that.
but I probably did it . !

Seems to me you have a number of factors to consider -tile ,granite and you appliances you want it all to blend together.

Al I can say is that there is an up side and a down side to everything, sometimes we simply have to trade off.

But if you shop around and you are not in a hurry to change out your sink-you will probably locate what you are looking for even if you are not sure exactly what right now.

Good luck.

There was a decades old sink in my previous house that was that. A couple of chips, but they didn't bother me. Apparently there is some stuff you can use to coat them, but I don't know if it works.

I really think that's the best sink material for the average house. Durable. Reasonable price. Sufficiently flexible that not every dropped glass is a goner. Some of the higher end units (I can't recall which) have high polished highlights that really set them off.

Would your granite counter cut out accept an undermount stainless steel sink? That might be the best of all worlds.

we're always saying "Huh... wonder why they did that..." about bizarre things the dimwits did who remodeled this house before us. Some things just make NO SENSE at all.

Like, for instance, they put a utility sink in the garage on the wall directly behind the sink and the stove. They tapped into the water pipes under the sink for that. Now, they COULD have run the pipes directly through the wall under the sink and then down the wall in the garage to the utility sink, which is actually on the other side of the wall from the stove. But noooooo... they cut a hole in the counter wall under the sink and ran the pipes through that behind the stove and then through the wall to the sink in the garage. This made the stove stick out from the wall with about a 5" gap behind it. Dumb! We have changed this to the more reasonable set up, but WHY they did it this way in the first place is beyond my comprehension.

So... my point is, my guess is that the cut-out is probably too rough for an undermount sink. If I had been the one designing this kitchen remodel, I definitely would have wanted to put in an undermount sink to begin with, though. They put in nice granite counters with this pretty, but cheap acrylic sink (that probably looked nice for a few weeks), and I doubt they thought beyond that.

You make good points about the stainless steel sinks. I went by Lowe's this afternoon and took a look at the Staccato sink I mentioned above, and thought it looked pretty nice. I may just end up going that way!

I've installed a bunch of the Kohler products - 18 gage If memory serves me. Anything higher gage seems cheap. I haven't done any 16 gage sinks but I really like the look - almost like pewter.

I suppose you can pull the sink and see what you are working with cutout wise. Maybe you can have the edges polished if you can make it work for an under-mount.

I think stainless is easier to clean. You can use a Brillo pad on it - I have and it didn't seem to scratch it up. As you correctly point out, fewer glasses get broken when you drop them. And I drop them.

I find it much harder to clean than my old porcelain sink. Plus there is something about the additive that my local water company adds to the water to prevent pipes corroding that stainless steel does not like.

If I were looking for a house to buy and I walked into a kitchen with stainless appliances, I would walk right out again. Stainless steel and granite countertops, the Formica of the decade. (I actually like Formica, though.)

It's a very inexpensive powder that works great, though it doesn't smell very good.

It really brings back the shine, the water will bead up just like if you waxed the sink.

I had a stainless steel sink in another house for about 10 years, and I really liked it. It was pretty easy to keep clean, but I don't think we had any additives like that in our water. I remember just wiping it down and buffing it dry for a perfect shine every time. I don't think the city adds anything like that here. I hope not anyway. You don't like granite countertops, either? I love mine. They are easy to wipe clean with a granite cleaner, and they are have a lustrous shine if you buff them dry when you clean them.

Lowe's had a SS sink for about $240 and I LURVE it!! http://www.lowes.com/pd_102-94094-027OTH115STS_0__?productId=3608968&Ntt=sinks+stainless+steel&pl=1¤tURL=%3FNtt%3Dsinks%2Bstainless%2Bsteel&facetInfo=

i don't use the small sink at all, but it's great for storing cleaning supplies under the sink, I use the strainer and cutting board most every day and it works excellently.

we replaced a 'silstone' double sink and i'm amazed at how much quieter the disposal is with just the small amount of sound proofing on the new sink. and as someone mentioned, Bar Keepers Friend will keep SS looking great!

it's such a pleasure to be able to set my largest pots flat in the sink for scrubbing I can't tell ya!

So you really like it, eh? My only concern with it is having to have just one drain going through the garbage disposal. So, no problems with that? I used to have a large single basin sink that I really loved in an old rental home. You could do anything in that sink! But it didn't have a garbage disposal at all, so I'm just wondering how that's working out since I have no experience with that setup.

The other one I'm thinking about is Kohler's Staccato with one small and one large basin. It also comes with a cutting board for the smaller side. It's here: http://www.lowes.com/pd_205707-20602-R3361-4-NA_4294696095__?productId=1163659&Ns=p_product_avg_rating|1

I definitely appreciate your recommendation on the single basin American Standard sink. It seems to come with a lot of accessories--the smaller basin, the colander, and the large cutting board. Did you get all of that with yours? Was it easy to install?

Last edited Mon Feb 18, 2013, 10:30 AM - Edit history (1)

here's a bad pic of the 'silstone' sink the new one replaced back when we first moved in. it was speckled tan and it was horrible! we were re-grouting the kitchen when that pic was taken (long story)





the new American Standard has the colander, small sink and cutting board. it was very easy to install and we actually cleaned up and re-used the plumbing parts from the double to plumb the single bowl with no problems (YMMV) with our existing garbage disposal

i was quite surprised how quiet it is as stainless can be a bit noisy IME but the AS has good soundproofing it seems. the only part we needed to get was the rubber gasket for the disposal drain as on SS you don't use plumbers' putty like on silstone or porcelain

i don't use the small sink (which i figured i wouldn't and it kept me from buying this for a while) but it makes a very nice container under the sink for all my cleaning stuff and it might come in handy some day I love the colander but am still on the fence on the cutting board, seems like bamboo isn't as smooth as regular wood for that application. but i'm using it often and so far so good....

and no problems with the disposal on one sink that we can see. I really hardly used the second sink on the old unit anyway.

I also had a hi/lo porcelain sink in PHX (where i replaced a double bowl SS sink)



it was nice also, much harder to install (weighed a TON) and with our coffee loving lifestyle harder to keep clean than the stainless

all in all, i'm very pleased with the AStandard sink and am so glad i did it !! looking at your other choice, i'm thinking the one i got is better. the kohler looks to have all the downsides a regular double sink would have without enough upside to recommend it. and did you read the reviews? wow, got some real bad feedback on that one.

edit to add, we did need to snip a tiny bit of tile out for it to fit, take good measurements on your granite! and don't forget to pick up some oil for the bamboo cutting board, you'll need to cure this unit's board before use

I'm really leaning toward this sink!

ETA: Do you still have the dimensions for the cut-out for this sink? Would it be too much trouble to post them if you still have them? They don't say on Lowe's website and I can't find the sink at American Standard's website. You have been so helpful, and I thank you.

cut out dimensions are 32.25 x 21.25 for surface mount, undermount is 31.5 x 20.5 and they want at least 3/4" mounting surface

I've sent the hubby out to look at this sink.

and pics are requested!

as for SS you can always incorporate that with drawer handles or a hanging rack

Before and after pix will be posted. Hang in there, though! It may take us a while to get this done.

I could swear the name was Staccato but ours were two bowls the same size as opposed to one large and one small.

We did one in our house, three in building neighbor's, another for a friend and two for my boyfriend's mom (old house and new).

When we did ours, the cutting board wasn't included but we swiped mom's cutting board when she sold the old house as she was getting a new board with the new sink. I love the cutting board feature. It's now included.

Mom's old house with new sink and Kohler Forte faucet(we always seem to pick that faucet):

That helps me to visualize it a bit better. Your counter color is similar to mine, and I can see part of a black appliance, which I also have.

Same counter top, sink and similar black appliances. And oak cabinets. Same lay-out too.

Old folks - set in their ways. LOL

It looks nice!

I wish I'd been the one making decisions when the original kitchen remodel was done. There are things I would have done differently. But it is what is is -- for now. I'd love to replace the cabinets, too, but that's way down the road from here.

It's a single bowl sink. So far I really like it. Here it is:



Used to have a stainless steel sink; I hated it - could never seem to keep it clean.

I love the farmhouse sinks. I wish my kitchen could easily accommodate one of those.

Where did you get the butcher block island? It looks like an Ikea piece. It's very nice!

So is the sink. And the cabinets. When I got the estimate for custom cabinets I nearly fainted!

Last edited Sat Mar 16, 2013, 07:19 PM - Edit history (1)

I am still debating what to do about the dang sink. These pics are from about 3 years ago, so some things have changed, but I'll explain.

This is a close-up of the sink area. We don't have the traditional set-up with a window behind the sink. Previous owners built a 2-car garage on the other side of the wall, so the window was taken out. We have a geometric design tile backsplash.I added the round filigree decoration to soften the lines.
[IMG][/IMG]

Here's a close-up of the granite countertop:
[IMG][/IMG]

This is what's above the sink. We took the doors off the cabinets above the sink and made them shelves instead. There's crown moulding around the ceiling in the work area of the kitchen. Yes, it's black, and the cabinet is green.
[IMG][/IMG]

This is below the sink:
[IMG][/IMG]

This is from across the room. The table and rolling islands are gone. They are being replaced with an island that we are working on right now (creating ourselves because we can't find what we want). The stove has been replaced with a black one and the big black microwave has been replaced with a black hood (microwave didn't work right and I hated it).
[IMG][/IMG]

This shows the view to the right of the sink. Keep in mind that the stuff in the center is gone now, to be replaced with an island with a wooden top--will be work center and breakfast bar with stools. The stainless steel microwave is still there, and the crockpot with the stainless base is still there, but is now to the left of the stove. The silver radio is gone.
[IMG][/IMG]

This is a view of the rest of the room from back beside the refrigerator. There is a buffet along that long wall now, that is color-washed/antiqued in the same greens with a wooden top. There are nice french doors that go into the family room, which has lots of windows, so that's the main source of natural light in the room, although we are considering putting in a skylight above the sink area. We did the woodwork around the door. It was HORRIBLE when we bought the house. The doors will remain white. They have oil-rubbed bronze handles. The alcove to the left of the french doors is the landing for the stairs that go up to the attic (which is finished off into rooms).
[IMG][/IMG]

Here's a close-up of the decorative wooden accent above the french doors. It's color-washed.
[IMG][/IMG]

And one more... this is also visible from the kitchen. A hallway opens up to the left on the long wall that goes to the office and guest bath. There is a coffee bar in that hallway on top of the white cabinet. It stays. There's another tall, white built-in cabinet in the hallway (to the left) that's visible from certain angles.
[IMG][/IMG]

OK... so now you've sorta had a tour. It looks rather busy in the photos, I suppose, but doesn't look that way in person. It's quirky and eclectic, and mixes old and new. As you can see, the sink is a focal point, so I want to make the right choice since I'm gonna have to live with it for many years.

The white sink looks OK, because it brings in the other touches of white in the room (french doors, shelves on the long wall, coffee bar cabinet). It also looks traditional. This sink has to go, though.

I love the functionality of the single-basin stainless steel American standard sink we were discussing above, and it is lightweight, so would be easy for the hubby and I to install, but am concerned about the aesthetics. I don't know how it's going to look with my oil-rubbed faucet. I love the faucet and don't want to change it. Considering how eclectic the room already is, it might work. Then again, it might not. Thoughts?

Here's a link to that one. They've also just raised the price on this one about $30 (dammit!).
http://www.lowes.com/pd_102-94094-027OTH115STS_0__?productId=3608968&N=0&catalogId=10051&langId=-1

I've considered cast-iron sinks, but they are all VERY heavy (over 100 lbs.). I worry about whether my counter will support cast-iron, and whether the hubby and I could lift it up and get it in there without damaging the counter, the floor (if we dropped it--floor is tile), or our backs.

I like the low divider in this one:
http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/100421281?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051&superSkuId=202739556&N=5yc1vZbze5&R=100421281#.UUT1sze6_O8

This one is a single basin:
http://www.lowes.com/pd_363667-20602-R5871-4-0_0__?productId=3547006&N=0&catalogId=10051&langId=-1

This is a black cast-iron one, and I like the color, but it is a double basin sink with a high center divide, which I think makes it less useful.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/t/100065071?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&storeId=10051&superSkuId=202739538&N=5yc1vZbze5Z1z10i2d&R=100065071#.UUTX9Te6_O9

And here are a couple of composite granite sinks I'm thinking about. These sinks get mixed reviews, but I read a long discussion on Amazon last night about these sinks compared to cast-iron, and most of the reviewers said they really liked them. They seemed to think that the people complaining were just not caring for them properly. I like the color and aesthetics of these, and they are lightweight, but they are both double bowls.

This one is a chocolate brown (it has knock-outs for more holes):
http://www.lowes.com/pd_359986-1475-EDDB33229-1_0__?productId=3406426&N=0&catalogId=10051&langId=-1

And this one is black:
http://www.lowes.com/ProductDisplay?partNumber=171210-1475-FGS3322-4&langId=-1&storeId=10151&productId=1042505&catalogId=10051&cmRelshp=req&rel=nofollow&cId=PDIO1

I'm trying to keep cost down to $300 or less for the sink. If I could afford what I really want, it would be so much easier. I'd probably go with copper. But I can't do that right now, and this horrible acrylic sink MUST go soon. You can't see this in the pictures, but the bottoms of both bowls are stained and cracked. It looks awful.

So... now that you've looked at all this crazy stuff, maybe you can see how I'm just going back and forth... any thoughts, ideas, suggestions, etc. would be much appreciated!

It's an older home, built in 1951 as part of a small group of Army tract homes in this neighborhood. It has been modified by various owners over the years, expanded, added onto, etc., until it has become something unique. (That is true of each of these older tract homes in this neighborhood.) That hallway you can see in the last pic is really cool. It is in a "C" shape with angled walls. You can't see the bedroom we use as an office at all until you go back there, which makes it like a "secret" room. On the other side of the angled wall to the left is a corner-angled built-in bookcase in the living room. The family room was added on, and the wall backing the kitchen (and office) is old-brick, with a matching old-brick fireplace. The attic has four rooms in a cross shape with angled ceilings and little octagon windows with etched glass that open up. One of the rooms up there is a full bath, too, so the house actually has 3 full baths. I knew when I walked in that this was IT. We were looking for something older with character and it was exactly that. The potential was just so obvious. We've tried to keep with the spirit of the place mixing old and new.

And you know... I'm thinking we can pull it off with that stainless steel sink we all looked at above. That old + new eclecticism will work for us with this sink. All we will need to do is find some decorative items that incorporate copper with any silver-toned metal. Copper + pewter... copper + silver... copper + stainless steel. One decorative piece as a focal point in the shelves above the sink would pull it all together. The wooden cutting board works to "warm up" the sink, too. I played around last night and did a rough photoshop of the kitchen with that sink, which was very encouraging. I actually liked it better than any of the other sinks.

It has a lot of advantages, even with the raise in price. The items it comes with are worth a lot of money in themselves. Try to buy a cutting board or a colander for any of the other sinks, and you're looking at sinking another couple hundred bucks, and the smaller sink is something I have yet to see with any of the other single bowl sinks I've considered. It also has the advantage of being appealing to buyers, should we ever decide to sell this house (or my daughter after us). It would appeal to buyers in a way that a composite or a colored cast iron sink probably would not, or even a single bowl sink without all the nifty gadgets it comes with. So yeah, I think we're gonna do that one. Aesthetically, we'll MAKE it work. It's just too cool to pass up.

I think the stainless would blend right in, since it's a somewhat reflective surface it will take on the 'tone' of the colors around it.

that being said..... if you are willing to take care of the composite sink and are sure no 'helpful' guest won't dump Comet in it and scrub, the composite should be fine too. My composite sink was ruined before I got here.

you saw the pics of my house and the stainless actually made the eyes 'flow' around the room whereas the composite made them stop since it was a chunk of color that stood off the counter quite a ways, but in my kitchen with the blue tile is a whole different animal than yours. think about where you want your eye to 'rest' in the room. then get the sink that accomplishes that. too bad you can't get a paper or cardboard sample of the colors to lay over the existing sink to see what each does to the flow of the room.

keep us posted!

I told you guys I'd post pix when we got it all done, so here ya go!

We ended up settling on the Kohler Stacatto with the unequal basins. I LOVE this sink!

We not only put in the new sink, we also built a center island/breakfast bar, added lighting over the sink, and replaced the ugly fluorescent monstrosity in the ceiling with a new track light. MUCH better in so many ways!

and i think your wallpaper idea is a good one too!

I added the wallpaper the very next day and it looks great. It really helps tie it all together.

This kitchen feels much warmer than it did before (lighting made a huge difference), and it is soooo much easier to work in and keep clean. Yay!

See the striped wallpaper that's on the back wall of the open cabinets above the sink? I have more of that. I think I will cover the back panels of the new island (the front side has a drawer and cupboard doors) with that wallpaper. That will add some black to the island and draw it all together.

And BTW, the stainless steel really was the perfect choice. The old white sink drew your eyes to it when you walked into the room. The stainless does not command attention like the white did. It lets your eyes wander around the room. It also brings out the beautiful silver-grey flecks in the granite countertop. I like the rounded lines of the Stacatto sink in this room, too. I am VERY happy with it, and you guys really helped me a LOT in making this decision. THANK YOU!

white sink is great for your kitchen, if all the things in your kitchen use dark colour, it will feel dull and serious.