Types of Stainless Steel Sinks

Stainless Steel has come a long way since the sink you have grown up with. Today's Stainless Steel offers deeper bowls, better finishes and 2 distinct types of construction. Lets explore your choices.

First is the standard "drawn" sink. Drawn stainless is a sheet of metal that is placed in a large press(usually 35plus Tons) and then stretched to make the bowl. The "drawing" of the steel comes when the steel is pulled into the sink bowl to help form. The gauge or thickness of the material used is gauged before the bowl is drawn. Thus an 18 Gauge sink is 18 Gauge (or 1.2mm) before the drawing process. The following from Elkay is a great example of drawn stainless steel:

The second type of stainless steel is a Fabricated Sink. This is manufactured by taking a sheet of stainless steel and folding it up with a break press(like a card board box). This produces a straight dimensional sink; commonly used in commercial kitchens or upper end kitchens adapting the commercial look. Here is an example of Blanco stainless steel:

So what are the pros and cons of each type? First the drawn sink is typically less expensive, more readily available and is as reliable as the fabricated sink. The benefit of the fabricated sink is straighter deeper bows and generally heavier in gauge(thickness). The down side of the fabricated sinks is when they are a straight 90 degree corner can be hard to clean. Some manufacturers offer radius corners that give the straight dimensional look with a easy to clean corner. Here is an example of an Oliveri:

The eco freindly sink

I found this via the design blog...its an eco friendly way for sink usage..only issue is it will not fit every type of sink..but different..

Think twice about the free sink from the Granite Company

Many granite companies offer a free sink with purchase(really not free it figured into the cost of the granite) With that being said the granite company will most likely supply the cheapest sink they can find. The following is some consideration to think about before accepting the sink:

1. Once installed you are stuck with that sink for the life of the granite! Under mount sinks are cut to fit the granite and no 2 sinks have the same cut out! if the sink is defective down the road you have to replace it with the exact sink for the same manufacturer- if they are still in business...

2. Cheaper sinks especially stainless steel are cheap for a reason. Look at the depth and the bowl size of the free sink. Typically it is less in depth and the walls of the sink taper in more thus reducing the storage space for dishes; here is an example:

   

Deep Draw Tight Radius extended bowl space

Tappered draw in bowl obtains depth but limits the storage and bowl space...cheaper to manufacture...

3. What accessories are available with the free sink? The use of accessories greatly enhances the sinks spaces value. It extends your counter top over an area that can other wise only be used for clean up. adding accessories helps in the prep of food and even entertaining. Here is an example from one manufacturer:

4. Now is not the time to skimp on quality! Most kitchen professional recommend a 10-15% investment of the cost of the granite for a quality sink. Remember it is the most used appliance in your home; make it an enjoyable experience! 

The Dangers of Buying Sinks Online

While many web site sell sinks at a discount, the dangers and cost related to such purchases need to weighed prior to deciding

1. Freight and damage- the cost alone of returning the product may negate savings

2. Warranty service- any problems with the sink later would fall on MFG and not local dealer

3. Templates- Under mount sinks are vulnerable if the templates are wrong and the Internet merchant would not be able to assist

Online buying is great and convenient; but some items are better purchased locally.