Would love to hear people's experience with any of the above workstation sinks! is Create Good Sinks seamless drain worth the price? OR does anyone here have Kraus or Ruvati and love those or wish they went a different route?
What about Elkay or Bocci?
I have only ever used inexpensive builder grade sinks so I am not sure how much more to splurge on a good sink. BTW my island will be 10' wide and only have 1 kitchen faucet centered, and 1 cold water dispenser on the sink, so I don't think I can go to wide for my sink (prob 36-42" max?)
What's an "Inexpensive builder grade sink" for you and how did it work out. There's a lot of hype about certain types and aluminum grades, but as long as you get a 16 gauge from a manufacturer you've heard of...Elkay, Ruvati, Kraus you're OK. I also prefer a deeper one and a center drain as well. A sink is the primary works station so avoid gimmicky things like the "seamless drain"...which only moves the seam but doesn't eliminate it and "Workstations" that take up actual sink space..the ledge makes the entire sink smaller... and make sure the surrounding counter space is big enough to do the prep work.
I have a workstation sink and have a small kitchen and so it gave me much needed additional counter space as I have the chopping board so everything is prepped over the sink as well as an attachment that has "holes" and so can be used to drain dishes or produce as well as just extend the counter if I want to put some stuff there.
Mine has a drain to the left and rear which means that there is more usable space in the sink cabinet as I have the garbage disposal in one half and still have room for a pull out trash receptacle which is a huge benefit in my small galley kitchen.
Having an offset drain also means you can stack dishes or soak pans in one half while leaving the drain unobstructed so that you can use the faucet without rearranging stuff.
Mine is a copper farmhouse style from a small custom manufacturer and has a living patina so no upkeep at all as the patina changes constantly
Brand?
Havens Metal - Alex Havens was fabulous to deal with
They also do stainless sinks but I wanted a copper sink with a so-called "living patina" and not one of the faux factory finishes.
https://havensmetal.com
A Redditor recommended this place to me recently and I wish I'd heard of them earlier. Looks like they have great options. I really wanted a sink that had the faucet located on a shelf within the sink, like this: https://havensmetal.com/collections/stainless-steel-sinks/products/custom-undermount-faucet-sink
Unfortunately I found out about them too late and my new sink is already installed.
Very helpful! Could you share how big your sink is? And would you mind showing a picture of how your trash receptable fits under your sink? I am wondering how i can accodate a trash receptacle under my sink!
Look at Rev-A-Shelf products. I haven't decided yet if I'll put my trash under the sink but if I do, I'll use RevAShelf. (Not a paid advertisement!)
Thanks!
My sink is 36" and one of the benefits of the company I ordered from is that their 36" sink fits into a 36" sink cabinet as some of the sinks carry a warning that you might need to order a smaller sink
I have what looks like two "doors" for the sink cabinet and each is 18" or thereabouts since they divide the sink in half.
The one which holds the trash container doesn't open like a door but pulls out and the thing that holds the trash container is attached to the door so when I pull that "door" open it rolls out.
The installer did it for me - the other side which has the garbage disposal and the drain opens like a door.
I did have the cabinet maker/installer do a roll out underneath that so that I could maximize anything stored in the rear of the cabinet.
I also had the interior clad in formica so that it is easy to clean. All my cabinets are have teal blue formica interiors except the ones that are more like a buffet which have glass doors on top which display my collection of vintage Fiesta - those have wood interiors.
This is great info, thank you! Interesting note about Formica, I had not thought of this! Would this be something your contractor does, or easy for a DIY to just put in? sorry if this is a newbie / common-sense question - I'm learning a lot!
If you are just installing a counter then generally the place you purchase from also has installers recommended.
However in general it is not a DIY task.
Also you would generally be replacing other things when you install a new counter.
That said, it is generally wise to take a long term view towards kitchen renovations because if you do things piecemeal it is sometimes not as good a result.
I put in a large Kraus sink 14 years ago, during their early days. It’s a great product, very well made. Assuming the quality is still the same, I highly recommend it. I can’t speak for current quality since they got bought out by Masco/Delta.
I have 2 Ruvatis. High quality and do the job.
Thanks! were these workstation sinks? Which model did you get, and do you find the workstation accessories useful?
My sink goes in this week! While I can't yet speak to longevity and wear I can say that I bought the 16 gauge SS Kraus Kore workstation sink, 27" (25"single bowl) with offset drain to the right. Offset drain for the reasons mentioned by another person--I can have the garbage disposal and water filter on the right side of the under sink which leaves more usable space on the left. Similarly I'm in a small galley kitchen with only an 8 foot sink wall so every inch counts.
I recently installed the ruvati 60/40 36 inch non workstation. I really love it. I was in same boat. I kept my cabinets and I have a 42 inch base cabinet. Finding a sink that was not more expensive than the stove to fit the cabinet was a challenge. Been installed about 6 weeks. Really great so far.
First one came damaged though. And my contractor said that happens with a lot of brands so give yourself time to reorder if you are getting a sink they don’t carry in a store.
Is it sloped well? Corners easy to clear out?
Have no issues with drainage or the corners. It works great and is easy to clean.
We’ve had two Kraus sinks in two different homes! They are great! I’d 100% buy another!
Thanks for your comment! Which model(s) did you get, and do you find the workstation accessories useful?
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Kraus-Standart-PRO-Drop-In-33-in-x-22-in-Stainless-Steel-Single-Bowl-2-Hole-Kitchen-Sink/5001586709?store=1647&cm_mmc=shp-_-c-_-prd-_-bth-_-ggl-_-CRP_SHP_LIA_BTH_Online_High_Priority(A-D%2BPriority+Items+CL3)-_-5001586709-_-local-_-0-_-0&gclsrc=aw.ds&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21038518953&gbraid=0AAAAAD2B2W-zz7z9mQISgOr5_nYaFjxLp&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6NTJBhDEARIsAB7QHD39BeCfUkx1HPrqAqHy9sN6jTv4SssQmV6_0mCrpC9FS_kFliU4U6MaAtt9EALw_wcB#no_universal_links
We only had the sink saver as accessories! Super useful!
I just put in a Ruvati 30/70 sink and I LOVE it! I have never loved a sink before. For me, a sink is all about function so I wanted a larger side for big cookware, but also wanted a smaller side for fragile things that I don't want to tip over in a large basin, like wine glasses. Plus the smaller side is good for soaking things. I didn't think the 40/60 split provided a large enough large side, but for me the 30/70 sink is perfectly proportioned, plus it's 16g so it is super durable, esp. for the price, and it has curved corners so easy to clean.
Thanks for your comment! To confirm is this one of the workstation sinks?
It is not a workstation sink. I specifically did not want a workstation sink because I don't think they actually add any value and I didn't want to have to deal with moving the top pieces all the time and having a space for them when not in use. Plus, I cook a ton, so I have a huge cutting board. The workstation cutting boards are too small for my comfort and can't fit a lot. And I like chopping vegetables on the peninsula where I can interact with my family, rather than over by the sink.
I wanted a cheap sink that I could throw my cast iron pans into from across the room and it would be fine. Whatever you pick, aim for 16g thickness, I think that does make a difference.
I've had a granite Kraus for about 5 years and it's been great. I have a new house build about to finish and bought another Kraus, this time in stainless. I really like the offset drain and accessories too.
I’d 100% upgrade from builder-grade if it’s in the budget—you really do feel the difference every day.
Create Good Sinks’ seamless drain is super nice from a cleaning/crumbs standpoint, but you’re definitely paying a premium for it. If that detail doesn’t light you up, a Kraus or Ruvati workstation is a really solid middle ground: good accessories, nice finish, and way better than builder stuff without going crazy on price. Elkay is also a safe, long-term brand. Bocchi is great too, but that’s more of a “do you want the fireclay look?” question than a workstation question.
If you would like to explore some Ruvati sinks check out https://rtakb.com/collections/ruvati-kitchen-sinks