There are many who love their sink grids and some who are not in favor of them. I do have one, actually I have 3 of them, clean up, prep, and laundry room sinks,

I would advocate that they not only protect your fine sink, but are also useful as a place to drain, set drippy things on, even raise the bottom sink height for easier reach.

BTW, there are numerous threads that discuss this very hot topic if you search it.

yes. don't think twice.

People on this site often have a skewed sense of meaning of the word "need." No, you don't "need" a stainless sink grid by anyone's messed up definition.

You do know this, right? You're just using the word "need" as a shorthand for "have to use," correct?

No, you don't need one, but I sure love mine.

Instead of "need" I would use handy.
I find the sink grid very handy for draining and keeping dishes off the bottom while cleaning the sink.

I'm sorry---I meant to say, is this something that everyone gets because they like it so much?

I meant to ask if I need it, meaning does everyone love theirs? I looked on amazon & they aren't cheap! $150 for one!

Try faucet sdirect.com The most expensive grid I saw was 97 dollars. They didn't have Shaw specifically, but perhaps another grid would fit.

LOVE mine. I had never had one before this and if I were ever to do another kitchen would get another in a heartbeat.

I didn't love mine at first, but I do now. It's very practical. I have a stainless sink and don't mind if it gets scratches, so that's not why I got it. Here's the thing: it's removable, so you can try it with and without. Mine was in the $70 range.

We have a Kraus stainless sink...it came with the sink. I can't imagine having to buy one separately...at the prices they're asking.

I have been using mine for almost a year now and am split. They get kind of gross and are hard to clean--too big to fit in the diswasher...maybe I would like it more if I could put it in the dishwasher. Plus, I find when trying to get the debris underneath to the disposal, it is just in the way and I have to lift it up to sweep what I can't get with the faucet. Haven't tried the sink without it yet though but not totally sold on them.

Agree, I don't need it but I'm sure glad I have one and I use it all the time, not just for protecting the sink but also for draining and keeping dishes off the bottom.
I clean the grates just like I clean the sink - with Barkeepers Friend. Occasionally I'll put them in the dishwasher laying flat on to get them really sparkling.

You don't need a grid. All personal preference. Personally, I don't get the appeal of them. They just seem like one more thing to work round and to clean around. Something for silverware to get stuck in. Something else to get groddy. Something else to spend money on. I don't hand wash regularly except knives (knives are not supposed to go in DW) so I don't need a draining spot in the sink. I just use that day's hand towel, which would be destined for the laundry anyway, on the counter if I need a spot to dry something larger.

Maybe the fact that my sinks are silgranit also makes a difference in my thinking. I don't get black marks from pots and pans so don't need to keep those away from the sink floor and sides. I don't need a grid to prevent scratches and noise from items in the sink like I would with stainless.

Here is a link that might be useful: Some of us don't like grids

Regarding cleaning, I just fill my sink with bleach and hot water and let it soak. As far as getting food bits out, my faucet has a sprayer and I just spray them to the drain. Again, could I live without one, absolutely. It's a "nice to have"...not a "need" in most cases. The fact I have one is only because it came with my sink.

I don't store my grid in the sink - too much grunge - but it is handy enough to put in the sink - but not a bad idea to store it in the sink as a safety factor in case something escapes and goes KLUNK!

I use Kohler grids in my cast iron sink. Love them. I think they keep our china from cracking when the kids set stuff in the sink. I drain things on them on one side, etc. I recently replaced mine, and Amazon had the best price.

Go down to your local Bed, Bath and Beyond...or even Walmart or Target and buy a cheap one in the kitchen section. It won't be a custom fit to your sink but at least you'll be able to figure out if you like it. . I found them for about $10 in either stainless or white. I decided I like the white one better as it doesn't stick out like a sore thumb against my white basin. I'm glad I didn't spend the $180 on the custom one for my sink as I've found that I don't really care for them for reasons mentioned above. I will use it if I'm using heavy pans though...just in case I drop something.

given the risk of possible damage to your sink if you drop a cast iron pot or something else and the extensive cost to replace (think how do you get it out without damaging your counter etc), i think this falls into the need catagory. from someone who also owns the 30" shaws fireclay and has the overpriced grid. overpriced grid = piece of mind.

I never had a sink grid until my kitchen remodel last month. I can tell you that although it can make some clean-up more challenging (I have to lift the grid to get things), I love having it there! It keeps everything away from the water below, and I can even use it to drip-dry if I want to. I really am glad that I got it and think it was worth the money!

Considering the Silgranit Diamond Super Single bowl. If you have Silgranit do you like having a sink grid? On Amazon there's a combo (sink + grid) for a great deal. Just curious if you are happy with having one or if it's unnecessary.

I have two Silgranit sinks - super single and prep. I bought a grid for about $80 on amazon for the super single but have been too cheap so far to get one for the prep sink. Here's why I like it:

- It protects the bottom of the sink from heavy pans that I will inevitably drop.

- I stack a lot of dirty dishes or soak large pans in there. They stay upright better on the flatter surface.

- It's great for draining pasta. I put the collander on the grid and don't have to worry about icky sinkwater rising to a level that can reach the pasta. It would be a lot more convenient to drain pasta in the prep sink, but I hike over to the cleanup sink because of the grid.

- I can put a dirty cutting board in the sink vertically until I have a chance to wash it - frees up space.

Grids do have to be cleaned, but there are threads on how to make that a pretty easy chore.

So think about how much you would use it and then decide if it's worth the money.

mpagmom,

Those are some great reasons for purchasing a sink grid. The biggest reason for me was to safeguard the sink as much as possible. I currently have a cast iron sink & if I had a grid I think it would have saved the sink from getting quite a few scuff marks. Thanks for sharing your experience. :)

This post was edited by kgolby on Tue, Feb 12, 13 at 14:16

You're welcome, kgolby. My main reason for buying it was to protect the sink, but I found a lot more reasons to like it.

hmmm.. maybe I should get one? I have a Kohler Whitehaven (cast iron) sink and haven't had much issue not having a grid so far. Any gray marks come off so easily with the Kohler Cast Iron sink Cleaner they recommend.

Just seemed like clutter to me. I'll think about it though : )

I had a sink grid, got rid of it. Just another thing for me to clean.

Maybe if my sink was deeper or nicer, maybe.

In general though, I've come to realize that I prefer to just use things and expect some wear. I can't be hassled trying to baby everything (floors, furniture, sinks, etc) and adding yet another "thing" to protect an item from its intended use seems silly anyhow.