1. Swanstone's epoxy/resin formula is different than Blanco's. There's much less experience with it on the forums.

2. For my smaller sink, Swanstone's offset drain and approximately centered faucet hole were big pluses. (Blanco's faucet hold was on the sink's right corner, and its drain was centered.) I'm not sure how that translates to your choices.

3. It's difficult to see Swanstone granite in person, and many salespeople don't yet know that Swanstone has a granite option. My impression is that Swanstone hasn't done a thorough marketing push with its dealers.

4. The cost of the sinks were similar. However, in mid-February Swanstone experienced a materials shortage that was expected to last until mid-March. I'd call the company to see if that's been resolved yet.

I don't know what your timeline is. My sink (Swanstone single bowl granite, in Nero) should be installed in about 2 weeks. I can give you first-use feedback then.

Hth, Cate

I suspect the same is true of their 'granite' sinks as well. They may still be a great bargin, may last for years, but I'm literally betting my money that an actual silgranit will be worth the extra bucks down the line.

Oh, just to complicate the decision further, are you aware that Franke and some other companies also make sinks of this type?

DuPont charges a premium for their name on products, both Corian and Zodiaq. They are no better than anybody else's, although their customer service is the industry standard.

By assuming "because it costs more, it's better", you are merely buying into marketing hype. Swanstone in fact has a higher heat resistance than Corian, and offers sinks in all its Swanstone colors unlike DuPont. OTOH, they are lousy marketers, and always have been. LG's Hi-Mac product IS Corian - they produced it for DuPont, and the moment the patent protection ended, they just continued producing it with their own range of colors.

Unless you have either lived with Swanstone for decades as I have, or have the facts to back up the "DuPont is better" argument, I'm afraid I can't agree with that statement.

Our previous sink was a Kohler porcelain-clad cast iron Executive Chef. When the contractor pried it out after 16 years it was as perfect as when it was put in. The Swanstone sink (I have the original composite Swanstone, not the new granite sink, however) is BETTER on every count: quieter, beautiful, easier to clean.

BTW, I keep saying my granite install will be in 3 or 4 weeks. I can't get scheduled until I physically drop off the sink so it's still going to be a few weeks out. Can't wait!