People here really like Kraus. Seems like great value. They are 16 gauge and come with grid. I would check them out.

I'm trying to figure this out right now as well. I'm debating between going with Elkay vs Kraus. It's hard to figure out what the true quality differences are among the different brands. At least, it is for me :)

You can do a Krauss 30" or 32" single basin sink with a grid for about $350-370. Express Decor has them on sale at the moment and frequently has the best price, although they are widely available.

It all depends, though, on what you were thinking of. Stainless steel? Enameled cast iron? Silgranite? Fireclay? Single or double basin?

Here is a link that might be useful: Krauss sinks

There is no need to spend $600 on a sink. I agree with Nycbluedevil. Though you haven't said what kind of sink. Stainless steel? Silgranit? Enameled cast iron? Single bowl or double bowl? Size?

We were all set to buy the Kraus stainless steel single bowl sink, 16 gauge (which is thicker gauge than the 18-gauge offered by Kohler and Franke). We had purchased a Kraus faucet from expressdecor, which came well-packed and very quickly. Expressdecor always has 5%-15% coupons, go to its home page for the coupon code. Free shipping. Also, the sink comes with grid and strainer for free, and we've seen grids for $60-100 extra on other brands. So our total expense for all this would have been about $325.

Then we learned about Blanco Silgranit sinks, and we switched to that. We were tired of the water spots and scratches of stainless steel. This thread is not about what kind of sink to get, it's about the cost of a good-quality sink. Our Blanco Precis Super Single Silgranit sink cost about $360, and it's great. We got it in the anthracite (black) color, but it comes a number of colors, if you want a light-colored sink.

You might also look at Ruvati sinks. A few of us here have them and like them. They are comparable in price to the Kraus (of perhaps a bit less).

I'd support an American company all day long for a little more money than a Chinese one. Elkay, American Standard, Kohler....or even good quality Euro companies like Blanco or KWC. Don't be fooled by an American or Euro sounding name either. Do your research. And that includes the legislation to increase the tariffs on Chinese sinks because of their dumping them on the market here under their costs to make them.

Hollysprings - the problem with your advice is that some American companies, like Kohler, are selling Chinese-manufactured sinks under their name. Just look at a Kohler stainless steel sink box at Home Depot, and it is likely you will see "Made in China" on the box. And worse, Kohler charges high prices for these sinks, rather than lowering the price of their non-USA-made sinks. Blanco and Franke too, sell some sinks under their name that were manufactured in China, though, like Kohler, not all their sinks, just some. I think Elkay may be the only one of the larger companies that still sell all USA-made.

I love my Elkay Aqua-Divide (low divide) SS sink. It was around $400, but it could be had for less, I'm sure.

I like Elkay. the 50-year-old SS sink I replaced was an Elkay.

Blanco super single SS $250 online.

I love my Kohler cast iron enameled. The finish is said to wear like iron. It was not expensive for a standard sized single bowl (Mayfield). Looks like they are up to almost $300 now, white is less. Still comparatively inexpensive to $600!

akchicago: Some Elkay sinks (including the one I unwittingly bought) are made in China.

Thanks Angie_DIY. I had thought Elkay was the holdout.

Hope other countries won't have this sentiment of "I would rather pay more for our own products instead of paying for American ones". The company I work for generating tremendous amount of sales and revenues by exporting goods worldwide.

In this globalization age, I have no problem purchasing foreign made products of better quality than American made ones. But I avoid buying products from companies/share owners that exploit domestic, foreign workers, such as American Standard.

Plumberry--check mrdirect for sinks. They have a limited line of US made sinks if that's a priority....and lot of other sinks, usually available in either 16 or 18 ga.

I bought a Kraus slightly scatch & dent apron sink off eBay--best price for a SS apron sink-- but I've read on here of several GW'ers who have purchased MRdirect sinks and been pleased with the product.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mrdirect

Another brand to look at would be Artisan. When my parents had their kitchen "refreshed" (new doors, granite counters...), they got an Artisan sink. From what I found online at the time (a few years ago), 16g, all positive reviews, decent pricing.

We went with a Blanco Super Single
It's solid, plenty big and cost under $300.
Here's a shot.

This post was edited by willtv on Mon, Apr 15, 13 at 13:27

I bought our Blanco 441312 Performa 1.75 Medium Bowl Sink for $220 ($150+$70 shipping) from eBay . I did contact the seller ahead of time about my concern regarding shipping cost if it turned up defective and had his assurance that he'd cover shipping if that was the case. Still I had to cross my finger, but when it arrived, it was in factory sealed box with Blanco Silgranit II logo and had no defect. One of the best deals we scored.

Blanco Silgranite Super single in anthracite. Been only a few months now, but It is a strong contender for the best improvement in our newly re done kitchen. Absolutely love it!