Are you open to any finish, or do you prefer fireclay, stainless, copper...? What's your price range, and what size would you like? ''

I've heard there's a cast-iron farmhouse sink, which I would like to get for the home I'm helping my parents build. I'm not sure who makes it.

I have the Herbeau 30" single bowl fireclay. It's only been a month, but it's held up well. The scuffs that people mention have been very few--and I wash enameled cast iron pots constantly--and removed with a pumice scouring stick. It is pretty regular for a handmade sink, and it drains very well.

The reason I'll go cast iron next time is just the worry factor. I'm afraid of the crazing that can happen with fireclay, so I never put hot pans in the sink. This is a pain. I also don't pour boiling water directly into the sink, and I've asked DH to put the french press on a coaster in the sink when he pours in the boiling water. Also a pain!

Good luck!

I have a Kohler, 'Hawthorne' sink.
It's cast iron. Well, cast iron can be scratched and [gasp] can rust. Yup. Leave yours on the garage floor for 5 years and have your water softener freeze and run over every winter!? Rust.

All that aside, "drains well" is usually plumbing, not sink if the sink is "graded" correctly. How's your plumbing? I can pour boiling pasta water into my sink; it's fine. However, my plumbing ticks with the heat.

I know I'd still go with a farm sink, and probably a double bowl. However, I know want bigger and deeper bowls. It does, however, take a scrubbie very well.
I'm with you looking at others' sinks.

I have the Kohler Dickenson, which I love. Great size, especially the depth, since it is 8" rather than 10" like most.

I've got the Kohler Whitehaven.... been in for 3 months now and we love it. Cleans easily, well made... very happy.

Ok!
Pic of mine:

I have an Elkay stainless farmhouse and love it. It is very easy to clean and drains well. It also handles heat as any stainless steel sink will.

I have a Shaw's 36" and love it.

Mine has not been installed yet, but it is a Kohler Vault apron front stainless steel sink, with low divide.
Even uninstalled it's quite impressive...
Good luck!

Here is a link that might be useful: kohler vault smart divide

I have a Franke by Villeroy & Boch for about three years now. It's not as deep as some of the others, but the finish is smooth and silky and easy to clean. The drain is offset to the back of the sink.
{{!gwi}}

Monomy-----We are renovating our kitchen, and I have chosen the same style as your kitchen!

Where are your cabinets from? Are they painted? Details, if you have a second!

Here's my 36" Shaw's. Great sink, but I have learned that I am a double sink girl, so the second pic is a the one I'm putting in my new house.

I have the same sink as Marcy96 - Franke by Villeroy & Boch. I've had it for about 2 years now. Easy to keep clean, drains perfectly. I love it.

Mamaof,

There Brookhaven, Alpine White. Great cabinets, very well made.

Another Franke-fan here.

I specifically choose mine because I didn't want such a deep model (mine is about 7") and I wanted a rectangle that was deeper front-to-back than the longer, narrower Shaws. My sink is an older model, perhaps superceded by a slightly different shape now. My drain is slightly back of center but centered from side to side, if that makes sense.

One thing to think about is the thickness or width of the front. I wanted mine as thin as possible since since I find thick fronts (whether from sink or sink and counter top) make dishwashing harder on my back. I don't use a DW, so that's a big deal for me.

And a large single bowl is really fine. I use a dishpan when I'm washing-up from a party, but mostly use the largest vessel I used in meal prep as a pro-forma one. The ability to set a big pan down flat in my sink is the nuts.

Also it pays to ask your local Franke dealer if he can match on-line prices. Mine did with no quibble and when mine arrived with a slighly ding in the glaze, replacement was no hassle.

HTH,

L.

Whitehaus 501, a smaller white fireclay model. Have loved it for 3.5 years now, no crazing or problems and we drain boiling water and slap hot pans into it constantly - never heard that you couldn't. Maybe ignorance is bliss? ;-)