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vadefeo

Sink Decision (stainless or Silgranit)

vadefeo
15 years ago

We are getting ready to have our Silestone countertops installed, but I'm holding it up since I can't decide between a Stainless Steel Sink and a Silgranit Sink in Anthracite(Black)

We have Ginger Glaze Cabinets with the stove, sink cupboard and island in Black.

Our countertops are Giallo Quarry

http://www.silestoneusa.com/colors/colors.cfm?ColorID=90e

I never realized how difficult this decision is. I welcome

any of your opinions of what you think would look better between the two and also any experiences you have had with the silgranit sink.

Thanks

Va

Comments (40)

  • neesie
    15 years ago

    You think that is a difficult decision? It's a no-brainer! The silgranit sink is a dream. You won't have the water spots and dullness that the SS will develop over time. I've had mine for a month now and you wouldn't believe how people flock to it and ask about it. My plumber says he is putting these sinks in all the high end homes he is working on. The silgranit resists scratching and cleans up like a dream! I actually got the new granite countertops and sink soley based on the hate of my old Stainless Steel. I never heard of a silgranit until coming to this forum and now I'm spreading the word too!

  • pbrisjar
    15 years ago

    Silgranit for us started out as a compromise. Hubby was dead set against SS, I was dead set against porcelain/cast iron/etc. We also had some very demanding requirements regarding size/shape. I stumbled upon the Blanco Silgranit sinks in my search to find a sink we could both live with.

    While I'd prefer a shiny sink (I'm always attracted to shiny), the Silgranit sink is very low maintenance and looks good. The one odd thing I discovered is that it has a bit of a texture which grabs on to liquids. It's kind of odd to see drops of coffee hanging out on the sides of your sink.

    As neesie said, everyone who sees our sink loves the material.

  • vadefeo
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks so much for your responses! Just what I wanted to hear. Now, I have to decide on which Silgranit.

  • remodelfla
    15 years ago

    I vote anthracite!

  • chrissiemw
    15 years ago

    Another vote for silgranit and in Anthracite. I have one and LOVE it...it's my favorite feature of our new kitchen and like others have said, it does get noticed! It is a dream compared to my old stainless sinks.

    We have ginger glaze cabs (maple) and our oven has a lot of black in it as does our granite which is why I chose the black. LOVE it!

    Here's 2 pics:

    {{!gwi}}
    {{!gwi}}

  • inkycrab
    15 years ago

    Another vote for the Silgranite - I got the Anthracite too and LOVE it.

  • mominthedubc
    15 years ago

    Chrissiemw, Love your kitchen. What is your granite?

  • jb1176
    15 years ago

    boxiebabe,
    The combination of the Anthracite sink with your countertop is beautiful. Is your countertop blue pearl granite?

  • chrissiemw
    15 years ago

    Thanks mominthedubc,

    The granite is called portifino gold

  • vadefeo
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks again for all your replies and pictures!
    Chrissiemw & boxiebabe your countertops are beautiful.
    Chris, I believe our kitchens are very similar. Will post
    a picture of mine when the countertops are installed.
    With everyone's help, I ordered my Blanco-diamond Kitchen Sink, Anthracite. I really wanted the one with the drain
    on it, but my GC informed me that my sink cabinet is to
    small for it. Never thought I'd be so excited about ordering a sink.
    Thanks again all,
    Va

  • gshop
    15 years ago

    I vote for Silgranit Anthracite! I have it and love it! If you are looking for a good buy I got mine from eBay Homeandstone. Great price, customer service and quick shipping. But I'm not sure which model you are looking for so shop around. Good Luck!

  • boxiebabe
    15 years ago

    Our granite is Emerald Pearl. It's a VERY deep green, sometimes bordering on looking black. It has lots to sparkly things in it - and I love brlng so I had to have it. Hubby says that the sparkles look more like fish scales, but I wouldn't normally want to tell anyone that I have a lovely emerald green granite with fish scales in it. LOL

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    Well, after reading this post, I think that I'd like to look into a silgranit sink. (My order from Galaxy Tool just arrived today LOL, but I will have more peace of mind if I look into this now.) I did some internet searching and I can't seem to find a single bowl sink that is smaller than 33" wide. I found smaller ones, but they were D shaped and I think, much smaller than I am looking for.
    The sink I got today from Ticor is 29 1/2" x 16 1/4". I really can't get any bigger than 30" and I'd rather not go much smaller. Does such a sink in silgranit exist? I'd be greatful if anyone could direct me! I'd be especially thrilled to find one with an offset drain like Chrissiemw posted.

    Thanks in advance!!

  • inkycrab
    15 years ago

    Here's the Blanco website for the Silgranite sinks. I have the large bowl (which is 20" wide)and they have the super single which is 32". The large bowl is big enough for one of those insulated cookie sheets to lie flat in.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Blanco sinks

  • bluekitobsessed
    15 years ago

    I had never even heard of Silgranit before this site, but wow! I am impressed by so many fans! Now that I'm the neighborhood "expert" (aren't we all?), I will mention this to all my friends.

  • ma-bookreader
    15 years ago

    Thank you for the web site inkycrab.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    15 years ago

    inkycrab, do you have a pic of your sink installed?

    chrissiemw, how do you like the Treviso?

  • charlikin
    15 years ago

    Based on everyone's comments here, I'm very interested in Silgranit, but I'm only going to have a 24" sink base. It looks like the large single bowl will fit (it's the only decent-sized Silgranit that will!), but it's only 7-1/2" deep. Will this be deep enough??? It's going to be undermount, but my current sink (not undermount) is 8" and doesn't feel deep enough to me...

  • sauceyc
    15 years ago

    I'm trying to choose a sink, as well, and after reading this post switched from stainless to silgranite ... but read something today about people not liking it if it's a light color. Mine would have to be the white. Anyone have white and love it??

  • chrissiemw
    15 years ago

    writersblock...I really love the Treviso faucet. It's a good quality faucet and looks really sleek in the kitchen.

    The pull-down is all metal and the spray works great.

    For $100 you can't beat it!

  • inkycrab
    15 years ago

    Writersblock here is is my sink installed. Ignore the crooked faucet - it wasn't installed at the time.

    Charlikin - that depth of the sink is fine for me. If you get a high faucet and deep sink you get splashes. Also, if you're short like I am, the deep sinks equal backpain.

    Sauceyc - my kitchen designer has the white and she loves it. She's had it for a year now and no problems.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    15 years ago

    Thanks, chrissiemw and inkycrab. Very helpful.

  • jb1176
    15 years ago

    charlikin,

    Please give details of the sink you mentioned that is 7-1/2'' deep. I can't find a Silgranit single that is less than 9-1/2'' deep and that is too deep for our waste drain and garbage disposal.

    Thanks,
    JB1176

  • inkycrab
    15 years ago

    JB- follow the link I posted earlier in this thread marked "Blanco sinks." It's this product: Single Bowl - Large 513-428 Pop this model number into the search box there then click on the picture.

  • jb1176
    15 years ago

    inkycrab,

    Can't believe I missed that post. I just didn't read carefully enough. I do wish Blanco made the Super Single in a 7-1/2'' depth though. Our sink base cabinet is a 36'' cabinet and could take the larger size - it's just the waste drain height that is the problem in our location.

    One advantage of the sink you have is that we could still do a full height granite backsplash and avoid conflicts with faucet room and the upper bar counter above the sink area. I think this sink would also allow free movement of the faucet valve handle without having to place the handle in the front of the faucet. Thanks for the help.

    JB

  • neesie
    15 years ago

    I have a light color silgranit (biscuit) and staining is not an issue. I read several sink and silgranit threads before making the choice. Of the people who had a problem with staining they did not have the silgranit brand. I wish I could post a picture, I have many, but I can't seem to post pictures anymore. If I can fix my computer (already tried re-starting with no luck) I'll post one later. Believe me, staining was a concern with me also.

  • lmalm53
    15 years ago

    I just had my 3 silgranite sinks installed 2 days ago when the granite was installed. I have the Blanco model 511-707 in anthracite for my kitchen. It is the 1 3/4 double bowl sink which is 9.5 inches deep on the big bowl side and 8 inches deep on the 3/4 bowl side. I then have the 15 x 15 inch model 511-637 for the bar sink in the great room in anthracite plus I got the large 25 x22 10 inch deep model 511-611 as my laundry room sink in the white silgranite. I have not had a chance to use them yet since our plumbing is still not hooked up, but they look beautiful!

    One word of caution, I went to Home Depots Expo Design center today looking to pick up the Blanco sink cleaner for the silgranite and the salesman told me they found out that Blanco's sink cleaner apparently leaves some discoloration on the silgranite sinks in particular. He says they notified Blanco of the problem and was told that customers should use the Soft Scrub without Bleach product to clean their silgranite. Has anyone had any problems using the Blanco cleaner? For those of you already using your sinks what do you recommend for cleaning?

  • lmalm53
    15 years ago

    Chrissiemw I LOVE your kitchen and want to know what kind of hardware pulls you have on your cabinets? They look a little like a bronzed or antique copper? Can you tell me where you got them? Do you like them? I'm looking for hardware pulls and am thinking about copper.

  • chrissiemw
    15 years ago

    Thanks lmalm53!

    The pulls that we put in were from Home Depot. There's a link below for the product.

    They are offered in a few different finishes but we got them in the venetian bronze finish. They show a lot of copper but still have the dark look we wanted like the ORB.

    Here is a link that might be useful: cabinet pulls

  • inkycrab
    15 years ago

    I just use a sudsy dish brush and give it a scrub every so often. I rinse it a lot with the pull down (like constantly) because I like my sink to look clean and pretty.

  • huango
    15 years ago

    Hello,
    I'm not trying to stir things up here, but this idea "I like my sink to look clean and pretty" (from inkycrab) is something I can't relate to.
    Of course I would like mine to look pretty: like the pictures posted above, but with 2 young toddlers, is that even a possibility?
    Like right now, I can't even see the bottom of the sink. (sink grid is another thing I don't understand.)

    This goes to my reasoning for getting a Stainless steel sink, I don't understand how/why I would need to keep my sink shiny and water-marks-free. I'm getting a SS sink because I can solder it to my stainless steel countertop, so I can hose everything (including my crazy/messy kids) down.

    So if I can learn to empty out my sink at night, after I do the dishes, clean it, wipe it down. Who would see it at night?
    Then what happens the next morning: breakfast bowls, coffe cups, sippy cups, etc. Then snack time, lunch, snack, dinner.
    So the only time the sink is clean is at night when everyone is asleep?

    I'm also learning about how to use 2 sinks: main and prep sinks. Thanks for enlightening me.
    Amanda

  • abwhitney
    15 years ago

    I'm a bit late to the party, but I thought I'd mention that we are getting the 1-1/2 silgranite anthracite bowl. I noticed this post and thought I'd mention that the left side is huge and great for washing a baby if needed (my wife loves this idea).

    As for purchase place, we've bought through FaucetDepot and got prices almost $150 less than our local kitchen plumbing retailer. We also got their matching cutting board and other sink parts there. I called instead of ordering online and negotiated even lower prices than their online prices. just be prepared to have links to sites that show it cheaper (except amazon).

  • carol9999
    15 years ago

    hi to all... do you use a sink grid with the silgranite? do you think it ruins the look? what is better for a very busy, almost always full sink----stainless or silgranite?

  • thedalts
    15 years ago

    I love the sink grid for a couple of reasons. I have one very large single bowl sink, so I can wash a large pot and leave it in the sink to dry instead of in a dish rack on the counter. Or even just to wash a few dishes I can leave them on the grid to dry. My sink is deep so unless you are standing at the sink, you really can't see the dishes in there. One other thing for anyone that might be a germaphobe (I am not), is I take the grid out when I am cleaning/rinsing my poultry. Then I clean the sink and put grid back in. Dishes never touch the bottom of the sink and poultry never touches the grid.

  • neesie
    15 years ago

    I'm finally able to post a picture of my blanco silgranit in biscuit color. Staining has not been an issue. We are a very active family (of 5) and this sink is not babied at all. Besides dish soap, I use barkeepers friend on it about once a week. Even my husband loves this sink.

    Here is a link that might be useful: blanco silgranit in biscuit color

  • redroze
    15 years ago

    I have a ss prep sink and silgranit main sink. The guys merely tested the ss prep sink and it already has water spots. I can't stand them. I'm glad I don't have a ss main sink or it would drive me nutso.

    My prep sink is from Ticor, Galaxy Tool Supply, so I know it's a heavier gauge and good quality. And it still gets water spots. A bit disappointing to tell you the truth!

  • arleneb
    15 years ago

    Just a thank you to all of you Silgranit fans for posting -- I think you've made my decision for me!!

  • cpawarrior
    13 years ago

    Hi all

    Chrissiemw, I Absolutly love your kitchen! We have very similar granite (ours in Giallo Napolean) but our cabinets are a Java color very dark brown.

    We so want the Blanco Silgranite sink and are up in the air with either Black or Brown and a faucet in ORB or SS. All appliances are SS.

    Thoughts from the board greatly appreciated.

    Thank you!

  • joanne77a
    13 years ago

    Bump.

    I'd love to hear from people who've had the Silgranit sink for a while, and also see any photos!