Personally, I say no sink is too big. If you can afford the plumbing (financially and logistically), go for whatever kind of huge sink floats your boat. One thing to consider is the ergonomics of the depth -- how deep is too deep for you to comfortably reach in to work?

No experience with kids in sinks, just cats, so I leave that to other able forum members. But it seems like children do get bigger rather quickly, so they won't be lost in there for long. :-)

Me, I've been lusting after the big slate sink linked on Craigslist, below:

Here is a link that might be useful: gorgeous maine slate sink

Disadvantages: Noisy. Too deep--have to bend over to get anything out of the bottom. Oh, wait! It's only 12" deep? That's not so bad--some home models are that deep when you measure from the top of the counter. Makes your home kitchen look like your wife's workplace.

It's a sink. No reason not to use it if you both like it. But don't do it just because it's a bargain. You can find closeouts and bought-but-never-used resales on lovely, home kitchen sinks. It might be worth looking around some more. But if you both like the commercial one, go for it!

OMG, at the slate sink... Yeah, I can see that.

The commercial sink may be noisy, since it won't have the insulation coating of residential sinks. However, I think there are ways to fix that on an aftermarket basis, so do some research. Also, what gauge is it? If it is a thin gauge (18 or more), it will be noisy and have a "tinny" quality to it when you set things down in it.

As to the extra depth of 12". The cons I can think of are
(a) may be hard on your back to reach down to the bottom when cleaning a pan or something. BTW, is this an apron front sink, or will there be a strip of countertop (typically 4" or so) in front of it? An apron front sink would be easier on your back while you are reaching down into a deep sink.

(b) plumbing - make sure you have enough room for your plumbing with that deep sink. The plumbing outlet needs to be lower than the drain.

(c) disposal - if you are having a disposal, it is a similar issue as in (b), that your disposal outlet must be higher than the plumbing outlet.

While I think the $250 you quoted for this sink is very good, especially with the drainboard, you can still find stainless steel residential sinks, usually about 9" deep, and very good quality, for very reasonable prices, usually free shipping. People on this forum really like the Ticor sinks at Galaxy Tool Supply. They are mostly 16 gauge, come with sink grids and strainer (most sinks don't), and various shapes and sizes. You can also go to eBay where they often have a "Make an Offer" option, and get the sinks for even less. Many on this forum have done so, and been very pleased.

I love the idea of a built-in drainboard, so this post is not to discourage you, it's just to give you a heads up on things to think about.

Here is a link that might be useful: Galaxy Tool Supply

I bought mine on ebay. Stainless steel undermount that is 10" deep (which is about and inch deeper once you work in the thickness of the countertop). I think with shipping I paid around 250, and I used the make an offer feature. I went for the slightly smaller 28" (interior is about 26") which is still quite large (sheet pans are no problem at all. No direct experience with a baby, but I sized up the 50 lb. dog and I think he would (just) fit). It is quiter than the commercial sinks. Garbage disposal fits under, again without an issue.

Here is a link that might be useful: sinkandfaucetexpress

I really enjoy my Kohler "professional" taskcenter sink I found on Craigslist. It is 18 gauge and doesn't sound tinny, however it is also sprayed underneath and has soundproof pads - I recall reading somewhere on this board about spraying sinks after market - something to do with a product found at an auto supply store?

If you can find a taskcenter on Craigslist (I kept looking on ebay etc.) then I can almost guarantee that you will both love it. A lot of people on this board have relationships with their granite. I have a thing for my sink.

If you go through with this, I recommend cutting a piece of butcher block the depth of the inside rim of the sink (Ikea is a good bet) and attach "short risers" to the underside edges - my sink came with such a board, and I slide it this way and that way from one edge of the drain board to the far end of the sink - makes it very easy to scrape veggie cuttings into a bowl - it also gives me an additional section of work area (over the sink) when I need it. I have linked to the sink to show you the cutting board - it slides over the entire distance of the sink.

Regarding your baby - congratulations! Can you take a doll with you when you go to look at the sink to see what the depth feels like? Sounds crazy, but it will help you judge the depth and how it feels with a "baby sized object." We did this when introducing our dog to the idea of a baby - played with a doll for a month! I wouldn't get too caught up on making sure that your baby fits - babyhood is so fast, and you really don't know what will work for your child until he or she gets here. We spent hundreds of dollars on a sturdy, beautiful crib that had hardly any use, as our baby was so colicky - we ended up having him in with us for quite a while, and had previously not considered this. Our dd loved the crib, but preferred the security of the small plastic baby tub for longest time. (She didn't like the sink at all - I guess she didn't feel secure as an infant, and by the time she could sit up, loved her tub.)

See the sink in person, hang your arms over the edge, bring a doll and try it out. And I am wishing you a baby with a colic-free babyhood!

Hestia-Flames

Here is a link that might be useful: sink with cutting board

We were at a party (my DH and I) about a year ago. And
the host had a huge (monster size) restaurant style sink
in this beautiful kitchen. It was great. There were at
least 100 people at this party. The sink was the
perfect area to place large buckets of Ice. There was
a huge pull down faucet out of Hell's Kitchen or something.
The entire sink looked amazing.
Your plans are to bathe a baby. And that is wonderful.
Go for it. Get the big sink. Enjoy the elbow room
and memories.

PLEASE___let me know if you end of finding one. I have been looking forever for a triple sink that has equal large comparments, undermount but would settle for topmount
Thought of going the commerical way also but wondered how to use cabinets around it????? Elkay has a triple sink, not very deep though.

I have no experience with children but I have worked in a restaurant before and I now work for a restaurant equipment company and I agree with the above post. I burned my hand many times on the sink faucet when I bar tended because of the lack of scalding protection so I can't honestly say that I'd recommend bathing a child in it, or even a dog for that matter. Of course since you would be using it in a residential environment you wouldn't have to run the water as hot as we were required to so it might be okay. Having a drain board is really nice as well because it adds allot more space to put things within reach while you are working plus it would make for an excellent table to dry baby off on.

Just check and double check about what kind of faucet you would need. A commercial faucet can range anywhere from $40 to over $100 depending on what kind you need and who makes it. Most likely you will need either a deck-mount faucet, which attaches to the counter behind the sink, or a wall-mount, which attaches to the wall above the sink. Both of these will require that your plumbing hooks up properly to it.

I'm assuming this is a free standing sink? If it's a compartment or a drop-in there may be some other things to consider before buying.

I have an Advance Tabco commercial sink with a drainboard on each side. It was a dream of mine and worked out beautifully. The drainboards are my favorite part. (correction, the sink is and Advance Tabco instead of BK Resourses.) I bought the house in 2017. My house was built in 1900, remodeled in 2000, with a sink and cupboards from that time. To the left of the sink is a window. The sink slipped in easily in the spot.