I have the Franke Oceania ... has all the accessories and the "integrated ledge" like the Orca, minus the asymmetry. I LOVE it. Well, I didn't love the colander so much, as it was rather cheaply made for such an expensive item, but I do love the shelf and the utility bowl and use them daily.

thanks, jelly. I'll look at that sink tomorow.

Jelly, can you elaborate on the colander? I fell for the franke in part due to the colander that looks so beautiful in the pics! I was also going for the Oceania.

We love our new Orca! I think the asymmetry is meant to maximize sink space and still allow room for a faucet. It would be hard to put anything behind the large side unless you pulled the cabinet out.

I wish I had a picture of the colander but I returned it. It was really expensive (it was over $100 ... for a COLANDER ... and not a very nice colander, either!) and I just didn't think it was worth it. I recall being quite disappointed when I opened the box. It was made of a really shiny stainless with a mirror finish. The edges weren't very smooth, and it looked like it would do a good job of scratching the sink reveal. As it turns out, though, I ended up going with a flush reveal on my sink so that accessory items (I have a utility bowl that I DID keep, and I LOVE it) sit on the edge of the granite rather than the sink reveal. In any case, I could see myself putting that colander in a drawer and never using it and I didn't need it taking up valuable space (it's not small!). I now use a regular, run-of-the-mill colander that I sit on the integrated shelf during use and put away in a drawer when I'm done. It's practical, and probably cost me 10 bucks.

So, I wasn't that impressed with the colander, but I am a big fan of the Oceania ... it's gorgeous!

Regarding the faucet, I have Delta touch faucets in both sinks (prep and cleanup). We haven't moved back in yet post-remodel, but so far we both like the touch function.

I ordered the Delta touch faucet too, the one shaped like a swan. It has a choice of deep brown covering near the bottom.

Still undecided about sink. The salesman at Ferguson's spoke of the scatching that shows up on the shiny Orka. The make their own sink, brushed SS and heavy gauge. He also likes the rectangular shape. On GW, people have mentioned using the R-side grid to let things dry, so no ugly drains on counters. Is the Franke only sink with that ledge? I'm thinking of changing my order (& driving the KD crazy).

I guess am the lone Blanco Super Single person on this thread. I love its symmetrical rectangular shape. I know the Orca is very popular; it's just not me. I have the Blanco Diamond Super Single, and I love its corner drain - now I could never go back to a drain in the center! I do not have an issue with room for the faucet behind the sink, and I really like that my faucet is perfectly centered. That's just my taste to prefer it over the Orca.

I have the Silgranit Blanco Diamond. I couldn't stand the scratches and watermarks of previous stainless steel sinks I've had. I am actually on my third kitchen reno, and therefore will be getting my third Silgranit Super Single. So that's a clear sign I've been happy with them!

Bookworm - If you like the Orca, it comes in Fireclay also, which you might prefer so that you don't have the issues with stainless steel that your salesperson mentioned (and that I too dislike). What the salesperson said about the Orca scratching - all stainless steel scratches. You can get a grid to protect it and prevent scratches, but don't believe anyone who says one stainless steel sink scratches less than another. The brushed finish he mentioned will show scratches less glaringly, but believe me, you will see the scratches with a brushed finish too.

Several mentions of a colander in this thread. I use two:

RSVP Endurance Colander fits over sink - I use for washing fruits and vegetables - I just pull out my faucet's sprayer and rinse; this colander drains really well

RSVP Precision 5 qt- Colander - I use for larger jobs, and due to my large single-bowl sink, there is plenty of room for it in the sink. I pour boiling pasta into it, rinse rice, wash a chicken, etc; it drains great, and the little ring-stand at the bottom allows for better drainage than other colanders I've had

This post was edited by Mrs_Nyefnyef on Sat, Aug 3, 13 at 21:58