I would NEVER put one in. There just isn't a lot of meat between you and a water leak and the counter and everything else being ruined. Besides, by the time you pay all of the upcharges, you won't be that far from getting a basic granite with an undermount sink.

The process of undermounting to laminate is suspect for longevity. There's only a thin layer of plastic that is 1 chip away from leaking. It would probably be OK for a light use from adults, but I wouldn't put it in any other home. All of my fabricators checked out the process, and most of them refused to do it because of the potential for leaks. I only have one guy that will do it, and by the time you add in the $700 fee for it, and sign the waiver he requires, you really aren't that far from a basic granite. The last quote I did for it was $2300 for the laminate installed, and the granite was only $2500 installed, with the free stainless sink my granite fabricator offers with at least a 40 square foot purchase.

Don't rule stone out because you think it's out of your budget. It probably isn't. Laminate has got pricier, and stone has gotten cheaper. Something like Uba Tuba is probably one of the most functional choices around. And one of the least expensive for a solid counter that will let you do an undermount. If you want an undermount, that's what you need to be looking at. Some type of solid counter like a stone or acrylic solid surface. Not laminate.

The place where our contractor is sending us for bathroom vanity tops, sells Karran sinks. I'm wondering about the functionality of them, too, because the brochure is impressive. We would have ours undermounted to Cambria (quartz), so I'm only looking at the quality of the sink, which I think you are also. It says it will not stain and you can use abrasive cleansers on it. It doesn't say anything about chipping or scratching, which would be a concern of mine in the kitchen.

For what it's worth, I would get the drop in for the kitchen, if using laminate. But I would seriously consider the Karran. I'm pretty sure it's what my mother had, and her sink always looked nice. She had a drop in with laminate counters.

I am up against the same question 9 years later and wonder what all you chose and surmised. I am happy with Formica and I understand it needs a particular shield of thin epoxy that is professionally installed—and then it seals cleaner than a normal undercounted. I’m just wondering to go with the acrylic Karran sink or their composite quartz. Which is more durable?

"I understand it needs a particular shield of thin epoxy that is professionally installed—and then it seals cleaner than a normal undercounted."

You are misinformed. There is no thin expoxy on a Formica countertop or bowl.

There are tradeoffs with acrylic vs. quartz vs. stainless steel sinks. Acrylics are tough, don't dent (but can bruise), and are easily refinished when scratched. Quartz sinks are tough, difficult to scratch, but irreperable if you do. Fortunately the color goes all the way through. Dents in stainless are virtually unfixable but rare and while it scratches easily, it's easily refinished to new.

Any time you see black/brown crud between a stone bottom and a sink flange, the sink is leaking and has to be dropped and strapped in place. Acrylic and stainless Edge series sinks by Karran have no such joint, never have crud, and can't.

Thank you for this information.

After having done a lot of research, I find many of what's mentioned here flawed so I thought I'd mention it. The adhesive (not epoxy) used on top of the sink edge to hold the laminate is a seaming adhesive, and it very strong. So the laminate is really not "one chip away" from leaking. You might argue that a dropin sink is then also prone to leaking since it's got a bead of silicone around it. With regard to KC's question, remember that only Karran Edge and acrylic undermounted sinks are rated for laminate (so not quartz sinks). Notably at the moment, stone counter tops are very expensive, although solid surface less so (for the same space I was quoted 1300 for laminate, 2000 for solid surfacing, and 3000 for quartz. These were all the cheapest selections in its kind.) I would gather though that the installation of Karran sinks for laminate could be expensive, it requires quite a bit of extra work. That might mean that it might come out close to solid surface.