I have a Whitehaus 30 inch. Love it. I MIGHT consider a porcelain coated steel if I were going to do it again. but that can chip. I guess a chip is better than a crack. I haven't looked at them but a recent thread mentioned them. I have the yucky old rubber mats in mine. I'm trying to find a better solution. I started a thread about them yesterday. Not everyone likes the grate adn I'm rethinking getting one. I don't know what else do use. Maybe a hand towel in the bottom and change it every day.

If you decide not to have an apron front sink, and instead have an undermounted sink, I highly recommend Blanco silgranit. As I posted on another thread, I am in love with my silgranit sink! I feel silly saying that, but I love working with it, I love seeing it in my ktichen. I have the anthracite (black) color, but they also come in white and biscuit. I had a stainless steel sink before, and I will never go back to stainless again. Goodbye good riddance to stainless' water marks, scratches and dinginess. My silgranit sink seems to look clean all the time LOL! Also, Silgranit can withstand 530 degree temperatures, so I don't have to worry about setting down a hot pan in it. And it won't chip or scratch.

Having said that, if your heart is set on the Shaw's, I know people love them, and apron front fireclay sinks have a unique look that is beautiful. But if you're going to spend all your time worrying about it, then don't get it. You will have to use your sink every day, mulitple times a day, for years. You should be enjoying your kitchen, not fretting over it.

Have never seen another GW member mention this: My daughter's fireclay farm sink cracked when she drained pasta in it. I also have a fireclay sink (not farm style) and am ultra careful to aim for the drain when I pour off boiling water.

Hi, I have a Franke fireclay apron front sink. I've had it for 9 months now and I love it. It's not as expensive as the Shaw's sink so it might be an option for you. I do have the SS grid in the bottom of it which helps with not banging things on the bottom of the sink. It's a breeze to clean. It has some kind of coating on it that makes it silky smooth. The only thing I don't like is that because of the apron front I do end up getting a little wet at times when I wash dishes, but I'm adapting to it. It's 28" wide and I love that I can put a whole cookie sheet or baking pan flat in the bottom of it. Water does drip down the front occasionally , but I keep a dish cloth handy and just wipe it right up. I guess you have to decide what's more important to you - form or function - and try to find a balance between the two.

I ordered the Lavello 36" curved apron front sink (single bowl). Not installed yet but it is GORGEOUS. It was in the $750 range and is extremely well made.

My kitchen was completed early summer. I have 4 boys ages 3, 5, 5 and 14. I talked myself out of everything I wanted marble, butcher block, polished nickel hardware and the white shaw sink!!! I was NOT happy... right before final decisions had to be made.. I switched it all back to everything I wanted... it is now Sept... and I am sooo glad I didnt let people talk me out of things because they were not "practical". I love my shaw sink .. I keep the grid in it all the time.. I also have an induction cooktop so I cook with alot of cast iron pots.. but I am careful... It has a very small chip near the drain, but I am certain I am the only person that knows it is there..

Have you considered Copper??? That is what my heart is set on .... a Copper Farmhouse Sink!!

We have our 30" Shaws farmhouse sink since March and I love it. My DH isn't too happy about the grid since he's on clean up crew. It takes a little time cleaning it. The grid is great for drying more dishes. We rejected our 1st Shaws because it drained terribly (took marbles with us to the loading dock). This one is better but not all of it moves to the drain (a little pooling on the far left corner). We have a Vinnata faucet and that chases everything down.

The Shaws farmhouse sink is not the most practical sink but it's beautiful. I love having the sink pulled forward and so close to me. It also gives you more room behind the faucet.

The cracks at the drain I read about were from tightening the flange too tight. I made sure the plumber knew about that. An yes, I got a full size biggest (1.5 hp?) garbage disposal under it.

That being said I say get the Shaw's farmhouse sink because "...and I have wanted a farm sink forever - Shaws".

I have the Whtiehaus fireclay sink and like pinch_me, I love mine. We've been using it heavily as our main sink for over 2 years now and it has held up beautifully. We are clumsy cooks with lots of castiron pans who bang stuff around endlessly. We have a grid but don't use it too much, and so far, there is one tiny chip in the bottom of this sink which is unnoticeable because it's white bodied porcelain.

Think classic white bathroom sink or even toilet: that's the same fireclay and it's just as durable. In terms of durability I'd rate my fireclay as better than porcelain-coated enamel but slightly worse than stainless in terms of sheer ability to withstand abuse. But I dislike stainless for the waterspotting and clanking.

Your mileage may vary, but I can't imagine you'd really regret a fireclay if it's in your dream vision.

Whitehaus makes a number of affordable stainless apron-front sinks. (I'm linking BlueBath because it's where I bought mine and the service was outstanding.)

Another compromise, which would give you the look and color of fireclay but tougher durability, might be the Mitrani Titan Quartz apron sinks? Other Gardenwebbers have had them and the reports are good.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mitrani Titan Quartz farmhouse sinks

My husband wants a farmhouse and if we got that way (I want the Stages sink from Kohler) then we're going to get the Marvel Atlantic Ceramic. It's got a lifetime warranty so I'm not worried about durability after talking to the customer service rep at Marvel. It's also got an offset drain which I wanted in a larger sink so I can have a dish rack in one half of the sink ask needed.

Kohler makes the Dickinson which is the cast iron version of an apron front. If it's as durable as the Kohler cast iron sink we have now it's going to last forever.

Also, did you look at Ticor? I'm pretty sure they make an inexpensive stainless apron front. They also have stunning copper sinks.

I had been wanting a farm sink since seeing one in a farm (of all places) about 15 years ago. Imagine my surprise when it came time to do my kitchen over a decade later, and farm sinks were everywhere!

Of course I was getting one. I started with the Porcher. After 18 months, got tons of pits in it. Company wouldn't help me, b/c warranty is only 1 year. Then got a Shaw's. The sink was pretty darn wonky! The edge was slanted so much that when it was shimmed to look straight, it would no longer drain. Also, the drain was on the "wrong" side (due to a defect in the fireclay on wht should have been the front. I tried to get another, but this was during the Great Shaw's Shortage that occurred about 2-3 years ago. My cabinetmaker was tapping his foot waiting to install. My counter people were tapping their feet, waiting to install. I cursed Rohl/Shaw's, and kept the dang sink.

After 15 years of lust, I definitely love love love the farm sink. But the Shaw's has several tiny pits in the bottom, and one on the top lip. I have 2 little boys, and so they have been trained in "sink care" since they were very young. When I panic is when the grandparents/in-laws visit and start helping with the dishes. I'm always scared one of them will bang it too hard. I find it very stressful.

What I would trade my oldest child for is the (new?) Kohler cast iron farm sink. Apparently it is so chip free that the display models have actual skillets for you to SMACK it with! There have been a few folks here on GW who have had the fun of smacking the Kohler sink with a pan. Oh, how I envy them. I want that sink so bad! It truly seems like the best of all possible worlds.

Good luck!

:-)

francy

I have a Shaws for 6 years now and it has 2 tiny dings. No grid (just ordered). They are very durable sinks -- fired at 2800 degrees but they are not as durable as stainless steel, nothing would be and certainly not enameled cast iron.

I've done 2 renos in the last 5 years (crazeee, I know) but what's been most important to me is the size -- at least a 30" sink, single bowl. Sink of second reno is undermount ss -- not farm.

What about Ticor -- affordable sinks great style. Many here love this brand. Their farm sinks are really well priced.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ticor Farm Sink

Bayareafrancy,
are you serious about the kohler?? Are they doing something new with their sinks?
We have a blue (yes, it was DH's decision before he met me) cast iron/porc. sink from Kohler...
Keeping it clean is horrible; it has chips and scratches, the gloss is gone and looks dull in some areas, shiny in others. I thought I would NEVER, EVER, EVER consider another cast iron/porc. sink.
That was 20+ years ago.....so you think they are REALLY doing something different/better? I am intrigued!!!

Forgot to mention that when I called Kohler 8 or so years ago to try to have them at least reseal it or something, I was told too bad. I now read their sinks have lifetime warranty but I wonder against what.....
I just checked the kohler website and those sinks ARE gorgeous....but now...I keep looking at my blue sink and wonder if it is wise or not.

Francy, your Porcher experienced steered me clear of them when I was looking for a reasonably-priced farm sink.

Wallycat, I'm curious about the new Kohler warranty, too. I've had a number of enamelled cast iron sinks and they have all chipped, scratched and dulled over time. And the chips are black, which isn't so hot with a light sink.

By the by, Whitehaus makes the only BLUE fireclay sinks I know of ... (sapphire blue, black, white and biscuit)

I've never seen the Kohler sink in person, just reporting from a few people who have had the thrill of smacking it with a skillet. Given the durability, I would guess this is the new generation of Kohler? I will never go and see it myself because I would probably drop upon the floor, a sobbing, sniveling heap. The Kohler people would have to call security to pry my tear-stained fingers from the sink edge. It wouldn't be pretty.

A member here named "mdmc" has had the kohler for several years. You might email her to ask about it. You can also search this sight for the Dickinson sink if you are interested in it.

(I have a white Kohler tub, sink, and toilet in my 1929 bathroom, and all fixtures are original. They look pretty good for their age. The sink has had some rust issues, as most sinks of that vintage do.)

;-)

francy