There's a whole long thread on that here already. I just can't find it at the moment!

We really like ours. So much so that we ordered one for the prep sink.

Found it!

Here is a link that might be useful: Who Loves/Hates the Sink Grid

Honestly....they are a little bit of trouble to keep clean, but SO worth it. I found the best way to clean them is to wet them, then sprinkle some comet cleanser powder on them and let it sit for a couple of minutes. Then I scrub the grids with a soft scrub brush. It honesly only takes maybe 10 minutes and only has to be done occasionally.

Update since I posted that thread. Too expensive but great to have. One of those thought-I'd-hate-it-but-I-love-it things. Makes many things far easier and haven't found them difficult to clean. (needed 2) I got the SS.

I had never had grids until I got my new stainless steel sink that came with grids at no extra charge (Ticor). I can say I LOVE them and do not find them a pain to clean. When the sink is full of soapy water, the grid is getting soaked clean too. so nice to pour coffee or whatever down the drain without getting it on dishes I may have sitting on the grids. My sink is so deep, that I can hand wash some things and leave them in the sink to dry on the grids and they're not visible.

I've said this before, but make sure your grid is a real grid with squares rather than simple bars - mine's the latter (Whitehaus) and I hate how silverware falls through it all the time.

Ditto everything that mountaineergirl said! I LOVE having grids in both my sinks and, honestly, I can't see how I ever lived without them.

I was not planning on buying a grid (never had one and was cheap about spending the money) but turns out my sink came with one - so I thought "what the heck, might as well use it" - turns out, I LOVE it. Definitely agree with mountaineergirl, I love tossing things down the drain (like the dog water bowl) and not having the dishes sitting on the grid be affected. I am a total convert!

I can't ever imagine having another sink without grids. I never, ever use the sink without them.

I know you are interested in the Orca -- Have you seen the thread which shows Orcas with accessories? One with lower and one upper grid, and the second shows the strainer and fitted tub. (scroll down)

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0511465326695.html

http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg0818440125353.html

The black rubber feet leave odd marks on ths SS sink. How do you clean it?

I am plus/minus about the sink grid. I do not like the way it looks. I would rather not have it for looks. I hate clutter and it looks like clutter, ie creates visual business that is not absolutely necessary. But it's not one of those things that can be stored away easily and pulled out for use. I don't like the way SS sink scratches without it so I use it. (the lesser of two evils, scratches versus clutter!)

Some tasks are better with the grid and other tasks are better without it. Prepping vegies, I would rather have the clear bottom of the sink to rinse out rather than little bits of vegies that get caught on the grid. For washing and drying large dishes/pots and pans, it's easier with the grid. Pouring pasta out, it is defnitely better with it because the water does not back up into the collander.

If I had two sinks, I would put the grid on the clean up sink and not on the vegie prep sink.

Well, sure, this is easy for me to say because my grid came free with my Tricor sink, but -- I LOVE THE GRID. For all the reasons above, and for the way yucky food chunks float right under the pots or whatever is sitting in the sink. Now that I've had a grid, I'd pay extra -- probably even way too much -- to have them again.

That was at our last home, and I miss the grid so! Now we are planning a remodel in our new (20-year-old) house, a sink with grids is at the top of my list.

I got sink grids with my Silgranit sinks and I love them. I can set things to dry on the grid and not have it get dirty when I want to put something down the drain. I just tip the grid up to clean the sink underneath, and once in awhile I spray the grid down with a cleaner and rinse it off. Overall, it was a worthy purchase for the new kitchen and I don't regret getting them.

Cj

Wow, this site is amazing! I get back after a LONG day and find all of these responses. It looks like the consensus is YES to the grids.

Athomesewing.....I plan to check out those links you sent. Thanks! I'll have to do it tomorrow though....got lots to do to prepare for work tomorrow. Actually though, I'm looking at another sink similar to the Orca but cheaper.

And I have a question. Someone mentioned that there was already another forum addressing this question. I typed 'sink grids' in the search box but got nothing pertinent. How do I search on a particular topic that I'm interested in? Thanks! And if I wanted to include a link (for instance to a sink website), would I type it in which box below?....the box that says 'Optional Link URL' or 'Name of the Link'? Sorry, can you tell I'm not a 'computer person'? :-)

Thanks again, everybody!
Christal

I'm another totally happy Ticor sink customer. The grids came free with the sink and I couldn't believe the quality. Love, love, love the grids and don't think I would ever consider using my sinks without the grids in place.

The search on this site pretty much sucks ;)

So, use Google like this

"sink grid" site:gardenweb.com

Voila!

Re cleaning, just today I noticed that the feet of mine seemed kind of pink. They're supposed to be white. I don't know if it was something my housekeeper put in the sink or what. I turned over the grid, rubbed a little dishsoap on the feet, and they were all better. :) Mine's Kohler.

Pink is probably this bacteria. I get it in my shower corners.

Here is a link that might be useful: Serratia Marcescens

Brilliant marcydc! You're right, the search engine here is pathetic.

Check the "Read Me" thread. It not only gives you tips for searching, but it also explains how to post links (and pictures).

Here is a link that might be useful: Read Me If You're New To GW Kitchens!

Really like my grids for all the mentioned above, but it came with my Kraus sink I bought at a good price through Overstock.com. I do not like that the feet of the grid have a hard black plastic cover that have scratched my sink (just where the feet are.) But the rest of the sink has not been scratched because of it - hum... I suspect other brands may have non-scratching feet covers. I also find that I waste water to rinse and rinse to get the bits I can't just wipe because the grid is in the way. For me having a sprayer (ours detaches from the faucet) is a must (but it may also be the silly zero radius sink that requires me to spray around versus a regular sink.

I have a stainless one and used it for several months, and this summer I took it out, as friends were coming over, and I thought it detracted from the pure whiteness and overall look of my farm sink. I have not put it back, and honestly, I don't really miss it because I thought it was kind of annoying to clean, with all those square grids and how the gunk would cling in the corners of the grids and underneath it. I would think I scrubbed that sucker clean, but would later see I missed some stubborn gunk build-up, which would just frost my cookies. Arrgh.

It was nice for handwashing items and leaving them on there to drain and dry, also for setting kettles of boiling water on it in preparation for draining--instead of setting them directly on the sink bottom, which I am loath to do.

YMMV.

I just realized that if I end up with the dishwasher I'm thinking of getting (Kitchen Aid), it has a utensil tray on the top, and the SS sink grids could just be in put in there for washing. What could be easier? Thank you all for your input. I guess I'll go ahead and get the grids and then I'll have to decide for myself if I like them or not.

I got a white-coated grid for my white Kohler Mayfield sink a couple months ago. This is a big single sink we use for prep, esp. for processing veg. Working out a routine for using and cleaning it has been a bit of a challenge, but when we need it now, we really need it and are confident using it. This one has an opening in middle so I can access drain to remove loose veg flotsam, such as broccoli leaves. I have to put an extra inch or two of water into the sink to wash veg from garden that sits on grid, but it's wonderful to have all that sand and gunk sink to bottom while the veg is resting on the rack. (Unlike our old cast iron sink, this sink is very flat on bottom, so we have to throw around some water to wash out the sand when finished. So nice to have the veg remain above the sand.)

Thanks florantha....that sounds like a good system.

I have the Kohler Whitehaven cast iron sink with the custom two-piece grid. The rubber feet on the grid have completely removed the sheen on my sink in the areas where they sit. I now have circular matte areas on my sink where the grid's feet rest. I have only ever used Kohler's own cast iron sink cleaner so I'm not sure what I've done wrong. Is there a way to restore the lustre to cast iron sinks? Our sink is white. Thanks.

By the way, my sink is less than a year old.