I have had a silgranite sink for 5 years and love it.

Bottom-line - reviews from happy customers are just too numerous to ignore but I do plan to try to minimize shipping problems.

background:
I'm going with silgranit - haven't purchased yet. I am also concerned about chipping/cracking but only during shipping. Seems like once installed, most here on gardenweb are VERY happy.

So I'm not buying from Home Depot or Lowes - their quality can be suspect and I have experienced personally the results of their very poor shipping. Also, lots of reviews on Amazon seemed to complain about having to return more than once in order to get one that is not cracked.

I haven't shopped at local plumbing places for best price but I'm thinking that will be my insurance against cracking and chipping. It will make it much easier to return (I won't have to pay shipping costs at least).

Other possibility is that I have had good luck with Plumber Surplus website shipping - they pack well and also the local delivery service was excellent on another large fragile product I ordered (after ordering 3 times from Home Depot and experiencing shipping mixup and delivery damage - it was a medicine cabinet). Maybe I'll choose frome THIS

Will be interested how others respond. Thanks for posting.

This post was edited by elphaba on Sat, Nov 16, 13 at 12:24

GW love for silgranit ranks right up there with love for drawers and (based on my non-scientific, non-objective, non-comprehensive and TKO reading of this board) exceeds towel pig, German brooms, and even soapstone in universality.

I could try to suggest that "the herd is wrong" as it so often is in the stock market. But I've been assimilated. I was persuaded by my torture test of a sample chip and have loved every day of the 3 months I've had 2 cinder precis sinks (one large bowl, one cascade). And I haven't yet read a report from an owner who feels differently.

Our recent re-model has a Blanco Silgranit Precis Cascade sink. I had it installed using the "Sink Setter" (proprietary), which allows the sink's removal from below should a problem develops. I really love Silgranit for clean up,use and complementation of countertops and kitchen.

Much thanks to GW members for posting about the Sink Setter.

My husband is in love with our newly installed Antracite sink because he'll never get yelled at for not rinsing the coffee down the drain! LOL And I'm loving it because I won't have to get out the baking soda and scour those coffee stains around the SS drain!

Thank you everyone for your quick responses. I was supposed to have final measurements for granite this week but postponed it due to all the positive reviews of the silgranite sinks. I have a Kraus ss sink sitting in my front room but now am "almost" convinced I want to try silgranite. I also some comments about not being able to use bleach or cleaners contains bleach. I use bleach cleaners on pots and pans and sometimes add a bit to dishwasher during cold/flu season. Will this harm the surface or discolor it? I am thinking of the truffle color, which is a deep tan.

Their website says you cannot use straight bleach.

GENERAL CARE & CLEANING:
Daily cleaning may be done with any non-abrasive cleaner (i.e. Barkeeper's friend, Soft Scrub with Bleach, or dishwasher soap). After every use, rinse and wipe the sink dry with a clean, soft cloth to eliminate any water spots or soap film build-ups.
REMOVING STAINS AND MINOR SCUFF MARKS:
Normal Stains ~ for stains, please use a mild abrasive cleanser, along with a soft scouring pad.
Stubborn Stains ~ A solution of 50% bleach, 50% water should only be used for tough, stubborn stains. Let the solution sit in the bottom of the sink for one hour; then scrub. Rinse well. Also, the use of BAR KEEPERS FRIEND (directions included on bottle or can) will help remove stubborn stains. (NOTE: with Anthracite or Café Brown, sink must be rinsed thoroughly with hot water).

Mags, you should avoid using bleach in a stainless steel sink as well, or so I am told.

I've had my Blanco Siligrant sink for the past 4 months and we love it. Looks awesome and easy to keep clean.

Can I chime in on the stainless side? A good quality stainless steel sink is kitchen bulletproof, which is why it's used so extensively in pro kitchens.

I know everyone loves their Sils. I have never understood the appeal of the surface but I like a shiny sink -- perhaps it comes down to that.

A big ss sink is trouble free, and they are not inexpensive. Me, with the Kraus on the floor, I'd put the difference into a fab faucet like the Kohler Sensate or one of the Deltas or Brizos.

But whatever you decide you should have what YOU want for your kitchen and what you will love every day. Cause you'll be cleaning it LOL!

I wanted to get a Silgranite sink after everything I read here. However, picking out the granite and complementary colored quartz for the perimeter was very difficult, and I was afraid of trying to introduce another "color" into the mix -- especially with not being able to see them all side-by-side before making the decision. Therefore, I went with stainless as being more "neutral."

I just ordered a Silgranit sink to replace a 30-year old double bowl SS sink. I ordered the 33x22 single bowl drop in which will fit in the existing opening. When I redo the whole kitchen the sink can be installed as an under mount. That was a major selling point. I was planng to get another SS but decided on Silgranit based on reviews here. I ordered it online from Homeclick. Last month I got a Toto toilet from them at a great price, delivered overnight FedEx at no extra cost, great packaging, all in all a flawless transaction. The sink was shipped yesterday from the manufacturer. Fingers crossed. I'm getting a Kohler Elate faucet from a local plumbing store that gave me a competitive price. The taller faucets were much too tall for my application. I prefer buying locally when possible, but the one supplier of Toto quoted almost $200 more than online! I used an online coupon from Homeclick for a further 6% discount.

Everyone loves Silgranite so much that I figured the sink in my laundry room that I dislike so much was some other material, even though I THOUGHT it was Silgranite. In the course of looking up something else from the remodel 7 years ago I found the receipt for the sink. Yup, it's Silgranite. I also have a black Silgranite sink in our vacation home. The black sink is pretty trouble-free but I don't love it. I don't like black much, so can't really blame the material. I hate, hate, hate my off-white silgranite laundry sink. It stains and just seems dirty. I wouldn't let that discourage you since most people are so happy. But it's all stainless all the time for me :) Unless I splurge for a farm sink...but I am worried about doing anything other than SS now...I love a shiny sink!!

Chances are you have Silgranite, not Silgranite II. The new Silgranite is more stain resistant. It's been out for a few years and that's what most people are reviewing here. Several people who remodeled recently have the white Silgranite II and have reported that stains clean off easily.

If you search threads here from a few years ago and see claims of the white staining, that person was repeating anecdotal evidence about the old Silgranite, never realizing it had been replaced with Silgranite II.

I too was going to go with stainless steel, Blancowave. I fell in love with the sink. But after talking to people who had the Sigranite sink and reading the reviews, I went with the Silgranite black sink.

Purchased it from Costco for $320. There is a $30 rebate going on right now. It was delivered to my home within 3 days! Tomorrow the granite people come to my home to measure. Hopefully everything goes well.

My Silgranite sink has been in two years now and I would do it again. I have the black.

Still, I don't think you can go wrong with a good heavy-gauge stainless steel sink. it comes down to what do you associate with a nice sink? When you envision a half hour peeling potatoes and carrots for a big pot of soup, where do you see yourself standing?

I had negative associations with stainless between my first job in fast food and it's what you see in hospitals and travel trailers (my grandparents would take us camping). So, stainless just didn't fit into my vision of a home kitchen. But again, that's my vision. What's yours?

To agree with colorfast, and offer an analogy... comparing Silgranite with stainless is like comparing apples and oranges... one may not be "better", you either feel like one or the other

I am also going to order the précis large single basin in metallic gray. While I also believe in supporting local business, saving >$100 on line is hard to ignore. But the problems with adequate packing and chipping has me scared. I assumed it was sent well packed in the mfg packaging. Would it be taboo to ask if anyone has had a problem with the packaging from Home Perfect? They have the best price for my sink but worrying about chipping, now I am not sure.

GWers have had less than great experiences with that company and they were not a Blanco authorized retailer when I looked it up. I saved money on lights I ordered from them, but it took too much follow-up.

Here is a link that might be useful: Homeperfect.com Review

I have had some good results from HomeClick (no experience with HomePerfect) - but you might be right about the manufacturer. If I remember right, when I bought my Toto in wall toilet carrier, HOMECLICK had put the TOTO mfg boxed fixture inside of another box of theirs - it ended up being a HUGE box. This was a pricey item, $800 so that may be some kind of criteria they use on whether to add additional packaging.

Though the "not an authorized dealer" might be a deal breaker. I would call the Blanco hotline on this. Shouldn't take too much time, and you can add a couple other website names so you can ask about them at the same time.

One other tip I read here somewhere (sorry for not giving credit), if you sprinkle baby powder (or maybe baking soda?) inside the sink on the surface, this will help show any miniscule cracks that are invisible to the eye but that you don't want and that can cause trouble later on. If when the box is delivered, you are prepared with your powder, seems like this would be a quick minimal test on whether to send it back (if no large cracks). I don't know if there are any caveats to this test, probably good idea to search Google or ask the Blanco guy when you have him on the line asking about the "authorized dealer" question. (Though I wouldn't be surprised if they don't want this test advertised on a large scale... just speculating.)
Probably something good to do even if you've bought local, might as well check before you go to expense of having installed.

Kksmama, thank you for the link on Home Perfect reviews. Seems there was more complaints about lighting than sinks. I have had great experience with lumens.com for lighting. Still on the fence. I ordered a faucet from home perfect I haven't received yet. But I am feeling paranoid about a large item like a sink and may just pay more for a local blanco authorized dealer to avert any potential problem for peace of mind.

Elphaba, thank you for the Home Click site. Hadn't seen before. They at least have a selection of cold water faucets which has been hard to find for undercounter water filter. Now have to decide which system.

Elphaba, thank you for the Home Click site. Hadn't seen before. They at least have a selection of cold water faucets which has been hard to find for undercounter water filter. Now have to decide which system.

This is Blanco's list of authorized online dealers:AUTHORIZED INTERNET DEALER PROGRAM
Authorized Websites
÷
÷ www.buyplumbing.net

÷ www.buyplumbingsupply.com

÷ www.efaucets.com

÷ www.faucetdepot.com

÷ www.FixturesEtc.com

÷ www.fixtureuniverse.com

÷ www.homeandstone.com

÷ www.homebydecor.com

÷ www.homedepot.com

÷ www.kitchen-bath-plus.com

÷ www.KitchensNBath.com

÷ www.poshhaus.com

÷ www.plumbersurplus.com

÷ www.plumbingandlightingfixtures.com

÷ www.plumbtile.com

÷ www.remodelr.com

÷ www.wayfair.com

I love my Silgranite sink. I have the cafe brown and still looks great almost 2 years later ... no stains or chips and I've whacked it a few times with various hard items. I get lots of compliments on how it looks with my Giallo granite.

Family Reno, did you buy your sink locally or online?

The water is pretty dumb where I live and can't find it's way to the drain unless it runs downhill. Probably 99% of the sinks these days are installed in dead flat counter tops, and spills easily drip to the floor. With top mounts, splashes have to jump over the rim to get into the sink. Even with bottom mounts (in addition to their other problems) splashes are just as likely to find their way to the floor as into the sink.

My favorite sink was in my first house: a cast iron monster with 2 drainboards and a foot-high backsplash. No seams to gather wet gunk. My second sink was stainless, totally seamless with the counter top and backsplash -- a custom job by the former owner. In my current house, I've had to make do with a stainless sink that has only one drainboard. But I want something better.

I love the Clarion Farmhouse Drainboard Sink. It's like my first one, but too overpowering for my current kitchen. Ditto the many styles of commercial sinks. Then I found the Elkay Lustertone Series. It has 2 drainboards and I can fit a dishwasher under one of them. It has a modified raised lip. It has an integrated backsplash -- though I wish it were a little higher so that I could install a wall faucet through it. And it can replace an entire 6 feet of countertop surface, thereby mitigating its cost. The kitchen is still in the planning phase, but I know which sink I'll be buying.

Take a look at it before deciding on Silgranite or the more common stainless sinks.

Here is a link that might be useful: Elkay double drainboard sink

I know those cast-iron monsters, there was one in my grandma's old farmhouse. These were especially great if you didn't have a dishwasher and needed one side for the dish rack to dry them.

My own family has an undermount silgranite, and we seem to do fine without the lip in front--I think it's because our faucet is the right size and height for our sink that there isn't a lot of spray everywhere. Also the deeper sink bowl over years ago helps eliminate spray too.

Clearly you have the integrated backsplash with this model, which is great. But for me, it's hard to tell if the lip on this Elkay will make enough of a difference for you given your usage--I hope you are able to see it in person before buying.