What Sink Should You Buy? | A Guide to Purchasing the Right Sink

Planning on purchasing a new sink? Not sure what sink you should buy? With so many options on the market it can be hard to decide. This video will help you when deciding to buy that new sink, and what the best sink material is for you. Plus I share some interesting info about what is the most popular sink choice for consumers.
Make sure you check out the companion video - • The Right Sink For You...
The Right Sink For Your Kitchen
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⏰⏰CHAPTERS⏰⏰
00:00 What Sink Should You Buy?
00:10 Stainless Steel
02:31 Composite
03:13 Be Careful of This
04:49 Cast Iron
05:43 Fireclay
07:10 Material Match
09:13 Most Popular Sink
10:22 Bye
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[@MTKDofficial]

Check this video out for my top 10 kitchen trends for 2022 - kzbin.info/www/bejne/gJywdodqpbCsl9k If you would like a kitchen design, please visit mtkd.ca

[@HawgPyle]

IF you have a stainless steel sink and it's loud enough to bother you, find some Dynamat. It's peel and stick sound dampening material typically used in car audio. There are others as well, but this was one I could remember off hand.

[@MTKDofficial]

Oh cool. Great tip! Thanks for sharing!

[@stevec3537]

Great information! Thank you for sharing the pictures along the way!

[@MTKDofficial]

Thanks Steve. Appreciate you watching!

[@georgiastewart4479]

This was very helpful, thanks!

[@brentyancich]

Very pleased I found your channel. Appreciate your videos and information while navigating kitchen planning

[@MTKDofficial]

Hey Brent! Thanks for saying "Hi". I appreciate you watching.

[@gingersnap1568]

I loved my large enameled cast iron sink at my last house, I dislike my current sink, small stainless (mostly because it's small). My dream sink is a large heavier gauge copper apron sink with work station accessories. I was surprised & a little disappointed you didn't mention copper.

[@jasondeer3670]

Thank you for the great advice Mark! 🙏🏽

[@MTKDofficial]

Hey! Jason, thanks for watching, glad you found it helpful!

[@darlene19668]

Great video!!!!!will be getting cast iron…just my pick…ty for all your opinions, knowledge, and know how….m,my Moma and grandma both had cast iron ….the lil chips of love show the wear and tear but not enough to be a deal breaker👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻😀🔨🔧🛠🔩⚒ keep them taters coming

[@terriwerning3477]

Thanks Mark! I’m loving your channel👍

[@MTKDofficial]

Hi Terri! Thanks for the comment and for watching!

[@sim5099]

Our builder offered a couple stainless steel sinks we went with the 31' undermount options as it was the largest that wasn't an exorbitant amount.

[@ericfranke1637]

Thanks for the video. We may be going quartz because of some of the reasons you mentioned, but also it is available in more colors.

[@bijoubijou7500]

I bought my first home 3 years ago, and have moved very slow with making changes. I appreciate your content! I am in the process of making a couple of minor upgrades to my kitchen (i.e., countertops, sink, backsplash). I currently have a porcelain sink and use The Bar Keeper's Friend to keep the basin clean. Your video confirmed my sink selection. Thank you!!!

[@MTKDofficial]

Hey, that's great! Thanks for letting me know.

[@JianYZhong]

Lots of good points to think about, thanks!

[@MTKDofficial]

Hi Kien! Thanks so much!

[@pamcadd8658]

Remodeled my kitchen 15 years ago when we bought the house. I chose a black granite sink and absolutely love it. It's one large deep basin with the drain on the right end, not in the middle. I keep a small wire draining rack hanging at the right end. This reduces the usable area a little, but has the advantage of making a place to dry hand washed items so they aren't on the counter. It's easy to lift out this rack when I want a really big area for washing something big - or bathing a baby. The best feature of this sink is that it looks brand new after 15 years - something I never had with any kind of white or porcelain sink. (When I feel really ambitious, a special colored sink cleaner brings it back to perfection.) Also, hot cast iron skillets don't damage it.

[@MTKDofficial]

Hard to beat a good quality stainless sink. You're getting your money's worth out of it for sure!

[@puremotion2212]

Thank you🥰

[@jessicamorris4748]

I had a massive porcelain two bay sink with drain boards that I suspect was original to the 1928 build (or at least to the 1950 remodel) of my first house. It has been thirteen years since I lived in that house and I still miss that sink dearly. I never had a problem with it chipping, and stains were easy to remove with the right cleaner. I used Sun and Earth all purpose cleaner and it worked well.

[@MTKDofficial]

Sweet! Thanks for the input Jessica! Those sinks are hard to come by these days.

[@tonkatoytruck]

Just finishing the remodel of a kitchen built in '68. Kept the top mount porcelin dual basin sink to cut costs. Goes well with the white cabinets and appliances. My mother hates cleaning stainless steel appliances to look their best all the time. May have to look further into the composites with more color choices. Thanks for sharing.

[@MTKDofficial]

Hey! Thanks for watching.

[@rahimmalekshahi8750]

We had an expensive 1k€ stainless steel sink. It worked only for a week before we saw all kind of scratches. It gets Color easily. We request an exchange with black silgranit. We are waiting for it.

[@terryruiz7417]

My new sink, cast iron white porcelain, 140 lbs. I'm old, grew up with this type, and absolutely love it. Looks beautiful with my new bridge faucet. The sink is double, which I wanted due to the way I cook, clean up. Also, I suggest using Barkeepers Friend for stubborn stains. The weight wasn't a concern due to custom cabinetry in our older home. Get compliments on my new sink over and over, bowls are good and deep. Only thing missing, the attached side draining area that came with such sinks many many years ago.

[@MTKDofficial]

Sounds great and I agree the side drain board would be perfect!

[@Bulldog75stp]

I love the farmhouse sink look.

[@Isleskye]

Great video. One paint on composite sinks gave me pause. Hard water! I loved my former black granite sink and already bought one for my present impending kitchen redo. The difference is - my first adorable and adored black granite sink was in Scotland where our water was very soft. I’m back in USA, Calif specifically where our water is not exactly hard but isn’t soft either. I’m gonna stick to my black granite composite guns though and hope for the best. I love the clean-ability, quiet, solid looks of black granite.

[@MTKDofficial]

Good point on water hardness. That has been mentioned a few times. All great material for a future video. Appreciate you watching!

[@TwentyMinuteGuitarPlayer]

Great video! You make sinks look cool! I liked that blue porcelain one. We had a porcelain one in our last house and it was cool. I got rust stains on my stainless steel one. Do you know how I can get the rust off? Thanks again Mark for the great content!! P.s. love the hoodie!!

[@MTKDofficial]

Hey Rob! Connect with me via email and lets see what we can do to fix that sink. I also love that hoodie. It's my favourite actually.

[@cynthiadefehr6272]

I've had a large, deep undermount hammered copper sink for 18 years. It is stunning, It gets the dark bronze patina and I just embrace it most of the time. Occasionally it reacts to ketchup, lemon juice, etc. And I will smear the offending acid it all over to regain the beautiful, original shine. It has character and is pretty unique.

[@MTKDofficial]

That sounds like a beautiful sink. I love that hammered copper look. Left it out of this video as it is not an overly popular choice. But I think it should be.

[@5610winston]

I recently bought a stainless sink for my remodel, then saw a Coppersmith hammered copper on eBay, just couldn't resist it. It's a startling contrast (in a good way) against the Blue Pearl granite, and your description of the patination process is a great tip for maintenance.

[@Valkaneer]

I have a cast iron sink, and we are going to replace it soon as my wife hates it. Ya we've had it for 16 years, and ya it takes some comet to clean, but you got to scrub that thing and buy the comet. I don't have to buy comet or scrub the crap out of a SS sink and your dishes don't shatter if you accidently drop them like they do in a Cast Iron. Probably 3/4 of my dishes broken the last 16 years have been from the cast iron sink.

[@suselew]

I also have a 25 year old integrated Corian sink and I've kept it bright white the entire time. I still love it. The only disappointing news is that Corian no longer makes their own sinks. Another company does that now and I'm hoping they are the same quality as Corian`s.

[@MTKDofficial]

oooh. that could be trouble. Hopefully you're right and they keep up the quality.

[@nancyhadden7819]

Another reason why I won’t choose a Corian integrated sink again is the possibility of blow-out if you dump boiling water into the drain and you can not put pans directly from the stove into the sink. Stainless sounds like the best choice for me. However I’ve been warned that the square cornered sinks are harder to clean than the ones with the round corners.

[@pearlskid8425]

Luckily a friend warned me about square corners with stainless steel sinks. Bought one with rounded corners and it’s very easy to clean. I am grateful for her advice.

[@MTKDofficial]

Yeah go with something that has a radius. Doesn’t have to be much, but makes a difference.

[@nameredacted7541]

Pour some cold water into the boiling water before dumping it, genius.

[@72hogdog]

After stainless steel sinks for nearly forty years, the first installed myself in our first house, we are going with a granite composite in our remodel. Appearance, color choice, sound dampening and just tired of stainless, was our reasoning.

[@MTKDofficial]

Sweet! Having the colour options is nice. I had a really nice grey one before. But it was a double, so boo. lol

[@jessebergunder]

Hows it holding up? I am considering doing composite for our kitchen.

[@candiscunningham9110]

You have to baby fireclay to some extent though too it seems?

[@bcochnov10]

I purchased a stainless rectangular under mount sink. My only complaint is the crud stays in the corners where the sink goes flat to vertical. I’ve learned to live with it.

[@MTKDofficial]

This is one of the issues with some stainless. I got lucky with mine. It has radius corners, but I didn't check before I bought it.

[@BlazeShorts820]

We're getting a new kitchen in August and we've taken your advice and are getting 1 large sink (with draining board), rather than the 1.5 sink that's common in the UK. I've never seen the metal mesh thing in a sink before your video though - maybe a US/Canada thing?

[@MTKDofficial]

It very well could be. They come standard with most sinks. You can probably find one on amazon that fits, if you were interested in one.

[@BlazeShorts820]

@@MTKDofficial i'll use a plastic bowl to wash any dishes - maybe that's a Brit thing lol?

[@Valkaneer]

You didn't mention the most important reason to go stainless. If a glass falls over or a kid drops a glass a little high your chances of it shattering in a Stainless Steel sink are far lower than any of these other sinks. Ya it may be noisy but you're not buying new glasses and plates nearly as often.

[@kimjohnson5385]

Hi Mark, we are currently remodeling our kitchen and are considering the black stainless one compartment sink, just wandering if you have researched the black coating and if hard water deposits are an issue? Tfs

[@MTKDofficial]

Can’t say for sure on the hard water issue. It can cause havoc but not sure how well black stainless hold up.

[@susanpatton6184]

Have you done a video about pros/cons of top mount or under mount sinks? I would be interested in your thoughts on this topic. TIA

[@MTKDofficial]

No specifically, but if my counter is anything other than laminate, I would go with an under-mount (zero reveal). There is a way to undermount on laminate too, but normally a top mount is the way to go in that situation. Generally a top mount is a little grimier at the ledge.

[@justkidding_kjv]

I love the look of the composite sinks but I have seen reviews of water marks that are left after use. I don't know if I would want to have to clean and dry my sink like that to keep up appearances. I use my sink too much!

[@MTKDofficial]

We had one before and our water was hard. It needed care to keep it looking good.

[@justkidding_kjv]

@@MTKDofficial I have hard water as well. Thanks for your video!

[@theredrover3217]

Hard water is a problem!

[@dharr3447]

Hi Mark, what are your thoughts if you hate your new kitchen remodel? I didn't realize my cabinets would look so cheap and full of fillers

[@MTKDofficial]

That's unfortunate. Those details should have been shown to you before hand, so that you would be aware. It can be difficult after the fact as it would be implied that you "signed off" on the design and material selection. Unless, someone else did this for, in which case, it's still challenging, because it would also be implied that they had authority to make those choices. I wish I could give you a better answer. 🙁

[@elizabethtenney3040]

Just watched a few of your videos. Very helpful. I couple of questions. 1) Doesn't stainless scratch easily? 2) Is it problematic to replace an undermount sink with a drop in sink? (I'm worried about having to drill holes in the countertop for the faucet. 3) I currently have a cast iron/porcelain sink but it seems to "stain" with the rubber feet of the racks that sit in it. (it looks nasty). Any input would be appreciated.

[@MTKDofficial]

Hey Elizabeth. Thanks for watching!! Stainless will scratch. If that is an issue, I'd suggest a composite. It doesn't bother me personally as I expect it to scratch anyways. The only issue with the sink replacement is making sure the drop-in fits the hole. Otherwise it wouldn't be an issue. Those rubber feet are nasty. I suggest a Mr. Clean magic eraser. But preventing it might be difficult. I have them too and they leave a mark on the stainless.

[@MTKDofficial]

Oh, the holes for the faucet might be an issue if you need to drill new ones. It can be done quite easily with the right tools. I'd be nervous of that one as well. I've seen it go wrong.

[@madalyngaldamez6559]

@MTKDofficial - Is Milosen a good brand for kitchen sinks? Same question for Lippert. They are the only two brands that have the dimensions I need for my sink.

[@MTKDofficial]

Hard to say. Milosen are made in China. Lippert in the USA.

[@stephaniemaloney4324]

I like how easy it is to clean stainless, but also like the ease of cleaning an under mount sink. But I don't want an industrial kitchen with stainless countertop. Am I just too picky?

[@MTKDofficial]

Ha. No, you just know what you want. Nothing wrong with that!

[@5610winston]

Depending on your color scheme, you might consider a hammered copper or other decorative metal. I'm using copper undermount with granite countertop. Nothing "too picky" about going with your vision. I had a detail in mind for the facade of my house and stuck to my idea when the architect said the look just wouldn't work. Now the architect has a picture of the window arrangement in his portfolio, and the grey color he said would be "too dark" gleam like the Parthenon in the afternoon sun.

[@mellostation]

I know that this video mainly touches on the different materials in the sink market but what is your opinion on styles like ones with drain boards and workstation sinks? The Galley, Kohler Prolific, etc. I found a pretty reputable company on the houzz forums that make a comparable or arguably even better quality version of these ledge or double ledge sinks but what makes me hesitant about these ledges is that there are so many third party sink accessories that go over regular sinks without ledges perfectly fine. What makes the ledge more special? 🤔 That they serve as a “track” for the accessories to slide left and right? I imagine they may be an unnecessary pain to clean. I‘ve also seen a general consensus that undermount sinks are easier to clean but I find that ONLY if it’s with a well sealed positive or zero reveal otherwise with a negative reveal (countertop lip overhanging the basin) it is a huge pain! 😞

[@MTKDofficial]

Hey great questions! As far as a workstation sink is concerned, I believe you may be right. The track seems like a nuisance to clean. I am deferring to the viewers to help me out on this one. I have had a sink with accessories and they got stuffed away. The Galley looks like a really nice product. But I’ve never personally used one. As for under mount. Totally agree on zero reveal. I think it’s the easiest to care for.

[@theredrover3217]

I can't speak for an undercounter mount other than the gunge factor is not appealing. Always my first thought when seeing, suprised that 'trend' continues. 😏 I have thought having a drainer incorporated brilliant. On the other hand, the person who designed this small kitchen (Mom) didn't even have a dish drainer to put on the counter. EVERY thing went into the dishwasher. 😁

[@Mspianonotes]

Will the white composite sink stain and be hard to clean?

[@MTKDofficial]

My parents have had one for over ten years. Still white as ever

[@mervatshahed2702]

Hi Mark, can you please tell me the best finish for stainless steel ( satin, polished or brushed)

[@MTKDofficial]

I'm not sure if one is necessarily better, but I like a brushed finish because stainless is going to scratch up pretty easily and a brushed finish hides it better. But if you don't mind seeing the scratches, a polished finish is beautiful too. Not much help

[@bethcarroll7436]

What are the pros/cons to a centered drain and offset drain in a farmhouse/apron sink?

[@MTKDofficial]

There are two pros to an offset drain. One is in the sink bowl, the offset drain allows you to handle big items (roaster) without blocking the drain. Second is under the sink. An offset drain allows you to plumb in such a way as to leave ample space for a pullout garbage or other unit. Thanks for the question Beth!

[@dpky7333]

I'm interested in what people's preference would be if price did not matter

[@kirkellis4329]

Apparently, I am in a minority, because I really like the look of apron sinks. Specifically, single large bowl stainless steel with a bowed front. What I don't like is an undermount that leaves countertop hanging over the sides of the bowl and a funky cut at the front that reveals how thin the countertop material actually is, or any reveal that leaves a ledge to collect water and grunge. Nor do I like the lip on top of the countertop that a drop-in sink like yours leaves to collect crumbs and grunge. That leaves ... flush mount, where the entire surround of the sink shows like it was a drop-in but is actually the same height as the countertop so brushing things into the sink has no lip to catch crumbs on. After drop-in, this is also the easiest to prep the countertop since it only requires straight cuts and no edge profiling in solid materials like granite, butcherblock, etc. Ideally, the sink would include a wide stainless edge on the rear like your drop-in sink does for the faucet hole so drilling holes through the countertop itself is not needed. Drilling granite close to an edge would make me nervous. I'd found sinks from Vigo, Kraus, and Kohler that have everything except the rear edge faucet hole area. Do you know of a brand that includes that in a flush mountable sink ? Or is a drop-in style the only type with faucet holes ? On another note, have you done a video on planning a new kitchen around standard sizes for countertop materials, cabinets, appliances, and how that can reduce costs compared to trying to use every available inch and needing custom sizes for all those elements ? Obviously, you would steer a client away from wanting all their cabinets to be some odd width like 19.3 inches, right, because it would mean every cabinet custom made and be more expensive ? What about savings with standard sizes of other elements ? I always try to lay out my future kitchen so there is no corner to waste a cabinet and avoids a seam in the countertop there. I put a break in the "L" to a door outside or to a corner pantry rather than have two counters meet in a corner, because otherwise I am locked into either a seam or custom made countertop choices. Going to a countertop fabricator and paying $100/sf instead of standard size counters for $25/sf makes as much sense as special ordering 2x4s because you want them to arrive already cut to a specific length.

[@MTKDofficial]

Another good aspect of the apron sink is you don't have to worry about that sliver of countertop in the front cracking. I have seen that happen lots unfortunately . I do have content on designing around standard sizes. Rarely do I plan a layout with ultra custom sizes. Even if the units are "custom", there is normally an uncharge to change from standard dimensions. Now, back to my sink. That little lip is a little annoying but its one of the better ones considering I have laminate. Thanks for the comment!

[@johndunn3492]

Thank you for the video. I’ve seen some very attractive looking coloured stainless steel sinks lately, such as black or gold. They look nice, but I fear they may scratch easily since the colour is likely some sort of coating. Does anyone have any thoughts on this?

[@MTKDofficial]

Thanks John! I'll have to look into those for sure. Sounds great, but I wonder too if the coating will hold up over time. A gold sink sounds pretty awesome though. I'd take pure gold though. lol

[@sangheelee9950]

Is there any safety tip when I dumping boiling water into composite sink ? Should I turn cold water tap at the same time when pouring boiling water?Thank you for your help.

[@MTKDofficial]

I think generally, that would help. It might be something to check with the specific manufacturer about. Now, with the one we used to have, we never thought twice about it. It was fine. It was Blanco.

[@sangheelee9950]

I think it will be same with Franke which I just ordered. Thank you very much !

[@daleswartzbeck9854]

Can you talk about the black stainless sink and how well it holds up to scratches?

[@MTKDofficial]

I've never had one, but from my understanding, it is a coating that when scratched will show the stainless underneath. However, how strong could be related to quality of the top coat and application. Sinks take a lot of abuse, so prepare for scratches. Again, I've never had one.

[@TMB62]

We chose an apron front black stainless steel utility sink.

[@MTKDofficial]

oh that sounds really nice. Black stainless is gorgeous.

[@TMB62]

@@MTKDofficial thank you, your videos have really helped us through our whole planning process. We couldn't afford a designer. I found you when we were trying to determine counter top materials but I didn't know what products were available or what to choose. Thank you so very much for all the information. Our kitchen install starts this morning Nov. 8

[@shilvyphilip9882]

Can we fit an inter grated sink with a laminated countertop?

[@MTKDofficial]

Any sink that is top mount will work with laminate, and there is actually a way to do an undermount sink with laminate. However, this takes a very skilled installer who knows what they are doing.

[@avagrego3195]

Black stainless would be nice.

[@MTKDofficial]

Oooh. That sounds really nice!!

[@heebongsaez5619]

I'm planning to buy a big single bowl 25cm depth. Is it too deep for 155cm tall person?

[@MTKDofficial]

Even if it’s under mount, it should be good.

[@mikeramesar6037]

My builder won’t install without an official template, what do I do?

[@MTKDofficial]

Can you get a download from the manufacturer? Or ask the place where you bought it, to get one out of another box. Sometimes they are accommodating. Sounds like he's really trying to cover his butt.

[@mpope8136]

You did talk about staining? And water marks? Etc.

[@MTKDofficial]

Oh! Good ideas for a future video!

[@miakrauss555]

I have a silestone kitchen counter around my sink which is integrated....however; the sink apparently cannot tolerate boiling water poured into it. It has cracks all around the drain...I have asked kitchen installers about sanding it down but no one knows anything (installer out of biz). I will put in a stainless next.

[@MTKDofficial]

The cracks could also be stress cracks caused by over tightening of the drain assembly. I’ve seen this before numerous times and often gets mistaken for boiling water. As far as repair goes, it depends on how deep the cracks go which is pretty hard to tell. That’s a tough one. Sorry there’s no easy answer. Stainless is the way to go I think.

[@miakrauss555]

@@MTKDofficial I do recall them saying something to the effect about the boiling water, but c'mon....a kitchen sink needs to handle pots of boiling water being poured into them. I loved it being integrated, but won't buy it again.....the side that I don't use for boiling water doesn't have that issue btw....the whole bottom looks crackled, n ot just around the drain.

[@MTKDofficial]

Yeah that's an unfortunate occurrence. I wonder how prevalent it is? You are totally right though. It is a sink after all.

[@rickmartinez96]

What about black stainless steel is that durable?🤔

[@MTKDofficial]

That's a great question. I don't have extensive experience with black stainless. I would imagine that it wears similar to regular stainless. But we'd need a second opinion on that one.

[@debbied9997]

My Stainless steel is insulated on the outside, I don't have any clanging banging. I also use a custom wire rack on the bottom of the sink so it keeps dishes out of the murky water underneath. Also, Fuller Brush makes a wonderful stainless steel cleaner.

[@MTKDofficial]

Ooh. Good tip on the cleaner. I have a similar situation. Love me stainless!

[@EdgarAllanJo]

I am disappointed that you did not share the pros and cons related to fireclay sinks, or went into as much details as you did with the other materials because I am very interested in getting one.

[@MTKDofficial]

Shoot! Sorry that I missed some info. Appreciate you letting me know.

[@revk8611]

Hi Mark, first off, how is your family after the hurricane coming through? Second, can you recommend your favourite brands of stainless steel single sinks? Third, when I tear out the corner sink in the next couple of months, I will send you a video of us beating it like a gangster movie scene, before sending it off to be recycled in something far more useful! Blessings! Kate

[@MTKDofficial]

Now that sounds like an exciting video. lol. We're still gathering up trees after the storm, but thankful! There are so many sink companies out there, but the ones I'm most familiar with are Kholer, Kindred, Blanco and American Standard. All make a decent product. Gauge is important as well as whether the sink is welded or molded. A molded sink is generally better and a thicker gauge is better. Hope that helps.

[@revk8611]

@@MTKDofficial Huge help, thank you!

[@mariatitherington6189]

Good video. I wonder if it would be better without the background "music".

[@MTKDofficial]

Thanks Maria. Yeah the background music can be distracting. I've started not using any or keeping it really low. I appreciate the feedback.

[@Angela-uz3sq]

We got a stainless steel sink and it's down right awful. Scratches and discolorations are randomly showing up and rust spots. I have been very careful about what I use on it. Soap is leaving stains that won't come off even with the polish/cleaner that came with it. I looked at reviews of the sink and other people were having the same issue. I would not go with stainless again.

[@MTKDofficial]

Interesting. What brand is it, if you don't mind me asking?

[@Angela-uz3sq]

@@MTKDofficial Kohler brand. I've scrub with baking soda and it helps some. I just feel like it's ridiculously high maintenance. We are currently looking for a different sink. I already miss my almost 60 year old cast iron sink.

[@j.c.linden]

I tried to replace my sink. It is a type you did not mention. At some point, American Standard made a sink that looks like a cast iron one but is actually plastic with a coating on it. This coating stains instantly as well as gets metal marks. I was told by American Standard, they had stopped making this kind as it performed poorly. I looked at big single stainless and cast iron sinks this summer. Here is what I found. Reviews that said their new stainless sinks rusted...more than one brand and model. Their new stainless sink did not drain as the bottom was poorly sloped, more than one brand and model. That their new stainless sink scratched badly and posted photos proved that to be true. Their new stainless sink came with the rim mis-manufactured so it would not lie flat. I can attest to the later. Brought one home, put a straight edge on it and yes the rim bowed up in the center. There was a U channel welded on in this position and pushing did not make it lie flat. Some of these expensive stainless sinks come with a wire grate to "protect the bottom". Why on earth would I want that? I can't imagine anything harder to clean! I have owned stainless sinks in two other homes and they were exactly as you stated. Low maintenance and no hassle. NONE of these problems existed with them. Apparently new stainless sinks have many problems. As for the cast iron sink I found. Reviews warned me that it was NOT the stated size. So we opened a box and measured. Very true. Not only was it shorter and shallower than stated but the corners were very rounded and none of this matched the size of the existing hole in my counter top. In the end, I still have the awful double style, easily stained sink this house came with. The other thing you did not mention was hard water spotting. Anyone with hard water will see white residue immediately on a dark composite sink.

[@MTKDofficial]

Oh I remember those plastic ones. The grid is actually not hard to clean. I have one and it's really no big deal, but everyone is different.

[@jackt6112]

9:49 The first two already add up to more than 100% so how is anyone supposed to use that chart?

[@MTKDofficial]

Think of each one as a score out of 100. Basically a ranking. That should make more sense when looking at charts like this. Thanks!

[@jackt6112]

I'm here deciding on sinks for the kitchen. The lady of the house worked for a while as a house keeper for mansion and despises stainless sinks and any stainless that is not coated with lacquer such as is common on stainless trim. In her words, "They are always a scratched-up mess. They belong in restaurant or a hospital where nobody cares what they look or sound like. I get it if they don't care, and they have a lot of company. I've never heard of anyone caring about whether or not they hold their heat but then I don't know anyone who routinely hand washes dishes. People don't wash dishes piled up in the sink and counter until it gets full or before visitors come over anymore. Instead, they hide the mess in the dishwasher until they have a load, and then push the button before they go to bed. It cleans better, uses less water, less energy, takes no time, doesn't abuse your skin, and provides white noise at bed time." I have have Corian white marble pattern with a 4" backsplash for the vanity. We were told when it was installed that if you have an issue with scratching or surface staining you can wet sand it out. After 4 girls, 2 boys, with one bathroom, and 42 years, it looks like the day we had it installed and we've never had to wet sand or even scrub it with anything. Everything wipes up easily. I don't know what kind of resin that is, but it is pretty hard, not like plain epoxy. Due to the color, to be able to see the scratches, you need to have a bright light and look at it on an angle, but even those scratches don't hold dirt. Even coffee cup rings wipe right up. The only issue at all is mold forming on the mold-resistant silicone calking at the backsplash. Today I tell people "All seams are brown, so use brown silicone for calking everywhere so it will match the mold." The only thing I had to do in the bathroom is replace the vinyl. The kitchen is the same age but not doing as well. The Kohler cast iron bone-colored porcelain sink was fine until rust started appearing from under the stainless hudee ring, so it must have started rusting from the edge. It it has a flat finish now in the bottom like quartz/granite sinks have when new, and does mark pretty easily from cast aluminum pans and skillets but we, actually they, never scrubbed the sink over the past 42 years. They wipe wipe any stuff down the drain with a soapy rag, and put bleach water in it overnight. In the morning it is like new. We never owned any cleansers or things like barkeeper's friend to use on it. We have a 33" cabinet, and I find it pretty difficult to find a cast iron in colored porcelain in hudee ring or under-mount in a size that will fit. I think the reason you don't see more fire clay like you were talking about is they are nearly always farm sinks, not under-mounts, nor do they lend themselves to under-mounting due to their great weight. The leathered Formica has the pattern worn off it on the top in the area where people work the most. If people don't think Formica can take it, keep in mind 4 girls, and a boy who got into cooking as a hobby and lived at home until 30. The girls need to impress and cooking and baking for accolades from friends and future mates. If there wasn't a holiday or function planned at least twice a week they would invent one. A permanent fixture on the kitchen counter is a Kitchen Aid commercial mixer that gets slid around and used on average of twice a week, and a commercial blender which is used at least once a day. Cast iron frying pans, cast aluminum pots, baking dishes, cookie sheets have been dragged across, and chopped on with a knife when they only had a little chopping to do each time the main area between the sink and stove for 42 years, and now I hear about how the countertop pattern is worn off the top of the leathered surface, and how down in the crevices it is hard to get clean in the high traffic area where things have been slid across and chopped on every time they just needed to make a few chops, which adds up to a lot of chops in the same are over 42 years. I'd bet I can clean down into the leathered areas but it needs to be replaced now anyway and I need a new sink. If you came into the house you would might think it was part of the pattern unless you compared it to the backsplash. If you think Formica cannot take heat, soon after it was installed, they had a large pot boiling water for canning and the flame was directed against the countertop for a long time before anyone noticed it. It became dark brown. They scrubbed it and it is barely noticeable if you know where to look and then only at the very edge where the side and top Formica come together. The counter has oak trim around the edge. When installed, the builder said you just need to rub it with tung oil and maybe a little stain once in a while. Once in a while over 42 years has been exactly twice, and it looks as perfect as the day he installed it while the counter is worn out. If I go with granite like I'm thinking, or Corian, or anything other than Formica, I will lose the beautiful wood edging, and I already know that by going with the totally maintenance-free, stain-impervious, chip-free Formica, I'm not giving up anything from a durability and maintenance standpoint. The main reason I'm entertaining granite at this point is looks and it isn't that much more expensive to do than a new counter and Formica. Granite costs are driven my availability, not how good it looks. If you want quartzite, which is rarer than granite and where breakage during fabrication is much more common and is slightly harder, and in Taj Mahal, or Fusion, e.g. exotics, you will pay a lot. If you want something in granite that still looks nice, such as Blue Dunes which can have little blue and more earth tones and many others like it, or a little more for Typhone Bourdeaux, they are also at least as beautiful. Even the wild Black Mosaico (where the lava hit the water before all of the rocks completely melting) isn't that crazy. No matter how much Formica or anything else tries to mimic these, nothing comes close to the depth of natural stone. For Formica and Corian, you will nearly always want a matte or leathered finish to avoid showing scratches. They don't care what I pick for a countertop, as long as it goes good with the wood cabinets they treasure, and still look like new. The kitchen vinyl flooring we were told would wear like iron. You have to walk through the kitchen to come and go and had no expectation that it would look like new after 42 years. There is only one problem with the floor. Sometime back the refrigerator was pulled out with its feet down and it gouged out pieces of the flooring in front of it. Initially, I thought it could just be cut out and replaced with the spare flooring from install. The flooring guy asked what we normally cleaned the floor with, and said, I'll bet it doesn't match anymore. He was correct. Because of what we used, it yellowed the wear layer to where the color is no longer even close. Other than the kitchen and bathroom, the rest of the house is all natural oak wood floors.

[@MTKDofficial]

haha. the dishwasher scenario describes me in about 1/2 hour from now. About the Formica. I had special ordered a high gloss finish for our last home. It held up remarkably!

[@jackt6112]

@@MTKDofficial I'll remember that. Thanks!

[@lahaza6515]

The thing I'm perplexed by is why the new one bowl rectangular sinks even in 14 to 16 gauge are so much more easily scratched than the cheap double bowl type that have been around forever. I'm trying to help a VERY fussy client find a stainless, modern sink that doesn't pool water & doesn't scratch up, but it's impossible! Every review, even on the 600 to 700 dollar ones are just countless complaints about slope & scratching. It's maddening.

[@MTKDofficial]

Good point! I wonder if it has to do with the polish? Got to love fussy clients! lol

[@chantalou604]

Do you have a video about how to figure out the size of siink you need to get for the clearance you have underneath the countertop?

[@MTKDofficial]

Not specifically. I think it would depend on what the plumbing situation is. That's the only thing I can think of that would need clearance and it usually can be adjusted. I've actually never worried about clearance underneath. Not sure if I'm answering the right question though.

[@karennation3580]

Where can I buy a true black stainless sink and not gunmetal? Thats all i can find and when I google back gunmetal is advertised as black! I called Kohler about a granite composite and the rep tried to talk me out of it! LOL. Thats scary! She said they fade and scratch!

[@MTKDofficial]

I wonder if they know the rep is saying that? Though they are not wrong, I had one for 7 years and it does tend to fade and scratch a bit. Without some research, I'm not sure myself on where to find black stainless.

[@jims355]

Cast iron rust around the edges and nothing can be done to fix this once it starts.

[@MTKDofficial]

Yeah that enamel paint certainly isn’t the answer.

[@pinespakingan3752]

how about copper?

[@MTKDofficial]

Copper is a great choice. Ages well and if you prefer the look of copper and its patina over time, it's a good upgrade from stainless.

[@polkprincess2714]

What about copper? 14 gauge

[@MTKDofficial]

Ooh! That would be very good. Copper is becoming very popular and with that gauge you cannot go wrong!

[@maretvilla1531]

Is there such thing as custom built stainless steel sink?

[@MTKDofficial]

Yes there is actually. There is one in Orlando (can't think of the name). All custom made. I'm sure there are a bunch of others around too.

[@leslieellis615]

What about depth?

[@MTKDofficial]

9" is ideal. IMO. Though 8" is good for an under-mount. Too deep and your back will be wrecked.

[@alexprow4779]

What kind of sink do you prefer/have?

[@MTKDofficial]

Currently I have a large stainless single sink. It's 18 gauge. Love it.

[@warwick511]

@@MTKDofficial what Brand of stainless did you buy?

[@user-oq3rc5ef5x]

@@MTKDofficial what size is your sink? what size would you recommend if placing in counter approx. 9ft in length? thank you

[@johnoneill9539]

Asking about cost !not advertising stainless steel ,

[@joepauly2311]

If you don't hand wash your dishes in a bowl full of water you're doing it wrong. Under running water is just rinsing them, they do not get clean.

[@doubledragon9530]

knock out? Why not just use a diamond hole drill the right size? I would never take a punch and hammer to any material with some sort of stone or quartz component. It would be like trying to knock a round hole through a piece of glass.

[@MTKDofficial]

I'm sure these sink companies score these knock outs for consumers who don't have access to diamond bits. But I agree, that is the best route to go.

[@oahukiteboarder808]

Wonderful video but for the music. No need for the annoying music

[@MTKDofficial]

Sorry the music bothered you.

[@Chris-Alia]

Cast iron sinks are NO LONGER made like they were in the past. Example, Kohler cast iron from the 60s-2000s could take a beating, but their sinks today craze and crack within 2 years with THE most gentle of treatment. The enamel is THIN. You aren’t getting your grandma’s sink.

[@MTKDofficial]

I wonder what prompted that change? Cost maybe? It would be interesting to find out.

[@argusfleibeit1165]

FINALLY got my big, deep, single stainless steel sink installed this week. I bought it over two years ago, and then couldn't figure out who to call to install it, then the pandemic hit, and I was afraid to have strangers in the house. Two vaxx and a booster, and I got the guys in and it's DONE!! I'm so happy I could wash a cat! (Don't tell my cat, I want it to be a SURPRIZE!!)

[@MTKDofficial]

Haha! Glad you finally got it in. Make sure you video the cat episode!

[@denisemartin3603]

No one cares about your shot record! Plus Dr Birx just came out and said they are ineffective. She's finally telling the truth. Thank God I got zero experimental shots!!!! Safety first💛💚💜💙

[@robertashton8942]

Mark your videos are always good however, there are too many cuts in between words and sentences that it becomes quite annoying watching you talk. Why do you cut so much? Can you just simply finish a few sentences? How hard can it be?

[@MTKDofficial]

Hey Robert. Thanks for the input. I’m always learning and trying to find the best format and pacing for a video. Are you a KZbinr yourself? Do you have any tips for me on content creation? I’m open to suggestions.

[@nameredacted7541]

Stainless steel sinks are ugly AF.

[@MTKDofficial]

A good ugly though, right?