16 gauge or 18 gauge?
Stainless steel sink gauge is the thickness of the steel sheet, and a lower number means thicker steel. A 16 gauge sink is thicker and heavier, which makes it more resistant to denting. The handcrafted stainless sinks are 16 gauge, including the farmhouse apron sinks and the Handcrafted Workstation 3319, and they weigh from about 21 to 50 pounds. The 18 gauge sinks are lighter, at roughly 12 to 14 pounds, and cover most of the standard single and double bowl shapes. Both are common in home kitchens: 16 gauge is usually chosen for a heavier, more solid feel, and 18 gauge for a lighter sink that is easier to handle and fit.
Single bowl or double bowl
A single bowl sink gives one open basin large enough for sheet pans, stock pots and roasting trays, which is why it is popular in kitchens with a dishwasher. Single bowl stainless sinks range from compact sizes such as the 1210 and 1618, through the 2318 with an 8 inch deep bowl, up to the 18 gauge 3322 and the handcrafted 3219 and 3319.
A double bowl sink splits the basin so one side can soak or hold dishes while the other stays free for rinsing or food prep. The double bowls come in even and offset splits: the 3120 is offered as a 60/40 and as a 40/60, so the larger bowl can sit on either side of the dishwasher, and the 3218 double bowl, for example, is listed with a 9 inch and a 7 inch deep bowl in its 40/60 version and two 9 inch bowls in the 50/50 version.
Farmhouse apron sinks in stainless
A farmhouse sink has an exposed front, the apron, that stands forward of the cabinet face. In stainless steel it keeps the deep, wide basin of a farmhouse sink with a cleaner, more modern look than fireclay. Stone Tile Depot's stainless farmhouse apron sinks are listed as handcrafted 16 gauge sinks, in a single bowl, and in a 50/50 double bowl listed with a curved apron and 10 inch deep basins.
Workstation sinks
MSI lists the 3319 as its Handcrafted Workstation 3319, a 16 gauge single bowl sold with a grid and a strainer. The handcrafted 3219 also comes with a grid and strainer. The grid lifts dishes and pans off the floor of the bowl, which protects the steel from scratches, and the strainer catches food debris at the drain.
Undermount stainless sinks
An undermount sink mounts below the countertop, so the edge of the stone or quartz runs straight into the bowl with no rim on top. Several 18 gauge models are listed as undermount, including the 3218 single and double bowls, the 3018, the 2321 and the compact 1210.
Bowl depth, sound shielding and finish
Bowl depth decides how much splashing a sink holds back and how large a pot fits under the faucet. Stone Tile Depot's stainless sinks run from a 7 inch deep compact bowl to 10 inch deep handcrafted basins, with 8 and 9 inch depths in between. Several models, including the 3118, the 3322 double bowl and the handcrafted 3219, are listed with sound shielding, pads on the underside that dampen the drumming of running water and dishes. The brushed satin finish on most of the 18 gauge sinks softens reflections and makes fine scratches and water spots less noticeable than on mirror-polished steel.
Sinks for stone countertops
An undermount stainless sink shows off the polished edge of a stone slab, and neutral gray steel looks at home beside white marble, black granite or a warm quartzite. Slabs for the countertop are in stone slabs, and the full sink range, including quartz composite sinks, is in kitchen sinks.
