Replacing the kitchen sink

When we’re open, we home-share with guests. We need to replace our kitchen sink. My husband, the cook, wants another black one.

That means these are our three choices:

  1. Black granite (a granite/epoxy composite)
  2. Black quartz (a quartz/epoxy composite)
  3. Cast iron coated with black ceramic

No stainless steel.

If you have experience with any of the three, what did you like/not like? Brand names would be helpful.

I’m not sure what kind it was (but it was one of the first two), but ours came with the house when we bought it. It really didn’t look black - more of a dull gray - because of the many fine scratches and I could not find anything that worked to get it to look black again.
Eventually, it cracked and leaked. I rejoiced as we replaced it with stainless! (DH would not let me replace it just for looks)

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You could go the other way and get soapstone, which is supposed to get a patina and show age. I think it’s the fruitcake of sinks & counters — you either love it or hate it.

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It seems that the ceramic would be prone to cracks from dropping heavy pots in accidentally, but I’ve not had any of these.

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Inside “Gypsy” (our rental) is a cast iron enameled sink. It lasted since 1954, and was used continuously for some of that time. We are getting it sandblasted and re-enameled now; I think it will cost us -500$ to do. (I will update this next week, when it is re-installed). It had several smallish rust spots, that showed badly. The faucet konked out too, and will be replaced. So our galley will be looking great soon:)

Well,4 days later…it still is not reinstalled and I’m bummed. the guest / we decided to cancel with refund. oh crap. we only have 1 booking in 2022 …:frowning:

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The cast iron would not be coated in a ceramic, but rather a vitreous enamel, like a Dutch oven. Vitreous enamel, also called porcelain enamel, is a material made by fusing powdered glass to a substrate by firing, usually between 750 and 850.

Modern ‘enamel sinks’ are on a steel sink, not cast iron.

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We remodeled our kitchen last year and went with granite. Black ‘marbled’ granite counters with a dark gray granite-epoxy composite sink. Can’t tell you the brand though. Can say that, as a chef, I love the sink…

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Stainless steel double sink from previous kitchen with new terrazzo benchtops. Not your question answered but just my five cents worth.

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I have an extra deep, extra long single heavy stainless sink. I love it. Love, love, love it. It holds the huge baking pans, is sturdy, and easy to clean. I have a friend with a soapstone sink and it’s stunning and she loves it.

The other sinks tend to crack and leak, according to friends who have replaced them after a year or two.

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Why would a cook vote against stainless steel? Aesthetics, or are cooks preferential to ceramic?

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Virgil just doesn’t like stainless. He wants a black sink. The one we’re replacing is black. Since he’s the cook, his preference rules.

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I have never understood the purpose of super deep sinks. Anyone care to explain?

Great for bathing babies and small dogs, keeping fish alive before you slaughter them, as an arena when you buy some lobsters and take the elastic bands off their claws, drowning relatives and generally all the things you initially don’t buy a sink for.

Have I missed any?

JF

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You’re on a roll today, John. :wink:

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Dismembering your murder victims . . .

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No need. I have a wheelbarrow and some thick bushes just around the corner. Which coincidentally is Plan A for any guests who have the temerity to expire while on the premises.

Failing that, Plan B involves my local carnicería…

:hamburger::hamburger::hamburger::hamburger:

JF

The old boarding house song:

“Yesterday the cat died, we all had catnip tea,
Yesterday the landlord died, we all had sausage.”

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Bathing cats. Christmas turkey staging area. Letting huge amounts of dishes pile up and still be out of sight.

Lobster arena. So… you’ve met my family. Name them, put them on the floor, and race them. Winner gets in the pot first.

You just need a friend with a pig farm.

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Is your nick name Sweeney Todd?

No, he’s my barber.

JF

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