Contrary to its name, stainless steel will stain. Have you ever heard the saying about stainless steel sinks that goes: “It’s not stainless. It just stains less.” The bright side is that the stains can be scrubbed out. Gauge numbers in this guide (18-gauge, 22-gauges, etc.) refer to the thickness of the steel. Lower numbers mean thicker steel. You’ll find a few 16-gauge steel sinks (though this number is increasing as more people get on the stainless steel bandwagon). Sinks made of 18- and 20-gauge steel abound. Stainless sinks made with thicker gauge steel are the better choice for your home remodel. Self-rimming sinks drop in from the top, while under-mount sinks attach from the bottom. Blanco America simply tweaked its 18-gauge under-mount sink to give it a more free-flowing, relaxed shape. It’s a 10-inch deep, 30-inch wide, 19-inch deep sink. It also includes a satin polish finish. These “feeding troughs” are actually double-basined, 34-inch x 20-inch in 16-gauge steel. The one you’re looking at will separate you from about $2,000 of your hard-earned cash. Sixteen-gauge steel is the thickest Moen offers. The 1600 Series is made of 16-gauge steel, while the 1800 Series is made of 18-gauge steel. For a budget kitchen remodel or vacation property, you can’t go wrong with this one. This stainless steel sink has, as Kohler says on its site, “Eight-degree angles on the front and back surfaces give you more space at the bottom of the bowl while reducing splashing.” Now, doesn’t that make sense? This high-end sink is made of thicker 16-gauge steel. But the Kohler Strive is an apron sink and it is thicker 16-gauge stainless steel. For corners, these double-bowl sinks have a unique triangular shape to help them fit. The great thing is that they help you use a mostly unusable space. The downside is that the basins tend to be rather small. This sink is better for wet bars or RVs than for fully functioning kitchens. This is Teka’s double bowl stainless steel kitchen sink. The entire unit is about 32 inches wide, with a bowl depth of seven inches. It’s constructed of 18-gauge stainless steel. This is a stainless steel kitchen sink with two bowls found in the drop-in style. An interesting note about Oliveri: It is Australian, not Italian, and have been in the business of making sinks since 1948.
