Undermount Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks

The increased use of solid granite and quartz surfaces has led to the appearance of a multitude of undermount sinks, especially stainless steel. Brushed stainless steel is an excellent material, reasonable and difficult to scratch. There are many makes, makes and models, and the price is greatly influenced by the manufacturer. They come in a variety of shapes ranging from a single large bowl to triple bowls.

Farmhouse or deck sinks are very popular, but they also add significantly to the cost. The most commonly used undermount sink would be a 50/50 sink, each bowl is the same size (typically 14×16 and 8.5-9.5 inches deep). Other sinks would be 60/40, large bowl/small bowl, 70/30, larger bowl/useless bowl, or single bowl. Usually the larger container will be deeper. That means if you are using a 3 cm material, the total drop from the counter to the bottom of the sink would be more than ten inches. There are deeper ones, but I suspect if you have a garbage disposal or a house with normal plumbing, you’d have to spend extra dollars on plumbing to keep the water from flowing uphill.

There are many websites and many stores that sell sinks, the websites are great, but it’s another case of “too good to be true…”. Eighteen gauge is the most common of sinks with the gauge being the thickness of the steel, the lower the number the thicker the metal. A good price for a medium quality 50/50 18 gauge would not be less than $150.00 retail. Name brands demand higher quality but they also demand an increase, honestly if it’s not an issue get the name brand. There are some very cheap brands out there, but I kind of doubt their legitimacy when they sell a 16 gauge for eighty bucks. I have worked for a countertop organization and we would buy in bulk, by the skid, 18 gauge sinks for $85.00 each. So please buyer beware. Make sure if it is a non-commercial brand that they offer a return policy if there are quality issues.

When the sink arrives, be sure to give the inside-of-box cut-out template to your fabricator, this will allow the fabricator to accurately make your undermount cutout. Also another thing to consider is if it is brushed or polished stainless steel, polished scratches are much easier. Do your homework and choose carefully, once the material is cut for that sink, you’re married to it. Good luck and happy hunting.