Let's talk about counter tops and sinks.

[DisneyPhD]

I need some ideas and opinions.

We are starting a kitchen remodel in the next few weeks. We have ordered Corian counter tops with the seamless double sink (both bowls same size.)

I am 2nd guessing this choice. Since the counters aren't ordered until the cabinets come in we can change it at any time before then. (about a month.)

Our other options is a kind of man made granite (Silestone, quartz) that has microdrem antibacterial in it. It cost about $10 more a SF, but the sink would a lot less so it would even over all. The seamless sink alone is 650. Rather a steep expense for us. I want it though, but I don't know how good of an idea it is.

What do you guys think? Corian or granitite? Double sink or big single one? Right now we have a stainless steal big single one. I don't love it, but it is nice to put a lot in. I am worried a double one will be too small.

Any words of wisdom????

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[kors]

I have Corian, and I don't care for it. It scratches really easy. I also had it "burn" very easy, and a rust stain that won't come out. Just my opinion though.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I have Corian, and I don't care for it. It scratches really easy. I also had it "burn" very easy, and a rust stain that won't come out. Just my opinion though.

Well that is what I am looking for. My DH's coworker has some story from 10 years ago about someone who didn't like it, but we always take what this women says with a grain of salt so to speak. How long ago did you get yours? What color is it (light or dark?) I want blue.

 

[DawnCt1]

I am probably the last one to weigh in here because we are overdue for our kitchen. I still have stainless steel and formica. I do have a double sink however and I prefer that because you can have dishes, etc in one sink and still have the garbage disposal functioning to rinse,etc in the other. Now if you had a smaller 2nd sink just for the disposal that might be okay but I am happy with the double sinks of equal size. With regard to Corian. I like the look but my neighbor's cracked. It could have been defective but she has told me that it isn't foolproof. It still scratches.

 

[diznygirl]

Corian can scratch or burn/granite can stain or discolor. I think the only safe thing is tile, but I hated the grout.

I'd do anything for an undermount sink tho.

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I have granite and love it! I also have an under-mount stainless sink that has one smaller side, where the disposal is, and one larger, deeper side.

As far as the sink goes, the deeper it is, the more likely I am to put off loading the dishwasher. This one keeps me on my toes.

 

[janette]

I've had silestone for a couple of months. I really like it. One of my sister's recently put in Corian and mentioned that she thought I'd like mine better because hers does scratch. Says she has to be careful and always remember to use a cutting board even for quick cuts.

My girls were working with clay the other day and it came right off, same with the red koolaid they made icees with.

I got a double sink, one small one large. The small sink has the disposal, my DD says that I should have put it in the big one but not sure.

eta: My sister really likes her seamless sink, you can only get that with Corian.

 

[DisneyPhD]

I've had silestone for a couple of months. I really like it. One of my sister's recently put in Corian and mentioned that she thought I'd like mine better because hers does scratch. Says she has to be careful and always remember to use a cutting board even for quick cuts.

My girls were working with clay the other day and it came right off, same with the red koolaid they made icees with.

I got a double sink, one small one large. The small sink has the disposal, my DD says that I should have put it in the big one but not sure.

Thanks for the input (and everyone else too.)

I am leaning towards the silestone right now. The sink will be undermount no mater what. Just not sure what kind. The seamless Corian one is really nice, but so far that really seems to be the only benefit (and it is really deep I like that.) I just love it being all one piece. I worry about it staining or having to be careful with it. I am not easy on my kicthen.

I just can't decided on the sink bowl. I am not sure how much I will like the disposal only on one side. What if you get gunk on the other side? Do people with doubles use one side to put dishes to dry and one to do the dishes? My Dh wants to get the drying one (not in dishwasher) off the counter. That Doesn't bug me though.

I am not thrilled with a Stainless steal sink. I don't want to one that will chip though. There was a black on that looked nice, I forget what it was made of. All under mount.

We picked out a faucet with a handle that comes off and extends. Do people like that or should I just stick to normal? It also has a normal spray options, and kind of a shower head spray option.

At least my dishwasher will be built in and quiet now. (don't get me started on what is best for those........)

 

[Am_I_There_Yet]

I am not thrilled with a Stainless steal sink. I don't want to one that will chip though. There was a black on that looked nice, I forget what it was made of. All under mount.

If it's shiny, it's probably cast-iron. I used to own a plumbing company and begged my ex for a navy blue cast-iron sink.

He finally caved in, and I loved it until it got water spots on it. I actually had to use car wax on it! I know you're not wanting to go with stainless, but with that, I clean it and rub it down with lemon oil and it looks brand new (a trick my firefighter husband taught me!).

 

[Feralpeg]

I have the faucet that pulls out to be a sprayer with two different types of sprays. I really like it.

 

[denisem]

I'm a nut about sinks! DH & I both like to cook, so we've found a happy medium with large/small basin sinks, as deep as we can get 'em. The smaller basin w/disposal is for rinsing/disposing, and the larger is used to soak...well, whatever oversized utensil that needs soakin' before the dishwasher (grill top, griddle, rotissierre, oval crockpot, etc.)

As far as not having a disposal for junk on the big basin side, we use one of those fine mesh strainer things and throw it on the smaller side.

We also installed the removable sprayer faucet and LOVE IT! Without having a seperate sprayer it allowed for the knock-outs to be used for a water filter and dish soap dispenser.

Can't help you with sink surfaces: I equally dislike SS, porcelain and another Corian-type knock-off I had.

 

[LadyZolt]

We got Hi-Macs, which is less expensive than Corian but is still solid surface and allows for the seamless sink, which we already forget how we lived without. Crumbs on the counter that used to get stuck under the lip of the sink making me take a toothpick to it are now brushed right into the sink.

Hi-Macs will burn if you put a really hot pan on it (over 200 degrees or something like that), or a lit cigarette, but if you scratch it, you just buff it out. That's one of the benefits of solid surface. I never had Corian, but if it's solid surface, I don't see why you can't get a piece of fine sandpaper and buff out any scratches.

Hi-Macs is easy to care for, doesn't require sealing, and doesn't stain like some other materials (you should, of course, clean up spills like wine or grape juice right away, but using bleach and/or a standard kitchen cleaner will fix it).

There are so many options today -- formica, Corian, Hi-Macs, etc.; granite, concrete, marble, tile -- research it a bit more and decide exactly what you want. I think every material has its pro's and cons, so your better off looking at everything and then choosing the one that best fits what you're looking for. I wish you the best!

-Dorothy (LadyZolt)

 

[diznygirl]

I just can't decided on the sink bowl. I am not sure how much I will like the disposal only on one side. What if you get gunk on the other side? Do people with doubles use one side to put dishes to dry and one to do the dishes? My Dh wants to get the drying one (not in dishwasher) off the counter. That Doesn't bug me though.

Sounds like you are talking about washing dishes - who does that?

We rinse on the disposal side and put the dishes on the other side. When that side fills up, they get put in the dishwasher. So, no gunk on that side.

Hope that helps.

 

[PlutoPony]

We've had Corian and now granite, and I prefer granite because it's just more durable IMO. It doesn't scratch like Corian can and more importantly it can withstand heat so well, features that have come in handy as DS is doing more in the kitchen now (and learning as he goes ).

For sinks, I can't say enough good about Silgranite sinks by Blanco!!! They're made of ground up granite, so are very hard (and heavy to install), non-porous and scratch resistant (unlike SS) and can take heat - I can put a pot directly into the sink from the stove. I've had mine for a year and a half and still love it . When we did ours, price was a little less than a good Blanco SS sink. Here's the link http://www.blancoamerica.com/index.html?p=KITCHEN_SINKS We have the Anthracite and it's gorgeous - there are light, kind of irridescent flecks in the material so it's not a dark black at all, looks very rich.... BTW, many of the newer double sinks are much deeper than older ones - my double Silgranite takes a pot much easier than my last sink, and with a pull out sprayer on the faucet I find clean up much easier!
Good luck!

 

[lowie]

i have ceramic tile, it was very inexpensive to do and i was able to install it myself, but the grout is a nightmare. if i could do it all over again i'd certainly have granite with a 70/30 stainless undermount sink. well, then i'd need stainless appliances too!
right now my sink is a 60/40 split but the larger side needs to be a touch bigger, but i don't like the 80/20 splits. i also like the disposal in the larger side.
for a faucet i want one of those tall gooseneck/pulldown/sprayer types and add a soap dispenser and an instant hot water.
of course this is all a distant dream for me!
enjoy your new kitchen!!

 

[TimeforMe]

Hmmm, I guess I'll be in the minority here, but we have corian countertops and sinks and I LOVE them. They look gorgeous without being overly "formal" like granite. They do get scratches from time to time but are very easily polished out. We have a speckled pattern and the scratches are not very visible anyway. I have a garbage disposal on one side (the smaller) and it works out perfectly. It is very rare, however, that I have dishes in my sink at all. I love the look of no seams and it makes cleaning the counter so easy. I do not put hot pots on the counter but do pour hot water in the sink and at times have put the pot in the sink without a problem.

I also have the faucet that comes off and sprays and honestly....I don't know how I ever lived without it. When I'm at work I find myself trying to detach the faucet all the time.

Good luck in your decision.

 

[Galahad]

Silestone here! Love them! They Don't stain. Don't need sealing. Don't react to heat! Perfect!

 

[allison443]

We remodeled our kitchen two years ago-we put in Silestone-it is absolutely great!! No sealing, it doesn't stain, doesn't scratch, my husband sometimes cuts things directly on the counter without a cutting board and it doesn't scratch. Other similar brands of quartz are Cambria and Zodiaq. They have different colors and patterns and maybe the prices are different?

As for sinks we got an undermount stainless which is large and deep. It is large enough to lay my cookie sheets, roasting pans flat in the bottom, which I wanted.

I have a single sink because disposals are not allowed here. I have never had a garbage disposal in my life (NYC does not allow them either). I saw some people like a double sink for washing dishes. I have a dishwasher so I don't wash dishes. I do scrub pans, pots, etc, then I just dry them on a dishtowel next to the sink, or dry them and put them away.

Also, the removable sprayer faucet is great. Makes things a lot easier, even scrubbing the sink.

Good luck!!

 

[Miss Jasmine]

I am in the middle of a kitchen remodel. My new wonderful beautiful cabinets are in, and now I am waiting for our countertops and sink. We are getting Cambria (quartz countertops) http://www.cambriausa.com/ Welshpool Black and a Silgranit undermount sink http://www.blancoamerica.com/_Sinks/511-706.htm?tmp=sink in the anthracite. Also, my kitchen faucet is this in Brillance Stainless http://www.deltafaucet.com/wps/port...=Kitchen&PC_7_C_9RO_collection=Allora#7_C_9RO

 

[mom2rb]

I have a dark granite and I love it. My best friend has a lighter granite and hers does stain, but she said that the stains eventually work their way out. I have a double, stainless steel sink. Both sides are equal but they are deep and big enough to soak a 9 x 13 pan. I have the removable sprayer and I love it.