Has anyone gone with a 'No Name' sink?

16 years ago

I'm looking for 32" Undermount Stainless Steel sinks for a Kitchen remodel.

There's a few posts here and there from people asking about various "No Name" sink brands, and I've read the info on gauges/finishes/material/etc., but I'm curious if anybody around here has actually decided to go with the "No Name" sink.

All of the suppliers I've talked to so far recommend the name brands (Blanco, Elkay, and others more expensive). I've also gotten info for Dayton sinks, which supposedly are made by/for Elkay).

My granite countertop guys offer a "Free" sink, which comes from "Global Builder's Supply" (www.globalbuildersupply.com/stainless_steel_sinks.htm). I've found a few other stainless steel places on the web (Example, CBSinks.com) and a couple of people here have recommended Ticor sinks from Galaxy Tool Supply.

I'm tempted to go with the Ticor from Galaxy Tool, since they have some kind of reputation, and you get a bunch of accessories for free. On the other hand, I've found Blanco sinks that fit in my budget, so maybe I should go with something I can look at and feel and touch, and that has a good reputation.

Frankly, it's hard for me to tell the good ones from the cheap ones when I'm looking at them in person. I don't want to get stuck with something I will hate forever, I'd like to save some $$$ if I can.

Does anybody have any thoughts?

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Comments (6)

alku05
16 years ago
I bit the bullet and got the Ticor sinks, and wow, was I glad I did! I couldn't be more pleased with them.
juliet3
16 years ago
I'm not sure if you saw the thread I am linking below. It goes over some differences among sinks that may help you in making your sink decision. It isn't always so much the name, but also the size you need (as big as your cabinetry can squeeze in IMHO), the finish you prefer, the configuration (single bowl or double bowl, rectangular or D-shape). So when your countertop guy is offering you a "free sink", does it have what you want in the way of shape, appearance, size, etc.? I think you should look at those things, before just choosing a sink cause of price or cause of name. If you are undermounting your sink, you will NOT be able to switch it out later if you aren't happy with it. I would also look at the dollar differences you are considering. If one sink is say, $100-150 more than another, but has everything you want, that amount is quite small in the scope of a kitchen re-do, even though I know you are trying to save wherever possible.

Here is a link that might be useful: Thread about SS Sink Differences
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pecanpie
16 years ago
I have a Franke prep sink (17"x13", +/-) and a fabulous double-bowl no-name (Amerisink) cleanup sink that is about 39" wide. It is a beast.

As long as the sink is at least 18 gauge, and has soundproofing applied (or you're up to doing it), I can't imagine why you'd want to spend extra $$ for a name.

The only exception would be the finish. Both our sinks have brushed finishes, which hide scratches. ANY sink with a mirror finish will look bad for quite a while until the scratches blend in.
borealisblue
16 years ago
I chose the free sink that was offered with my quartz countertop. The brand name is Artisan, an unfamiliar brand. I checked the sink brand and style out as well as I could on the Internet. I liked the shape and size of the sink and the brushed finish. I emailed the manufacturer who very quickly responded and told me that what I was seeing on the Internet was 16 gauge whereas the free sink was 18 gauge. That was fine with me since I had lived for 27 years with a builder's grade sink. I was able to purchase grids from the countertop dealer through my kitchen designer. We are extremely happy with this sink.
pugger
16 years ago
Lots of countertop folks giving free undermount sinks w/ countertop installs. They look like good quality ss so far, if you like the size/shape/material that's what is most important to us.
msloane794
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks for the feedback, folks. After reading on-line, and consulting a plumber, it seems that most of the "no name" sinks are acceptable. On the down side, if for some reason I ended up with a "lemon" of a sink that I didn't like, you can't easily change it out, since this will be an undermount sink. I got scared, when my counter top guy mentioned that he gets his sinks REALLY cheap, that it doesn't impact his costs much at all.

I decided to go ahead with a Blanco sink, since I found that they can be purchased on-line for a very reasonable price (like half of what the distributors around here charge), and besides, my wife likes the finish of it better. My plumber made the remark that "you can't go wrong" by choosing a Blanco, and he said he wouldn't say that about every brand of sink. Maybe I'm wasting a bit of $$$, but I know I would regret not spending the $$$ if I ended up with a lemon sink. That's just me.