There are many here who love their zero radius sinks.

I did love ours for the first several years but have not been so thrilled for the last couple. More recently they have been requiring more attention than any sink I've had in the past. The corners and seams along the sides and bottom get some build up if not brushed often. It's not a big deal but I feel as though there are so many cleaning tasks to tend to in the kitchen that even minor inconveniences can add up.

I thought there would be an advantage in functionality by maximizing the volume with the squared corners and straight sides but it really hasn't made any difference for me. I think I would have been better off with sinks with slightly rounded corners--close to being zero radius but not quite.

The only advantage my 2 zero radius sinks give me is that I really like them aesthetically. I like corners and angles more than curves. But if I had it to do over again, I would get sinks with more forgiving corners and sides. We don't have a housecleaner and I'm the one who gets stuck with cleaning out the sinks no matter who uses them. I try to use chemicals, including Bar Keepers Friend, as little as possible. I usually use a brush and hot water to clean the sink. Perhaps chemicals would put a coating in the corners and there would be less build up. I think the sinks came with a coating that wore off over the years which is why I'm finding they are higher maintenance now than they were at first. Our sinks are stainless steel.

We've had our sinks for 5 years and they get used heavily since dh and I are both work from home and are here most of the time. We also don't have a garbage disposal so more gunk tends to accumulate in our sinks than in sinks with gd's. And the sinks drain more slowly as the strainer catches debris--a slower draining sink tends to leave more stuff behind. The sinks have fairly flat bottoms which also adds to the tendency for some sludge getting left behind.

I completely loved our sinks for the first 2-3 years and I gave the same response back then that beekeepers wife just gave--that the sinks were great and I had no problems with the corners. I used to give very glowing praise. But it's been over the last couple of years, after lots of heavy use, that I've become less enamored.

fwiw, the frequent build up of crud in the corners of my sinks as they have gotten older is tangible, not just a claim. I'm sure there are zero radius sinks that don't give their owners any problems at all. But that just isn't my experience.

a low cost steamer will remove gunk very well in sink corners without any hard work. fwiw. I have a steamer.

Leel,

I had considered zero radius sinks until I talked with my housecleaner. She did not recommend them for the reasons mentioned above.

Zelmar-what kind of sinks do you have? Stainless? Granite?

It seems there is either zero radius sinks or the really rounded ones - very little in-between. Is that the case? We would like a modern rectangular sink to go with our kitchen style but are weary of the cleaning issues so many have expressed.

I purchased an almost zero radius sink. I read someone's comment that it would be easier to clean than a zero radius. It hasn't been installed yet, but I'm hoping cleaning won't be an issue. Here's a pic:

http://www.expressdecor.com/product_info.php/products_id/1292

motherof3

Oh, I just wanted to add that I would have bought a rounded corner sink, but couldn't find a 10" deep one with the drain in the back. I am hoping that it will make cleaning large roasting pans and cookie sheets easier.

davidro1---that's a good suggestion.

I should mention that I don't find cleaning the corners "hard". I would just prefer not to have to do it, much like many people would like to not have fingerprints to wipe off of fridges. It's not hard, just one more thing on a long list. Some people find them no extra work and some people don't mind the extra care because they love the sink so much.

breezygirl, with have 2 BlancoPrecision stainless steel sinks--one large (or extra large) and one medium.

We've been using our Julien 0-radius sink for 3 years now, no issues with cleaning. When I rinse out the sink, I try to direct the spray into each of the corners (sometimes I do, sometimes I don't) to cut down on anything sitting there for long. When I clean the sink with a sponge, I try to remember to smoosh it into each corner, squish-squish, rinse, and done. Once in a great while (maybe a few times a yr?) I'll spray some SS cleaner spray on a cotton swab and jab it into the corners in case there's any build-up and there rarely if ever is, and its the slightest of schmutz when there is anything.

Jabelone - in answer to your question, yes, you can find sinks that are not Zero radius, but still have a small radius so that you get the modern square look, but with just a slight roundness to eliminate the cleaning issue; look for anywhere from 5 mm to 25 mm corners--still a pretty square corner, just not zero. Here are a few:

Kraus 16-gauge sink with 19 mm corners

Gorgeous Ticor Apron Front Stainless Steel 16-gauge sink - they use the term "tight radius"

Elkay Avado 16-gauge 15 mm radius corners (they make several, look for the letters EFRU in model number)

Elkay Gourmet Elumina sink with more rounded corners of 57 mm, and with corner drain

Thanks akchicago. I just discovered your reply (two weeks later). I still haven't bought the sink yet though, so checking those ones out.

higher cost

We ended up buying a "tight radius" Ticor from Galaxy. It has the look of a square zero radius sink but is still curved in the corners enough to not gather grime. Perfect compromise of style and function for us and the price was great too (and it included the grids and cool luxury basket strainer).

Jabelone,
can you post the model number of the sink you got?