Thanks Carrie!

All stainless steel scratches. It doesn't matter how much or how little you pay for a stainless steel sink, or what brand you buy. It will scratch. You can get a sink grid with your sink to prevent scratches. Or you can shrug your shoulders about it, let it scratch, and the scratches after a while blend into a patina. That's what I did. I can't be fussing and worrying about scratches with my kitchen sink that I use many times each day.

Alternatively, get a different material like Blanco Silgranit. People on this forum rave about how easy care it is, no scratches, no water spots, no dull film. Priced about $350-400. Get it from a reputable seller, not the lowest-cost seller. Comes in colors which adds to the appeal.

We like our Ikea Bredskar - it has very square corners and has a nice color to it (warmer SS not the super shiny chrome look) of course all SS will scratch.

Get one that comes with a grid. It does help a lot!

I never thought of a grid!!! Of course!!! Thanks!

tmnca- how do you keep your sinking looking so good??? You must not have hard water? I have the worst hard water here!

Stainless is very easy to refinish. DIY easy.

Yes Joseph but you go to the trouble of refinishing it and a day later there will be a new scratch. Actually the scratch will look worse than if you'd left the sink to patina, because the new scratch will be more glaring on the refinished surface. Plus, how many times you going to refinish it over the life of a sink?

As with most things in life, context is everything and there are always tradeoffs. Folks love their Silegranite sinks and they are nice and difficult to scratch, but if you do, you'll look at a spot where the scratch was removed until the day you replace the sink, at least with the technology that exists today. No fixin' chipped fireclay or cast iron either. Pick yer poison.

I have a Kraus (small kitchen, smaller sink 23 inches) for almost 2 years now, 16g and came with grid. The corners are not a sharp radius, I think they may be .75 Not a pain to keep clean and no scratches. Love it plus it's nice and deep.

Thanks guys!!! I am going with concrete countertops so I am not uptight about perfection, lol. However I am doing an under-mount sink, from my understanding that once installed, they are really hard to replace? I just want to make sure whatever I install will be durable and hopefully last the life of the countertops.

Can anyone mention what to look for when selecting stainless steel? 16 gauge?

Let it scratch, let it scratch, let it scratch.

They will all scratch. It's nothing.

I love my grid, once I got used to it, chasing the errant bits of this and that with the sprayer. I don't use my grid to protect the bottom of the sink from scratches, although it kind of does that. It's so much better as a way to elevate what's sitting in the sink from all the water/drain action going on at the same time. It's also a fab drying rack for large things, e.g., cookie sheets.

Linelle, so you don't have to scrub each square of the grids? I just imagined turning the grid over and finding all sorts of things growing on the bottom. Jancy's grid looks so nice! Our sink was a few years old when we moved in so I never viewed it as "precious".

Kraus also has lines in the bottom leading to the drain. It should slope a little to drain properly. My Kraus came with the grid.....always want a grid! I got the squarish coner one...but they have a more rounded corner..

http://www.faucetdirect.com/kraus-khu100-30-30-undermount-single-bowl-16-gauge-stainless-steel-kitchen-sink/p1755667?source=gg-gba-pla_with_promotion_1755667____40787936723&s_kwcid=AL!3775!3!40787936723!!!g!74310050363!&gclid=CLKR-KGojssCFQMQaQodC8IJKA

http://www.efaucets.com/detail.asp?Product_ID=KBU14&ca=gpsl&CAWELAID=546615658&CAGPSPN=pla&catargetid=330001430002880829&cadevice=c&gclid=CNau-f2njssCFQsPaQodk0YP8A

@kiko Thanks, I like it too - I do clean my grid with a toothbrush! Yes it could and would get gross I'm sure if I didn't but it doesn't take long at all nor do I have to do it daily.

As Linelle said it is much better than having things sit on the bottom of sink. I also clean my sink with Bar keepers friend (the powder and/or the liquid) and a quick spray of SS cleaner.

Mine is 18g. Some folks feel strongly about 16g over 18. I'm perfectly happy with mine, and don't really understand the functional difference.

Because my kitchen is small, I wanted the trash pullout under one side of the sink, so needed the offset drain to allow space for plumbing, and decent sized trash bins on the other side. I also did not want a very deep sink. Here's the overall picture of the sink:

http://www.creategoodsinks.com/collections/one-half-radius-sinks/products/offset-drain-kitchen-sink

This is what I have ordered. Since I live in Cincinnati, we were able to go to the designer of the seamless sink warehouse and see the sinks. Love the concept of seamless drain and the sinks are beautiful.

kiko, yes there's that. I generally fill my sink with hot water until the grid is submerged and let it soak. Then scrub with Ajax, etc. and a nail brush. The underside of the grid definitely needs attention.

A couple of years ago there was a thread about how to best clean a grid. I even tried denture tabs and they were a bust. Best thing was soaking in Lime Away, which cuts the soap scum, scale and just general nasty stuff that can lurk unseen.

Cleaning the intersections of the grids is a thankless, unsatisfying task. I do what I can, then call it a day. I have considered treating myself to a new grid.

When I was shopping, the Blanco Stellar 441024 was the largest sink that would fit in a 30" base. I have been happy with it -- yes, a few scratches after 2 years but surprisingly few, really. The drain is offset to the rear (not into a corner) but that also allowed me to have undersink trash, recycling and compost bins.

"However I am doing an under-mount sink, from my understanding that once installed, they are really hard to replace?"

Not if your sink is installed with a Hercules Universal Sink Harness (Braxton Bragg) or a Sink Strap (Regent Stone Products). Sinks installed with either of these change out in just over an hour.