All stainless steel sinks scratch easily. I meant to say, "all stainless steel sinks acquire a patina with use that is part of their charm". :)

Stainless sinks scratch easily, but are easily refinished. Buy a grate for the bottom and you'll be fine.

Agree with the others. All stainless steel sinks scratch, regardless of how much you spent or what brand it is. You can get a sink grid, which will reduce the scratches, but you will still get some scratches even with the grid. And the grid is one more thing to clean. Many people love sink grids, many don't, so it's an individual preference. Or, as mentioned, eventually all the scratches blend into a patina of scratches and you don't see them. I can attest to that. The first few scratches are the hardest, after that you don't care.

Elkay a good company, headquartered in Illinois.

If you think the scratches will really bother you, look into other sink materials like enameled cast iron by Kohler, or Silgranit by Blanco.

I have an Elkay Crosstown sink. I have not noticed it scratches any more than my old stainless sink. Mine came in a brushed finish, not a super shiny finish, and I'm sure this helps. I cook a lot in addition to home reno projects, and this sink gets a lot of use. My primary complaint about the sink is the shallow slope for draining; it should have been slightly greater.