surface is constantly changing.

No, it does not constantly look new. It looks like copper, like every penny ever made. If you can't take the inevitable patina of a penny, then copper's not for you.

If you want a working kitchen, then copper's fine. But if you want a show-piece gallery to impress your shallow friends, forget it (there are a lot of people who ask similar question here who clearly have really shallow friends ;-) ).

It's a sink. It will never be anything but a sink. An expensive sink.

Go to www.rachiele.com and read the excellent background information. Dino Rachiele makes amazing sinks that are worth every penny. But he does want a lot of those pennies.

He also is generous enough to have really useful information on sink design on his website. That'll help you decide whether you want copper, steel, or some other material, and what to look for in a quality sink. It'll also teach you about what makes a sink functional rather than just pretty (although, IMHO I think that most functional sinks are pretty).

You can't go wrong buying from him, and he sometimes has great sales, too. But you might also find cheaper off-the-shelf options from other vendors that fit your needs. Having said that, copper is a more upscale material, so your off-the-shelf choices will be limited. You might find that fully custom is the way to go.

@Jerry Jorgenson often posts pictures of his copper sink. Search for it. I think you might like what you see.

Copper sinks are not for people who want smooth ...shiny..one color ...pristine....sinks.........they are a constantly changing as the tarnish has a life of its own...

Thread from yesterday: https://www.houzz.com/discussions/5797229/do-i-install-a-copper-sink

Loved the durability of our copper sink but disliked the constant color change.

In our new build we have a Blanco Composite sink. Love it.

Our Rachiele copper sink has been great. I like the changing finish because stains and scratches heal after a very short time. It's also great to have all the prep mess in the sink so that the counter stays clean. The sink requires almost no care, just a wipe every so often.

If you love it, and don't mind weekly maintenance, then get it. Here are some DIY home remedies to shine copper. https://www.diynetwork.com/how-to/maintenance-and-repair/cleaning/how-to-clean-copper I found Heinz ketchup to be the the best at cleaning an old ethnic brass tray, due to the high percentage of tomato. The cheaper brands did not work as well,

Much depends on what your definition of "new" is.

I have a copper apron farm sink from Havens Metal and I love it. Rachiel and Haven are pretty much top of the line for copper sinks and their quality is comparable. Haven used to manufacture the Rachiele sinks until a few years ago.

What I am saying about my Havens sink is completely applicable to Jerry's Rachiele LOL.

The sink has a living patina which means it will change constantly as it is used. Any acidic foods will turn it shinier and then it will gradually patina again and turn the color of a well used penny. However, the color will NEVER be uniform. It is always going to be variegated. You either love it (which I do) or it will drive you crazy.

The sinks are delivered with a natural patina - they are not delivered shiny and bright like polished copper. My sink has a natural patina.

There is NO MAINTENANCE or SPECIAL UPKEEP needed. It is certainly easier to maintain than a white sink and probably easier or just as easy as stainless steel. My maintenance consists of using a soft sponge to clean off any obvious gook and that's it.

Avoid ANY sinks that have an artificially brown patina as that is a fake factory finish that will come off with use. Also avoid sinks with hammered bottoms as these would just tend to catch food and other debris - at least in my opinion. In the world of copper sinks, the heavily hammered sinks and the dark brown factory fake patina seem to go together.

Read the suggested maintenance carefully - if the manufacturers "suggests" that you wax and dry after use - avoid, avoid avoid LOL. I literally do nothing to my sink except tip it down with dishwasher detergent. It's a bullet proof finish as all that happens is that parts become shiny and then patina again.

There is a less expensive copper sink that also has natural patinas if you don't want to spring for the very expensive Haven or Rachiele models. I wanted a specific configuration with a left offset drain.

I do have one of the artificial patinaed hammered copper sinks in my guest bathroom. It gets minimal use and so I am not worried about maintaining it or the patina abrading off. It just doesn't get the use of a kitchen sink.

I love my copper sink - it's one of the focal points of my new kitchen and it's also very practical.

The only copper sinks that need maintenance are the cheap kind that have a finish on them. Once the finish is damaged, they look awful. Quality copper sinks like Rachiele never need "maintenance" weekly or otherwise.

If you do get a copper kitchen sink make sure the drain cover is SOLID copper. Almost all of the drains that are sold as "copper" are actually just copper plate. I got my solid copper drain from Havens but I think Rachiele also sells a solid copper drain.

DK Haas - do you own and use a copper sink? We have a wonderful Rachiele copper workstation sink and it certainly does not require "weekly maintenance," so I'm curious to know more about the maintenance you're describing, in case I'm missing something.

I spill all sorts of vinegar-type stuff in our Rachiele copper sink and it doesn't "clean" it. It'll take off the patina for a wee while but why ever would I want to do that?

@DK - Weekly maintenance or ANY maintenance is not needed for a quality copper sink.

I think you are thinking that copper kitchen sinks are supposed to be shiny as you are suggesting ways in which to "shine" metal.

If you want or expect a copper sink to be shiny, then a copper sink is not for you as it is not supposed to be shiny. The "living finish" aka patina is the antithesis of shiny.

To be clear. my post was directed at OP for the purpose of home remedies to maintain a look from a copper sink. Review organic chemistry pertaining to copper (Cu + saltwater solution or acid reactions) to achieve either a shiny copper penny sink. OR a green copper chloride patina, a la Statue of Liberty, as there are ways to achieve that look without waiting for time to "do the inevitable". However, as with any mixed metal, results will differ.

@DK - I think all of us with copper sinks understand the chemistry of how to polish copper so it is shiny.

However no one in his or her right mind should get a copper sink if they expect it to be shiny so posting instructions on "weekly maintenance" makes no sense if the objective of "weekly maintenance" is to have a shiny copper like a new penny sink.

As those of us with actual copper sinks have posted, get a copper sink because one embraces the aesthete of a living finish - ie. a patina. If one selects wisely in terms of the copper sink, it is virtually maintenance free except for wiping down with a soft sponge and dishwasher liquid like Dawn to remove obvious gook. There is no need for a whitener such as white sinks require (e.g. Ajax, Bartenders Friend, Bon Ami and the like) and it certainly is as maintenance free as a stainless sink.

I have no experience with other types of sinks. However if one embraces the look of a copper sink completely with living finish, there is no need to worry about maintenance because it is truly maintenance free as a material.

I have had mine for 18 years....my usual care is to go over it with a green scrubby and dish soap ... whenever there gets a little build up of the sort of darkish “film ?”....

btydrvn -- That's way more than I do :-)

IMO fantasy brown counters should be the star and as the copper ages it might not look that pretty with the counter I would just stick with stainless and let the counters shine.

But the copper tends to look better as it ages.

If you love a living finish then a copper sink would work beautifully with your counters.

DK Haas - you don't have a copper sink, do you. Yep, most of us are able to google the science of copper, tvm, and the effects of different chemicals on it. I have a Rachiele copper sink, I finished a shiny copper sheet with my own patina to make a backsplash and it's great.

Both copper and stainless make great materials for sinks. I spent a good while agonizing over which of these two materials to choose. Fortunately for me, Dino Rachiele makes his gorgeous sinks from both materials. And eventually I decided on stainless in a pre-aged "antique" finish. Very happy with it, as it works better for the rest of material choices in our kitchen. But I would have loved a copper sink, if it was an appropriate fit.

Jerry...Are you saying you never wash your sink?

btydrvn -- I wipe it down occasionally to remove any stuck food particles, but there's not much need to do anything else other than a rinse after use. It's truly about as maintenance-free as you can get.

Jerry..our sink was totally hand made..( hand hammered sheet of copper …over an open fire..cut and welded into a sink shape vessel…pretty big and deep…with a lip that slides under countertop…the metal is quite thin…but…it has lasted over twenty years and still going!…and i am sort of loving the imperfections…since they are inescapable in any case🤷🏼‍♀️…but…i do get in the patina a sort of black coloration in spots that i think is ugly..ergo the occasional soap and scrubby step)

The rest of our kitchen was constructed with antiques for cabinets so this fits right in

Does anyone know if the manufacturer’s lacquer coating on the sink makes a significant difference?

Don't buy any cheap lacquered sinks. They look pretty on day one and will all fail in due course. aaPay a little more and a properly made sink.

^^Agree with @M. Or, @mary_plantation should choose a different material from copper since it it does not make sense to disguise copper's intrinsic nature.

The Statue of Liberty started out shiny too.

mary_plantation -- Lacquered sinks are generally bad news because the lacquer always chips and looks unsightly. Also plain copper is better at hiding stains and scratches and much easier to clean. A plus of plain copper is the anti-virus and bacteria ability. They can't survive more than four hours on copper.