Would you mind elaborating as to why? Do you have this sink now?

I have the 30" white Kohler Whitehaven. I do like it a lot. I've had it for about a year, it does have one scratch or perhaps it was more of a crack(?) in it. It happened not long after I got it and I've never understood how, because its a spot on the back that's always been covered with a rubber sponge caddy. It might actually have been a defect and Kohler actually did sent me a replacement sink for it. Yep, I have a whole other sink sitting in our barn! I will switch it out at some point but not in any hurry as it will be a pain and that scratch is covered, it might just wait until our faucet gives out as long as I have no other damage. I use a rack on the bottom and have no other obvious scratches or dings. I do baby it as much as I can but I have a husband and kids, so....you know. I chose the Whitehaven because I figured replacing it would be about impossible (of course I imagined some distant time in the future when I might not be able to find the same model) and figured if it got scratched it would still be a usable sink (being cast iron) versus if a fireclay sink actually cracks that's it, it's done. That was my reasoning before I ended up with a spare sink! So there's that - good warranty.

I think drain placement matters in a single bowl sink. I can have a few dishes sitting on the side and not have it blocked. If you have a rack it will still drain but I still like keeping a clear drain. If I'm pouring out coffee or tomato sauce I try to aim for the drain and not to cover the bottom of my white sink with it! I don't want stains. If my dishwasher is full and I don't have time to empty it and know dishes will collect up for a bit I have a small washtub that I can put in the sink to collect them and then I still have the whole right side of the sink with the drain open to wash my hands/food use disposal that isn't blocked by the tub.

As for your workstation sink, all that stuff looks like it makes the sink unusable as an actual sink to me! I can't imagine actually using any of that.

Thank you SO MUCH for your insight @Forever Now. It is very helpful. So, w/ the drain placement, I'm guessing it's off to the side? and that's a great idea about just keeping a small washtub in the sink. Stupid I didn't think of that! LOL. I didn't know if a fire clay sink did end up getting a crack, it would not be useable after. Thanks, again!

I have owned 2 Shaw sinks and have loved them (2 different homes). I do have a protective grid at the bottom to help protect the bottom of the sink. I've had no issues with either one.

Yep, drain on the right. The tub works good, I don't need it that often but when I do its perfect because it can be full and if I need the whole sink I just pull out the tub and "voila" clear sink. You'd be surprised how much room these sinks have and mine is only 30"!

As for the fireclay being unusable, that probably depends. I'm sure they can get chips and scratches and be ok. Its clay though, it COULD break, cast iron won't. It might be a tougher surface than porcelain, I'm not sure. I was thinking more in terms of catastrophic failure not scratches. Apron front sinks are not going to be an easy trade out if there is a problem and I didn't want to be in a situation where it HAD to be replaced because my husband custom built the cabinets so just trading out a cabinet wasn't going to be an easy option either.

There is no perfect solution, just choose based on what's most important to you.

Thanks for the reply @Forever Now.. and I think your last sentence hit the nail on the head. I'm getting to crazy about trying to find the "perfect" sink. lol

I replace worn cast iron sinks regularly.

Its nice to see some other sink material options! Though that's missing the look of the nice deep apron that I really liked.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC I'm curious, what does it take to replace an apron front sink with a different apron front sink? To me it looks like many of these apron fronts even of the same size have different footprints. So it seems to me (and I'm no expert so I'm aware I could be wrong) you are having to deal with at best, cutting the new shape out of the countertop and cabinet or at worse having to replace those two things in whole or in part. While I've no doubt for a pro like you its entirely doable it seems like it would be expensive and definitely not a DIY job. My reasoning, and this is entirely for my situation, has a lot to do lean years and unexpected job losses. I'm in a secure time in my life but I never take that for granted or assume that I'd be able to absorb an expensive sink trade out in the future. I hope I will be able to if it comes to it, but of the two choices I had at the time cast iron seemed safer (as in it may be ugly but at least it doesn't leak) while still giving me the look I wanted. I would have seriously considered that Elkay sink if it had been available though, however I don't think it would have fit, I didn't have room for a 36" cabinet. I remember wishing they'd had those granite sinks in a white apron, but at least at the time that wasn't an option either.

OP, there is definitely a mix of what is entirely practical and what you just want (consequences-be-damned) that goes on in re-doing a kitchen that is for sure! Though anytime you can find something tough that matches pretty close to what you want its definitely worth an extra expense, IMO. If not you weigh the risk of something not working out with how bad you really want it and then - decide. You live with every decision you make, but I've found that even the decisions that don't turn out like you wanted still tend to be better than what you get from a kitchen you inherited from a previous owner.

I have a Whitehaus fireclay apron front. LOVE IT! I, too, have a stainless grid on the bottom.

http://whitehauscollection.com/product-category/kitchen/sinks/sink-style/fireclay/

We have the sinkology bradstreet II fireclay sink 30" and love it! I'll never go back to anything else. It's super durable. We have a grid on the bottom also, super easy to clean. The expensive whitehaven is idolized on here but it wasn't an option for me, hate the off center drain and the bulky look of it.

Forever Now:

We switched out this copper for the Kohler in two hours this morning. I asked the customer if he'd like to save 30% on his job by not having me cut the rear reveal to match the sides. He took the savings. That's a 6' x 9' seamless quartzite island so I didn't mind the lowered risk. New faucet, disposal, disposal button, and soap dispenser.

He had that sink a year and hated it after the first week.

This is the third time I've switched an apron sink for an apron sink; another copper dumper and a cast iron bit the dust. Disconnect the plumbing and any mechanical fasteners, break the silicone seal, and beat it out the front.

Nice! I could imagine hating a copper sink for anything but a photo! LOL

What did you decide? I'm here searching almost the exact same question!