" I have read that you can use a 48" sink model from both brands in a 48" cabinet. Has that worked for anyone else?"

A 48" sink undermounts into a 48" cabinet as long as you strap, not clip or block, your sink in place.

"I have read that some people wish that they had stayed with the normal finishes vs getting the millennia or the micro hammered models for how they look after time and for cleaning purposes?"

Dino Rachiele won't sell you a sink that you're going to not like the finish.

"What is luxe stainless?"

I don't know, but Elkay makes a composite sink called Quartz Luxe and it's the best composite sink on the market. Their version of "stainless" is called Silvermist.

"If I put the double garbage unit under the sink what heights have people made their counter tops to maximize function and comfort?"

Stick with standard height countertops please; the disposals have nothing to do with that.

"Anyone have experience with both companies?"

Dino is a friend, a fellow Floridian, and is an amazing guy, particularly in business. Havens used to manufacturer all of his sinks, but when Havens refused to sign a non-complete, they parted ways and Dino now does his own manufacturing.

"Does either company offer a military discount?"

I have no idea, but I'm figuring that anyone who can afford either of these world-class sinks doesn't need a discount. I get asked this occasionally and I defer until the end of the job. If it's went well and the customers haven't been a PIA, I'll take a little off the balance.

I hate workstation sinks all the little add on stuff is too small for real function you now need somewhere to put all the little addons so you can use the whole sink and the cost is ridiculous . I love a large one bowl stainless sink ofor sure not really sure you need 48" but a nice good quality , deep stainless sink I love I think it does not need to be undermount but that is my personal choice . Even in commercial kitchens the sinks are rarely 48" wide of course they have 2 since it is a different type kitchen compared to a home. I run a caterinf biz from my home with 2 back to back 24" sinks with drainboards not problem

In business, often one guy thinks the other is making all the money. I've had friends employed by fabricators who told their boss they were insane if they started selling cabinets. The boss disregarded and started competing against his own cabinet selling customers with predictable results.

From what I have read, Rachiele is hands-down the best custom made sink on the planet. Our budget did not allow so we purchased Create Good Sinks 39” apron-front, workstation, two-bowl, stainless unit. It has not been installed yet, but on inspection the unit is solid, quiet (crazy thick insulation), and well made. The apron front design is supposed to reduce back pain, since the sink is closer to the user, than a cut out design. Our galley kitchen is very small so the workstation concept will be helpful for us. Your kitchen sounds very nice and large. Maybe two sinks? I have read where a lot of folks go that direction… a prep sink and a cleaning station sink. Good luck! 👍🏼

Have you looked at Julien (Home Refinements) sinks? I've used them in 2 homes and been happy with them.

https://homerefinements.ca/en_us/indoor-living/sinks

Here is my Julien 30" sink with integrated 18" drainboard. Dishwasher sits under the drainboard.

I have loved my workstation sink for 12+ years ❤️

I have a Havens work station sink (copper) and I love it. Very functional.

FWIW Havens is not making knock offs and in fact once manufactured sinks for Rachiele but they had a parting of ways a few years back.

There are extensive threads explaining it because when I bought my copper sink I extensively researched and it came down to Havens or Rachiele and so I was trying to determine any objective reason for not purchasing from Havens.

In my opinion, they are both equally high quality. One difference with Rachiele is that they offer some very customized patina finishes but I wasn't interested in anything fancy because the copper farmhouse large sink was already enough of a design statement for my kitchen.

Havens sinks are calibrated to fit into the same size as the sink - e.g. a 36" will fit in a 36" cabinet and a 48" would fit in a 48" cabinet but if you have questions you should talk to Alex Havens as I found him very responsive when I was in the process of purchasing my sink.

My understanding is that many other sinks are not "guaranteed" to fit into the same size cabinet as the sink.

I don't know why anyone would have a thing against workstation sinks as they are so functional. Mine isn't as large as the one you are considering but it is so much cleaner to prep over the sink as I don't have to clean the counters. Also I don't need a separate dish rack for those items which I hand wash or even produce while it is draining and drying since I have the "grid' which I generally leave in place over a section of the sink for that purpose.

"My understanding is that many other sinks are not "guaranteed" to fit into the same size cabinet as the sink."

I guarantee that a sink will undermount in the same size cabinet if strapped in place. It has to; it's math.

"From what I have read, Rachiele is hands-down the best custom made sink on the planet."

This is an exaggeration. They make nice sinks, but there are other companies that make just as good if not better. Havens makes good sinks. Handcrafted Metal in Texas makes their stainless steel sinks from thicker 14-gauge stainless, not the 16-gauge stainless that Rachiele uses. Where I live there is a local company that makes custom stainless steel sinks, hoods, counters, cabinetry, whatever you want, but it's all local. Not every city has that, but it's another alternative and certainly can dispute the "best custom made sink on the planet" statement that was mentioned.

I have read that you can use a 48" sink model from both brands in a 48" cabinet. Has that worked for anyone else?

I actually cannot imagine the need for a 48" sink or a 45" sink. Are you certain you want that? I would make a cardboard template of the sink in those dimensions (use a shipping box and open it up), and see how big that is. My sink is 36" and have never needed more. I don't have a workstation sink because I personally don't find the need for those accessories - I have a good-sized sturdy cutting board, and a colander separately, and don't need those baskets, grates and whatever else. I also feel that the accessories can become clutter since they need to be put away when not in use. Others feel differently, that is my opinion.

I have read that some people wish that they had stayed with the normal finishes vs getting the millennia or the micro hammered models for how they look after time and for cleaning purposes?

No need for micro hammered models or anything gimmicky. Yes, they will be harder to keep clean.

What is luxe stainless?

Haven's website says it is "a semi-reflective finish, and can be described as a light gray or silver with a non-directional lightly-ingrained pattern". Havens will let you order samples of their sink materials, so perhaps you should do that. It's on the website under the "Info" tab and is called "Order Metal Samples".

If I put the double garbage unit under the sink what heights have people made their counter tops to maximize function and comfort?

The counter tops should be the standard 36" height if you are going to have two dishwashers under them as you said. Dishwashers are manufactured to the 36" counter height standard. If you have a 12' island, why are the garbage bins going under the sink? That is odd.

@M Miller, having a large sink with off-center drain allows you to place your trash pull out under the sink. You can then place a DW on each side or a DW on one and a drawer stack on the other side, so you are using the space under the sink that is usually wasted with some cleaning products, that you will still have room for, on the other side of the sink. I could have done it on mine, but have enough storage that claiming the wasted space under the sink was not important. I also like a deeper sink (10") and I believe to get the trash under you have to go with 8" deep sink.

Some examples:

@chispa - I am aware of that arrangement in your photos. As you said, it needs an 8" deep (or less) sink. But also, I would only use it if there is no other spot for the garbage pullout. Under the sink garbage bins means that whenever you are at the sink, and either you or someone else needs to throw something away in the kitchen, you have to step back from what you are doing at the sink, pull out the waste bins from under the sink, push them back in, and go back to what you were doing at the sink.

I also don't think the space under the sink "is usually wasted with some cleaning products". Where else would you put those things? It's the perfect spot for them. I have a corner drain in my sink, and as you mentioned, that leaves even more room under the sink for cleaning products, and I also store there a sink mat, a roll-up dish drainer, garbage bags, and a bunch of other things. The disposal is there too, which uses up space (wondering if @mccabeiv has considered a disposal as well - but not sure she is coming back in any case).

Thank you for all the information and opinions everyone. I just got home from work and was able to read them all. I will be reaching out to both Alex and Dino to get their advice as well. You have all helped me decide that indeed we can use a 48 x 18 x 10 with a disposal. We will find another spot for a larger double trash pull out. I have looked at Julien and a bunch of other companies. Most people like the other brands but it seems that these 2 brands have the highest satisfaction scores. I will let you guys know what we decide after I speak with both owners. Can't thank you enough; we really appreciate your help.

@Helen thank you. I am planning on putting bottom pull outs as well. I'm excited to be able to prep above the sink and then have the clean up be significanly easier. We dont break ground on the new foundation until the end of March but we are getting excited. Thanks again everyone.

Thank you for the above kind words. @mccabeiv We have offered a military discount since 1999. Since the beginning of the pandemic we have offered special discounts to front line workers, like teachers, doctors, and more. You can read about our policies at the bottom of this page: https://rachiele.com/meet-dino

@Rachiele Custom Sinks. Thank you so much for the reply Dino. I would love to talk with you but I work at a surgery center and don’t get home until after 5pm and I leave my house at 5:15am. Can you do an evening call ever? Thank you so much.

@mccabeiv First and most important, thank you for your service in the surgery center. I can arrange calls after 5pm most days. I am located in Florida. Please email me and I will arrange a time that fits your schedule. My email address is dino@rachiele.com You can also visit this page for more information about our unique process.

May I ask what size is your kitchen? Do you have a plan view showing where the sink will be?
I bought a 48” workstation sink and people here are saying it’s too large for my kitchen. It’s still in the box. I have not started construction yet and do not have a final design. I was assuming that the ‘work’ was replacing the counter space around a sink. Every time I use my current sink, I wish it was bigger.

Hi

@TLV 123, no one here know the size of your kitchen, so how can they be telling you that it is too large for your kitchen? Everyone has their own opinions and they don't always work for other people. If you want or think you need a 48" sink, then go ahead and use one.

Look at my photo further up on this thread. I show a 48" sink opening, but split between 30" sink and 18" integrated drainboard. Works for me and my family, so I'm not worried about what other people on the forum would do in their own house.

@TLV 123. My kitchen area is going to be 23’ x 24’. I hope that helps but I agree with what chispa replied back to you. Thank you:)

@josephcorlett Hi Joe,

I just came across this thread and want to sincerely thank you for your kind words—they truly mean a lot. However, I’d like to clarify one point. Havens never manufactured a sink for me. His step-grandfather did produce sinks for my company for a time, but by then, I had already been manufacturing sinks in my own factory.

To provide some background, the owner of Havens, Alex Havens, started his business in 2016. At the time, I was already producing sinks for years. Alex was about 21 years old and likely just out of college when he began his company.

I understand the confusion that arises due to similarities in design and wording on their website. I hope this clears things up, and again, thank you for your thoughtful comments.