Millions of homes have sinks that don't crack from 212 dgree water poured down the drain. Using strap installation methods Joe has always recommended makes your cabinet the main support for an undermount or apron(not your choice) sink. I go for comparitive function and see a 24" undermount sink with a 21 x 18 inch interior as often the best choice when countertop space is included in the determination. That can go to one side of a 34" cabinet for more storage, or it fits in most 24" cabs even if the sink manufacturer says wider is necessary. Using a 24" sinkbase can get you wider drawer cabs in that row. So, more counter and drawer function. Cast iron porcelain coated sinks don't stain. BonAmi cleans them. Decades of experience out there. Composite sinks are like composite counters for staining. They won't be a problem. Pick black if you're bothered. I think an alternative to SS is a good move. You'll need to search carefully to find the right product in amarket where SS has ruled the past 50 years.

Stainless is soooooo easy, is as close to a forever sink as you will get. A nice open single bowl. ........and millions, from which to select. !

I wouldn't wring a hand : ) for even five minutes. You could not GIFT me a white sink, in any material. Nor any other "color"

IMO stainless is timeless and a huge work horse in a kitchen I like one bowl deep and not workstaion type and forget the grid on the bottom . BTW there is a reason stainless has ruled it has stood the test of time in commercial kitchens and IMO always will be the best choice.

"Cast iron porcelain coated sinks don't stain."

" Composite sinks are like composite counters for staining. They won't be a problem. Pick black if you're bothered."

Those are soooooooooo ugly, Joe! From your archives of replacements: )?

Stainless steel any day of the week! My favorite is Franke.

Stainless is great for your needs, cleans up easily, a workhorse, and will last forever. I have installed them in two kitchen and a laundry room/kitchenette. I've used Franke, which are quality, not too expensive, and readily available. The most important thing is to get one that has some kind of sound dampening so the water hitting the metal isn't loud. Joseph's pics are a good example of what not to get!

I think sinks are very much a personal preference.

I have had single bowl, 50/50 and 66/33 double bowl sinks. All of them worked okay, but the one that worked best for me was a 66/33 double bowl.

I have had stainless steel and Koehler white enamel over cast iron.

The white sink was stain free after 20 years of use and I cook a lot, I can fruits and make jams and jellies and I am not the perfect cleaner . . . dishes would sometimes sit for a day or for a few hours if I had other things that needed to get done.

The only sink I have had real issues with is my current 50/50 stainless steel sink. It is original from when the house was built in the 1960s. The picture shows the scratches from years of use, but when you look at the kitchen and are not taking a close up picture you don't see the scratches. What does not work for me is the depth of this sink. I didn't notice that it was so shallow until after I moved in and started using the sink. The bowls are 15" x 17" and 5 1/2 inches deep. I have to use a large measuring cup to fill a tall stock pot because it doesn't fit under the faucet.

When I replace the sink I will very likely go with another white sink.

I bought a stainless steel fridge to replace the avocado green fridge that was here when I moved in. My last fridge was white. I dislike the fingerprints, dog nose prints and streaks that show on the stainless steel. Both my last home and this home had white dishwasher and range. When I replaced the dishwasher last year I replaced it with another white dishwasher. I didn't want to have to clean another stainless steel front.

With white appliances I think a white sink will look better than a stainless steel sink.

I don't know if my white Koehler sink would have lasted another 30 or 40 years like my current stainless steel sink, but it did last for 20 years.

Another vote for stainless steel. Honestly, I've never had anything else, so maybe I'm not qualified to have an opinion, but they're bulletproof. You can ignore them, abuse them, and they still clean up. You can't go wrong with stainless steel.

"There are about 1001 reasons that restaurants restaurants use stainless. So do chefs in their home kitchens."

Maybe, but restaurants aren't concerned with fashion in their kitchens.

" From your archives of replacements: )?"

Yes. I have tons more. The Blanco composites are notoriously bad; the lighter the color, the worse they are. And no, the spray-on epoxy that works well in a tub/shower won't work in a kitchen sink:

A matter of personal preference, situation, and what trade-offs are willing to be made. Sure, stainless is "safe", but I was very happy, during our recent remodel, to get rid of the "nice" Blanco stainless sink that was in the kitchen here 21 years ago when we moved in. To me, stainless is ugly, and seems to latch on to grease and grime more than porcelain does. One of our bathrooms has a stainless sink and the other one made of white vitreous china porcelain -- same story and I have always liked the porcelain one better. Also, being old, I grew up with white sinks, which maybe leads to an inherent preference.

So, put in a fireclay sink (ancient technology) with a stainless bottom rack (newer technology) this last go-round. Not pouring boiling water directly into the sink is one trade-off. We don't use ultra- heavy pots and pans and, again due to being old, don't tend to bang things around and drop them -- we're not in a hurry and careful. Also, was EXTREMELY happy to forego a garbage disposal -- the one that came attached to our previous sink was never used and, basically, created a grease and grunge trap that was disgusting and hard to clean. This ecologist doesn't see the point of over-loading municipal sewage-treatment plants with ground-up kitchen waste that requires expensive tertiary or greater treatment systems to at least decrease damge being done to aquatic ecosystems (then people complain about how high their sewer bills are...) and that would be better disposed of in virtually any other way than putting it down the drain.

It is important to consider one's overall situation and preferences. Some households should just go with stainless, period (but nobody really needs a garbage disposal...).

How long do you expect to live in this home?

There is no questioning the longevity of stainless.

I am 62 and need my next sink to last 25 years or so. My white enamel had no issues after 20 years, so I expect that I will die before I need to replace the sink. One of the reasons I selected LVT flooring rather than stone, tile or hardwood as well. I bought a very expensive, high quality, 100% natural latex foam mattress when I was 45. It should last 50+ years and so far shows no signs of wear (no soft spots, no dipping, looks and feels like it did the day I bought it.). I would not buy anything that expensive today. A 20 year mattress would last me till I die.

If you expect to be in your home for 50 years and don't want to have to replace the sink ever then stainless steel is your only real option. But if you are going to be there 20 years or less or don't cringe at the thought of replacing your sink in 20 or 25 years, then your options are less restrictive.

Aesthetically, White or black sometimes works better with the overall design than stainless.

Already a slave to the cat, the bird, the fishes, and every other living being in my sphere -- a sink is relatively undemanding in comparison :-). A sink bowl large enough to lay one's biggest pots and pans down flat is wonderful -- so enjoying that feature of our new sink; the old one was like a 70/30 two-bowl and also annoying in that respect.

@catspa_zone9sunset14 the OP is trying to decide between a stainless steel sink and and a white sink. You didn't say.

@M Miller, as I said in my earlier post, it depends on one's overall situation. Obviously, I would forego having garbage disposal in a heartbeat, as a matter of principle even, dropping that as one constraint the OP gives against having fireclay. With heavier sinks, like fireclay and enamaled cast iron, there also needs to be extra support for the sink. Quality porcelain doesn't stain that easily (we also expose our sink to turmeric, berries, coffee grounds, etc.). How clumsy you are, how tolerant of nicks and chips, and how hectic your life is also come into play. OP seens drawn to having a white sink -- and I personally would say go for it -- but there are implications/considerations and no scot-free choices.

My mom had a huge sink that held her cookie sheets or huge turkey or lasagna pan, but since I use air bake cookie sheets and use mostly stoneware, which should not be submerged or soaked and clean up easily, I will be getting a double bowl, which is better for me 363 days of the year and not choosing a large single bowl that I may find more convenient 2 days a year.

Again, this is a very personal choice based on how you use your kitchen and what tools you need to clean.

Thank you all so much for the responses. I'm now convinced that stainless steel is the way to go. As much as the look of a white sink would be best, I know I'm not going to remember to be delicate with them in the way that they need. And I don't want to be replacing my sink in a matter of months/years, so stainless it is! Thanks again everyone.

@catspa_zone9sunset14 - ah, I didn’t connect your earlier comment to your second one. Your earlier one was very informative, so I apologize I didn’t realize!

There isn't much difference between a 16 gauge stainless steel sink and an 18 gauge. I wouldn't use a 20 gauge. The custom sinks I have built and install are 14 gauge and that's a huge difference. No sound deadeners needed.

Ah so you would recommend a 14 gauge SS sink if possible @Joseph Corlett?

If you can afford it. Production sinks are 18 and 16 gauge. Custom sinks are 14.