Buying a stainless steel sink? We have information you should know.

How are stainless steel sinks made?

There are three basic ways to manufacture a stainless steel sink. The most popular and widespread manner is to press the bowl shape into a flat piece of stainless steel. This process stretches the stainless steel into the shape of the mold. Given the speed in which this is done, pressed (or drawn) bowls are generally the least expensive way to produce sinks in large quantities.

The second way is to spin the stainless steel. A round flat piece of stainless steel is placed on a spinning wheel and pressed against a mold while the metal is spinning. This process will only form a round bowl.

The third method is to custom made a bowl using flat material, cut into the shape of a cross. The sides of the cross are folded up and welded at the corners. This method is very time consuming, however, is generally the only format for building a custom sink.

Gauge of the stainless steel is important, so what gauge should you be looking for?

The lower the number, the thicker the material. Stainless steel sinks are manufactured in gauges from 22 to 16 in most cases. The most common gauge is 18 for higher quality sinks, and 20 for builder quality sinks. Keep in mind, when a manufacturer refers to gauge, they are speaking of the gauge of the material before it has been stretched, so very little of the sink is the original thickness. Many custom sinks are made using 16 gauge. Custom sinks are generally found in the luxury range and the thicker material is more sought after. Some of the mainstream manufacturers of stainless steel sinks are Elkay, Franke, Kohler, Blanco and Kindred. Rachiele is a totally custom manufacturer.

How does the thickness of the stainless steel impact me?

Some self rimming (over counter mount) stainless steel sinks are made of 20 gauge steel. A heavy faucet will not be supported properly on a thin stainless steel sink. The thinner sinks also tend to have a "tinny" sound when water is running. 16 gauge sinks are so heavy that sound deadening is rarely required.

Are there different types of stainless steel?

Indeed there are different types. The most common is a brushed stainless steel. There are also some polished stainless steel sinks as well as textured stainless sinks. The former two types are susceptible to showing scratches. One manufacturer, Rachiele, offers a textured stainless steel sink called Millennia. The manufacturer claims the material helps to hide scratches and water spots.