What to Look for When Buying a Stainless Steel Undermount Sink?

Chromium and Nickel

• Stainless-steel sinks are rated by the amount of chromium and nickel in the steel. For example, 16:8 steel is 16 percent chromium and 8 percent nickel. Better sinks have higher numbers. For your sink, try to find stainless steel that is 18:8 or 20:10; these versions are good quality steel and likely to last longer than steel with lower chromium and nickel content.

Gauge

• Stainless-steel-sink quality is measured in the steel gauge, or thickness. Thicker steel is characterized by a lower gauge, while thinner sinks have a higher gauge. Most residential sinks are rated between 16-gauge and 22-gauge. Thicker stainless steel is more robust, more resistant to denting, less noisy and of higher quality. Thinner stainless-steel sinks are less expensive because they're less durable and more prone to denting.

Configuration

• Stainless-steel sinks come in a variety of configurations. Most people choose either a two-bowl or one-bowl version, though three-bowl sinks are also available, with a small center sink for prep work. Sinks with one bowl allow more space to wash large dishes, such as cookie sheets or pans, but sinks with two or more bowls give you separate spaces to soak some dishes while you load the others into the dishwasher or wash them. There is no "better" configuration than the others; choose the style that works best for you and your family.

Other Considerations

• If you're replacing a sink in an existing kitchen and don't want to replace the countertops, consider a drop-in sink, because undermount versions require removing the entire countertop to install them. While thicker sinks cost more now, it may pay off in the long term to choose a better sink so you don't have to replace it too soon. Finally, before deciding your sink configuration, check the size of your base cabinets. Base cabinets that are shorter than 36 inches may not be able to fit sinks with more than one bowl.