DURABILITY…it’s the top reason why many households have fallen in love with stainless steel sinks for decades. These sinks don’t crack, chip, or peel easily. And they offer excellent resistance to rust and corrosion.
The market has these sinks in plenty. They come in varying designs, shapes, bowl configurations, sizes, and thicknesses (gauge). This means trying to choose your first stainless steel sink can become a challenge.
We’ve researched deeply into the stainless steel sinks world to find the best stainless steel sinks for your kitchen. Here’s our list of the most popular stainless steel sinks for you to choose from…
Our best stainless steel sinks reviews:
1. Kraus KWU111-17 Kore Workstation Undermount Kitchen Sink
For the modern kitchen chef, this is the perfect sink for you. Inspired by professional kitchens, this model will transform your kitchen sink into a full-service prep station. You can use this compact 17-inch sink as secondary prep sink or primary sink in your small kitchen.
The single bowl deep sink comprises an under-mount installation method, creating a seamless transition from sink to your counter space. It features tight radius corners and offset drain provide you with uninterrupted workspace for cleaning larger stacks of dishes or larger cookware.
We also like that this sink comes with premium accessories, including bamboo cutting board. Its ultra-functional design of a built-in ledger system lets you easily chop and slice without losing your counter space.
Constructed from real 16-gauge stainless steel, this is one of the most robust and most durable kitchen sinks you’ll find on the market today. It offers excellent dent and rust resistance. And its advanced modern looks plus culinary-inspired design will give your kitchen an instant upgrade.
Highlighted Features:
- Made of heavy-duty 16-gauge stainless steel
- Features integrated ledger
- Easy-clean, dull-free finish
- Proprietary Noisedefend soundproofing
- Engineered for easy draining
- Dimensions: 17 in L x 19 in W x 10 5 in D
2. MENSARJOR 32″ x 19″ Single Bowl Kitchen Sink
Mensarjor produces its kitchen sinks using the highest quality standards. Their sinks contain up to 25% more steel than the competition, giving them superior strength and ability to resist dents, bowing or warping with heavy, regular use.
The sink boasts precision-engineered corners that curve at optimal angles to maximize your sink work area and facilitate easy routine cleaning.
With its extra-deep and spacious basin design, you can rest assured that this unit will easily contain splashes. What’s more, it’ll offer enough space for you to hassle-freely accommodate the larger kitchenware in your house.
You’ll also quickly note that the bottom of this unit has a near-flat design. This makes it suitable for stacking or drying your dishware as well as prepping things for soaking. It’s precisely handcrafted channel grooves minimize water pooling, making this sink even more convenient for you.
It comes with a commercial-grade satin finish that will easily hide scratches, is easy to clean, and increases the longevity of the sink. Don’t forget that this sink also comes with soundproofing material to help reduce the annoying vibrations that result from water flowing into the sink.
Highlighted Features:
- Heavy-duty 304-grade stainless steel
- Features extra-thick soundproofing undercoat
- Multi-functional stainless steel dish grid included
- Comes with 3-piece basket strainer waste
- Stretch dish drying rack
- 3 soft sponges for cleaning included
- Oversized bowl accommodates larger kitchenware
- Dimensions: 32” x 19” x 10”.
3. ZUHNE Undermount Wet Bar Sink
The best stainless steel kitchen sinks come with 5-start quality construction. And this Zuhne is one such sink. It’s constructed from heavy-duty 16-gauge stainless steel metal—making it suitable for heavy-duty residential and commercial use. This steel gauge offers excellent rust and corrosion resistance and doesn’t dent or scratch easily.
Besides good quality, this sink is designed to meet your unique needs. It has a pretty deep, wide design to comfortably accommodate the larger pans and pots.
The sink also presents you with unmatched soundproofing capabilities. It boasts a top-notch noise control feature that involves in-bred insulating technology with up to 2.5x better noise-muffling capabilities than what other manufacturers use. The technology is soo good that it even disperses the garbage disposal sound!
Another great feature offered by this sink is the ability to protect your cabinetry from condensation issues…so you can drain cold as well as boiling water without worrying about possible condensation.
Since this is a low maintenance sink, you just need to wipe it down with a clean cloth to clean it and maintain its luster and shine. Its natural stainless steel finish blends with other appliances in your kitchen.
Highlighted Features:
- Dimensions (inch): 21W x 18D x 10H
- Heavy-duty 16-gauge stainless steel
- Grooved/slopped base offers better drainage
- Ultra-premium scratch-resistant finish
- Extra-deep bowl design
- Gently curved corners ensure easy cleaning
4. Ruvati RVH7250 Undermount Kitchen Sink
Ruvati is a USA-based market leader when it comes to the production of premium-quality stainless steel sinks. On our 4th spot, we feature the Ruvati RVH7250, one of the most dependable units from the manufacturer.
For the quality part, this sink stands among the best. It comes with a premium T-304 grade 16-gauge stainless steel construction that gives it a sturdy and durable look and feel. You can rest assured that this sink will not show signs of rust or stain any time soon.
As if that’s not enough, the sink comes armed with Ruvati’s brushed finish, which perfectly masks scratches and blends well with your kitchen appliances. This finish is easy to clean and adds to the sink’s longevity.
We also like that this sink comes with a stainless steel bottom rinse, which acts as a drying rack for your pots and pans while protecting your sink from getting scratches.
The included drain cover allows water and waste to easily flow through under it…not to forget it adds to the visual beauty of this sink. The sloped bottom works with the 4 drain grooves on the bottom to promote easy drainage, ensuring your sink stays clean and dry.
Highlighted Features:
- Premium 16-gauge stainless steel construction
- Commercial grade brushed finish
- Heavy-duty sound guard undercoating
- Exterior dimensions: 28″ (wide) x 19″ (front-to-back)
- Basket strainer drain included
5. TORVA 13 x 15 Inch Undermount Kitchen Sink
TORVA has also made a name for itself with its high-quality stainless steel sinks at fair prices. We feature one of their top units on our stainless steel sink review list. This sink is popular for its professional looks and curved corners, enhancing its aesthetics and easy cleaning.
One of the things that made us chose this sink involves its quality construction. It’s made using premium grade T-304 16-gauge thick stainless steel metal for the ultimate durability and strength. Additionally, it features a handcrafted brushed finish for scratch resistance and enhanced durability.
Another impressive feature you’ll get from this sink involves its extra-deep (8.5-inch) bowl. This gives you more space to easily soak and clean all your dishes and glasses. The bottom of the sink comes sloped, and features channeled grooves to offer excellent drainage.
As with most of the top-rated sinks, this unit also comes with undercoating and padding to help minimize noise and vibration caused by running water and prevent cabinet condensation.
Highlighted Features:
- Made of premium 16-gage stainless steel
- Handcrafted brushed finish
- Features extra-deep 8.5″ single bowl
- Slopped bottom for better drainage
- Equipped with sound dampening pads
- Dimensions: 13 length x 15 width x 8.5 depth
6. Bonnlo 25-inch 16 Gauge Topmount Kitchen Sink
Fashion and function define this kitchen sink. It has pretty good looks and will instantly create a contemporary look in your kitchen.
The sink is made to serve you for years to come. It features 16-gauge stainless steel construction, which translates to superior strength and durability. And unlike other sinks, this unit comes with a whopping 7 layers of protective coating to inhibit bacteria and protect the sink, and even keep off rusting and corrosion.
The underside comes thoroughly insulated with sound guard to help minimize noise and condensation.
You’ll like that this unit’s bowl goes as deep as 9 inches…deep enough to accommodate a lot of utensils and allow you to easily clean your stockpots. When it comes to cleaning this sink and maintaining its great looks, the commercial-grade brushed finish makes it a breeze.
When you purchase this sink, you’ll get BONUS accessories, including a multi-functional dish grid with rubber feet to prevent sink scratching. The sink is backed by Bonnlo’s limited lifetime warranty, which makes it a risk-free investment.
Highlighted Features:
- Made of hick 16-gage stainless steel
- 9-inch deep for increased capacity
- Multi-functional dish grid included
- Thoroughly insulated underside for minimal noise
- Radius rounded corners for easy cleaning
- Backed by a limited lifetime warranty
7. Sarlai 32 Inch Undermount Sink
This is another great stainless steel sink for those looking for a workstation type sink. The 32-inch unit comes in drop-in top mount installation method. It lets you do many things, including washing your dishes, chopping dishes, and drying smaller dishes.
Sarlai uses T304 thicker 16-gauge stainless steel to ensure this sink has exceptional strength. The premium steel is also rust and stain resistance for long-lasting performance.
Another remarkable feature that made us feature this unit on our stainless steel sinks review list involves its patented drain design. It features an X shape radial near the water drainage to offer easy and complete drainage.
The sink also features rounded corners, making it easier to clean, unlike the units with tight corners.
You’ll like that this sink comes with both front and back ledges to give a track to offer you more usage space. You can easily convert this sink into a cutting board or can switch, making it a real workstation. You can also use this sink to hide all your dishes, adding to its high user convenience score.
Highlighted Features:
- Made of dent-resistant T304 stainless steel
- Patented design drain
- Heavy undercoating for minimal noise
- Includes sliding bamboo cutting board
- Drain basket, strainer, and drain sheet included
- Offers you 3-month hassle-free return
8. Lordear 30×22 inch Kitchen Sink
The Lordear 30×22 inch Kitchen Sink also made it to our list of the best stainless kitchen sinks. The handmade sink features a tough T340 16-gag stainless steel construction for unprecedented strength.
Its surface mirrors an eye-grabbing matte black finish with stainless steel hints, enabling it to easily match black stainless steel appliances. The finish is non-water and non-oil stick, and this makes it incredibly easy to clean.
Proper drainage has always been a problem with many sinks. This kitchen sink comes with X-shaped diversion water design, with gently sloped bottom to prevent standing water inside the bowl and facilitate fast drainage.
The 33-inch sink features drop-in top mount installation method. It comes fitted with high-quality silencer pad undercoat to greatly minimize noise produces by running water.
Probably the best thing about this sink is the list of 100% FREE extras it comes with. These include stainless steel dish grid, basket strainer, oven mitt, oven glove, and -cotton apron—making life in your kitchen easier.
Highlighted Features:
- T304 16-gauge stainless steel construction
- Beautiful matte black finish
- X-shaped slopped base for easy drainage
- Includes stainless steel dish grid
- Comes with one basket strainer
- 3-months hassle-free warranty
9. KINDRED Stainless Steel 15 x 6-inch Deep Sink
If you’re budget-minded but still want the convenience of a modern stainless steel sink in your home, this one from Kindred is a great choice. The sink comes in single bowl configuration and is ideal for use laundry and utility room or bar.
Unlike most of the units covered on this list, this sink features a thinner (22-gauge) stainless steel metal construction. Unlike what you might be thinking, this is still a solid sink that will hold up to daily use in your laundry room.
It features smooth edges and pairs perfectly in transitional or contemporary spaces. The sink comprises top mount installation method and comes with all the necessary hardware plus instructional manual for easy, fast setup.
The complete sink kit includes a chrome faucet and strainer to conveniently handle all the cleanup jobs you throw at it. Don’t forget that the sink comes equipped with Ultra-quiet sound-deadening pads to eliminate the excess noise and vibration when using your sink.
Highlighted Features:
- 22-gauge stainless steel construction
- Top-mount installation method
- Installation manual and hardware included
- Includes chrome finish bar faucet and drain
- Backed by a limited lifetime warranty
10. Hotis Undermount Black Color Kitchen Sink
The last spot in our stainless steel sink review list goes to this contemporary single bowl sink from Hotis. Featuring a gorgeous black finish, this sink also falls in the fair price range. It comes in the perfect size and depth for use in your kitchen or a small laundry room.
The sink is heavy-gauge and feels quite solid. Its secret lies in the manufacturer using premium-grade T-304 18-gauge stainless steel metal, thicker and more durable than 22-gauge steel sinks. Needless to say, such a construction translates to a durable and long-lasting sink.
The great-looking sink is also scratch-resistant, so it’ll maintain its shiny looks for years to come.
Designed for undermount installation, this unit will easily work with juts any countertop. A quick under it, you’ll discover it comes with noise reduction sound-dampening pads to kill all that annoying sounds that come from using your sink. Moreover, it features a thick undercoating to prevent condensation when dealing with cold or hot water.
Cleaning this sink is as easy as wiping it with a clean cloth. It’s deep enough to accommodate most of your dishware, including tall bottles and other utensils. And its 3 1/2″ drain opening works with most garbage disposals on the market today.
Highlighted Features:
- Contemporary single bowl design
- Premium grade 18-gauge stainless steel
- Thick undercoat prevents condensation
- Noise reduction undercoated insulation
- Measures 15″(L) x 17″(W) x10″(H)
- Features under-mount installation
16 or 18 gauge stainless steel sink: what is better?
For the starters, the gauge refers to the thickness of metal used to construct a given product. For the stainless steel sink, you’ll find manufacturers using metals of varying thicknesses to construct their sinks—with the most common gauges being 16 and 18.
But which of gauge is better?
The Rule of the thumb states that the lower the gauge number, the thicker the steel. This means that a sink made from gauge steel 16 steel is thicker than that made from gauge 18.
Needless to say, the thinner gauge is usually less durable and less expensive.
If you want a stronger and more silent steel sink, then you should go for one with a lower gauge number…and that’s the 16-gauge sink. However, keep in mind that thicker metal might cost you a bit more than higher gauge steel sinks.
But then again, you don’t have to sleep over 16 vs. 18-gauge steel sinks. The number difference isn’t as significant, and you’ll find that even the 18-gauge sink is quite durable and dent-free.
What Makes The Right Stainless Steel Sink?
If you have made up your mind that you want to invest in a sink made from one of the most durable materials ever discovered, then you should take your time to ensure you choose the perfect product for your unique needs.
Here are a few crucial factors to consider:
Size
The first thing to look for in a stainless steel sink is its size. You want to get a sink that will fit in the available cabinet or counter in your kitchen while being big enough to accommodate your biggest pots and pans.
For a small kitchen, we suggest that you stick to standard-sized (22 by 24″) sinks. If you have a larger kitchen, however, you might want to look for a larger sink. You can even go for double or triple bowl sink configurations.
Still, on the size matters, you should also pay attention to the depth of the sink you purchase. Avoid shallow units as they don’t hold much and can easily splash. For the best results, choose deeper units (9 to 10 inches deep).
Gauge (and grade)
Another crucial factor to help you choose the right sink involves determining the type of steel used to design. You might not know this, but stainless steel comes in different grades and thicknesses (gauges).
The idea here is to look for a sink made using sturdy and long-lasting materials. That said, the T304 grade steel is the most popular material due to its unprecedented toughness and longevity.
As for the gauge, we mentioned earlier that thicker is always the best. Gauge 16 is highly recommended. Gaige 18 is also worth consideration. Sinks with gauge 22 are quite thin, easily susceptible to denting, and less durable.
Noise control
When using your new sink, you expect the dishes pans, and even silverware to hit the sink and create an impact. This can lead to excess noise in your kitchen. Water running from the faucet into your sink can also create noise.
You want to ensure there’s next to zero noise coming out of your sink for a peaceful kitchen environment, right? In this case, you should ensure the sink you go for comes with sound deadening technology.
Most of the units we have featured in the stainless steel sinks review list above come with sound pads and insulating foam to help minimize the noise.
Finish
You’ll also notice that these sinks come with varying finishes. Most beginners will most likely choose the units with a shiny mirrored finish due to its eye-appealing nature. Unfortunately, this sink finish can be a headache to maintain as it shows every fingerprint and smudge.
So, what finish should you go for? Choose the satin and brushed finishes. These are hassle-free to maintain as they easily hide scratches, water spots, etc. They make the best choices for sinks intended for both residential and commercial use.
Extras
Besides the key features mentioned above, you should also look at the extras that come with the sink you plan to buy. For instance, if your grids and drains won’t fit your new sinks, you’d want to ensure your new sinks come with extras. Otherwise, you’ll be forced to spend more money on these items.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the best finish for stainless steel sink?
The best finish for stainless steel sink is one that’s easy to clean and maintain. It should also be able to resist scratches, water spots, etc. Satin and brushed finishes offer such characteristics. We advise you against choosing polished finishes since they are a bit challenging to clean and maintain.
Q: What is the best brand of stainless steel kitchen sink to buy?
Some of the best brands that produce top-notch stainless steel sinks include Kraus, Kohler, Ruvati, Frigidaire, Mowa, and Zuhne. All these brands have something in common—they use premium materials to construct their sinks and have an extensive line of sinks to choose from.
Q: How long do stainless steel sinks last?
Stainless steel sinks have exceptional durability, and you can expect a good quality unit to last for 12-30 years. With proper care, your steel sink will serve you for all these years without showing any signs of fading, cracking, peeling, etc.
Q: How do I measure the available cabinet space for a sink?
To ensure you get a well-fitting sink, you should start by determining the available cabinet space. Measuring from outside edge to the outer edge will help you get minimum cabinet size you’ll need for sink replacement. Measuring the cabinet depth (from front to back) on top of the unit will give you the available space for your new sink.
Q: Top mount vs. under-mount sink: which is better?
Most homeowners prefer the top mount sink due to its ability to drop into your counter, making it easier and faster to install than the under-mount model.
Final Verdict
Stainless steel is the most popular material for sinks today due to its exceptional durability and long-lasting performance.
This guide covers everything you need to know when buying your first stainless steel sink to help you easily get the perfect unit for your unique needs.
For the ultimate functionality and longevity, choose one of the best stainless steel kitchen sinks we have outlined for you above.