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Who makes stainless steel drainboard kitchen sinks?

Kate - Updated: June 24, 2021

Retro Renovation stopped publishing in 2021; these stories remain for historical information, as potential continued resources, and for archival purposes.

Where to buy a stainless steel drainboard sink? If you love the functionality of the classic farmhouse drainboard sink — but don’t necessarily want vintage or reproduction porcelain — perhaps a drop-in stainless steel drainboard sink is just the ticket. Doing the research so you don’t have to, I’ve come up with eight places where you can find drop-in stainless steel drainboard sinks today — in a range of sizes, styles and prices sure to fit any kitchen and budget. 

10 drop in drainboard stainless steel sinks from elkay
10 drop in sinks from Elkay

Note: We are not experts on manufacturing and materials specifications issues, so we did not try to try to assess these sinks for gauges / construction / durability. There could well be differences model-to-model, so if you are in the market, this is something you should/could research further. We do tend to believe that if your stainless steel drainboard sink is of good quality, it will last virtually forever. Regarding scratches and the like, we do not get in a tizzy when it comes to hard working surfaces like this. We quite like patina, actually.

1. Elkay:

Elkay stainless steel drainboard sink10-drop-in-drainboard-sinks-from-Elkay

We already know that Elkay makes stainless steel drainboard sinks — perfect for a mid century kitchen remodel — but they also make several drop in drainboard sinks — 10 different configurations by my count. These sinks are pricey, so make sure to save your pennies if you fall in love with one.

2. Ikea:

Ikea-Boholmen-stainless-drop-in-drainboard-sinkIkea usually has a metal drainboard sink in its lineup – is as affordable as it is reversible — since there are no faucet holes, faucets must be placed in counter top or backsplash.

3. Just Sinks:

stainless steel kitchen drainboard sink Here is another alternative, a dual-drainboard kitchen sink from Just Sinks. There are other designs as well — look at their commercial lineup.

4. Haven Luxury Metals — custom designs

5. Create Good Sinks has a buncha.

6. Vintage Tub & Bath has a single-bowl and double-bowl undermount drainboard sink.

7. Watermark Fixtures has three different designs.

8. Buy vintage:

vintage stainless steel drainboard sink spotted at a restore habitat for humanity
Pam spotted this vintage sink at her local Re-Store in 2013 — it was $40.

We guesstimate that this style of sink has been around for decades — especially from Elkay. So if you want to save big bucks, keep your eyes peeled at the Restore Habitat for Humanity and maybe craigslist — you might find one at a small fraction of the retail price today. The photo above is Pam’s. She said that this sink seemed “pretty honkin’ heavy duty.” She could not easily see a label. It was priced at just $40. If you have a ReStore, and you have the time to stalk it, you can find amazing bargains.

Want a complete stainless steel counter top? See our story — 5 ways to do stainless steel counter tops.

And, we have a mega round up page — All about Farmhouse drainboard sinks.

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63 comments

Comments

  1. RG says

    I just looked up the Franke sink as I always try to buy American whenever possible. According to the specifications, this model is made in China. I didn’t check out any of their other models, which may be made here. I’m just commenting on this model.

  2. Gail DeVore says

    Pam, may I respectfully add: IKEA has more than the BOHOLMEN line of stainless sinks, also check their NUMERAR, FYNDIG, and BREDSKAR

    We installed the double bowl/drainboard BOLOLMEN $203, last summer in our retro kitchen and couldn’t be happier!
    http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S99847467/

    By the way, the faucet hole IS cut in the sink by your self, or your contractor.

    We used Formica’s brand of solid surfacing Signatures (like corian) to get a vintage look for the sink area in Citron Ice (lime green ice)
    http://www.formica.com/home/ProductLine_Colors.aspx?prl=PRL_SOLID_SURFACING#
    and gave it the stainless snap on edging and cove mouldings from New York Metal
    http://www.newyorkmetal.com/pc-238-18-ss801a-1br-snap-on-moulding.aspx
    The entire look is perfect (I need to get pictures to you)
    thanks to you and your sources Pam!

    • pam kueber says

      Thanks for the clarification. I will ask Kate to update the information to clarify who has multiple models…. And YES, dear, send me your pics!!!!!

    • Kate says

      Thanks for pointing out the FYNDIG drainboard stainless steel sink — I’m adding it to the story. The NUMERAR and BREDSKAR are nice, but they don’t have drainboards…

  3. Laura in PA says

    Ikea sells a cutter-tool that can cut a hole in the sink for a faucet, in that triangle of space at the back where sink and drainboard meet. It is not pre-drilled, because the sink is reversible. The faucet will be at an angle. If you install it this way, the faucet does not have to be in the back splash or counter top. We have had ours set up this way for several years and it’s held up great!

  4. lynda says

    Kindred is another good stainless brand and I think they have a drop in with a drainboard. I have Kindred undermounts in the master bath.

  5. Mary Elizabeth says

    I love my stainless sinks in my home and in my camp trailer. I have been using Cameo Aluminum and Stainless Steel Cleanser on my stainless steel sinks forever, because my mother and grandmother did so. (It’s been around at least since World War II, if not before.) It is not available in every store, but I can usually find it in ShopRite grocery stores. It does a fantastic job of cleaning and polishing the sink, but I worry because it is sightly abrasive. Does Pam or anyone out there have a great nonabrasive product for polishing and cleaning stainless?

  6. Jeannie says

    My sweetie and I are in the process of restoring a sprawling 1951 ranch…the kitchen needed a new corner stainless steel sink. We searched everywhere for one…..then found one in the UK. It’s being delivered today!!! It’s a CDA, and I love the drainboard.
    http://www.tapsaver.co.uk/tap_1453.asp

  7. midmichigan says

    It’s always good to know what you’re paying for and how “stainless”, stainless steel is. A quick test is with a magnet. Any magnet will do, even the promotional, “stick on” type. The more attracted to the metal it is the more ferrous content it has which means it will have an easier propensity to oxidize or “rust” depending on its application.

    • pam kueber says

      Thanks for the tip. Like we said, we did not try to assess quality as we are not experts.

  8. Lynne says

    I can vouch for the quality and durability of the Franke sinks. I have had other brands in my past houses, and the two Frankes were the absolute best. Franke puts a nice amount of insulation on the bottom so its nice and quiet when the water hits the bowl. No tinny hollow sounds. As a matter of fact, when we remodeled our last home, I kept the Franke sink and reused it in the new cabinets. They sell nice faucets, too.

    • lynda says

      Franke is a great brand. Just make sure you get the thicker gauge and the 18/8 stainless. My daughter bought the Franke for her kitchen after a lot of research. I think there were two different sink lines and the quality was not the same. From the site: ” Franke uses nothing but the best when it comes to top quality stainless steel. Their sinks vary anywhere from 16 gauge, which is commercial gauge, to 20 gauge sinks. Franke has a line of Professional Series sinks at 16 gauge giving you the highest quality stainless steel used in commercial kitchens.” (Remember the lower the gauge, the thicker the stainless.)

  9. lynda says

    Hmm…forgot to say the sink above is an Elkay Sink from 1977. I will say that if you use wood counters, you may want the type of sink that has the stainless back splash too. That has been the only area of my butcher block counter that has been troublesome over the years. I keep the wood well sealed and use a towel to cover the area when using the sink. The drainboard area of the stainless sink is such a nice feature in the kitchen.

  10. lynda says

    I have had the 18/8 stainless large single bowl sink with the right side drainboard and 3 holes since 1977 dropped into our maple butcherblock counters. Both sink and counters still look great after all these years. The quality of the stainless is important if you want the sink to last and look good for a long time.

    • sprayfaint says

      @Lynda how do you find the drop-in works with your butcher block? I want to do the same with my upcoming kitchen reno but was advised that a drop-in sink may catch water and warm the counter faster than an undermount would.

        • lynda says

          Sprayfaint, We have had no trouble with the 2″ thick maple butcher block warping. I do not leave water standing on the counter. I use cutting boards for prepping food and wash them or put them in the dishwasher. We used to put Watco Danish Oil on the counters and then maintained them with mineral oil. A few years ago we sanded them and put on Waterlox. Waterlox is a better product, however bleach, even Oxiclean will mar the surface and they do not touch up easily. Our tops are 36 years old and look great. The Waterlox does not need further maintenance, but another coat should be put on every 3 years or so. You do not have to sand the surface for a new coating of Waterlox.