Are sink grids worth it?

A bottom grid is a stainless lattice with rubber or plastic feet that sits in the base of the bowl. Nothing about it looks important, which is why so many of them end up in the cupboard under the sink within a month of installation. That is a mistake, and the reason is specific: almost all kitchen sink damage happens at the base of the bowl, not the sides.

• The scratch halo on stainless. Pans dragged across the base of a steel bowl leave a dense pattern of fine scratches that dulls the finish. On a satin grain individual scratches blend in; the halo does not.
• Impact chips on ceramic. BOCCHI describes the Classico's surface as a non-porous fired glaze that resists stains, scratches and thermal shock. What it does not resist is a dropped cast-iron pan, and a chip in fireclay is permanent.
• Dents on thin steel. An 18-gauge flat-bottomed bowl flexes under a heavy impact. The grid spreads the load.
• Knife edges. A chef's knife left blade-down in a steel bowl is bad for the sink and worse for the knife. On a grid it rests on steel bars rather than on its edge.
• Standing water under a pan. A pan sitting flat on the base traps water beneath it. Lifted on a grid, it drains and dries.

It is not a drying rack, though people use it as one, and it is not a strainer — scraps still go down the drain or into a basket. It does not make a noisy sink quiet: that job belongs to gauge and damping pads, which is why Kraus publishes NoiseDefend pads over 80% of the Kore's basin plus an undercoating as separate specifications from the grid it includes.

And it does not protect the sides of the bowl, which is where a dropped glass will hit first. Nobody claims it does. The grid is a base protector, and the base is the place that needs one.

A grid is one more thing to clean. Food lodges between the bars and under the feet, and it wants rinsing and occasionally going through the dishwasher. Its feet can trap grit against the sink base, which is the one way a grid can cause the scratching it exists to prevent — so lift it and rinse underneath now and then.

It also takes up usable depth. On a 10-inch bowl, losing half an inch is nothing. On a shallow 7-1/2 inch sink or a 5.5-inch ADA bowl it is a larger share of what you have, and some people would rather have the depth. How deep should a kitchen sink be covers what that depth is for.

Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.

1. Best grid package

Kraus Kore KWU110-30 workstation sink

Kraus · Best for small kitchens that need counter space

The workstation sink we would buy, and the clearest case for 16-gauge steel anywhere in this category: a ledge sink is the one configuration where basin flex is genuinely audible, because accessories rest on the rim and transmit it. Ten inches deep, rear-offset drain, and the grid, mat, board and strainer are in the box rather than a $200 upsell.

Published specifications

Overall size

30" x 19" source

Bowl size

28" x 16" source

Bowl depth

10" source

Gauge

16-gauge stainless steel source

Minimum cabinet

33" left to right, 24" front to back source

Drain

Rear offset, 3-1/2" opening source

Sound damping

NoiseDefend pads covering over 80% of the basin, plus undercoating source

Warranty

Kraus limited lifetime source

What works

• +The integrated ledge turns a 30-inch sink into prep counter, the best single trade available in a small kitchen
• +Rear-offset drain leaves usable cabinet space under the front of the sink
• +Genuine 16-gauge with pads over 80% of the basin — gauge and damping do different jobs, and this sink has both
• +A 3-1/2" drain opening takes a standard disposal flange with no adapter

What does not

• −Needs a 33-inch cabinet for a 30-inch sink — measure before ordering
• −A 10-inch deep bowl is a long reach for a shorter person
• −The accessories are the reason to buy it and also the reason it costs more than a plain undermount

Skip it if

Skip it if your run of counter is already generous — you would be paying for prep space you do not need, and a plain 18-gauge undermount will serve.

$469.95 · View on Amazon→

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Raw specifications: Kraus’s own page for the Kraus Kore KWU110-30 workstation sink.

Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.

2. Best included grid, drop-in

Kraus KHT300-33 drop-in sink

Kraus · Best for replacing a sink without touching the counter

The drop-in we would fit in most kitchens, because it is a 16-gauge sink sold as a dual-mount: the rim is finished to sit on the counter, and the same sink can be undermounted later if you ever replace the countertop. At 10 inches deep with a rear-set drain it behaves like a modern undermount while asking nothing of your existing counter.

Published specifications

Overall size

33" x 22" x 10-5/8" deep source

Bowl size

31" x 18" x 10" deep source

Gauge

TRU16 gauge T304 stainless steel source

Mounting

Dual mount — drop-in or undermount source

Faucet holes

Two pre-drilled, for a faucet and a soap dispenser source

Drain

Rear-set source

Minimum cabinet

36" source

Sound damping

NoiseDefend pads on all sides plus anti-condensation undercoating source

Certification

cUPC to ASME A112.19.3 / CSA B45.4 source

Included

Bottom grid, drain assembly with removable strainer, decorative drain cover source

Warranty

Kraus limited lifetime source

What works

• +16-gauge steel in a drop-in, which is unusual — most top-mount sinks at this size are 18-gauge or thinner
• +Dual mount means the sink survives a future countertop replacement instead of being thrown away with it
• +A 10-inch bowl with a rear-set drain leaves usable cabinet space under the front of the sink
• +Grid, drain and strainer are in the box, so the only extra part is the sealant

What does not

• −A 33-inch sink still needs a 36-inch cabinet, so it is not a drop-in replacement for a 30-inch base unit
• −A 10-inch bowl is a long reach for a shorter person, and a drop-in rim sits slightly higher than an undermount one
• −Kraus publishes no unit weight for this model, so plan the lift by the shipping box rather than a figure

Skip it if

Skip it if your existing cutout is for a 30-inch sink. A drop-in can cover a slightly smaller hole, never a smaller cabinet.

$544.98 · View on Amazon→

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Raw specifications: Kraus’s own page for the Kraus KHT300-33 drop-in sink.

Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.

3. Most necessary grid

BOCCHI Classico 30-inch fireclay farmhouse sink

BOCCHI · Best for farmhouse style, lighter than cast iron

Fireclay's argument against cast iron is the surface: the glaze is fired onto clay at very high temperature and is non-porous, rather than an enamel layer bonded to metal. This one ships with the bottom grid and strainer, and needs no flange extension for a disposal — a small detail that saves a trip to the store on install day.

Published specifications

Material

Fireclay, fired at temperatures up to 2000°F source

Surface

Non-porous glaze; resists stains, scratches and thermal shock source

Minimum cabinet

33" source

Included

Stainless bottom grid and chrome strainer source

Disposal fit

No flange extension needed source

Warranty

Limited lifetime source

What works

• +Non-porous glaze, so staining is a cleaning problem rather than a permanent one
• +Lighter than an equivalent enameled cast-iron sink, which simplifies cabinet support
• +Grid and strainer in the box — the grid is what protects the glaze from dropped cast iron
• +Takes a standard disposal flange without an extension kit

What does not

• −Fireclay is a ceramic: a hard impact chips it, and a chip is not repairable the way a scratch in stainless is
• −Hand-made dimensions vary slightly batch to batch, so cut the cabinet to the sink you received
• −No independent lab publishes chip-resistance testing for fireclay sinks, so the material claims here are the manufacturer's

Skip it if

Skip it if your household is hard on a sink — dropped pots and ceramic do not mix. Choose 16-gauge stainless instead.

$515.45 · View on Amazon→

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Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.

4. Best for two bowls

Kraus KHT302-33 double-bowl drop-in sink

Kraus · Best for washing on one side, draining on the other

The double bowl for people who genuinely use two bowls — two equal 15-1/2 inch basins, both 10 inches deep, in the same 16-gauge dual-mount body as the single-bowl KHT300. Equal bowls are the right split if one side lives full of soaking dishes; a 60/40 split is the better choice if what you really want is one usable bowl.

Published specifications

Overall size

33" x 22" x 10-5/8" deep source

Bowl size

Two equal bowls, 15-1/2" x 18" x 10" deep source

Gauge

TRU16 gauge stainless steel, 10:18 chromium-to-nickel source

Mounting

Dual mount — drop-in or undermount source

Faucet holes

Two pre-drilled, for a faucet and a soap dispenser source

Minimum cabinet

36" source

Sound damping

NoiseDefend pads covering over 80% of the sink, plus undercoating source

Certification

cUPC to ASME A112.19.3 / CSA B45.4 source

Included

Two bottom grids, two drain assemblies with strainers, cut-out template, mounting hardware source

Warranty

Kraus limited lifetime source

What works

• +Two 10-inch-deep bowls rather than one deep bowl and one token shallow one
• +Pads over 80% of the body — the most complete damping of any sink on this page
• +Both drains come with grids and strainers, which on a double bowl is normally two extra purchases
• +Dual mount, so the same sink works on your existing counter now and an undermount counter later

What does not

• −Each bowl is 15-1/2 inches wide, which will not take a large roasting pan flat — that is the cost of two bowls at 33 inches
• −A center divider means the disposal lives under one side only, so decide which before you plumb it
• −Two drain assemblies means two more joints under the sink that can weep

Skip it if

Skip it if you wash big sheet pans and roasting trays. One wide bowl beats two narrow ones for that, every time.

$489.95 · View on Amazon→

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Raw specifications: Kraus’s own page for the Kraus KHT302-33 double-bowl drop-in sink.

A silicone or rubber mat is the soft alternative. It protects against impact at least as well, it is quieter, and it is kinder to glassware. Its weakness is that it sits flat, traps water underneath and needs lifting and drying — the standing-water problem the grid avoids by having feet. The Kraus Kore ships both, which is the honest answer: use the mat when you are washing glasses, the grid the rest of the time.

If what you actually want is to stop scraps going down the drain, that is a strainer rather than a grid. Best sink strainers covers those, and what not to put in a garbage disposal is the related argument about what should never get past one.

• If your sink included a grid, use it. From day one, not after the first scratch. This is the whole recommendation.
• If your sink is fireclay or composite, buy one. A chip in a glaze is not repairable; a scratch in steel mostly is.
• If your sink is 18-gauge stainless, buy one. Thin steel with bottom pads only is the loudest, most flex-prone combination here.
• If your bowl is very shallow, consider a mat instead. You lose less usable depth and still absorb impact.

For the wider question of what makes a sink survive a decade, kitchen sink materials and how to fix kitchen sink scratches are the two pages that follow this one.