Farmhouse Sink Pros and Cons

Love the way a farmhouse sink looks, but wanting more info on how it holds up?  Here’s my list of farmhouse sink pros and cons, after seven years of use!

When we were building our home, one of the things I knew that I absolutely wanted in our kitchen was a farmhouse sink. I just adore the way they look, and the farmhouse charm that it adds to the entire space. It’s such a focal point of our kitchen, and I still love it so much. Now that we’ve lived here for two and a half years, I can also speak to how it’s held up over that period of time. With eight people and six kiddos in our house, it gets a lot of use…and not always very gentle use!

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As I was designing our kitchen, this sink was at the top of my list. I couldn’t wait to have one big sink, perfect for washing baking sheets and large pots and pans. And I just loved the way they looked–so homey and charming. Along with a barn wood island, Dutch door, and a few other items, I was excited about how it would all come together.

After some sink research, I decided on a fireclay apron front, undermount sink.  Fireclay is known for its durability, and for its resistance to chips and scratches. It also looks almost identical to enameled cast iron, so it was the perfect choice for our family. That’s what I thought at the time, and seven years later, I still do! 


Pros

Large, Single Sink

I absolutely LOVE the large, single bowl sink style. I had always had a double sink before, but I knew going into it that I would love it.  I have a lot of large pans and dishes that I use on a regular basis, and it makes washing them a breeze.  Cookie sheets, crockpot inserts, large pots, baking dishes…they all fit easily in the sink to either wash or soak. No more soaking big dishes on the counter (which inevitably made a mess)!

When I wash things by hand, I just a soapy dishrag, then rinse under the water. I dry them on the side of the sink on a large towel, or dry by hand if I want them put away quickly.  Not once have I missed a double sink, and I don’t think I could ever go back! If you are hand washing most or all of your dishes every single day, then possibly not having a double sink could been an issue for you. But if not, having that extra space is a dream!

Durability

The durability of the fireclay is a major plus for me.  I have six children, five of them being 10 and under, and so it gets a lot of rough use every day. SO many dishes have been dropped in that sink, and it’s held up beautifully. Some people add a pad to the bottom of their sink just in case something is dropped, but I don’t like it.

Easy to clean

 I have found the sink very easy to keep clean, overall. It is white, so I always make sure to clean it right away after rinsing or washing out certain foods, like spaghetti sauce. I do have to wipe it down pretty much everyday, or it starts getting a ring around the edges. I’ve battled with other types of sinks too, and I’ll take this one over stainless steel any day, and trying to keep the water spots at bay. While it needs to be wiped down often, it cleans easily, and I don’t have to do a lot of scrubbing if I stay on top of it.

And the best secret to keeping a white fireclay farmhouse sink clean is using Barkeepers Friend and a magic eraser. Between the two, they’ll get rid of the metal scrapes from pots or pans, food stains, and other marks.

Classic Style & aesthetic

This is a huge plus for me!  A sink is a practical item in your kitchen, but it’s also a focal point. It can add to the overall style of your kitchen and your home, and I love what it adds to the aesthetic of the space. The beauty of a farmhouse sink is that it definitely has farmhouse style, but it works with other styles as well due to it’s classic style. This means

Cons

Price

Farmhouse sinks aren’t always inexpensive, but it depends on several factors. I knew I wanted one, so we budgeted accordingly and made it work, but it’s something to consider. Since we built our home, the prices have come down a bit, and you can find them quite a few different places online and in stores. Even though the prices are less expensive than they were, I still left it on the cons side, because it can be higher cost than other types of sink you may consider.

No double sink

As I said above, this is not a con for me. I way prefer having one large sink over a double sink. I really prefer However, I know this may be an issue that some of you are thinking about. I think the only way I would miss a double sink is if I was hand washing most of my dishes on a regular basis.  And even then, I would have to think long and hard about it!

Potential scratching and staining

I read a lot about this when I was researching sinks, and with a large family and small children, it gave me pause. Going into it I was prepared for its upkeep. However, I have been pleasantly surprised. Even after seven years, and thousands of dishes done (and definitely some dropped), we have no chips in our sink. I have taught the kids to be careful, but they’re still kids, and accidents certainly happen.

When it comes to staining, I addressed a lot of that in the cleaning section of the pros. You do need to clean the sink right away if you’re washing something that can stain, such as spaghetti sauce. But if I do, it comes right off without scrubbing. Even if it’s been a little bit, when I’m coming in after kids who didn’t scrub the sink afterward, I use a magic eraser and/or a bit of Bar Keepers Friend, and off it comes.

FAQ

Will an undermount sink work in my remodel?

I have an undermount farmhouse sink in our kitchen, which we added in our new build. Cabinets were fit and measured around the sink to make sure it would fit. Because of the extra depth, and larger than standard sinks, there is a chance it wouldn’t fit if you’re replacing an older sink in a remodel. Make sure you have the space, or you’re okay changing other things to make it work.

Do you have any chips or scratches in your sink?

We don’t. My kids all help with the dishes and are in the kitchen a lot, and even with the younger ages and heavy use our sink is still in great condition

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At the end of the day, it would be a resounding YES to the question of whether or not I would do it again.  I love everything about it, and it’s proved to be durable and beautiful at the same time!

Have a happy day, my friends! You can always find me on Instagram…come by and say hi, I’d love it!

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