SILGRANIT SETS THE STAGE

Here's where they make 'em

If the kitchen is the "heart of the home" then certainly the sink is the heart of the kitchen.  Think of how many things happen in and around your kitchen sink.  We wash dishes, we clean and prep veggies, we wash hands and even tiny babies in our sinks.  One of the best kept secrets in the "sink world" is the Silgranit sink by Blanco.  The use of granite as a sink material is not a new one and was used hundreds of years ago.  Silgranit, however,  is a new breed and is a mixture of 20% acrylic (yes just like the fake finger nail material) and 80% ground up granite.

This is where the acrylic action takes place

This is the granite sand that gets mixed with the acrylic

On my recent trip to Toronto I had the pleasure of visiting the only plant in North America manufacturing granite composite sinks.  Blanco, a privately owned firm based in Germany is the leader in this technology possessing 6 of 7 patents on the process.  Our gracious hosts at Blanco walked us through the process from mixing the acrylic with granite sand, forming and heat setting the mixture on nickel sink molds.    The result is a Silgranit sink that is indestructable.  I kid you not.

These stains had been setting for 48 hours

Same sink moments later

We were taken into a quality control lab where they had a WHITE Silgrant sink stained with tea, ketchup, mustard, red juice and red wine, all the worst offenders, right?  One wipe of the sponge (no soap) and rinse with water and the sink was once again pristine! The sink could not be scratched either.  A couple of us went at it rather vigorously with a fork.  The metal shavings of the fork were left on the surface and were easily wiped off with a sponge.  How about dents, you ask?  No dents either, a steel ball dropped into the sink had no effect.    Hot pots won't burn the surface either.  These sinks also come in 7 different colors.  Anthracite black is the most popular followed by my favorite, Cafe Brown.  Blanco unveiled their newest color offering, Truffle, at the Interior Design Show 2011.

Truffle anyone?

It's a taupe-grey color and they made sure we wouldn't forget that by supplying us with a matching EYE SHADOW!  How cool is that?  Are there any downsides to this Silgranit stuff?  My research tells me that grout and maybe hard water could create a film, just as on any surface.  There are solutions ranging from vinegar and baking soda to the handy dandy Mr. Clean Magic Eraser.  I can hear you thinking "so how much is this magical space age sink gonna set me back?"   Most models are available in the $500-$1,000 range from plumbing retailers such as Next Plumbing (See listing on LOCAL RESOURCES page) in West Palm Beach.  FaucetDirect.com has them available in the $300-$400 range.


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