Blanco vs Elkay Kitchen Sinks – Brand Comparison

The sink is the big man on campus in the kitchen. Or maybe the fridge is, I don’t know. Either way, getting a new sink is an exciting thing. These brands are neck and neck in terms of price, durability, and style.

They are almost like twins in a sense. But there’s always a dominant twin. A slight difference here and there in price or style can save you a few bucks. Read the next section to learn all you need to know to get the best sink at the best price.

Is Elkay a good sink brand?

Elkay is a family-owned business headquartered in Chicago. They’ve been around for over 100 years, since the 1920s. Elkay has a rock-solid reputation in the industry as a high-quality sink maker with affordable prices.

From stainless sinks to water purification systems, they keep quality a priority while keeping costs affordable. There are sizes and styles for everyone. They have double hole, single hole, triple hole, undermount sinks. You name it; they’ve got it. 

With different materials, sizes, mounting styles, depth options, color, and much more. Finding the perfect sink for your space and style is a breeze. Their sinks will last forever, but it depends on how much abuse you plan on dishing out.

Material Pros and Cons:

• Fireclay: Easy to maintain, Can be mounted multiple ways, Can Handle daily traffic, Rated for high temps, Timeless design. Keep in mind it’s heavy and comes in limited colors and designs. It’s prone to chipping and water stains over time.
• Stainless Steel: Won’t chip or Crack, Durable, Recyclable, high-quality steel, heat & stain-resistant, easy maintenance, long life expectancy. But it can rust if exposed to corrosive fluids (bleach) for long periods.
• Quartz: Durable, Non-porous (no bacterial build-up), Easy to maintain, resistant to scratches, stains, and heat, Natural noise reduction/ sound-proofing, Environmentally friendly manufacturing process. Quarts is hard and can stand up to heavy use.

Elkay is an excellent brand to go with if you want something that looks good, lasts, and is easy on the wallet. Their sinks hold up well against daily use. Each material has its own unique qualities that enable them to stand up to everyday use in your kitchen.

Their line of quartz sinks is easy on the ears. Quartz is naturally insulated, which makes it much quieter than stainless steel. Feel free to throw your dishes in from 5 or 6 feet away from the sink. They might break, but it will be quiet.

Elkay uses high-quality stainless steel in a thicker gauge than most other companies, making it much more durable and longer-lasting.

You’d naturally assume that high-quality materials would mean steeper prices, but this is one of the areas that Elkay differs from their competitors. Although their sinks are made with high-quality materials, they are affordable.

Elkay Warranties

Elkay has lifetime warranties on most of its residential sinks. Their warranty does not cover shipping or installation damages, so you’ll want to make sure to have insurance on your shipments through the shipping company just in case.

To help ensure your new sink lasts a lifetime, Elkay has Care and maintenance videos on YouTube and instructions and tips on their site.

History of Elkay

Elkay is undeniably one of the oldest and most well-established companies in the USA when it comes to the manufacturing of sinks. With a family pedigree still behind Elkay, you can be assured you’re getting quality products.

From the beginning of the company back in 1920, their mission is still to make affordable sinks that were high-quality, ensuring that the customer was happy with both quality and cost.

Elkay is at the head of sustainable materials for kitchen sinks. Their Quartz and steel sinks are all made from 60% of recycled materials, making them eco-friendly but not lacking in quality. They are at the head of producing more eco-friendly, sustainable, and innovative sinks.

Customer Service at Elkay

Elkay takes pride in providing quality products as well as quality customer service. They are easy to get a hold of if you need replacement parts or a full replacement. 

Where to find Elkay Products

They have locations all over the world, and their products are sold online through many retailers such as Amazon, Home Depot, and Lowes and from their website directly.

Is Blanco a good sink brand?

Blanco started in 1925 in Germany and has since been producing quality sinks. In 1981 they got into granite and started manufacturing granite composite sinks. Since then, they’ve transformed into making sinks with enough durability to stand up to heavy daily use.

They have products from sinks to waste and water systems that continue to evolve with the standards of today’s living environments. There are hundreds of styles and numerous color options for their sink products to choose from for your home.

Materials:

SILGRANT(Granite Composite Material)-Comes in a variety of colors, Durable, Resistant against High-heat, scratches, acids & water stains (when properly sealed), long-lasting, Naturally sound-dampening, Color will not fade, easy maintenance. Some things to watch out for: Heavy( Requires additional support), Requires annual sealing, may chip, Harder surface (can break glasswares).

Stainless Steel- Won’t chip or Crack, Durable, Recyclable, high-quality steel, heat & stain-resistant, easy maintenance, long life expectancy. But it can rust if exposed to corrosive fluids (bleach) for long periods, loud, limited colors and styles, may scratch or dent.

FireClay- Easy to maintain, Can be mounted multiple ways, Can Handle daily traffic, Rated for high temps, Timeless design. Keep in mind it is prone to chipping & cracking over time, prone to water stains over time.

Silgrant was created by Blanco, and any granite composite material comes from them. They have patented rights to the formula that makes Granite composite sinks and features. Granite composite and Quartz composite sinks are similar in durability and range of color options, as well as their maintenance needs.

While stainless steel is usually the more budget-friendly option for kitchen sinks, they lack color options and tend to be more prone to damages from everyday use versus Silgrant or Quartz sinks. However, the two stone-based sink materials have been shown to last much longer when compared against Fireclay and Stainless steel options.

Blanco Warranties

Blanco Professional guarantees that all products are functional as long as installed properly. They offer a 25-year warranty on their Stainless steel and Silgrant sinks, and warranties on other products range from 1 year to 5 years.

History of Blanco

Blanco was founded in 1925 by Heinrich Blanc in Oberderdingen in the German federal state of Baden-Wuerttemberg. They are the Biggest and oldest German company to produce sinks, mixer-taps, and other innovations.

Blanco has since been providing innovative residential and commercial kitchen solutions and medical equipment.

Blanco’s Customer Service

Its teams are dedicated to answering all questions, concerns, and any other service needs you’ll have.

Where to find Blanco Products

Like many products, you can find Blanco’s sinks, faucets, and other products online through Amazon and their site, as well as other retailers.

Are Blanco sinks made in China?

Simply put, no. At least not when it comes to their Silgrant sinks; these are made in their factory in Ontario, Canada. Their Stainless sinks are made in Oberderdingen, Germany.

Who’s the Winner?

You’re the winner no matter which company and model you decide to go with, but that won’t help you decide, right? In comparison, both companies are top-quality and industry-leading while nailing down affordability compared to other newer companies.

Blanco’s Performa Cascade Sink has been ranked as the best material, as it uses their specialized granite composite, among all their available sink models.

For Elkay, their Quartz Classic ELGU2522BK0 has been ranked as their best. Both sinks are high-quality and durable. Elkay takes the win for affordability in this battle, though.

The bottom line is that it all depends on how you want your kitchen to look and how you plan on using the sink that matters most when deciding which brand and model is best for your needs. You can’t go wrong with either brand.