Why do the makers of Oliveri Sinks believe quality stainless steel is best? - There are a lot of reasons!

Stainless steel is sanitary

Since stainless steel is an inert product, it will not hold bacteria. That's important, because the sink is a main area for preparing food.

Stainless steel is durable

Stainless steel "wears like iron". Quality stainless steel has inherent long-life properties that do not diminish over time and use.

Stainless steel is forgiving

Because sinks made of enameled cast iron are rigid they can destroy a glass or piece of fine china that accidentally slips from your hand. Stainless steel however, has resilience that pampers your fine china and glassware.

Stainless steel is heat resistant

Stainless steel can withstand extreme temperatures, boiling water or hot pans out of the oven, or a tray full of ice cubes. Some of the other sink materials could be damaged when exposed to extreme temperature changes. Don't even think about placing super hot pans on your counter.

Stainless steel is not affected by ultra-violet light

UV rays do not affect stainless steel. However, UV rays can actually damage and fade colors of some plastic materials.

Stainless steel looks good

Many of the premium kitchen appliance manufactures use stainless steel for their products. A quality stainless steel sink complements these appliances. Whether your kitchen is done in white or bold colors, the neutral and practical soft silver finish will harmonize with any kitchen color scheme.

If you add up all these reasons, there is no better choice of material for a sink than quality stainless steel.

Most manufacturers offer two grades of stainless steel. A good grade is 18/8, which means that it contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel. A better grade is 18/10. This stainless steel contains 18% chromium and 10% nickel. This better grade provides more corrosion resistance and greater durability.

There is one more technical area to discuss, the thickness of the stainless steel or "gauge". The smaller the gauge number, the thicker the material. Some economy sinks are made of 24 and 22 gauge and usually have shallow basins that are only five or six inches deep. The best sinks are made from 20 gauge or 18 gauge stainless with 18/10 (chromium/nickel).

All Oliveri sinks are either 20 or 18 gauge with 18/10 stainless steel.

If it is not an Oliveri, it's a compromise.