RACHIELE - compare our copper sinks with others

Feature	The Competition	Rachiele
Sink manufacturing location	About 95% of all copper sinks are made in Mexico, India and China. Many websites give the impression of being an American company, so we suggest you ask where the sinks are manufactured.	Made in Orlando, Florida Our sinks are made of pure virgin copper. We never use recycled copper, nor do we use annealed copper. Not only are you supporting our economy, but you are purchasing a sink that looks distinctively different than any import.
Type of Copper used is important	Generally recycled annealed copper - from melted down telephone wire and old pipes from demolished homes. Generally not as pure as virgin copper	Cold Rolled 99.9% pure virgin Copper (much harder than annealed copper) 14 gauge Don't be fooled by the other 14 gauge sinks out there. They are likely annealed and much softer than ours. Cold rolled copper has a yield strength that is up to 8 times as great as annealed copper. (Copper.org) That means an annealed sink would have to be 1/2" thick pure copper to have the same yield strength as our sinks. The sink would weigh over 300 pounds!
Drain Location (most important feature determining the workability of a sink)	Generally middle or rear center - right in the way of your workspace. This is the most obsolete idea in sink manufacturing. What are they thinking?	Rear corner - more uninterrupted work space in your sink. Also gives you significant room in your sink cabinet. Ergonomically correct for right handed users. (We do make left rear drains for lefties!)
Sink drainage The number one complaint we hear regarding some imported sinks.	Generally quite poor. We receive countless calls from customers who have purchased "other brand" copper sinks with pooling water issues. They ask us what can be done. There is NO solution. Make sure your sink will drain BEFORE you install it.	We guarantee that your sink will drain properly. Ask others to do that and put it in writing. That is the most common complaint regarding copper sinks. It is simple to build a copper sink with a flat bottom. It is somewhat easy to build one where the bottom slopes to the drain. It is very difficult to build a copper sink where all bottom portions drain to a rear corner. We do it and guarantee the sink will drain properly.
Apron thickness	Generally 2-3 1/2"	1 1/2" Our apron is thinner for a reason. We do not want you to have to reach over a large shelf of copper to access your sink. The main purpose of an apron front sink is that it eliminates the countertop in front of the sink.
Sink depth	Generally 10" Must be deep to compensate for ridiculous drain location. Can not place anything of size inside the sink without covering up the drain so you really do need a deep sink with their drain locations.	Generally 8" We believe a 10" deep sink is too deep once installed under granite. the bottom of a 10" deep sink is 24 1/2" off the floor. Imagine working at that height while standing. The 10" deep sinks on the market must be that deep because you can't wash a pot, pan or platter inside the bowl. You have to put half of the item in the bowl, wash that part, spin it around, wash the other part, then do the same spinning routine for rinsing. Wouldn't it make more sense to just make a sink large enough to place items inside without covering up the drain? No more spinning!
Use and Care See our comparison on use and care.	Lots of mention regarding what you should not use inside the sink. Often wiping the sink dry after each use is mentioned. Also waxing the sink is often mentioned.	NO disclaimers! Just use the sink as a sink.
Warranty	Many offer a one year warranty	Lifetime "transferable" warranty How does a manufacturer put a limit on length of warranty on an item with no moving parts? If something goes wrong with a Rachiele sink, it should never be the problem of the customer (unless there is abuse).
Interior finish	Often an unnatural coloration. Generally waxed or lacquered. Very difficult to care for.	Natural patina (self healing) using only vinegar and water. Requires little or no care.
Company access	Often limited - difficult to reach owner	My home/cell phone number is listed on the home page of our site. We are quite accessible.
Can locate double trash unit in sink cabinet	Not Possible	Yes, due to rear corner drain and shallower sink.
Can install apron sink in existing cabinetry	Not Possible	We own the patent. No other company can offer this solution. Simple 30 second installation.
Near Zero Radius corners	Generally not available	Gives a more custom look, more usable space inside the sink and just as easy to clean.
Solid copper flange/drain offered (plated drains will likely fail in a matter of a few years)	Generally not available - more and more importers are purchasing drains from us, so if you purchase someone else's sink, ask for a solid copper drain.	Our sister company manufactures solid copper drains and flanges for our sinks.
Hammered finish on copper	95% are hammered	It is impossible to hand hammer cold rolled copper to look like the imports. The material is too hard. We will hand hammer our sinks, but the look is truly hand hammered. It does not look like a machined hammering. Secondly, we feel hammered copper sinks give the feel of looking somewhat like the cheap imports, lowering the perceived value of our sinks. I truly believe the hammered copper look is trendy and will pass in a short time.
Finishes on apron portion of sink	Few options	Our Pateneur has developed many different patinated finish options for the aprons of our sinks that are exclusive to Rachiele.
Gauge of copper	18 to 14 gauge	14 gauge cold rolled copper, much stronger than 14 gauge annealed copper.
Guarantee	None	If you are not thrilled with the quality of our sink, we will buy it back, pay all shipping costs and send you a check for $100 in consideration of your inconvenience. We claim to build the finest copper sink in the world and we back that claim with the above guarantee!
Recycled vs Virgin Copper	Generally recycled - unlikely electrolytically refined.	We use only virgin copper. The following is text from Copper.org website. "Where scrap copper is associated with other materials, for example after having been tinned or soldered, it will frequently be more economic to take advantage of such contamination than try to remove it by refining. Many specifications for gunmetals and bronzes require the presence of both tin and lead so this type of scrap is ideal feedstock. Normally it is remelted and cast to ingot of certified analysis before use in a foundry. Scrap of this type commands a lower price than uncontaminated copper." "Uncontaminated recycled process scrap and other scrap that has been electrolytically refined back to grade 'A' quality may also be used." The process of electrolytically refining copper is much higher than mining and refining virgin copper, hence is rarely done.

Copper Sinks - compare ours with theirs

74 West 2nd Street Apopka, Florida 32703 1-800-881-9044 (407-496-3596) Fax: 1-800-538-5359