The center of any kitchen is a sink. And, despite the abundance of modern technology (primarily a dishwasher), a kitchen sink is necessary and always important. In it, they not only wash dishes, but also use it regularly in the process of cooking. Appearance, of course, is given great importance, especially if the style of the kitchen requires it, but you should not forget about reliability.
Is it worth buying artificial stone products (for example, the most popular models on the Internet from the Granfest ECO line of sinks), reviews of which are so contradictory, or is it better to choose stainless steel and not be afraid of chips, scratches, cracks? Is there an alternative to expensive European manufacturers who offer their products on the market, claiming high reliability?
Which sinks are more popular now: stainless steel or artificial stone?
Trends in the design of modern kitchens dictate the use of durable quality materials with an emphasis on naturalness. The texture, color and structure of the product should embody the creation of nature. And here it is worth noting the great popularity of countertops with a stone-like decor and sinks made of artificial material. Of course, outwardly such products attract many consumers. They look beautiful, personify comfort and prosperity.
But in contrast, consumers are familiar with a reliable stainless steel kitchen sink. In almost every apartment there was or is such a sink. And practically no complaints. However, consumer demand for these models is declining every year. Today, we can safely say that the products “under the stone” surpassed the popularity of stainless steel sinks. And there are more factors than the seemingly primitive design of the latter.
The question of which sink is better: stainless steel or artificial stone, is the topic of another article. Now is the time to discuss the most popular manufacturer based on sales results for 2016-2017 in Russia. If you have not bought goods of this brand yet, get acquainted - the company "GranFest" (GranFest), reviews of the sinks of which made a lot of noise in all kinds of furniture forums. What's what, let's try to figure it out.
Who is the manufacturer of Granfest sinks?
Granfest brand sinks are made in Russia. The Formula Comfort company emphasized elite domestic products, therefore, initially at the stage of the factory’s creation, it purchased expensive equipment in Germany, and the main facilities were grouped in the Russian Federation.
Manufacturing technology was also borrowed from European colleagues. It was decided to make reliable products from high-quality materials, and keep the price tag low in order to immediately gain confidence from the domestic consumer. Then enter the CIS market and develop further.
To date, the company has achieved all of this. There is only one problem - the reviews about Granfest sinks do not correspond to what the manufacturer claims. The quality is poor, the reliability is minimal, and the appearance of the products (curvature, bumps, abrasions) leaves much to be desired. What is the matter?
Why are there so many different reviews on GranFest kitchen sinks?
If you look at the rating of kitchen sinks in 2017, you can find that the manufacturer Granfest occupies several positions at once, including the first three places of popularity among Russian consumers.
A high share of sales in the country creates, first of all, high competition, and secondly, a high risk of fakes. Chinese products are easily given out as products of a popular manufacturer. It is enough to stick on the box a label with the name of the company, which can be printed on any printer.
Granfest, a manufacturer of kitchen sinks, also faced this problem. Reviews of the products of this company with photos without logos on the products indicated the abundance of fakes sold in construction markets and furniture stores. This forced the company to cover as widely as possible the fact that Granfest sinks have a high level of counterfeit protection developed in their own design bureau.
What is important to pay attention to when buying a Granfest sink
The whole line of GranFest sinks has special distinguishing features. Reviews on the Internet only prove that people often buy fakes. Indeed, most often the photo clearly shows the absence of insignia.
All products of TM "GranFest" are protected by special signs. Sinks have 3 degrees of protection:
- blue silicone logo on the inside of the sink (above the overflow);
- cast stamp on the back of the product (be sure to check before purchase);
- branded packaging branded with company logos directly on cardboard, indicating the manufacturer of FCM.
In addition, the manufacturer advises to adhere to five rules when buying:
- Purchase products only from official representatives and their partners (kitchen salons).
- After the purchase, special attention should be paid to the fit to the countertop. It must be perfect. No distortion of the product is allowed. Flawless molding is verified by multi-stage quality control.
- There should be no scratches, cracks, chips, small bubbles and irregularities in the sink. The box must not be wrinkled or damaged.
- The working surface of the sink should be smooth. This is a sign that it was coated with a special compound at the plant - gelcoat.
- A technical passport must be enclosed in the box, which indicates recommendations for use.
An acceptable price for domestic goods does not in any way indicate low quality. It is impossible to create a curved product on high-precision equipment and from high-quality materials. Granfest products are really reliable, durable and of high quality. And this is confirmed by consumers who bought branded goods.
Technical characteristics of sinks "Granfest"
All products - both Granfest faucets and sinks made of artificial stone - according to customer reviews, have a high degree of reliability. International certificates of quality and environmental friendliness confirm this fact.
Important! Sinks do not change their properties even under constant exposure to high temperatures. According to technical specifications, up to + 180˚.
At the same time, the surfaces are protected from rust stains and coloring pigments from products that may appear during operation. The manufacturer notes that the material of the ECO collection, even in light colors, is not painted. But you need to understand that any surface tends to get dirty. If any stains appear on the surface, it is enough to treat them with a sponge and a cleaning agent. This will not hurt the outer layer.
Advantages of Granfest kitchen sinks
Reviews of the real products of the company confirm all the advantages of sinks, which are declared by the manufacturer. According to technical specifications, Granfest sinks have the following indicators:
- Vibration during operation - no.
- Sound absorption from a stream of water is high.
- The reaction to alkaline chemicals is neutral.
- Resistance to staining - high.
- The presence of radioactive radiation (noted in quartz products) is absent.
- Electrical conductivity - does not conduct current, can be installed next to the equipment.
- Moisture absorption - up to 1% (due to innovative coating - gelcoat).
The company gives a guarantee of 2 years for all sinks and 5 years for faucets (by the way, they are also often faked). The service life of the sinks is 10 years or more.
International certificates confirm that GranFest ™ sinks are manufactured using exclusively environmentally friendly and safe materials.
Model range of the GranFest trademark
The catalog of products manufactured today contains five collections - more than 40 models. The product is available in 12 colors.
The company has 2 trademarks within the framework of one GranFest line. Sinks of TM GranFest (reviews of which you can most often find on the Internet) differ from sinks of TM GranFest ECO.
The main difference is that the standard line is made of marble chips (80%) bonded with polyester resin (20%). This mixture is called artificial marble. According to the manufacturer, this mixture is 8 times stronger than natural stone. The most popular among consumers is, according to reviews, a granite sink Standart GF-S645L Granfest.
The ECO collection is made of quartz agglomerate (crumb - 80%), and the rest is occupied by a complex composition of high-strength binder resins. Thanks to the resins, a non-porous structure is obtained that prevents the development of bacteria, molds and other microorganisms on the surface. Of this line, the most popular is, according to 2017 demand and reviews, the Granfest ECO 13 sink.
The company is proud to present the first model in its exclusive collection - Gzhel. This model is similar to the Rondo series, with patterns applied by special composite compositions made in the folk art of the same name of Russia.