We've just put in a Franke steel queen equal sized double bowl top mount sink without drainer. It came with a basket and drainer board ( plus cutting board) that are shaped to fit in/over one of the bowls. Gives flexibility without the bulk. It did have an undermount version too but both the kitchen supplier and the appliance supplier mentioned the chipping issue.

I was a Showroom Consultant for 6 years in the plumbing industry, and the whole point of a Essa/Caesar stone top is that it is a major if not only feature of your kitchen and having a top mount sink with the draining board takes that away. I too am soon to be building and have chosen a under mount sink, but, having said that people think that a stone top is indestructible, but it is far from it, you will have to be careful doing your dishes so that it doesn't chip, stains such as wine or beetroot if it is a light colour, and also you emphatically can not put a hot pot on it, nor stand on it as it can crack if you want to change a light bulb for example. (Yes that has happened and it is not covered by warranty!) Stone bench tops usually come with a 10 year warranty, you can get a draining board carved into the stone if you wish but most under mount sinks come with a stainless steel tray that fits over the sink, good for hiding dishes when your lazy!

I suggest a slimline inset double sink, which has a square edge and is very minimal, as much so that this sink can also be used as an undermount if you chose to. It will protect your cutout, avoiding edge chips, and also allow for the sleek aesthetic that an undermount sink provides. Best of both worlds.

They are readily available from budget to top end. Accessory drainers, drop in boards are all options ith them.

Good luck.

Thanq everyone for your immediate replies:))

@mldesign.Thanks for your suggestion..I really liked the idea of slimline inset sink..Here is the link which is absolutely stunning..

http://www.sinkwarehouse.com.au/products-page/kitchens-2/sinks/inset-sinks/stainless-steel-inset-sinks/slimline-sinks/quadro-175-slimline-inset-sink-1150lx400wx180h/

Thank u once again:)

I would go for an under mount double sink, simply my personal preference for look and most importantly easier to clean/wipe around straight into the sink without bits getting caught... as for chips, we chose a Franke sink that was a "real double" sink big enough to fit a fairly large pot which comes with a drain tray... some "double" sinks are more like one & a half so do your research... also on chips, a lot of it has to do with the bench top and not necessarily the sink, as much as I have a contemporary/modern taste I have gone against all odds and chosen a stone top with pencil edge, simply because the I've seen so many chipped square edge stone tops at family & friends who have built or renovated in recent years, although more popular and in trend, they now wished they went with a pencil edge which doesn't chip as easily... but again personal preference, so go for what you like and what works for you and it will look great and you're bound to love it! Good luck :)

Pazz..wahat do u think the ideal depth of the sink should be for bigger pots? The sink I posted is 1150mm(L) X 400mm(W) X 180mm(H). Is it a decent size?

Divia, are these the sink's overall dimensions? or the actual bowl sizes? which is what matters... I also noticed it's not quite a double sink but more like 1.5 as you're sacrificing half a bowl (not to mention bench space) for a draining area that can't be moved/changed...

This is the undermount sink we got with a total depth of 220mm (bowl 200 + 20 benchtop thickness)... it has 2 x bowls of 410x380mm each, and also comes with a drainer tray which has a lip that locks into place on the side of the sink and can be used to cover one bowl...

Thank u Pazz..Can you send me the picture of your undermount sink (Jus curious to know how it looks!!). If possible can you send me the product details where you purchased this sink from?

Haha... wish I could but house still currently in construction so sink not installed yet... but I have seen it at builder's other display homes so will see if I can find a pic for you... this sink was actually part of our builder's standard range so didn't "buy" it as such (tho no doubt the price, not to mention the builder's margin :/ was factored in the cost of the house)... but it is a "Franke" sink, so have a look at the Franke Australia website which has a postcode search tool for closest distributors, and I believe Harvey Norman stocks them but not sure of extent of range...

Sorry Divia, but I'm hard pressed to find a more "aerial" view of the sink... why do all those pros photos look like they're taken from the floor :/ ... anyway, these are the better ones I could find, which hopefully can give you a bit of an idea...

I have deliberated long and hard about the undermount / over mount issue and it's wrecking my head! I found this sink which has a flat edge and can be installed as either top or undermount..It looks great either way. I think I'm going to over mount just to show off the super flat edge!

I think that's what they call "flushmount" and they do look very sleek over the benchtop, particularly in black... either way nice choice :)

I think flushmount is something different again where they recess the lip into the stone, again that's a bit more expensive to do, I think just having it as inset sink looks good enough