From Evolution to Paragon™: What 12 Years of Dual-Tier Sink Design Taught Me
Twelve years ago I filmed a short video of a sink I was very proud of. It was called the Evolution, and it had two working steps built right into the bowl. At Rachiele®, it was my answer to something cooks kept telling me: the sink only gave them one place to work.
The Evolution earned three design patents, a mention in Forbes, and a 2014 ADEX Award. I don't make it anymore. This is the story of why, and what replaced it.
The Evolution in action
The Evolution put two steps inside the bowl so cutting boards, colanders, and racks could sit at different heights. Instead of one surface over the sink, you had levels, and each one could handle a different part of the job.
Patented, and noticed
I filed for design patents on the Evolution in 2013, and all three were granted in 2014: US D700300, D700301, and D702334. A design patent protects the shape of a product. These covered the stepped interior that made the Evolution what it was.
In July 2013, Forbes writer Marcelle Sussman Fischler included the Evolution in The Most Expensive Kitchen Appliances: A $47,000 Stove, $2,000 Blender And More. She named our 60-inch copper Evolution at about $8,000 and quoted me on our sales being up 55 percent that year. The next year, the Evolution received an ADEX Award for design.
What the Evolution taught me
Every step you build into a bowl takes something away. With a stepped interior, each level down is smaller front to back than the one above it. An accessory that fits the top step won't fit the step below, and you lose room at the bottom of the bowl, which is where you wash your biggest pots.
The Evolution worked, and people loved it. But once I had lived with it for a few years, I could see how to do better.
Why Paragon™ replaced it
In 2018 we introduced NexGen™, which traded the step for a ledge. Anything that sits on a NexGen ledge also sits on the sink floor in the same orientation. That idea became the foundation for Paragon in 2020.
Paragon uses two sets of interior ledges instead of steps. The usable 18-inch front-to-back width stays the same above and below both working levels, so you get three full working levels without giving up bowl space.
Three working levels: the upper ledges, the lower ledges, and the sink floor.
A full 18 inches of usable width at every level.
Accessories like the Multi-Use Grid work at any level with no change in setup.
Each one is built to order for your kitchen.
Where the Evolution patents went
Once Paragon could do everything the Evolution did and more, I had no reason to keep making the older design, so I sold the three Evolution patents to another sink company. I'm glad the idea is still in people's kitchens. For my own customers, Paragon is the dual-tier sink I build now.
If you're shopping for a dual-tier sink
Ask three questions before you buy. Does the usable width shrink as you go down? Do the accessories work at every level, or only at one? Is the sink built to fit your cabinet and the way you cook, or is it a standard size you have to work around?
You can see a Paragon in a finished kitchen in Paragon in a 2026 KBDN Gold Kitchen. You can compare it with our other designs on the custom workstation sinks page. If you want the longer backstory, read about me here. When you're ready, set up a Zoom call and we'll design yours together.
Frequently asked questions
Does Rachiele still make the Evolution sink?
No. Paragon replaced it in 2020, and the three Evolution design patents were later sold to another sink company.
What is a dual-tier workstation sink?
It's a sink with two levels of ledges or steps inside the bowl, so cutting boards, grids, and colanders can sit at different heights while you work.
How is Paragon different from the Evolution?
The Evolution used steps, so each level got smaller front to back. Paragon uses ledges that keep a full 18 inches of usable width above and below both working levels.
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