Selecting The Perfect Kitchen Sink
Our “How To” Guide For The Perfect Kitchen Sink
The kitchen is the heart of the home, but the sink might just be the heart of the kitchen. Between washing up, preparing food, and cleaning dishes, it’s the primary work space and one of the most functional items in the entire room.
The kitchen sink you choose will be part of your daily life for many years to come, so picking the right one is important. Here are some of the common options you might encounter:
Configuration
- Single basin sinks are the simplest option: a solitary, deep basin that’s perfect for cleaning large amounts of food or cookware. Their characteristic appearance is delightful in old-country and traditional kitchens.
- 50/50 sinks have two smaller basins side-by-side, each of equal size. They are ideal for folks who appreciate symmetry and want to multitask – perhaps washing vegetables in one basin, while dirty dishes soak in the other one. The trade-off is that there may be limited room for larger pots and pans.
- 60/40 sinks also feature two distinct basins, but with one visibly larger than the other. This allows you to separate tasks, as with a 50/50 sink, but makes soaking bulky pieces of cookware an easier job.
- Three-basin sinks usually consist of a small, central basin between two larger ones. One of the primary draws of this setup is that the garbage disposal can be completely separated from any other tasks you may be doing. It does, however, require a larger amount of countertop space.
Style
A great kitchen sink should be reflective of the room’s overall style. Here are just a few of the popular options that you may encounter:
- Rounded corners are easy to clean and fit well in a contemporary kitchen. They may lack the stark and sleek appearance of a more minimalist or ultramodern room, however – something to keep in mind depending on your design plan.
- The farmhouse style features squared edges and an apron front. It’s a very distinctive look that’s right at home in a classic or traditional kitchen. A true vintage farmhouse sink will have only one basin, but there are two-basin configurations available as well.
- Bowl-shaped sinks do exist, and may be aesthetically pleasing in certain kitchens. That said, they usually have a low volume capacity and therefore won’t be an appealing choice for most setups.
Material
Don’t forget about the impact that your choice in material can have! Tone and texture are some of the most striking and immediate features, and can be the difference between a good sink and a great one.
- Stainless steel is especially popular for its durability and ease of cleaning. It’s a very flexible material: a staple in contemporary kitchens, but works surprisingly well in more traditional setups as well.
- Porcelain is a classic option, and available in a wide variety of colors and patterns. It’s a particularly good fit for traditional-style kitchens, but be gentle when cleaning cookware: porcelain can be prone to chipping when handled roughly.
- Stone can lend any kitchen a stately and classic appearance, and can often be matched exactly to your countertop. It does tend to be a more expensive material, however, and special cleaning products may be required to care for it properly.