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A Guide to Kitchen
Sinks
How to Select the Right Kitchen Sink for Your
Kitchen Design Plans
By Mark J. Donovan
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The kitchen sink is ground zero in every kitchen. It is where
you wash and prepare food and clean up the dishes. It’s also one
of the key focal points when walking into a kitchen. Kitchen
sinks last nearly forever as there are no electrical or
mechanical parts to wear out in them. Consequently it’s
important to get it right when you buy a kitchen sink. It needs
to look aesthetically appealing and match well with the rest of
the kitchen features. And it also needs to be durable.
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Summarized below is a guide to kitchen sink selection to help
you make the right decision when purchasing your own kitchen sink.
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First and foremost when looking for a kitchen sink make sure you
pick a double bowl sink that is large enough and deep enough to
comfortably prepare food, clean dishes and hold dishes. I’ve been
into one too many homes where this wasn’t the case and it was simply
uncomfortable and frustrating to work at the kitchen sink.
Second, have an idea of the features you want to have integrated
into your kitchen sink.
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For example, do you want it to include holes for a single mixed
valve faucet or for separate hot and cold faucets?
Also, do you anticipate wanting a soap dispenser and/or separate
sprayer integrated into the kitchen sink? If so you need to buy a
kitchen sink with the appropriate number of holes placed in it. In
addition, you may want to consider a kitchen sink that includes an
integral drainer and/or cutting board in it.
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Third in the kitchen sink guide is determining what type of
material you want the kitchen sink to be made out of. Common
kitchen sink material options include stainless steel, enameled
metal, cast iron, porcelain, and quartz composite. If you are
going with soapstone countertops you can even consider
integrating a soapstone kitchen sink into the countertop. You
also need to consider if you want to purchase a drop in kitchen
sink that rests on top of the kitchen countertop or an
under-counter mounted kitchen sink.
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I prefer the under-counter mounted kitchen sink as it provides a
cleaner look and does a better job of catching and funneling food
and liquid spills on the counter into the sink.
Forth, make sure you understand the size of the kitchen sink your
countertops and cabinetry can support. Buy one too large, and you
may find yourself running back to the store.
If you are aiming for a stainless steel kitchen sink, keep in mind
that all stainless steel kitchen sinks are not made the same. The
thicker the gauge steel used, typically the higher the quality the
sink is, as well as the price. Stainless steel is ideal for kitchen
sinks as it won’t rust and it will deflect ever so lightly when a
glass is accidentally dropped in it, for example, thus mitigating
the glass breaking. They are also easy to maintain. Cast iron and
enameled metal kitchen sinks look beautiful, however they are not as
forgiving as a stainless steel sink when items are accidentally
dropped into them. Enameled kitchen sinks can also chip.
So when you go out shopping for a kitchen sink consider all of these
points when making your kitchen sink selection.
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How to Finance your Kitchen Remodeling Project -
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Related information on Kitchen Remodeling
Additional Kitchen Design Resources
Kitchen Faucets and Appliances from Amazon.com
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