A kitchen sink is probably the most used area of a kitchen. From washing vegetables, fruits, draining pastas, to cleaning kitchen, watering plants, you use kitchen sink most frequently. While choosing the sink you must take care of the size of the sink, and the material of the sink. If you are changing the existing sink, you will have to buy a sink that can fit into the existing completely. Otherwise, you can buy sink according to its utility in your kitchen. The sink should not only be aesthetically beautiful, and completely blend into your kitchen, but also it should serve all your requirements. Apart from that, it should stand the rigors of time and serve you for many years without losing its beauty.
Choosing the right material
Today there are many choices for the material of kitchen sink. They can be made up of stainless steel, cast iron, or composite. Let us consider merits of these one by one.
Stainless steel:
If you have counters of granite or engineered stone, then stainless steel sinks are the best choice. They are available in both under mount capability and drop-in models. Stainless steel sinks are most durable and are resistant to cracking and peeling. When shopping for such sink, keep in mind that lower-gauge stainless steel models are more durable. Look out for satin textured finish for protection from scratching.
Enamel-coated cast iron
They were once the standard kitchen sinks. Even now they are popular for their retro look. They are now available in a large array of colors, and are prettiest of all sinks. However they scratch and wear with time and hence are not a good choice for people who are tough on sink.
Composite material
Sinks made from composite material such as quartz composite, polyester/acrylic are attractive, and are available in a wide array of colors. They are friendly on pocket, but are difficult to maintain.
Choosing number of bowls
Kitchen sinks come in a number of configurations. They are available in single bowl, double bowl, and triple bowl models. Your choice of model will depend upon the space in your kitchen and the activities that you will perform in the kitchen.
Single bowl
If you have limited space and do limited cooking, a single bowl sink is sufficient. A large size single bowl sink can be handy to wash large pots in.
Double bowl
A double bowl sink or an 11/2 bowl sink are perfect for most of the kitchens and are the most popular choice.
Triple bowl
In triple bowl sinks, there is a space between two basins for drying items. They are also good in kitchens where there are more than one cooks.
You have also to determine how you want your sink to be mounted. Traditionally kitchens had drop in sinks. They are more difficult to clean. Now under mount style has also become very popular. They mount below the countertop and give seamless finish. Most such sinks are available in stainless steel, and in copper models, but are not available in cast iron.
