What Is the Best Type of Kitchen Sink?

The best type of kitchen sink is the one that suits your needs the most. If you prefer that your sink match the color of your cabinets and countertops, then the enamel-coated cast iron sinks are the choice for you. The one downside of these sinks is the chipping and staining of its finish. However, periodic refinishes will correct this problem. Many people prefer stainless steel sinks because they do not stain or chip. Still others select to have a custom concrete sink, or a sink lined with ceramic tiles. There are several styles of stainless steel sinks, and the best one will be the solution to your total kitchen design.

Gourmet kitchen sinks are customized with extra-added features, suitable for a professional gourmet kitchen, such as a pot filler faucet and a cutting board. They may have a draining board incorporated in its design, as well as a prep sink and a main sink. There are numerous ways to design a gourmet kitchen sink.

A single bowl sink is ideal for handling large pots. Single-bowl sinks are the most standard sinks, and they existed long before there were other kitchen sink options. These single bowl sinks can come in a variety of sizes, and can be used as the main sink or as a kitchen island sink.

The double bowl sink design replaced the single bowl design as the most common kitchen sink. These sinks offer a greater flexibility for kitchen usage, such as having one bowl for washing and one for rinsing dishes, or one bowl can be used for food prep, while the other is used for dirty dishes. Also, more than one person can be at the sink, handling two different tasks.

A triple bowl sink is ideal for someone who needs to manage several sink tasks at once. It offers more flexibility than the double bowl sink, although the bowls are sometimes much smaller. If you have large loads of dishes, you may want to consider a large triple bowl sink for your kitchen design. These sinks can accommodate three people at a time.

The farmhouse, or apron front, style sink has gained popularity over the recent years. These sinks are single bowled, and are very large and deep to accommodate big pots and lots of dishes. Its design, however, calls for a special farmhouse cabinet to support its weight and design. This is an excellent choice for large families or big cooks.

Self-rimming sinks are the more standard way to mount a sink into your countertop. For years, sinks were basically installed through the top of a hole cut into the kitchen counter. The rim of the sink securely holds the sink in place, and they are usually secured further by brackets, caulk and the drain pipe connection. This is also the easiest type of sink to remove, should you need to replace a damaged kitchen sink. However, the edges can accumulate debris, so take extra care to scrub around the sink edges when cleaning.

Undermount sinks are mounted under the countertop to eliminate the seams between the sink and the counter, as in the self-rimming sink. This recessed sink allows for easy cleanup of the kitchen counters, and the sinks are somewhat concealed by the counter's surface. The undermounted sinks are designed for only solid material counters, such as silestone, granite or concrete, as water damage will occur if used with layered countertops, such as the plywood base of laminate and tile countertops.