174-kitchen-sink-waterOne area of your kitchen that will be used practically every single day is the kitchen sink. It’s often where preparation of meals begins and where the dirty plates collect when the meal ends. With such a heavy responsibility, you should be mindful of a sink’s durability (in addition to style) when planning a new kitchen design.

Kitchen Sink Material

The durability of your kitchen sink is most closely tied to what type of material it is constructed from. The most popular choices include:

  • Stainless Steel: these sinks are great for kitchens with granite or engineered stone countertops as they can be undermounted adding a modern touch to the kitchen. Stainless steel sinks are also very durable, so, if you’re the type to throw plates into the sink, stainless may be the best choice for you. Look for one with sound-absorption technology and the lower gauge steel the better.
  • Enamel-coated Cast Iron: the longtime standard of kitchen sink material has been enamel-coated cast iron, but, with the proliferation of stainless steel sinks, it has become a classic, almost retro, kitchen sink style. Thought durable to most wear and tear, enamel-coated cast iron can scratch and wear over time.
  • Solid Surface: if you’re the type of person who cleans a lot then a solid surface sink is the best option for you. When built into the countertop, solid surface sinks leave no seam to catch and build up gunk. Don’t worry about small scratches because they can be buffed out, but a solid surface sink can chip, so be careful and never place a hot pot or pan directly into this type of sink.

Two Bowls or Not Two Bowls

After choosing a sink material the next decision is what size of sink do you need? Traditionally, kitchen sinks have been split into two similar sized bowls to make hand washing dishes an easier task, but now that every kitchen is equipped with a dishwasher this doesn’t have to be the norm.

Though most dishes are handled by the dishwasher nowadays there is still the need to hand wash the occasional pot or pan, so it is a good idea to go for one oversized bowl for your kitchen sink. This will allow for soaking the extra dirty items and hand washing the large or oddly shaped items.

If space is limited, but you still would like a two bowl sink, consider having one oversized bowl and one smaller, second bowl. If you want the two bowl sink, and space is not limited, you could go with one oversized and one normal sized bowl – or go crazy with two oversized bowls.

Whether you like a stainless steel two bowl sink or a solid surface sink with one oversize bowl it’s important to consider the pros and cons of any style. By choosing the right kitchen sink for your kitchen in the design phase you can save yourself from problems down the road.