The kitchen seems the heart of a home, and the kitchen sink is one of the most hard-working functions. You wash hands, wash dishes, rinse and repeat, we use the kitchen sink for different tasks. So the sink needs to be both functional, durable and shapely. This article introduces how to choose the kitchen sink in the following areas: material, shape, and installation. Hoping it will be a little helpful to homeowners and builders. Normally, Cosyhome can provide kitchen sinks. You can also get by yourself and tell us the detailed measurement and installation way.
Material
We all hope that our sink is durable and beautiful, both consider the aesthetics and maintenance requirements. We are all sick of dirty sinks when we are preparing food. Thus, we need to choose the right material first. Here Cosyhome introduces several common materials, and their pros and cons.
1. Stainless steel kitchen sinks
A stainless steel kitchen sink is one of the most popular choices, which is suitable for modern style. It is made from good quality 304 serials. Cosyhome’s sink is with 1.1mm thickness 304. And the surface is flat and smooth, there are sound-deadening coatings and pads in the back face that can reduce the noise produced. While some low-quality 304, the thickness is 0.5mm-0.7mm, and the surface is a little rough.
Pros: It is very durable, lightweight, cost-efficient, and easy to clean.
Cons: The color choices are limited, black and silver are universal colors. Dishes drops in a stainless steel sink can be noisy.
How to Protect: We can use the wet cloth and sponge, mix with soap or cleaning powder container calcium and sodium carbonate. Please do not use a metallic pad or bleach, nasty stains are not welcome.
2.Composite stone-made sink
The composite sink is more and more popular, which has the aesthetics of granite or quartz. It is made from stone( granite or quartz stone) with PMMA（polymethyl methacrylate）, which is about 85% stone and about 15% resin.Cosyhome can provide colorful composite stone-made sinks, like pink, white, cream, grey, black, etc, which are from international famous brands.
Pros: Composite stone-made sink is strong, and is heat, stain, and scratch-resistant. It even can resist 537 degrees Fahrenheit heart. The Anti-bacterial surface is easy to clean
Cons: It may damage the items that drop on it. Because itself is very heavy. Also, it requires careful maintenance, especially the lighter-colored composite sink.
How to protect： Please do not expose it to extreme heat, for example, place the hot pan on the surface. It’s better to scrub the surface with a sponge and a mild cleaner, because of the matt finish.
3.Pure Ceramic sink
The ceramic sink is the top choice for the traditionalists, extremely durable and glossy. It is a mixture of clay and various minerals. Because clay is soft, so the ceramic shape can be different.
Pros: It is easy to maintain and clean. It can resist scratching, and will not rust, discolor.It provides enduring beauty for your traditional kitchen.
Cons: The conventional color is white, and the sink may chip. The surface will leave marks and scuffs if you use a metal pan or abrasive sponge.
How to protect: Use the soft and non-abrasive sponge to clean stains, with mild acid like vinegar. Please do not throw heavy cookware or sharp knives on the ceramic sink.
4.Acrylic sink
The acrylic sink is made from acrylic,
fiberglass, and composite, which is colorful. Imagine that one green kitchen
sink brings vitality to the whole kitchen
Pros: It can resist stain and impact, easy to clean. The weight is light. The colors can be pink, orange, blue, green, gray, yellow, etc.
Cons: It can not stand the high heat. Some suppliers use calcium powder as a filler material, so it will cause the surface will turn yellow quickly.
How to protect: Please do not put the hot pan on it. You can use toothpaste to repair the scratch.
5.Natural stone sink
The Natural stone sink combines with the natural stone benchtop, which looks like a unit. The natural stone sink is made from pure marble or granite.
Pros: The block of stone combined with the benchtop, which is shiny and makes the kitchen sparkle. It exactly matches the countertop and special.
Cons: The cost is much more expensive than other kitchen sink types. It has the potential risk of scratch and chip, because of the natural stone. And marble is porous, so acidic foods can burn it.
How to protect: You need to wipe the surface by using clean water and cloth after using.
Cosyhome can provide the above five types of kitchen sinks. And the quality is guaranteed. As for other materials, there are cooper sinks, cast iron sinks,etc. We will check the inventory when we discuss the kitchen cabinet.
Shape
The shape of the kitchen sink mostly depends on our use habits and kitchen sizes. Here Cosyhome divided the kitchen sink into single, double, and triple sinks. There is also different subdivision below each kind. We will introduce the cons, pros of different shapes.
1.Single basin sink
It is single and has no divided basin. The
measurement can be big large or small.The length is from 350mm-830mm. Also, the
shape can be round or square.
Pros: The small single sink is suitable for a small kitchen or single bar cabinet. And the big single sink is welcome for its generous bowl size. You can prepare a large quantity of food and soak or wash a big pan easily.
Cons: It’s not a very good multi-tasker, because you can only do one thing at a time. You can separate dirty and clean dishes at one sink, and if part of the sink is contaminated, the whole sink is contaminated.
2.Double basin sink
The double sink can work for different tasks at the same time. Cosyhome can provide three different types of double sinks based on your need. An equal size double sink /one small and one large sink/ corner sink. Here we explain one by one for you, hoping you can know more about the double basin sink.
2.1 Equal double size kitchen sink (a 50/50 sink)
Pros: It allows separate tasks at the same time. The meat and vegetables do not mix in the sink. And you can prepare at one sink, clean at the other sink.
Cons: The long-handled pots cannot fit in the equal double sink in most cases. It occupies a lot of benchtop space. The food particles may get stuck in the side without garbage disposal.
2.2 Offset-style kitchen sink(60/40, 65/45 around)
Pros: It is suitable for different multi-tasking styles. You can prepare in the smaller basin, and clean up in the large one. And soap in one basin, rinse water in the other.
Cons: The smaller basin makes it harder to soak and wash a large quantity of food.
2.3 Lower divider double kitchen sink
Pros: The combination of a single basin and double sink. The long-handled pot can fit in the sink so that you can soak and wash it comfortably.
Cons: The one-sided water overflows the divider if you need deep water. Also,the big broiler pans are unable to fit.
3. Three basin kitchen sink
The three basin kitchen sinks are consist of two large ones and one small basin. And the small one will install the garbage disposal. Sometimes, three same-size basins or three different size basins.
Pros: You can do three different tasks at the same time. And you can use the garbage disposal separately.
Cons: It takes up a large amount of countertop space.
4.Sink with built-in drainboards
single sink or double sink with built-in drainboards.The drainboard sink combines the sink with a counter-level drainboard.
Pros: Keep the countertop clean and dry.The drainboards provide space for wet plates, fruits, and vegetables to dry after washing.
Cons: It eats up countertop space. And it is hard to clean the drainboard’s grooves.
5.Corner sink
position at an angle, form a right angle
Pros: It fits into a corner and can save more counter space than some large double-bowl sinks.
Cons: It is hard to find the corner sink, because of the small demand. The cost is high and requires precise cutting for the benchtop.
Installation
After we choose the material, shape of the kitchen sink, then it comes to the installation. The Installation way will affect sanitation and aesthetics. Here Cosyhome will introduce several installation methods. If Cosyhome provides the kitchen sink for you, you only need to tell the installation way. Then we will drill the sinkhole according to the sink. If you get the kitchen sink at your side, you only need to share the detailed sink measurement and installation way with us.
1.Top mount sink installation
The sink is placed above the countertop, and the sink’s caliber is wider than the countertop. And using glass cement to fix the sink
Pros: The installation process is easy, it doesn’t need special skills.
Cons: It wouldn’t be easy to sweep water and debris from the counter straight into the sink because the sink rim prevents that. And the glass cement will turn moldy and flavescent.
2.Integrate sink installation
The integrated sink is shaped into the countertop, which creates a continuous look to the countertop. The sink rim is at the same level as the benchtop.
Pros: It makes the more harmonious between sink and countertop. You can easy to sweep water and debris from the counter straight into the sink.
Cons: It also needs the glass cement around, and the small gap between sink and countertop, is easy to germinate bacteria. This installation way requires a master hand.
3. Undermount sink installation way
The under-mount sink is the most popular way. The under-mount sink attaches beneath the countertop, which provides a seamless drop from the counter into the sink.
Cons: The gunk will collect under the counter, and need special clips to attach to the bottom of the counter.
Pros: Undermount sinks have a seamless and clean look. There is no rim to get in the way, so it is easy to sweep countertop water and crumbs straight into the sink with a sponge.
4. Apron sinks(farmhouse sink) installation way
The apron sink spills over the front sink counter a bit, its’ nickname is the farmhouse sink. The traditionalist will choose this because of the vintage vibe.
Pros: It can provide the classic farmhouse charm. You can avoid fatigue when standing closer to the sink, no need to bend forward as far as to do the dishes.
Cons: Apron sinks are prone to dripping because there is a barrier between the sink and flooring. The cost is much higher than others.
Appreciate your patience in reading this long article. Cosyhome provides a good quality kitchen cabinet and good quality kitchen sink. If you need more information, please contact us directly.Any questions are welcome.