Which kitchen sink?

[MyChildDoesntNeedSleep]

Okay, my new kitchen is going in a week tomorrow. I've got everything sorted apart from the sink. I've sold my dishwasher to make way for my new integrated one, and so am washing up by hand. This has reminded me how much I hate the sink I have. When I'm washing- especially big things like baking trays- it seems to splash everywhere and soak the floor. I have been assured my sink is a standard size...is it just that I'm crap at washing by hand as I haven't done it for ten years or so??? I can't figure out if it is my sink at fault, or the taps, or what?


Any words of wisdom on buying a new sink? What do you love or hate about your sink?

I thought I was going to go for those new composite sinks, but I saw one a friend had, and it seemed to show dirt up really easily. I've heard they don't scratch easily, though, and will look great years later where a stainless steel one will looked scratched.

Help! (Just over a week to go!)

[FishfingersAreOK]

Watching with interest - though I know I am going to probably end up with stainless steel undermounted (I think that is the term) 1.55 sink. Set under my lovely granite worktop if we can afford it

[aylsham]

Please look at my link on lessons learned on kitchens and tell me what you think. Thanks

[PigletJohn]

composite, corian, reconstituted stone, Asterite and similar sinks do get stained and scratched. It takes quite a long time for the scratches to accumulate to a bad surface.

tea stains can be cleaned off with bleach, denture tablets or dishwasher tablets. Rust marks, from tins and oven trays, have to be abraded away with Barkeepers Friend, after which it will never be as shiny as when new. If you get a mottled dark sink, it will still show the dirt and never look really clean.

Oven trays can be very big. I put mine in the dishwasher, or half submerged in the sink to scrub.

I'd go for a 1.5 brushed stainless with drainer. If you want a really big one, look at Catering sinks. They are usually in a thicker and harder-wearing metal alloy and not so shiny. More metallic grey (like an old Sabatier knife) than silvery blue. They usually (always?) sit on top of the units, not inset into the worktop. This means there is much less chance of water getting into the edge of the worktop.

[IHeartKingThistle]

We've got a modern ceramic one, I think the make is Franke. It is a thing of beauty but I'm a bit scared of chipping it!

[FishfingersAreOK]

aylsham - had a look and my first thought was why? Why the three bits. If you have room for a double one or a 1 and three quarters - then I would absolutely (My MIL has this - though in stainless steel as is brilliant) But that 3rd little bit....just extra faff to clean. Cannot see why three - and to me it just looks a bit "busy"

So first, second and third thoughts (to match the sink) Why?

Hope have not offended and would be intrigued as to an answer if there is one . Though utterley think if this is what you want and you see the whys behind it go for it...

http://www.sinksandtaps.com/acatalog/franke_BELFAST_ceramic_2_5_Bowl_sink_VBK_771.html

Link above

[fossil97]

Run a mile from composite sinks. IME (I've had 2) it takes about 2 years for the limescale, scratches and tea stains to become unremovable. The manufacturer's recommendation (to comply with guarantee) is to rinse, clean and dry the sink after every single use!

Stainless steel can still be cleaned and polished even if it gradually develops fine scratches/a scrubbed look. It's a sink - I really think it's unrealistic to expect something you use for all your dirtiest washing and cooking to stay immaculate itself.

OTOH Some sink bowls are definitely bigger than others - look carefully at dimensions in the catalogues. Franke and Carron Phoenix do some large, deep ones. eg. google for Carron Phoenix Aria 150

Have you ordered a certain size of cabinet/worktop to fit the sink in if your kitchen is already on order?

[MyChildDoesntNeedSleep]

aylsham, have you got a link to that thread?

piglet why brushed stainless steel? Is it not as shiny as non-brushed?

fossil you've convinced me not to go for composite. My housekeeping skills don't lend to that kind of maintenance! Ahh, didn't think about the cabinetry...will ring the kitchen company in the morning to check if there are any restrictions. Thanks for that!

[aylsham]

www.sinksandtaps.com/acatalog/franke_BELFAST_ceramic_2_5_Bowl_sink_VBK_771.html

The reason for this choice is its not as deep as,double butler sink - which I'd prefer - and it is to rest on existing floor cabinet

[IHeartKingThistle]

this is ours only the other way round. Love it!

[MyChildDoesntNeedSleep]

That looks nice 'I heart'. (on phone, so can't format)
How long have you had it? What do you use the half bowl bit for? Am planning on a single bowl, but willing to be convinced overwise.

[PigletJohn]

Mychild

Brushed stainless is more practical than mirror-finish because it is not spoiled by watermarks scratches or usage marks or even fingermarks.

If necessary you can clean it with a nylon pan scourer without spoiling it. In extremis a brillo pad is much harsher but will look very much worse on a polished item.

Sinks will always have pans, utensils and bits of cooker put in them so are not going to look like they do in the showroom.

[IHeartKingThistle]

They do that sink without the half bowl and it does look a bit more streamlined. We have a waste disposal so that sits in the half bit which is great for that purpose. It's been in since July and looking good!

[libelulle]

We just got a Carron phoenix maui 1 1/2 bowl and one of the things I really like about it is that it's quite deep - we've been using a temporary sink for the past 4 months while the rest of the build was being finished and it seemed fine at the time, but now we have the finished product in place it's great to be able to wash up big items without too much water spraying all over the shop. Wasn't too expensive either apart from the stainless steel surround we got it set into which cost a fecking fortune .

[aoldermm23]

Yes the COMPOSITE SINKS, (if nice and deep), are IMPOSSIBLE TO CLEAN WELL and certainly NOT INDESTRUCTIBLE. In addition to the scale and tea stains and rust dots:- my sink has two large semi-circle BROWN INDENTATIONS from "dumping" an over-heated pan into the yellowish sink. I emailed CARRON PHOENIX but they provided me with no comment, nor advice. I wish that we (heavy tea-drinkers) owned a dark brown sink instead, but other comments seem to suggest that these are no good either.