Wooden worktops and best kitchen sink?

[Pannacotta]

We'd like to have wooden worktops in our new kitchen, partly as they are much less ££ than granite or quartz but also that they look warmer and more in keeping with the planned kitchen style (ie quite classic).
I'm happy to look after them but hate the black mouldy mess you get behind an inset sink.

What sink would be best to combine with solid wood? We are keen cooks and often have lots of washing up, even with a dishwasher (global knives and non stick pans etc).

I like the sit on sinks like this
www.simplykitchensinks.co.uk/index.asp?SKSID=840&ItemID=2472
but can only find this range in a max 1.5 bowl.

I also like this
www.ikea.com/gb/en/catalog/products/S59897218/ but we'll need some kind of drainer I think.

Any ideas?
TIA

See pics on profile. I have that first sink! You can get it as just a single - or you could when I got mine in 2009. Wickes have it their range, or at least they did.

I have it with walnut worktops and it is fine. I have one very small black spot but it is easy to sand out. I got my worktops online from barncrest.

Here

Hello cece I thought you might see this.

I love your sink but I just don't think its big enough for us, I really wanted a double bowl so I can wash up in one and prep in the other (or stack washing up in one bowl before loading the dishwasher etc). I think the two bowls will make it much easier to keep the kitchen looking tidy. But I cant find a similar sink with 2 bowls!

We wanted to order walnut and have saved Barncrest as a favourite so thanks for that tip - have looked at your kitchen and links before!!

I stack on the drainer for the dishwasher. Do prep on a chopping board.

That sink comes with a glass chopping board that fits over the large sink area.

Thanks.
I did look at the dimensions and the bowl looks like its a standard size. Do you find it larger than a normal sink? It does look very square so maybe this gives more usable space?

I think the drainer section would end up having a draining rack on it so limited space for stacking.

Wish they offered this in a 2 bowl version...

I bought some lovely oak bench tops off ebay here. Much better than the ikea ones we had in previous house. Also the kitchen guy who helped us was impressed with them. They have been in 3 months and doing very well.

Sinks - I just have a round stainless steel one with drainer nothing very exciting - I like your first choice.

Sounds like this might be for you? I have seen one like this in France badged Allia, as here - perhaps you could go on a sink cruise rather than a booze cruise? They can be built onto a (robust) normal unit although you wouldn't get any appliances under.

For steel sinks Blanco have a range of sit-on ones, also Rangemaster used to do a huge double steel sink set into a steel benchtop.

We had this dilemma (as you can see I looked at a lot of sinks) and have ended up with teak/iroko worktops and the Ikea double ceramic sink. I think the worktop timber is as much the issue, oak seems to be especially sensitive to staining, and it also depends what you treat it with.

Thanks fossil fot the links.
I like the ceramic ones but have had one before and it always looked grubby.
I have seen the Blanco sink but its no bigger than the Astracast despite the hefty price tag, but that is the style I am after.
I have also seen a Leisure one which is basically a 2m length of s steel with two drainers and moulded sinks, but I dont think it will work with a dishwasher under, am going to look into that.
HAve also seen this which looks practical but isnt very nice looking
aprilskitchen.co.uk/ovw_main.asp?xREC=1697&NewId=1&PTYP=Sink

I am thinking we might get walnut or teak rather than oak, for the reasons you give. How is your worktop holding up?
Did you get an IKEA Domsjo sink?

icapture your oak looks like a good price too.
How do you find it in terms of staining etc?

Hello again. Kitchens! I like the one in your first link, I do a lot of cooking too and think that would work for me (have filed the link - same dilemma as I love walnut worktops too). I also like the double Ikea ceramic one.

Would you have room in your kitchen design for another smaller prep sink somewhere else, if you're concerned that 1.5 bowls isn't enough? My builder friend is an excellent cook and always factors an extra sink into his own kitchens.

Or (I'm considering this) just have a granite "station" around the sink, then wood everywhere else? I think granite and wood can work together?

Must remember to post our house plans for your perusal...

Meant to say granite around sinks would obviously give more flexibility with choice!

I have a white ceramic butler's sink at present and find a quick swish with bleach cleans it up well (not exactly environmentally sound though) even though it's at least 12 years old and not top quality.

BTW I went to Harvey Jones last Friday! Liked the linear range but think I still prefer the simple shaker style, I just think it would fit our house better. I'm also a bit concerned that the simple painted finish might scratch easily with boisterous DS 4yrs, a dog and 2 cats.

Wish I could just wake up one morning and the fairies had installed a fab new kitchen diner..

Am I right in thinking wooden work-tops need re-treating every 6 months or so? Obviously they don't cope well left wet for any period of time.

i am looking for a sink at the mo and found this one that might fit in with what you are looking for. inset though but quite bigh double bowl etc

Do you want me to measure the holes in my sink?

We've just had beautiful wide stave oak worktops put in and we went for this sink - similar to the one you like

Astracast

The carpenter/designer who did the worktops and lots of other stuff in kitchen - they're top guys - said this sort of sink is the best for wooden worktops. Because of the lip over the side and the position of the tap.

It looks fabulous, too

Sorry, Astracast Vantage 1.5 bowl

Thanks all, food for thought.
We did wonder about mixing up eg granite and wood with granite round the sink, but I think it would look odd where they meet, there isnt a discreet way to do this. NO room for another sink unless we put in an island, which means knocking out a cupboard, which could be pricey.

cece, the sizes are on the website thnks and look pretty standard. Do you find the large bowl ok size wise? Big enough for eg a roasting tray?

Nomore I need to avoid inset if we go for wood, we had this combo in our last kitchen and its v hard to keep the wood at the back dry.

gobbly your sink looks v swish but is also inset, do you have yours fitted in a parcticular way (hard to tell from the link)? Is the gap at the front of the worktop (as the sink is only 500mm deep)?

amazonian have you had any more designs drawn up? I think we will stick with shaker style, perhaps bit more forgiving/low key which we need in our kitchen (ie not too high maintenance)!

My roasting tray fits in the large sink to soak but tbh I never do any washing up in it. I have dishwasher for that ! LOL

I think I need to buy some new pans - all ours need to be handwashed so I wash up at least twice a day!
Dishwasher always seems to be on too, we generate lots of washing up, must eat too much!

I'm waiting for plans from 2 designers now. However we are now thinking of NOT moving the kitchen to a different part of the house, but keeping it in the same place and extending at the back to provide a dining area. Our sixth proposal in as many years . I really must post our house plans for some wise Mumsnet advice! We still need to replace the units though as ours are looking very dated.

Have you decided on a cabinet colour yet? And supplier?

DO post your plans, I think you may have a similar layout to us, or at least similar issues.
We have been round the houses but are now keeping our layout the same and working with what we have - less hassle and expense.

Still undecided re cabinet colour and supplier but think I know what design we will go for, which has taken over a year of bloomin dithering!

I've got the Ikea sink, not fitted yet, kitchen fitter is here this week. Neither side is huge but each is a reasonable size for washing up or stacking or preparing stuff.

I know about soaking roasting trays but TBH there will always be something too big. My mother has managed all her married life with a small standard sink and washing up bowl and produces stonking roast dinners! I'm more worried about someone dropping a cast iron pot in it (makes note to buy sink bottom mat).

I spent months combing the internet for double bowl, sit-on stainless sinks with big bowls, and came back to the Ikea one. With wood worktops so popular I'm surprised there isn't more choice.

I should say my worktops are reclaimed teak for sustainability reasons (former school worktops) so they are not as "perfect" as new ones would be. Iroko is supposed to be a good resilient wood as well.

Thanks fossil, I do agree its odd there isnt more choice of worktops given how many people have wood.
Can I ask where you found your teak from? I love the idea of reclaimed worktop and did google after I read your post didnt find much on-line - we are short of reclaim yards round here.

We do cook quite a bit, often casseroles/roasts/risottos so it would be good if we had a sink which would accommodate the pans etc but I know its not a big deal, just nice if I could find sth which ticks the boxes.

Thanks for that link, I did see that sink on my internet travels and it looks great, other than we have a space of 2.3m so its just a tad too short
Also not sure you could fit a dishwasher under it.