Quartz worktops and sinks. Exciting! ;-)

[LadyDuplo]

We're having a new kitchen and we're in the process of deciding what we're getting etc.

Modern grey doors, with slimline handles. Range cooker and American fridge freezer.

For the worktops we're going for quartz. I really like the set in sinks or the sinks that sit underneath, with the groove tracks in the quartz for the draining board.

Dh wants an overset sink with traditional draining board as part of the sink. He's worried about the lip of the sink / worktop going mouldy with an in-set sink.

Does anyone have the same as what my dh wants? Are you happy with it?

Any views / opinions welcome

We’re also just in the process of ordering our new kitchen and it’s sooo exciting isn’t it!

We have decided on a lush white quartz on our island and iroko or walnut on the other Work surfaces.

As for sinks we are also thinking of a undermount one but as we will be having wood, I think it’s maybe not the best idea? I’m sure quartz doesn’t go mouldy or anything around water...but maybe someone who has it will be able to let you know for definite.

Ours is underneath, no issues. Looks more modern than a traditional drainer.

Thanks both for your responses.

Any other views out there, mumsnetters?

We've got an inset sink with quartz, no issues, looks great.

My parents have one with granite, it's twelve years old now and still looks great!

My parents have an inset one with quartz. Still looks good as new.

I think if you're going for an expensive worktop you don't want to cover it up and a stainless steel drawing board could look cheap on top.

We’ve got an undermount composite sink in our quartz worktop. I love it. To me it looks sleeker and more modern. We decided against drainer grooves because I’ve heard they never work properly and also I felt it limited the use of that part of the worktop to solely draining (we don’t do a lot of washing up). Instead I just bought a nice Joseph & Joseph draining rack that comes out when we need it and lives in a cupboard the rest of the time. We’re only a couple of months in to using the sink but no issues with marks etc thus far.

We do have an over mount sink in the utility but again not with a draining board because I just really prefer the sleeker look without. It’s all personal preference though but I wanted to see my beautiful quartz not a draining board!

We have inset sink with quartz. I love it - so much sleeker than a draining board on top and no problems cleaning it.

Pic didn't attach...

Wow sdaisy26 your worktop is so beautiful. Can't wait to get mine now! And you've inspired me to not have the draining grooves too. ( We rarely wash up really also)

Just to clarify some vocab here, I’m pretty sure inset & overmount are the same (but you can either get them with a small rim like my utility or a full on draining board like all sinks used to be).

Undermount is like my kitchen sink, fitting under not sitting on top of the worktop.

But it seems like maybe some people on this thread are using inset to describe undermounted?

It’s so confusing!

Ah sorry yes I mean undermounted apparently! When I was in kitchen-picking mode I was well versed in the lingo but it's all faded now :)

Phew thank you @starsandstuff I feel similar, sure I was fluent in all this a few months ago and now I can’t remember any of it!

I have just chosen a beautiful quartz, I will be having an under mount stainless steel sink. I can’t wait!

sdaisy26

That’s a lovely kitchen! I’ve noticed you have no tiles behind the sink, do the walls get wet or dirty?

(You May have seen a thread I have put up asking if I should tile or have an upstand and I still can’t decide )

We have an inset sink (Corian though) with a stainless steel base as protection for the boiling water tap.
I love it.

@Worieddd Not so far, all holding up well. I really didn’t want tiles, I just wanted something very simple and unfussy that we can then accessorise in our own way.

I figured grout can get pretty horrible anyway, and you still have to clean tiles. We used scrubbable paint and worst case it’s only white so easy to touch up if needed.

Oh wow everyone, thanks for the responses.

I'll be showing this to my Dh.

I agree with all you above

sdaisy gorgeous

I too didn't want to detract from our beautiful quartz and so decided against the drainer grooves in the worktop. Instead we have a large blanco undermounted sink and have this human [[https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-19734341]] that sits in the sink but acts as a drainer too. Honestly it's ace, it sits in the cupboard under the sink if ever I don't want to see it.

Link fail! www.dunelm.com/product/simplehuman-dish-rack-1000007692

I have the drainer grooves. Even though we have a dishwasher it is very useful when rinsing off veg and letting stuff dry.

and the under mounted sink. It is all bloody marvellous as there is nowhere for grime.

I have grooves, but they are over the dishwasher - apparently that was 'standard'. Well that's where the dirty stuff stacks! If I was pans I put down a tea towel and stack the other side. Grooves are just a waste of time on my quartz top.

Definitely do not let your DH put a stainless steel draining board on top of gorgeous quartz. Undermount all the way! We’ve always had undermount (15 yrs) and zero problems. Agree with others - If you put grooves in don’t put above dishwasher as that’s where you’ll end up putting dirty pots.

Under mount. My sink is blanco.

If You have enough room I'd advocate one slightly bigger. But my kitchen is really small and having two bowls was vital for me and they had to fit in a 600mm cabinet. It is slightly tricky to wash the oven trays in there as a result.

No grooves because there were concerns about plugs being located above grooves. I don't often hand wash stuff and when I do I have a plastic countertop drainer that I use and hide the rest of the time.

Thanks all for your views. Really appreciated. And thanks for your photos and links. Loved each one

I'm going to be showing my dh this thread later. Fingers crossed he comes around to our way of thinking! 🤞🏻 wish me luck 😬🍀