Can't decide on sink for new kitchen- please help

[eleflump]

Just about to order our new kitchen in the next couple of days and I can't decide what to do about the sink.

After looking at so many photos of perfect kitchens I had decided on an 1.5 bowl undermount composite sink set into a quartz worktop, but am worried that I am going for style over substance when I think about the reality of how it will be used.

I have a DH and 2 teen DSs who will be washing football boots, golf balls and various other sporting bits and pieces in the sink - we don't have a utility room. Kitchen at the moment is ancient and so I haven't been worried in the past!

I am worried about the quartz round an inset sink possibly chipping, particularly when washing pots and pans (or golf balls!) and wonder if you have this set up whether you can advise on how hard wearing it is?

I want a smart new kitchen but also something that can withstand family life. I can't decide whether a 1.5 bowl or one big sink would be better, and also whether composite or stainless steel would be best.

Do you have a sink and worktop that you would recommend for looking good but also being hard wearing and standing the test of time?

My experience of quartz is that it's extremely hard-wearing. Unless you were actually trying to damage it, then normal use shouldn't be a problem. Stainless steel is also fairly indestructible although you can get fine scratches which can be buffed out, but I'm afraid I have no experience of composite sinks.

Single or 1.5 - depends on how you intend to use it, and the overall size. It's been helpful for us to have the separate small bowl as that has the waste disposal in it - very handy if you've got a few plates in the sink and also need to empty a few more / wash hands / rinse veggies etc. Makes it much more versatile, assuming you have enough space in your large bowl. How large is your under-sink unit?

I have a 1.5 bowl undermounted sink and although it looks good I hate it. It is much too small and annoying. I wish I had put in another big Belfast sink like I have in the utility.

I would go for big sink over 1.5 size Its great yo be able to put any roasting tin in! Found the small one just seemed to get grubby...
I went for steel in the end for practicality.....

The unit under the sink is 600mm I think.

Is an undermount sink smaller than an inset sink - it looks to be but I wasnt sure if it was an optical illusion as there's no surround or draining board on them.

We have an 1.5 bowl inset at the moment - its washing oven trays and large pans that I am worried about.

Quartz worktop: fab, really hardworking and never shows anything
Double Belfast sink: awful. Chipped and scratched from day 2 on saucepans and dropped ramekins in my kitchen.
I didn't choose it but next time I'd go for one huge stainless sink. I think a half sink is just a waste of space given you've said it'll be used for everything.

(Get all your football/rugby players a boot buddy. Fabulous! And keep them out of the love new kitchen )

With 600mm I would just go for a single bowl. With 800mm a 1.5 makes more sense as the large bowl is still wide enough for oven trays etc.

I’ve gone from a 1.5 to one big sink and I love it. It’s so practical. You can always put a basin/wash bowl in to make the washing area smaller but you can’t make a smaller one bigger.

I’ve also gone from an eminently sensible and practical over mounted stainless steel sink and draining board, to a beautiful under mounted Belfast type. The jury is still out. But what it lacks in practicality it makes up in beauty, and I’m much more motivated to take care of it because it’s so pretty.

The best sink we ever had was a Blanco Silgranit single bowl. It was beautiful and super durable.

I wouldn't worry about the quartz but go for the biggest sink you can mine is too small and it's really irritating.

I’d for something in SS, like the Blanco Ettagon. If you’re set on silgranit the Rotan is lovely, but having had one in work we found the silicone between the sink and the worktop constantly stained with tea (careless gits) and impractical.

Stainless steel is most durable and it can be polished up.
I've had three composite/"granite" typesinks and all get stains and scratched areas, one actually cracked and the current one is chipped.

Ceramic are easier to clean - they can always be bleached, but they will chip if something heavy is dropped.

Also, not all sinks are the same, some get much bigger bowls into the 1.5 configuration, so check the width and depth. IME if you have a dishwasher one big sink bowl is fine. If you always wash up in the sink a 1.5 bowl is really useful.

Agree on quartz worktop, they appear to be excellent.

If you don't have another sink I would def def def go for a large sink as possible. We have both, a stylish but useless composite sink, and a big sink that actually gets used to wash and soak roasting tins & pans and washing football boots

Just jumping on this thread as we are having a new kitchen next month, the final decision to be made is chosing a sink. We had decided on a 1.5 bowl insert ceramic sink rather than an undermount sink. We are having quartz worktops. We live in a hard water area, so thought ceramic would be easier to look good.
It is good to have the information on this thread
Does anyone have experience of composite sinks as OP was also querying this?
Thanks

@NotMeNoNo

Stainless steel is most durable and it can be polished up. I've had three composite/"granite" typesinks and all get stains and scratched areas, one actually cracked and the current one is chipped. Ceramic are easier to clean - they can always be bleached, but they will chip if something heavy is dropped.

Also, not all sinks are the same, some get much bigger bowls into the 1.5 configuration, so check the width and depth. IME if you have a dishwasher one big sink bowl is fine. If you always wash up in the sink a 1.5 bowl is really useful.

Agree on quartz worktop, they appear to be excellent.

How do you polish up a stainless steel Sink? Ours in the utility room is trashed from boots, paint brushes etc

@orchidsonabudget have you tried the usual products like barkeepers friend or Pink Stuff?

We went for quartz worktops and a ceramic over mounted sink. The fitter said that was quite an unusual choice… over mounted sinks are (apparently) normally fitted when the worktops are wood or laminate, and under mounted / belfast sinks are normally fitted with quartz / granite etc. worktops.

I really didn’t want an under mounted sink though… I imagine it would be a total pain in the bum to change if it chipped, stained or scratched badly. Also, I’ve seen so many examples with manky silicone where the sink meets the worktops.

I, reluctantly, reverted to stainless steel undermount (with granite worktop) after having a Belfast sink which looked fabulous but was a PITA.

Stainless steel (I think mine is a Blanco one, but Franke are also good) is very durable. I have got a 1.5 bowl, but that's personal preference, as I like to be able to rinse things while the main sink is occupied by soapy things.

That said, I don't much use the sink as I stick everything in the dishwasher.

@orchidsonabudget Vim is the answer (it's now illegal, I think, so I bought some on the black market).

Either that, or the evil stuff that is sold to clean the insides of ovens (Oven Mate?) It's toxic stuff and comes with gauntlets etc, but I have used it on stainless steel sinks to great effect.

In our new kitchen we swapped a 1.5 setup for the biggest single sink we could get. It’s under mounted to a dekton worktop. Rarely used the .5 bit before and think I’ll get more practicality from the single big one. We went for a Blanco sink with a ridge 2/3rds up that you can suspend a small rack from. Like it so far, but only been using for just over 24hrs…!

Could you set up an outdoor sink for the mucky stuff?

This is a v useful thread - have a 1.5 bowl ceramic overmounted one at the moment (on a wooden worktop!), planning to exchange for a 600mm Belfast in new kitchen, but have been nervous about losing the .5 as we do use it for hand-washing, draining food when there is stuff in the "big" sink. I'm planning to keep our fancy rubber washing up bowl which I'm hoping will give the same effect (as @thelegohooverer points out above). I get fed up with washing roasting tins etc in a small sink, and we will be going up to an 850mm fridge so the shelves from that would be a nightmare to deal with in a 400mm sink!

For those with ceramic Belfast sinks, do you find you smash things in it? I love the look of them but when I used one in an Airbnb we stayed in I broke several wine glasses in it as it was so hard and I’m clumsy and used to stainless steel. I’m wondering if I could get one that has the look but is made of different material that’s a bit more forgiving?