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Original poster

Talk to me about your kitchen sink...

32 replies

lifesabitchandthenyoudie · 18/07/2023 09:02

We (oh and I) are having a heated debate totally reasonable grown-up discussion about what to do with our grotty old stainless steel sink and worktop. We can spend a bit but don't want to go over the top i.e. granite and ceramic, but do want it to last well and it to work properly. He thinks a new SS sink will be fine... We only have 600ml depth to work with currently as we don't want to change the cupboards underneath. (although if I have to I will make him suggest it). There is also a corner cupboard in the run that would have to be changed if we did, what can you do with them?

I like the composite ones with drainage, he's stressing about our current drainer and whether it will fit (obviously we can get a new one) and about where the tap will go (can't go behind the whole sink as there won't be room, I think?) We currently have a single tap in the middle, personally I prefer two smaller taps (unfashionable, I know but I think they're more practical!)

Tell me your setups, please? We need input of ideas!

OP posts:

user1471505356 · 18/07/2023 09:14

Have a composite sink stains badly, impossible to clean.

bravotango · 18/07/2023 09:20

Undermount stainless steel sink with draining grooves cut into the worktop. Composite sinks stain, ceramic ones look great but you can't drop anything in them in my experience! Undermount sinks come in a variety of depths so taps behind should not be an issue

morelippy · 18/07/2023 09:22

bravotango · 18/07/2023 09:20

Agree with this. I've had almost all and would always always prefer just this.

TropicalTrama · 18/07/2023 09:23

Stainless steel, under mount. Quartz worktop. Opted against draining grooves as we have 2 dishwashers so no intention of hand washing anything 🤣

Allthegoodnamesarechosen · 18/07/2023 09:27

user1471505356 · 18/07/2023 09:14

Have a composite sink stains badly, impossible to clean.

I’m sort of pleased to hear this, I thought it might just be me. We inherited a white composite sink, I spend a fortune ( luckily hyperbole as it is Tesco cheapie) on bleach. I would love to have it replaced but it would mean a new worktop of five metres with the gas hob cutout as well….just too hard.

the best sinks (and I have had many ) are traditional ceramic, they are easy to clean, difficult to damage and very robust. I have installed one with a drainer in the utility, DH can even clean the barbecue in it without fear.

Pootles34 · 18/07/2023 09:31

I love my ceramic sink - I was worried about dropping stuff as I'm incredibly clumsy (I have dyspraxia) but not broken anything yet, and we've had it over a year. The only issue is you do get scuffs from heavier pans, but you can get them out with Barkeepers Friend.

Original poster

lifesabitchandthenyoudie · 18/07/2023 09:52

Interesting thank you! Do the dark colours stain in the same way? Was thinking black or dark grey... although will look into stainless again... perhaps a better quality one = not so scratchy/tinny?

@TropicalTrama how do you manage to not have any handwashing? We seem to end up with a wide range of stuff that 'can't'/'won't' go in; recycling (labels); big aluminium pot; special glasses (takes the pictures off); etc etc; even my favourite cutlery ended up spotted!

OP posts:

TropicalTrama · 18/07/2023 10:13

2 dishwashers and don’t buy anything that isn’t dishwasher safe!

Caspianberg · 18/07/2023 10:17

We have under mount ceramic sink, with ceramic worktop so it’s seemless. No drainer.
don’t miss having a drainer at all. We have a dishwasher for 90% of stuff. And I just put a fresh tea towel down to put any large pans or wooden stuff, then dry them straight away and tea towel gone. So it also stops us leaving stuff to drain and create clutter.

Time40 · 18/07/2023 10:25

I've got a white ceramic butler's sink at the moment - I absolutely bloody hate it, with a passion. For one thing it's only a single, and I think a double, or at least a one-and-a-half is essential, and for another the damn thing won't stay clean for longer than five seconds. Stainless steel all the way for me, if I have a choice. (I know what you mean about having two taps, OP - I'd prefer that, too.)

Bax765 · 18/07/2023 10:29

We have a black composite sink and have no issues with staining.

We've got one of the taps which you can pull down like a hose to spray, which might be a compromise on two separate taps?

Original poster

lifesabitchandthenyoudie · 18/07/2023 10:55

haha you're all much better organised than we are! I like the idea of 'draining' onto a tea towel though...
@Bax765 yes I like that sort of tap too...

OP posts:

GasPanic · 18/07/2023 11:18

I had new quartz overlay worktops fitted and a grey composite sink (for "free"!)

I like it. It doesn't stain. The worktops are good too, although they were a bit expensive. The fitter was excellent.

CornedBeef451 · 18/07/2023 11:26

I've had a range of sinks but still think a stainless steel one is the easiest to clean.

I currently have a built in drainer but it doesn't drain, water just lurks and festers until I scrub it and dry it, utterly useless.

LibertyLily · 18/07/2023 12:32

We have a double ceramic butler's sink and I love it....so much so that this is the fifth one we've had over the years, although the first was a single.

We did consider an undermount stainless steel sink this time (2018), but didn't want the hassle of it constantly getting scratched.

Nothing has ever been dropped or broken in any of ours, but this is probably because we do majority of the washing up in the dishwasher and that which doesn't go in is washed in a plastic bowl before being rinsed in the second sink.

Our worktops are iroko which isn't a popular choice on mumsnet but again we're really happy with them and prefer it to the granite we chose a few houses back. Previously when we had an undermounted ceramic sink we had drainage grooves in the worktops but we've decided they're not necessary, so didn't bother this time - instead we just use a rubber/plastic grooved mat.

I absolutely love our insanely expensive articulated tap that has the appearance of a pot filler and can be angled/swung to fill either sink (pics attached)!

CornedBeef451 · 18/07/2023 12:34

@LibertyLily I like that tap and your wallpaper!

Ambi · 18/07/2023 12:37

I have hard water here and my favourite sink was a white ceramic mounted sink. I have a dishwasher so don't use it for washing up but the ceramic was so easy to keep clean.

Cally102 · 18/07/2023 13:00

We have a black composite sink. We bought the brabantia drainer which works for us. We hand wash everything.

Original poster

lifesabitchandthenyoudie · 19/07/2023 07:39

@LibertyLily I like your style!

@Cally102 thanks for the brabantia plug (geddit?) I need to research drainers too!

We're planning a trip to have a proper look at stuff. Might go well... might mean I move to Australia...

OP posts:

Augend23 · 19/07/2023 07:46

Do people with black sinks have hard water? I would assume it would get terribly lime scaley very quickly, but maybe it isn't too bad?

dudsville · 19/07/2023 07:52

I grew up with ceramic, so i think back with fondness over the few dings the ones from my childhood had, and it's my preference, easy to clean and make look nice. To me stainless steel looks awful in a home, even in a modern industrial style kitchen, also it is vulnerable to marks. I don't know what is wrong with the manufacturing of composite but it stains so badly - there was one in this house when we moved. Awful thing.

JaukiVexnoydi · 19/07/2023 07:53

Undermount double-bowl stainless steel sink. Didn't go for getting grooves cut for drainage as I wanted to be flexible on usage - I have a drainer basket that can either nest in one of the sinks or be out on the side, and a josephjoseph drainer board that can either sit on the side with that basket on top of it, or can sit over the top of one sink if I need more worktop space.

The one thing I dislike is the way that grimy scum collects around the base of the tap as that area always gets splashed and doesn't drain properly. If I did the design again I would like to see if it's possible to shape the bit of worktop between the sink and the splashback to have a slight slope down into the sink so that it drains, and would find a way to mount the taps on the splasback wall rather than coming out of the work top because I hate cleaning around fiddly taps.

JenniferAllisonPhillipaSue · 19/07/2023 08:04

We have a black composite sink. it's horrible. I think the home owners before us were very fond of bleach, as it's got light patches and looks grim. I have to hide the worst of it under a washing up bowl. As ceramic would be well out of my price range, I'll go back to stainless steel when the kitchen is revamped.

QuitMoaning · 19/07/2023 08:11

I have a black schock granite waterfall 1.5 bowl sink. It is about 6 years old and apart from some really tiny scratches on the overflow thingy it is immaculate. I have hard water in the kitchen tap and it still is absolutely fine. No staining whatsoever.

mondaytosunday · 19/07/2023 08:25

I have a white composite sink with Quooker boiling water tap. Love it.

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