All You Need to Know About Kitchen Sinks But Never Thought to Ask

In the first of an ongoing series, Houzz NZ's new kitchen expert explains the many and varied mysteries behind the kitchen sink.

There are several factors to consider when choosing the perfect kitchen sink for your project. Whether it’s for a new kitchen project, or a simple benchtop change in an existing kitchen, the process is essentially the same – though with a renovation of a benchtop, you’ll need to consider the current cabinet size and current plumbing set-up.

Whatever you’re doing, it’s worth remembering that you will use your kitchen sink at least six or seven times a day, and your hob once or twice. They’re not often given that much thought – but they’re definitely worth the investment. So what are your options? The guide below will give you a proper guide to kitchen sinks – and how easy they are to clean.

Materials

Stainless steel

Stainless-steel sinks make up around 70 per cent of global production – and for good reason. They fit most design themes and come in various bowl configurations. There is a large selection to choose from and there’s literally something for everyone and every budget. They are non-porous, very hygienic and slightly quieter than other options when in use.

From a design perspective, they suit every type of benchtop surface and fitting technique, so they’re incredibly flexible – and better still they last forever!

TIP: Polished variations can scratch easily, and water marks are more visible after cleaning. Watch the corners – the tighter the radius, the harder they are to clean. In most cases you get what you pay for: this is noticeable in surface wear, waste outlet attachments and sink mounting clips (laminate benchtops only). If you are fitting your tap directly to the stainless sink, you will need a tap brace.

Granite and composite

The fastest growing sink type in kitchen design, granite sinks offer a modern look to a kitchen bench and they blend well with stone benchtops. They have an elegant natural look, a beautiful texture that is non-porous, high hygiene ratings, plus the range of colours is expanding – so they’re appealing to more and more kitchen owners. Probably their best feature is that they can withstand high temperatures and are impact resistant. And they scream high-class.

TIP: As with stainless, the tighter the radius, the harder they are to clean. While they’re impact resistant, this also means they break stuff. As they age, darker colours can show soap build-up, and there’s a narrower selection of household cleaners that can be used on them: in general they are difficult to clean.

And a final word of advice – due to the weight of a granite/composite sink (even heavier with water in it), some benchtop manufacturers won’t undermount them in 20 millimetre self-supporting stone. While there is no golden rule here, it is really up to warranties and expectations, so it’s best to check with your kitchen manufacturer first. You should be fine with most single-bowl applications, however.

Tectonite

Tectonite is very new to the market. It’s similar to granite, but with a few extra features, most of which are based on what we don’t like about granite. Tectonite sinks are lighter than stone – and they are UV-resistant (colour fast). They withstand high temperatures and are easy to clean. They are also 100 per cent recyclable. With a natural modern look – generally, they’re undermounted – they’re becoming increasingly popular.

TIP: They’re new, so less is known about their long-term performance and there’s a limited range of manufacturers. Some models have very narrow mounting flanges.

Acrylic

Offering sophistication and modern elegance, acrylic seamless sinks are in a class of their own. In essence, the seamless integration of an acrylic sink into an acrylic benchtop is truly remarkable and something that is impossible to achieve with any other type of sink material. Acrylic is very hygienic (it’s the choice of most fast-food restaurants), and offers perfect colour matches. They are repairable – you just sand and polish them back to perfection – and with a seamless mount, cleaning is a breeze.

TIP: Seamless mounts can only be installed into an acrylic benchtop – it’s a one-product, one-surface solution, so if you’re after this look, you’ll have to run with an acrylic benchtop too. Also, boiling water can crack acrylic sinks – while they are repairable, this is not something you want to continue to do. For this reason, avoid instant boiling water taps.

Bowl Type

Single bowl

While most people tend to think a single bowl is somewhat limiting, this isn’t always the case. Single bowls are perfect where space is at a premium. They are easier to clean as there is less surface area, and they’re also cheaper – though there are always exceptions to that rule.

TIP: Contrary to belief, you can fit waste-disposal systems to them. And if you’re installing a single bowl, make sure it’s a big one so large oven trays are easier to clean. It’s worth measuring your biggest tray to make sure it’ll fit.

Double bowls

Double bowls feature two bowls in various configurations. You can buy double bowls in a large basin and small side bowl or with two equally sized bowls, all in various depths. Double bowls offer more flexibility and provide the perfect location for waste disposal units. A double bowl will always need a wider sink cabinet, giving you a little less under-bench storage. While it is possible to buy a double-bowl sink in a smaller size, the basins are often less than ideal.

TIP: With both single and double bowls, consider either a single bowl or double bowl with a back-set waste, rather than a centre waste: this allows more useable space in the cabinet below, as it forces the plumbing to the rear. Otherwise, a ‘Spazio’ kit will direct the plumbing to the back. This is an area that is rarely researched, but can lead to great utilisation of the sink cabinet. Back-set wastes are perfect when you plan to have drawers below the sink.

Butler’s

The butler’s sink – or farmhouse or Belfast sink, whatever you like to call it – is a great option when building a more traditional kitchen. They have huge capacity and some unique ergonomic advantages too – since there’s no front benchtop rail, you can stand right over them. They’re traditionally made from porcelain or fireclay; fireclay offers a harder finish that is more resistant to chipping.

TIP: While butler’s sinks have only really been at home in traditional kitchens, stainless and copper variations are offering new options for the more industrial kitchen.

THINGS TO CONSIDER: Butler’s sinks are heavy. Cabinet reinforcing is required and all sinks should be fitted in a cradle, so there is less chance of water penetration into the cabinet below. They’re easily chipped, and pots and pans will clang against them, making for a noisy workspace.

They’re also extra work for the cabinet maker since more work is required on the benchtop cut-out. They are generally handmade so size variations are constant and the kitchen manufacturer will require the sink during construction. Additionally, some models don’t fit waste disposal systems – be sure to check this if it’s something you’re considering.

Draining tray

Along with single and double bowls, you can also buy single and double bowls with draining trays. Draining trays are particularly handy for washing up and walking away: the draining tray keeps the wet area contained and allows you to wipe the water back into the sink. As you are essentially buying another feature, the bowls will cost a little more.

When undermounting a bowl with a draining tray, make sure you can fit the entire bowl (drainer included) within the cabinet, or have the cabinet carcass modified to allow for your draining tray to sit under the top with no interference.

Another take on the drainer trays is to have draining grooves machined into your bench surface. While this limits your choice in surface materials, they provide a practical way to work around where space is limited within a cabinet. You will typically machine draining grooves into stone and acrylic benchtops.

Fit

Confused about the fitting terms? Here’s all you need to know.

Undermount

Undermounting has become the go-to choice in today’s kitchens, mainly because the price has dropped – volume and CNC machining has made this entirely achievable where once it was expensive. Undermounting is typically used with stone benchtops, and creates a great look. They cost more than top mounts, since the internal bench surface requires polishing around the edge. It’s not a great idea to undermount a sink into a laminate, timber or a laminated plywood bench: you’re in danger of rotting the bench, and few manufacturers will do this.

Rebate undermount

Rebate undermounting is typically done on stone benchtops when the top has been mitred, or if it’s thicker than 20 millimetres, to bring the sink closer to the benchtop surface. It is typically more expensive as it requires the internal bench surface to be polished around the edge (as with undermounting) and also requires what the industry calls backside machining (in 30 millimetres self-supporting stone) where they machine on the underside of the sheet as well.

Flush-mount

Flush mounting is simply rebating the sink to sit flush with the surface of the benchtop. Flush-mounts have become more common in laminate bench ranges for the past few years, as the range of laminates has called for a more modern fit. They require very precise machining to ensure a perfect fit. They are fairly uncommon – and to be honest not advisable. Most top manufacturers won’t flush-mount a sink in gloss laminate – they have a tendency to show through.

Top-mount

Top-mount sinks are your cheapest option. They sit on top of your bench surface and drop into a hole below. You will typically top-mount in laminate and stone tops; they have been the go-to option for years. Sitting on top of the bench surface, they are not as easy to work with and build up mould and bacteria around the sink flange.

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