The sink is the most important part for kitchen decoration. When cooking and washing dishes, 65% of the time is spent dealing with the sink. If you choose the wrong one and want to change, the countertops and cabinets will be changed accordingly, and you will regret it by then.
There are so many sinks, which one to choose without regret?
We summarized the advantages and disadvantages of the sink materials on the market, the experience of using single and double bowls, and the precautions for installation. Let you never make mistakes in the sink when decorating the kitchen.
Which is better for the sink material?
Common sink materials include stone, stainless steel, ceramics, etc.
Artificial Stone:
Advantages: good cleaning, seamless docking, various colors.
Disadvantages: the texture is not as hard as steel.
Many people say that the artificial stone large single bowl sink is easy to use. The capacity is large enough, comes with various drain racks, not afraid of scalding, and will not stain. Simply clean it for 2 minutes a day and it will be shining. If the countertop material is acrylic or quartz, it can be seamlessly connected, and there will be no annoying, moldy silica gel.
Granite:
Advantages: strong, scratch-resistant, wear-resistant, and high-temperature resistant.
Disadvantages: easy to scratch pots, bowls and tableware; need to clean up every day.
Granite is also a kind of stone, and it also has the characteristics of high hardness, wear resistance and high temperature resistance.
However, there are many disadvantages of granite. Because of its high hardness, if you drop porcelain utensils, they will break for sure.
Because it is super abrasion-resistant, to the degree of sharpening the knife, be careful when washing pots with paint on the surface. The sink can scratch the paint!
The stone has the characteristics of easy bleeding, especially when the sink has cracks. The colored liquid can easily penetrate into the stone. Colored liquids like soy sauce or corrosive liquids such as vinegar must not be poured into it, otherwise just wait for the dyeing later. It will cause big trouble in dish washing.
The most important point is that the stone breeds microorganisms at a super fast speed, so you have to wipe it every day like the bathtub!
Stainless Steel:
Advantages: anti-oil, anti-fouling, not afraid of acid and alkali, affordable, strong and flexible.
Disadvantages: prone to scratches and water stains (brushed stainless steel will be better).
Stainless steel has the characteristics of oil and dirt resistance, and because of its low hardness and easy processing, it has a variety of shapes. Many sinks are now integrally formed. A sink is stamped directly from one steel plate, which greatly saves production costs. Stainless steel is suitable for most families.
It is very important to choose a brushed matte surface, which is both dirt-resistant and wear-resistant. Imagine the water stains, handprints, and scratches left by washing dishes and pots after using the shiny polished stainless steel several times. It is simply horrible. The stainless steel sink of good quality has a uniform and fine brushed texture, and it feels very smooth, so that the oil can flow smoothly and will not remain. The inner corner of the sink should be rounded so that it will not hide dirt. To choose stainless steel, you must look for the SUS304 mark, and only the real 304 stainless steel can have quality assurance.
Porcelain:
Advantages: strong, acid and alkali resistant.
Disadvantages: heavier, easy to break, difficult to clean oil stains.
The biggest advantage of the ceramic sink is its good-looking appearance. Ceramic sinks are heavier than stainless steel sinks and lighter than stone sinks. The weight is relatively heavy, and it has an apron front, so installation is very laborious. And one of the most criticized aspects is that ceramics have a kind of adsorption ability for oil. If it is not cleaned for a while, the upper edge will become dirty. And it is also very laborious to clean.
But it's really beautiful.
Single Bowl or Double Bowl ?
Single bowl or double bowl, this is a topic that everyone is arguing about when choosing a sink. After reading the following analysis, you will probably know what suits you.
Single Bowl:
Advantages: easy to put in a large pot.
Disadvantages: ordinary faucet can not clean the entire sink(can be equipped with pull-down faucet); function is not partitioned (can be equipped with mobile sink).
There are so many fans for the big single bowl, because it is big and deep enough that a large wok can be stuffed. With a pull-out faucet, you can clean every corner of the sink.
Large single bowl generally refers to a bowl with a length more than 60cm and a width more than 42cm, otherwise it is a small single bowl.
However, a large single bowl is more suitable for a kitchen with an area larger than 4 square meters, and a small single bowl can only be selected for a kitchen with a small countertop.
Most of the sinks on the market are sold in sets. Many sink sets include accessories and gadgets. Although these accessories and gadgets are gimmicks under the guise of "giving away", they are actually added value of the sink. With them, the function of the sink can be more perfect.
For example, a rectangular colander can hold dishes, vegetables, etc. The drain holes are evenly distributed and can drain water quickly.
Some large single bowl sinks are also equipped with a hidden knife holder, which is more convenient and safe.
Double Bowl:
Advantages: double bowls, double functions.
Disadvantages: A single bowl is relatively small and can't hold large items.
Large double bowls can also hold large pots as long as the volume of the bowl is large enough. Can achieve the function of a large single bowl. The small bowl is used for water filtration, or install a water drying rack to wash fruits and vegetables.
The small double bowl is a bit inferior and can’t hold a wok or the like, but it’s still very convenient to have two bowls. The use of dual bowls saves time and effort and improves efficiency.
The double bowl originally has more functions than the single bowl, because most large double bowls will have accessories such as colanders and drying racks. It can be used in partitions, which is unmatched by a single bowl.
When washing vegetables, pots and pans, you can separate the two to avoid greasy vegetables. It can also be used separately when washing pots and pans alone. One sink for washing and one sink for draining water. And it can also save water.
One bowl for washing fruits and vegetables, and the other for washing dishes.
The length of the double bowl is generally about 80cm. If the length of the counter is longer than 1.2 meters, double bowl can be installed. Many double bowls are designed as one big and one small. If you want to put the wok, the length of the large bowl should be more than 35cm, because the size of the wok is generally between 28cm-34cm. The disadvantage of the double bowl is that the sewer pipe is more complicated, and it is more prone to blockage and water leakage.
Therefore, if you choose a double bowl, it is necessary to buy a good strainer. If the inner wall of the drain is smooth, it is not easy to block. Some double bowls are equipped with threaded drain pipes, or relatively thin drain pipes, which tend to retain oil and cause unpleasant odors.
Above counter sink, under counter sink or one-piece sink?
Above Counter Sink:
All the edges of the sink are exposed on the countertop.
The cleaning of the above counter sink is very inconvenient. Over time, the glass glue on the edge of the sink will easily become moldy and black. The picture below may cause emotional upset, but the reality is always so cruel!
But its benefits are also very obvious, easy to install and cheap. And because edges are over the counter, the bearing capacity is very good. In case it is really disgusting one day and we can't stand it anymore, it can be easily removed as a whole. The space under the above counter sink is about 3 cm higher than the under counter sink. What does this show? It means that there is a large space under the sink for storage!
Under Counter Sink:
One wipe, everything is gone. The under counter sink is lower than the countertop. The water, residues, and vegetable leaves on the countertop will be in the sink with a single wipe. Super convenient. Generally speaking, the under counter sink is quite easy to clean. And it is very beautiful.
However, the installation of the under-counter sink is also more complicated. Not only do you have to prepare more installation costs, you also need to remind the decoration workers. Otherwise, it will generally be installed as an above counter sink.
In addition, once the under counter sink is damaged, it cannot be repaired and needs to be replaced as a whole. If the under-counter sink is used for a long time, the cracks will be moldy, so the mold-proof glue should be used between the under-counter sink and the countertop.
One-piece Sink:
Finally, the one-piece sink. One-piece sink refers to a sink that is an integral part of the countertop. It usually appears in the overall cabinet, and the countertop and the sink are seamlessly connected. The advantage is that there are no gaps, there is no need to worry about mold, and it is really easy to clean up. The disadvantage is that it is very troublesome to replace, which is equivalent to dismantling the entire counter.
In short, whether it is stone, stainless steel, or ceramics, whether it is a single sink or a double sink, it depends on the situation of your own house. As long as you choose the right material, bowl size and quantity, installation style, you can choose the best sink for your home.
