Kitchen Sink Types And Style, You Must Know

One of the three elements of the kitchen triangle, is the kitchen sink, hence an important zone in the kitchen design. They are available in many different materials and styles and comes with a number of basic configurations and installation types. Since the kitchen designing would be just incomplete without the right elements, that could help in increasing efficiency and comfort while cooking, factors like having the right hob, perfect kitchen sink, storage cabinets, counters and so on becomes essential.

To begin with, the kitchen sink is divided into three parts.

• The kitchen sink materials
• The kitchen sink styles
• The kitchen sink installation types

And homeowners should go through this information before purchasing, as it will help them to trim down their choices to the one, that would be perfect for their kitchens.

Kitchen Sink Material #1 Stainless Steel Sink Pros And Cons

• Stainless steel sinks are the most popular ones.
• Stainless steel is comparatively inexpensive, although some designer brands can still cost high.
• Are durable.
• Stainless steel is classified in terms of gauge. Lower gauge steel is heavier; higher gauge is lighter. Where the heavier gauge sink can be slightly more resistant to denting.
• Stainless steel sink tends to be noisy than other materials.
• Stainless steel kitchen sinks can scratch more easily.
• It tends to show water spots clearly

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Kitchen Sink Material #2 Cast Iron Sink Pros And Cons

• Cast iron, one of the oldest materials used for kitchen sinks are available in wide range of styles and colors.
• Cast iron sinks have a heavy porcelain enamel finish which resists stains and scratches. As the porcelain enamel finish used isn’t paint, it is melted glass and is incredibly hard and has been fused to the bare iron.
• Porcelain enamel has good resistance to fading.
• Well suited for the daily wear and tear, and is typically very easy to keep clean.
• Does not show spots from the water.
• Cast iron drawbacks are that it’s heavy, which can make installation more difficult, especially in the case of undermount sinks that require additional supports to hold the sink in place.
• Cast iron can be much more expensive than stainless steel.

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Kitchen Sink Material #3 Composites Pros And Cons

• Manufactured from a composite of materials such as acrylic and quartz and are the newest of the kitchen sinks.
• A number of color options available.
• Composite sinks are available in a variety of shapes and sizes and can be mounted above or below the counter.
• Composite sinks are tough and highly resistant to stains, dents, and scratching.
• Not noisy when in use
• Unbreakable
• Easy to Install
• Comparatively expensive than the stainless steel sinks.

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Kitchen Sink Styles #1 Single Bowl Kitchen Sink

• A single bowl sink has just one basin and is usually available in compact sizes, making them ideal for small kitchens.
• The basin of a single bowl sink is bigger than a double bowl sink designed to fit into the same space.
• A larger single bowl sink can make cleaning large dishes such as pots, trays much easier.
• Cleaning a single bowl kitchen sink is easier.
• Moreover, single bowl models are typically cheaper than two bowl varieties.

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Kitchen Sink Styles #2 Double Bowl Kitchen Sink

• Double bowl sinks are ideal for modern kitchens.
• Make sure that the bowl is big enough to comfortably wash large pots.
• They come in various configurations such as unequal sized two bowls, two equal sized bowls of the same depth, two equal bowls of different depths and so on.

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Kitchen Sink Styles #2 Sink With Drainboard

• A popular choice in Indian kitchens and comes with a drainboard in varied shapes and sizes.
• The sink with a drainboard has space to dry utensils as well as to drain vegetables.
• But tends to occupy more space on the countertop.

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Kitchen Sink Installation Type #1 Top Mount Kitchen Sink

• This top mount kitchen sink is ideal for traditional kitchen style. In this style, the sink is dropped into the countertop hole.
• The rim of the top mount kitchen sinks hold the sink in place and creates a finished look.
• The rim of the sink reduces the need for an internal support system under the counter.
• These drop-in sinks–are easy and inexpensive to install.

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Kitchen Sink Installation Type #2 Undermount Kitchen Sink

• An undermount sink is mounted underneath the kitchen counter. There is no rim, which means that the edge of the counter, drops off directly into the sink basin.
• Provides a clean, modern look.
• One of the drawbacks is the cost since undermount models require more installation work compared to a top mount one.

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Kitchen Sink Installation Type #3 Integrated Kitchen Sink

• Integral sinks are part of the counter and are of the same material as the rest of the counter.
• Suits the best in minimalist kitchens, since it exhibits a clean, sleek and elegant look.

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With all these various kitchen sink materials, design styles and installation types, make sure to first spend some time on picking up the countertop, as choosing the counter first or the kitchen sink and the countertop together would save one from ending up with a mismatched pair!

Also, take a read of the most important Do's and Don't while installing a Modular Kitchen

And an example of one such video uploaded on our Youtube channel