Replacing the kitchen sink

May 10, 2010 7:13 PM

What sort of kitchen sink should I get?

Single or double basin?
Stainless steel or enameled cast iron?
Self rimming or under mount?

Considerations are that we have a dishwasher and only really hand wash big/bulky items. New counters are going to be butcher block installed by us (likely with handy FIL help). Cabinets are white and so are appliances.

Current sink is old white enameled cast iron double basin and is being replaced because the surround has stupid contours on it and you can't really set anything there and neither basin is large enough to wash big pots/pans. I like the white, get annoyed by breaking dishes because of the hardness.

I am leaning towards single basin white cast iron. Husband prefers double basin. Should I consider stainless steel? Will under mount be difficult to do with butcher block counters?

posted by sulaine to home & garden (31 answers total)

Do you do cooking with large, hand wash only bowls or large pans? Doing the dishes in a split sink will give less ability to flip big stuff.
posted by kellyblah at 7:20 PM on May 10, 2010

Yes, that is exactly my issue with the double basin. I can't even get a 9x11 pan in one side easily. Our current sink is probably a bit on the small side, so maybe a new double would be better? I still don't get the double sink if most of the dish washing happens in the dishwasher.
posted by sulaine at 7:22 PM on May 10, 2010

I prefer the double basin. Dishes get rinsed (pre-wash to remove bulk food particles & after to get rid of suds) on the side that has the garbage disposal. The other side of the basin is for filling with the sudsy water. It is a nice system and we use our dishwasher for all plates, glasses and silverware but that still leaves pots, cutting boards, knives and the like to be washed by hand.

As for mounting, I've only had top mount but I really like the look of under mount.
posted by mmascolino at 7:30 PM on May 10, 2010

We have a double basin, but one basin is very shallow and narrow. I dislike it because I can't put sudsy dishes anywhere to wait to be rinsed, but I CAN fit my large cutting boards into the large side. Why the small basin? That's where the garbage disposal is.
posted by mkb at 7:31 PM on May 10, 2010

Sink mats cut down on broken dishes so you can have your cast iron and crystal too.
(Not a great pic, I just cut out the "pebbles" that cover the drain.)
posted by Iggley at 7:32 PM on May 10, 2010

Undermounting makes cleaning the counters much, much easier. No black gunk collecting around the sink edge, crumbs sweep right into the sink as there's no lip in the way. It's also a much cleaner look in my opinion.

I prefer stainless only because it's easier to keep clean and that it's durable. Enamel chips and scratches with age, though that does take years. More of an aesthetic choice.
posted by bonehead at 7:38 PM on May 10, 2010

My dream sink (who knew you'd dream about this kind of shit?) would be a single basin under mount in stainless steel. Ideally, I would get an extra wide sink. You can always use more space, natch. Under mount so you can just sweep spills right into the sink, even liquids. Stainless steel because I find that enamel can get a little scratched, and because stainless can really handle a lot of heavy duty scrubbing.

The previous owners installed this weird sink in our house. It is kinda square, sort of single basin, but it has this little corner area with a raised disposal unit. WORST SINK EVER. Don't get any sink that has the disposal in its own little area. A single basin is fine. If you need the functionality of a double basin, then buy one of those plastic bin things to use as one when necessary.
posted by wwartorff at 7:39 PM on May 10, 2010 [1 favorite]

I like the look of under mount, but I haven't seen it done with butcher block counters. Any thoughts on that? Would the wood be affected by water? We are planning on just tung oil treatment.
posted by sulaine at 7:46 PM on May 10, 2010

Butcherblock really, really doesn't like being wet. It's not a good choice near a sink. In my experience, this is asking for trouble.

Can you do multiple surfaces?
posted by bonehead at 7:49 PM on May 10, 2010

wwartoff, WE DREAM THE SAME SINK DREAM!
posted by bonehead at 7:50 PM on May 10, 2010 [3 favorites]

Some folks say butcher block with undermount isn't a good idea because of excess water exposure. But others say it's fine, especially if you keep up the oiling or sealing.

Here are two examples: apron sink (scroll down) and stainless.
posted by barnone at 7:54 PM on May 10, 2010

We are definitely doing the butcher block counters. Multiple surfaces is not a option (one length of counter, sink in the middle). I have a hard time really believing that butcher block with under mount is going to last if you actually use the sink a lot (which I do), so maybe under mount is out.
posted by sulaine at 8:00 PM on May 10, 2010

When we remodeled, we installed a split, undermount composite sink. The left side is big enough for our largest pots and pans, while the right sink holds the vegetable prep area and disposal. The sink is positively scratch-proof and chip-proof and far less noisy than a stainless sink. Ours is a light tan color and, in my opinion, would look good with butcher block. After four years, it looks as good as the first day we poured water into it.

I agree that diligence with oiling or sealing can remove most of the objections to butcher block.
posted by Old Geezer at 8:12 PM on May 10, 2010

In a butcher block counter I'd go with a top mount single basin with integral drain board(s). Butcher block is a less than optimal choice around a sink anyways and a bottom mount will expose end grain to water. The drain board does drain boardy things and gives a place for hot cooking equipment

How ever that is going to be pretty expensive. Cheaper and in some ways better would be a standard under mount set in a piece of solid surface of your choice (granite, corian, stone, concrete, tile, etc.) about twice as wide as the sink.
posted by Mitheral at 8:14 PM on May 10, 2010 [2 favorites]

Enameled kitchen sinks are a pain in the arse. They look beautiful that first day you drop it in and then they collect scratches through regular non-aggressive use which require meticulous cleaning to keep it looking halfway nice. Stainless steel is boring but so much less of a headache to maintain.
posted by contessa at 8:43 PM on May 10, 2010

When we remodel our kitchen, we're getting one of these (cheaper version of the integrated draining boards linked above, not sure on the sizing yet, IKEA has plenty). We currently have a split stainless steel sink with no draining add on and I absolutely loathe it, there's just not enough room to get pots clean - which is terrible because it seems to be the American standard. For draining, we have this awful plastic board that leaks water everywhere. Stainless steel integrated draining board sinks, IMO, are always easy to clean, they don't dent or chip or scratch, and while they're not super pretty, they're functional. My ideal sink would have a draining board either side - one for drying pots (we also have a dishwasher), the other for dealing with vegetables, but I don't think they exist.

I can't wait for the day I get a new sink. One day, it will happen.

(PS - I also have a plastic basin in the sink so that if I drop anything, nothing gets broken. You can usually get decent ones for a couple of $)
posted by saturnine at 9:05 PM on May 10, 2010

My favorite sink ever was a single basin black silgranit sink, I think it was about 10" deep. It was heat resistant and could hold an entire meal's worth of pots, pans and dishes and keep it all out of sight. When we had parties we'd fill it with ice and bottled beverages. You'll want the white version, though.

Sigh. I don't get attached to a lot of things, but I really miss that sink. Pictures don't do it justice, so check one out in person if you can.
posted by buzzkillington at 9:46 PM on May 10, 2010

What Mitheral said. The integral drain board means that you can have all the drippy dishes you want, with no concern for the wood counters.
posted by Forktine at 9:55 PM on May 10, 2010

If you condition the living conditioning out of your butcher block, this might work.

I have a biiiiig single-basin sink. It's deep, it's wide, I got it on Overstock for a song because to buy it through Home Depot/Lowes would have required me to pay four times as much for a designer name.

I can lay down a cookie sheet and have a bit of room to spare. I am the envy of all. Fear my deep and wide and roomy sink basin. Maaaaan, it rocks.
posted by desuetude at 10:26 PM on May 10, 2010

I absolutely cannot stand the sound of metal scraping against metal, so I replaced my stainless steel sink with enameled cast iron when I remodeled my kitchen. I grew up with one and don't mind scouring off the pot marks.
posted by brujita at 10:28 PM on May 10, 2010

I've always been confused about why ANYONE puts in enamel sinks. They get stained and scratched and chipped. Stainless can be scrubbed and shined.
posted by needs more cowbell at 10:57 PM on May 10, 2010

With butcher block, a self rimming sink would be your best bet and that Ikea sink with the drainboard looks interesting.

It isn't just the edges that you will have water problems . . . you need to keep an eye on the faucet mount area too.

If you have the budget & time to shop for the right model, another option would be a farmhouse or apron fronted sink with a faucet mounting strip like this. Apron front is a little harder to install and that sink probably isn't deep enough for you but you get the idea.
posted by jaimystery at 3:54 AM on May 11, 2010

I have a Franke stainless steel extra deep undermount sink in our small kitchen and it's great! Being extra deep it has the room to wash our biggest pots and pans.
posted by buttercup at 4:39 AM on May 11, 2010

I had a kitchen in an apartment with a really deep sink once and it killed my back. I was hand washing a lot because I didn't like that dishwasher, so YMMV.

I love how the under mounts look, but can't imagine the mess that would be with butcher block. If you do go with butcher block, be really careful. I had an ikea butcher block island and no amount of oiling and scrubbing could keep the stains at bay. If I left a can on the counter overnight - permanent black ring. And then there was the avocado that I left on the counter for two weeks when I went on vacation. The avocado shaped stain was quite unaffected by bleach, sanding and scrubbing. Didn't work on the rings either.
posted by artychoke at 5:33 AM on May 11, 2010

I have a single big single bowl sink and love it! You can put a cookie sheet in the bottom and have space to spare. Recommend you go with one that has an offset drain then you can have a ton of stuff in there and still use the garbage disposal.
posted by Ferrari328 at 6:11 AM on May 11, 2010

Mitheral, I love your suggestion. I have this sink from Ikea and think it's the cat's meow. They make a smaller version too, but I can get all but the biggest pans in mine.
posted by workerant at 6:24 AM on May 11, 2010

I have this Franke sink and I LOVE IT. Baking sheets fit, flat, with room to spare. I have a massive stock pot that fits completely inside.

I also have this Franke sink on my island and I love it, too, though it's not as big as I think you're looking for.

Here's the Franke site with the undermount, single-bowl sinks. A bit of advice: don't get a sink with corners (like in restaurants). It's not that it's that difficult to get them clean, it's just that it does take more effort and anything that makes your life easier is a good thing. Go for rounded corners.

I highly recommend Franke.
posted by cooker girl at 6:38 AM on May 11, 2010

I also have a large, single bowl, stainless steel drop-in sink and love it. One of my better kitchen remodeling ideas. Everything fits in it and if I need to do a separate soak or something I use a plastic tub.

I agree undermount would be a problem with butcherblock for all the reasons stated above.
posted by gingerbeer at 7:21 AM on May 11, 2010

While I'm a big fan of butcher blocks, I agree that having that be the surface adjoining the sink is asking for trouble. In my kitchen we've got butcher block in one spot, quartz composite in another, and that's where the sink is.

I vastly prefer undermount sinks because you can just wipe crap into it off the counters—there's no lip to get caught on. Apart from that, I suspect that water gets caught under that lip with top-mounted sinks, and can lead to mildew and rot.

I also like 2 basins so you can soak in one, rinse in the other. I like stainless over enameled, but that's just personal preference.
posted by adamrice at 7:30 AM on May 11, 2010

Thanks for all the suggestions. I really like the blanco silgranit sink. It is huge! Bigger than both of my current basins together. Maybe overkill though?

I actually love the look of enamel (and old enamel holds up really well and cleans up great with scouring powder), so I am still considering that. The sink with the drainboard is interesting, but I am not sure about it.

I am not too concerned about drippy dishes. Everything either goes in the dishwasher or gets washed and dried (or sets on to the stove to dry).

Does anyone that is cautioning about butcher block counters near the sink actually have that set up? Actually that is moot since I already bought the counters. But if you have it, let me know how it is holding up.
posted by sulaine at 4:59 PM on May 11, 2010

I have butcher block counters and an Ikea Domsjo double basin sink. It slides in from the front of the counter and resembles a farmhouse sink. I like that it's not too deep and was very affordable. It's fireclay so not as durable perhaps as steel or enameled cast iron, but so far no problems after 3 years, and I feel like I can afford to replace it if it gets damaged without breaking the bank. The butcher block is holding up well, but it will definitely be affected by the water. You'll need to oil often. I don't mind the wear around the sink, feels lived in to me.
posted by Noon Under the Trees at 8:45 PM on May 11, 2010