Buying a kitchen sink seems easy, right? Can be pretty overwhelming though. These days there are more products, more materials available than ever. It requires us to do an intensive research to establish what is the right solution for us. I would like to share a guide on how to choose a kitchen sink with you.
KEY FEATURES TO CONSIDER
In a previous article I’ve touched on that the kitchen sink is one of your most used items in your kitchen. Therefore I thought I get a guide on how to choose a kitchen sink ready for you to go through before you make your decision.
Before we jump right into the topic I would like to introduce some key features to consider. We want a kitchen sink to be:
- Quality
- Durability
- Functionality
- Great cleaning properties (easy to clean and keep clean, which promotes hygiene)
MATERIAL CHOICES
Covering the aspects of quality, durability and ease of cleaning we need to look at the material the kitchen sink is made of. What materials are available?
- Stainless Steel
- Quartz- or Granite-Composite
- Acrylic (solid surfaces)
- Ceramic (porcelain)
Just to name a couple…. In the next paragraphs I’ll discuss quality, durability and ease of cleaning of each material.
Stainless Steel
The most popular type purchased is the stainless steel kitchen sink due to its properties. It is affordable, heat resistant and easy to clean but NOT easy to KEEP clean. Watermarks are visible in an instant and you are constantly polishing your sink to make it look great. If chosen the wrong stainless steel sink, they also can look cheap and break the design of your kitchen.
Quartz- or Granite-Composite
I really think quartz- or granite-composite kitchen sinks are a great choice. It’s a material mix of 80% stone (granite or quartz) and 20% of a resistant material which makes this type of sink very durable. And they come in different colours too. No nasty watermarks to get rid off, they are heat and scratch resistant, because of its durable granite or quartz component.
Acrylic (solid surfaces)
Acrylic sinks are lightweight and with this material a seamlessly integrated look can be achieved. The seamless look is very popular in contemporary kitchen design. People prefer clean lines and a minimalist look. Therefore acrylic kitchen sinks come in all shapes and sizes. Some of the materials properties are that it is very hygienic. It is a non-porous material and resistant to mildew and mould and there is no cross-contamination. This material is loved by designer because its design flexibility. It is customizable and there are no joins visible, when assembling your benchtop with integrated sink. The only downside is that it is not a 100% heat and scratch resistant but it is repairable.
Ceramic (porcelain)
Ceramic/ porcelain sinks offer a classy, traditional look. Therefore, most of the popular farmhouse sinks are made of this material. This material has been used for centuries and resistant to heat. It is a durable, stain resistant material and easy to clean and keep clean. With anything made of ceramic it could chip though, but I wouldn’t say they are prone to chip. My parents had a ceramic double vanity in the family bathroom and the basins still looked top after almost 20 years of use.
Since my motto is to write quite short and informative blog posts, I would like to continue this topic next week. There is still the topic on functionality and installation options to cover, which needs to be considered as well.
Thank you for reading :) As always I hope you enjoyed the article and it was helpful to you. I would love to hear from you what you think.
There is another article on my blog, which might interest you as well. I talked about “What you should spend your money on in a kitchen reno.” Surprise, surprise ….. among those items you’ll find the kitchen sink :)
