Some simple but very practical tips on how to choose a kitchen sink.

Keeping pace with every other element in the kitchen todays kitchen sinks are no longer purely functional, they are designed to be visually appealing as well.

Your choice of a new kitchen sink will in the first instance be determined by weather you are replacing an old sink – ie renovation or kitchen remodeling or are design a new kitchen layout completely from scratch. If you are replacing an existing sink, the previous openings will restrict your choices to some extent unless of of course you are willing to change the kitchen counter and plumbing.

If you are choosing a new kitchen sink as part of an overall kitchen renovation project there are many factors that you should consider as a part of your selection criteria.

Kitchen Sink Size and Bowl

Kitchen Sinks come in a great many sizes and shapes. When selecting which is the right sink for your kitchen there are several factors than should be prioritized in the your selection process including the depth of the sink (measurement  from the front to the rear of the sink ), the width (measurement  from the left tor the right of the sink) and the bowl depth, which is generally between 6 and 12 inches deep.

Kitchen sink bowl shapes range from square and rectangular to oval, and even circular, the number of sink bowls that you choose will be determined by your intended use eg food preparation and available space.

Surface Mount, Flush Mount and Under Counter Mounting

A kitchen sink can be installed into a kitchen counter in one of three possible configurations -  surface mounted, flush-mounted or under counter mounting.

The traditional way of mounting a kitchen sink is what we call surface mounted, where the sink is basically dropped into a hole cut into the kitchen counter top.  The disadvantage to this style of mounting is the lip that is created by the sink meeting the counter top and the challenges that this creates in hygenic cleaning of the area.

The under counter mounting  method is a more challenging install but allow to easy clean up.

Kitchen Sink Materials

Far and away the most popular material for Kitchen Sinks is stainless steel. It should be noted however that stainless steel comes in various grades and thicknesses which is reflected in both the quality and price of the finished sink.

Cast Iron Porcelain sinks as their name suggests are manufactured from cast-iron and then finished with a porcelain glaze, care needs to be taken with Cast Iron Porcelain sinks not to crack or chip the porcelain finish as it can be an expensive repair.

Modern man made composite materials are increasingly being used to create products that look like natural stone

There are a great number of other materials that are used in high end kitchen sink designs including copper and  natural stones like granite, glass kitchen countertops and decorative concrete.