Sinks and faucets - what works for you?

[breadmama]

We are looking at replacing our sink/faucet/disposal combo, and are seeking advice. I read through the old thread about sinks, and wondered if there are any new opinions out there. It was really helpful to read through that thread!

I think we want a single drop-in basin, a faucet that pulls out into a sprayer, and a quieter disposal. We'd also like a hot water dispenser.

We're pretty sure we want a stainless steel sink, but the composite sinks are nice, too - just not sure how it would look over time.

We have a stainless double wall oven, stainless cooktop that will soon be upgraded to stainless gas with black grills. Our countertop is cobalt Formica, and we can't change that without a huge effort/expense, so for now it's staying blue.

Any opinions to share? Our current sink is a double basin, and we think we want to change that to a single.

Thanks!

[lindrusso]

Not sure exactly what kind of advice you are looking for but I can say that I love my single basin stainless steel sink. It's large and deep - I can put a cookie sheet in it and it will lie flat. Love the high faucet too - not much that we can't fit under it with the deep sink and high arch. SS is very easy to keep clean - you really don't have to worry about staining and you can scrub away without worrying about the finish - another big plus IMO.



Our old sink had two basins, was very shallow and a very low, ugly, broken faucet so we are extra ecstatic about the new one!

[LadyWild]

If you are concerned with disposal noise steer clear of stainless. The noise is much louder with stainless.

[NancyR]

I have never had a single sink and have always wondered...how do you use a single? I can see the advantage of the large size but where do you drain what you rinse? For example, say you are making vegetable soup and have a dozen different vegetables to wash and chop. You wash...then what? I think the single bowl sinks are very pretty but seem awkward to me.
I have the pull-out sprayer faucet and will never go back to anything else. GREAT invention.

[Gumbeaux]

Originally Posted by NancyR

I have never had a single sink and have always wondered...how do you use a single? I can see the advantage of the large size but where do you drain what you rinse? For example, say you are making vegetable soup and have a dozen different vegetables to wash and chop. You wash...then what? I think the single bowl sinks are very pretty but seem awkward to me.

I agree with this statement especially since the OP is going to have a disposer. In a busy kitchen like mine, I need to immediately get rid of things like pasta water, water that shrimp was boiled in, drain canned items like tuna fish, and use the disposer while at the same time I am rinsing/thawing/ soaking things in a colander the other sink bowl. A single bowl sink would be huge bottleneck unless I had another sink somewhere else in the kitchen.

I have a double bowl sink similar to the one below except that the small bowl is on the left side. This gives you a large and deep bowl to work with and at the same time be able to use the disposer.

[sneezles]

I have a single sink with a disposal and have never had a problem with not being able to access the disposal. I rarely, if ever, fill the sink itself and the drainboard sits on the counter to the left of the sink (right above the dishwasher). A small plastic tub works great for filling with hot soapy water to soak little stuff that I don't put in the dishwasher. Nothing nicer than on Turkey Day than to be able to put that roaster in the sink, flat, to soak!

[Beth]

I have a large single bowl sink and would never go back to a double unless I had a huge space and at least one bowl would be as large as what I have now. Not likely to happen since we don't plan to move unless we downsize after the boys are gone.

My sink has the drain at the center back -- that means I can work or even stack to either side and still have the center clear. Other types have side rear drain, which means you work to one side and can stack to the other. The sides are large enough that a large cookie sheet lays flat on either side and I can wash any pan without having to angle and drip or spray water around the counter.

Mine is stainless and do have a disposal. I would suggest getting an Insinkerator Evolution series disposal -- they are quieter, and make sure you get a heavier gauge sink with sound dampening. Mine is 16 gauge and doesn't have a metal sound like thinner sinks.

My faucet is a pulldown. I wanted a single hole installation and a spray without the side spray. I've never had a side spray that switched between the faucet and spray efficiently and maintained it over time. I also wanted a faucet tall enough to get large pots under it.

[NancyR]

One other thought if you are considering the hot water on demand feature. I have never had one but my BIL put in a hot water on demand heater (supplying the whole house). Unfortunately, he discovered AFTER installing it that even though his water did not have enough mineral content to require a water softener it DID have enough mineral to screw up the water heater thing. I never quite understood the issue but something to do with the way that thing works requires real "pure" water. He ended up having to get a water softener just for that reason. Not sure if this would apply to the quick heater at the sink but you might want to ask before getting one. Hope this makes sense.

[Beth]

The hot water dispensers have small tubes for piping and the minerals in very hard water can clog them up much faster than a larger line, especially if it isn't used that often.

[lindrusso]

Originally Posted by sneezles

I have a single sink with a disposal and have never had a problem with not being able to access the disposal. I rarely, if ever, fill the sink itself and the drainboard sits on the counter to the left of the sink (right above the dishwasher). A small plastic tub works great for filling with hot soapy water to soak little stuff that I don't put in the dishwasher. Nothing nicer than on Turkey Day than to be able to put that roaster in the sink, flat, to soak!

Pretty much ditto to that. Like anything else - you get used to it. Everything has advantages and disadvantages and you just adjust to it and decide which you like better.

I have always had a divided sink and thought I might miss it, but I don't. And I don't miss clanging and banging things on the divider while I'm washing dishes AT ALL! I can wash big old pots without hitting anything - love it.

As for having things in a colander - the sink is large enough to have things draining over to the side and still do a few things on the other side without getting in the way.

If I'm thawing or need to let things sit - I do have a half bath very nearby that I can use.

We don't use the disposal much at all - only for small things that get past our strainer. Too many back ups due to using the disposal in one of our other houses made us decide that the convenience of using the disposal was not at all worth the money spent to get our pipes snaked!

[sneezles]

Originally Posted by lindrusso

We don't use the disposal much at all - only for small things that get past our strainer. Too many back ups due to using the disposal in one of our other houses made us decide that the convenience of using the disposal was not at all worth the money spent to get our pipes snaked!

We don't use it much either. Being on a septic system tends to limit the use though ours is aerobic so it's better than the closed system.

[Gail]

It's kind of funny how different things ring people's chimes. Most of my life, I've had stainless steel double sinks where I've lived, and I'm quite happy with the set up. For my needs, it works perfectly and the sinks are large enough to be used for any purpose. Some years ago, when we remodeled our circa 1950's kitchen and replaced all the appliances, a friend stared at my kitchen sink in disbelief and exclaimed "You actually LIKE stainless???" (Subtle, huh?) Yes. I do.

Another friend of mine had one of those nifty high-rise faucets, which I coveted until we bought one, got it home and found that (1) there wasn't enough space between the sink and the wall behind it to accommodate the model I liked and (2) I have plantation shutters on 95% of our windows-- kitchen included-- and the faucet presented problems with opening the shutters.

We settled for a Grohe Eurostyle (I think it's called) which I like a lot, although I'm finding that the head doesn't seem to switch between regular flow and spray any more, rather it stays on spray. (Need to have that looked into). At any rate, I find that being able to detach the unit and use as a sprayer satisfies all the needs I had for the high-rise spout.

[TwinMom]

We have sink similar to the one Gumbeaux posted, except the side sink is a bit wider - enough to put a medium bowl in, but it is shallower than the big one. I love the deep, deep big sink with the drain in the back. Highly recommend the deepest sink you can afford.

We have the Grohe Ladylux Plus faucet - very functional faucet.

However, my favorite part of our kitchen sink (perhaps even the kitchen!) is the Tapmaster. Website: http://www.tapmaster.ca/us/kick_models.html

Nothing beats hands free faucet control. Gross dirty hands, touch the pedal with your foot and wash your hands, etc. I would never have a kitchen without it again. Best thing we put in. Can you tell I love it! Highly recommend one.

[oct2189]

We have a single stainless sink. I love being able to set a roaster, cookie sheet, huge mixing bowl... I could go on and on. I have an expandable drying rack that fits over half the sink that I use to hold washed veggies while cooking. Lifts right out when I want to use the whole sink. Got the hanging rack at Bed Bath and Beyond.

[breadmama]

It's interesting to hear what features people like - I appreciate your comments!

I think I will love the bigger sink - especially when I'm trying to wash the 8 qt. Le Creuset, or my crock pot insert, once it is soup season again.

We're just tired of bumping into the divider, and think it will be great to upgrade the whole setup once and for all!

Thanks again-
Laurie

[wallycat]

gardenweb.com will have more info for you.

the newer sinks that are all the rage are "Silgranite" and supposed to be amazing.
I also have read that fireclay sinks (like the old farmhouse sinks) are making a comeback and get raves.
Stainless is still great if you do not mind patina and scratches.