Selecting  a kitchen sink used to be easy. There were rectangular sinks and, well, rectangular sinks.

 

Today’s renovators have much more selection. There are:

 

·         Square

·         Round

·         Oval

·         Oblong shapes

·         Sculpted variations of each shape, for a more decorative look

 

Kitchen sinks also are getting bigger and deeper. Try a 28-inch by 16-inch sink with a 10 or 12-inch depth that was designed to handle pots and pans.

 

Selecting Shape(s)

Among the key decisions are how many bowls to include and what shape or shapes to select. “Squares and rounds are really big right now,” said Barbara Schmidt, an interior designer in Minneapolis, MN who does work for American Standard, Inc., a plumbing fixtures manufacturer in Piscataway, NJ.

 

Consumers are looking for diversity in kitchen sinks as they try to personalize the space. They want it to reflect how they entertain, prepare meals, and move around the kitchen, she said.

 

Many are selecting larger or deeper sinks or simply want an unusual shape or size to draw attention to the space. All these new designs allow consumers to select sinks that are much more customized, instead of buying a standard rectangular model.

 

“The kitchen is still the most heavily used room in the house,” said Alan M. Danenberg, director of marketing services for Elkay Manufacturing Company, a sink and faucet manufacturer in Oak Brook, IL. “This lets them create the kitchen they want.”

 

Elkay has a single bowl sink that is 33-inches by 22-inches. It is designed for those who want a single bowl sink, but want more space for washing dishes or bathing an infant, for example. Many standard single bowl sinks range from 16 to 18-inches wide by 14 to 16 inches from the front to back.

 

The company also has a two bowl sink with a 21-inch by 18 5/8-inch bowl and a 7-inch by 14 1/8-inch bowl that might be used for cutting vegetables. One unusual design by Elkay has three sides and measures 6 3/8-inches by 14 inches by 20 inches. There also is a ribbed surface for meal preparation on one side.

 

Among the sizes and configurations to consider are:

 

·         A bigger bowl, perhaps square with rounded edges, next to a smaller rectangular sink.

 

·         A three bowl arrangement, with one for washing dishes, one for rinsing dishes, and the third as a smaller bowl for washing vegetables. You can have the vegetable sink in the middle or on either end.

 

Kitchen sinks are priced from a few hundred dollars to several thousand, depending upon the size, material and features.

 

How to Decide

Think about your lifestyle.

 

·         If you are a gourmet cook or a vegetarian, you’ll want a little vegetable sink with a disposal in it

 

·         If you wash a lot of large pots and pans focus on deeper sinks that will make that process easier

 

·         Are you right or left handed? This will affect where a built-in cutting board or vegetable sink should be located.

 

Many of these new sink designs are made as “undermount” models that are installed below the edge of the countertop instead of having a lip that rises over the edge of the countertop. The advantage is that food items can be pushed from the countertop into the sink without getting trapped between the lip of the sink and the countertop.

 

Also, there is no caulk to apply between the lip of the sink and the countertop, and water will not seep through the crevice and damage the countertop. As you’re clearing the dishes, you’re may get water on the counter. All you have to do is slide it off into the sink.