Hello,

We'll be replacing our kitchen sink soon, and my wife wants an undermount
stainless. She's shopping price, and I'm wondering about what we should be
looking for in a sink?

How does stainless compare to porcelain?

If we go with stainless, are there certain "specs" we should be looking for?
If so, what specs would be better?

What are the pro's and con's of undermount vs top mount? We'll probably
have stone countertops, and we'll be using a disposal.

Thanks,


Steve

"mrsgator88" wrote in message
t...
Hello,

We'll be replacing our kitchen sink soon, and my wife wants an undermount
stainless. She's shopping price, and I'm wondering about what we should
be looking for in a sink?

How does stainless compare to porcelain?

If we go with stainless, are there certain "specs" we should be looking
for? If so, what specs would be better?

What are the pro's and con's of undermount vs top mount? We'll probably
have stone countertops, and we'll be using a disposal.

Thanks,


Steve

In my opinion there is no comparison to the look of an udermount sink if
your talking about Granite counters. A few things to be aware of make sure
the sink comes with a cut out pattern ( it Should) Some installers charge
extra to make a pattern. Some of the sinks are deeper so you might have to
change the plumbing in the wall ( lower the trap adaptor) Stainless or
Porcelain there both good . The stainless is my perseverance just like the
look and we did our whole kitchen wit stainless appliances. The stainless
sink have come a long way for looks and quality. The udermount sinks do cost
more . You need to go out and check them out. I know a lot of people find
the sink they want and then buy them on e-bay.

maximum size for a turkey platter and maximum depth for a soup or
lobster pot. its integral drainboard must pitch into the sink and to
its drain and be rinseable with a sprayer of a high rising single
handle delta fixture. big enough to wash an infant or 20 lb dog.
stainless can be waterspotted and noisy. go heavy gauge of any
material. all subject to what your wife likes, have her try out the
sinks at your friends and neighbors because the right choice will last
a lifetime.

Undermount is definitely the way to go, as it allows easier cleanup of
the countertops by just sweeping water or debris into the sink.
Personally, I prefer the look of an enamel sink. I had a stainless
and switched to white. I find the nice bright white warm look
preferable to the cold look of stainless. I also find it easier to see
things I'm working on, like peeling vegs, against the white background.
It's also quieter than the stainless it replaced, but the stainless
was a cheaper one, better/heavier ones are likely quieter too. But
all that is personal preference, either can be good choices.

I'd also go with a deeper bowl. That gives you more room and cuts way
down on splashback when you are washing things. As far as bowl type, I
like the 2 bowl type which are split about 2/3, 1/3. That gives you
one large bowl and one bowl that while smaller, is still fine for a
backup sink. IMO, the most useless sinks are the 2 bowl ones that
have one big bowl and one small/narrow bowl. That bowls is actually
intended for a disposal bowl, with the disposal going under it.
However, I much prefer having the disposal under the main bowl, because
that's where I do veg prep and can just send the remains down the
disposal. So, in my use, the little bowl just took up space.

Check out the Kohler Executive Chef and the Marsala, which are 2 bowls,
2/3, 1/3, and deep. I went with the Marsala, which has a single
faucet hole back of the middle divider and another hole in the corner.
That leaves the area at the back rear of the bowls, which normally
would be taken up by faucets free, so they make the bowls go back
another 3 inchs or so. That's the style I like best.

If you have a dishwasher, go with the biggest rectagular, single-basin,
undermount stainless steel sink that will fit in your cabinet. For
example:

http://www.kitchensource.com/kitchen...bl-501-113.htm

(or an equivalent to the Blanco magnum series)

However, 8 or 9 inches of depth (top to bottom) should be adequate to
prevent back-splatter. I'm not sure if deeper sinks might pose
reach-down ergonomic problems.

There's no reason to have more than one basin if you have a dishwasher
and you'll love being able to take advantage of all that uninterrupted
space. I have one and I can fit in cookie sheets, buckets, big vases,
refrigerator shelves & drawers, those plastic tote bins.... it's great.

(You might also want to consider a gooseneck faucet for more clearance
yet)

wrote:
If you have a dishwasher, go with the biggest rectagular, single-basin,
undermount stainless steel sink that will fit in your cabinet. For
example:

http://www.kitchensource.com/kitchen...bl-501-113.htm

(or an equivalent to the Blanco magnum series)

However, 8 or 9 inches of depth (top to bottom) should be adequate to
prevent back-splatter. I'm not sure if deeper sinks might pose
reach-down ergonomic problems.

There's no reason to have more than one basin if you have a dishwasher

There is a very good reason and that's to have a second sink available.
In the middle of cooking, when the main sink has either pots, dishes,
scraps from food prep, etc in it, it's very convenient to have a second
sink available to use. A good example is using it for a collander,
while the other sink has stuff in it. I do this frequently. I also
use it to let pots or containers dry that aren't going in the
dishwasher.






and you'll love being able to take advantage of all that uninterrupted
space. I have one and I can fit in cookie sheets, buckets, big vases,
refrigerator shelves & drawers, those plastic tote bins.... it's great.

(You might also want to consider a gooseneck faucet for more clearance
yet)

wrote:

There is a very good reason and that's to have a second sink available.
In the middle of cooking, when the main sink has either pots, dishes,
scraps from food prep, etc in it, it's very convenient to have a second
sink available to use. A good example is using it for a collander,
while the other sink has stuff in it. I do this frequently. I also
use it to let pots or containers dry that aren't going in the
dishwasher.

Put your dishes on one half of the big single basin sink and put your
colander in the the other half or use a suspended over-the-sink
strainer. It's not difficult.

Again, there's no need for more than one basin, but there's always need
for the biggest basin you can get. A single basin delivers this.

wrote:
I also
use it to let pots or containers dry that aren't going in the
dishwasher.


I missed this statement the first time. You're kidding, right? You
let clean containers dry in the dirty bottom of a sink? Gross.
Besides, a place with a faucet above it isn't exactly the spot to dry
things.

Let things dry on a clean, sanitary counter, or invest in a dish towel.

1st saw this on HGTV. Home Depot has one on display. A double sink but
the center divider is lowered. This allows you to fill both sinks to
soak and wash larger pans, cookie sheets etc.

Muvin Gruvin wrote:
1st saw this on HGTV. Home Depot has one on display. A double sink but
the center divider is lowered. This allows you to fill both sinks to
soak and wash larger pans, cookie sheets etc.

I would think that would get in the way still. For an item that won't
go in the dishwasher, put a tiny amount of dish soap directly on the
item from a pump dispenser, and scrub it with the water that will be
held by the concave shape of the pan, dish, bowl, etc.

It takes less water, you don't have to wait for the sink to fill up,
you get a higher concentration of soap for less, and you don't have a
permanent obstacle in the middle of your sink in the way of a divider.

It's also a benefit to have everything drain into the disposal, so
there's no need to worry about clogs or to transfer slop from one drain
to another.