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Kitchen Sinks - Single or Double??


scubadoo97

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One of the few things I really like about my tiny 1946 kitchen is the big single farmer's style sink. I've always found the double sinks to be a pain. Sheet pans, stock pots, all fit in there. Now if I only had a dishwasher so that they wouldn't have to.

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Ok, I went with my gut and ordered this 

one.

Randi, I think you are going to be happy with your decision. I installed the largest sink that I could find (single bowl), and anytime that I need a "second bowl" (which is rare), I just use a dishpan and set it inside the sink. The rest of the time, the dishpan lives under the sink where it holds cleaning products. (That's handy, too, since if any of the cleaning products spill, they won't spoil the bottom of your cabinet, and when you need them, you just pull out the whole thing).

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I've had both types - single bowl and double. I prefer the big single because although I have a dishwasher all of my pots and pans go in the single to be hand washed. There are items such as roasting pans and the grills for my bullet smoker that simply don't fit into the bowls of my double.

But what I'd really really REALLY like is either as double with two big bowls (as big as or nearly as big as a single) and two separate faucets. I'd also like a separate water tap above the stove to fill pots for potatoes, pasta etc but might just do that if/when I put in a new range and add a range hood.

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Kitchen designers are a waste of time because they don't understand how to cook and what is needed. Went through two designers and threw both out and designed kitchen myself.

Used Franke Manor House sink http://www.frankeksd.com/productdetail.php...group=53&lvl=3# . Biggest Franke I could get, one sink. heavier weight SS, absolutely bullet proof. We use Falk Culinair copper which will dent or break anything it comes into contact with. The Franke is unfazed by rough contact. It handles the biggest pots and roasting pans. You don't need these dinky little bowls for washing vegetables and other things. We have the bottom grate for the Franke and LOTS of vegatables go into the bottom and are washed and prepped. Could not accomplish anything with those little sinks.

Suggest you find something like the Furniture Mart in Chicago where all the brands come together with actual kitchen spaces.

In any event, kitchen designers are a waste of time.-Dick

Edited by budrichard (log)
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Cali, I'm coming in late to this -- I see you've already made your decision (and I love it!).

I am having a double-bowl sink made, integrated into the stainless countertop. One side will be gi-normous and deep, the other about 3/4 the size. I have tried the single-bowl sink and just don't like it. The shorter side will have a garbage disposal. I'd have a three-compartment sink if I could.

And phaelon, I am putting in a pull-down faucet which also has a regular spigot with handles, and I canNOT wait to use it. :biggrin:

"Oh, tuna. Tuna, tuna, tuna." -Andy Bernard, The Office
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I think the answer depends on how much room you have to play with. My first priority would be for a large, deep sink that easily holds large pans, etc. If I still had room left for a second sink, I'd go for it, I can easily imagine that it would be handy sometimes. But a primary sink that is too small--just to have a second sink--seems wrong.

Nice choice, Cali. I'm shopping for one myself and will keep this one in mind.


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Kitchen designers are a waste of time because they don't understand how to cook and what is needed. Went through two designers and threw both out and designed kitchen myself.

Used Franke Manor House sink http://www.frankeksd.com/productdetail.php...group=53&lvl=3# . Biggest Franke I could get, one sink. heavier weight SS, absolutely bullet proof. We use Falk Culinair copper which will dent or break anything it comes into contact with. The Franke is unfazed by rough contact. It handles the biggest pots and roasting pans. You don't need these dinky little bowls for washing vegetables and other things. We have the bottom grate for the Franke and LOTS of vegatables go into the bottom and are washed and prepped. Could not accomplish anything with those little sinks.

Suggest you find something like the Furniture Mart in Chicago where all the brands come together with actual kitchen spaces.

In any event, kitchen designers are a waste of time.-Dick

You got 16 ga, she got 16 ga. You got 30" x 18" bowl, she got 29-1/2" x 16-1/4". She paid $210, you paid...?

You dismiss all kitchen designers based on experience with 2? Nice.

Edited by tsquare (log)
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I was having trouble deciding on a faucet. The one I wanted( Kohler Vinnata) is almost $400.00, and I'm sorry but I think that is a ridiculous amount of money for a faucet.

I ended up buying this delta Leland. I wanted either a brushed nickel or stainless finish and thats what I got. I also bought it on ebay for about $50.00 less that I've seen it elsewhere.

I've spent an insane amount of time on Gardenweb and I've seen many pictures of it installed( and with the same sink I bought). It looks nice and its not going to break the bank( not like the cabinets!!)

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Kitchen designers are a waste of time because they don't understand how to cook and what is needed. Went through two designers and threw both out and designed kitchen myself.

Used Franke Manor House sink http://www.frankeksd.com/productdetail.php...group=53&lvl=3# . Biggest Franke I could get, one sink. heavier weight SS, absolutely bullet proof. We use Falk Culinair copper which will dent or break anything it comes into contact with. The Franke is unfazed by rough contact. It handles the biggest pots and roasting pans. You don't need these dinky little bowls for washing vegetables and other things. We have the bottom grate for the Franke and LOTS of vegatables go into the bottom and are washed and prepped. Could not accomplish anything with those little sinks.

Suggest you find something like the Furniture Mart in Chicago where all the brands come together with actual kitchen spaces.

In any event, kitchen designers are a waste of time.-Dick

You got 16 ga, she got 16 ga. You got 30" x 18" bowl, she got 29-1/2" x 16-1/4". She paid $210, you paid...?

You dismiss all kitchen designers based on experience with 2? Nice.

Holy moley that Franke sink is about 1,300.00!!

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How about a discussion of wall-mount vs. sink-mount faucets? We're going to be building a house within about a year, and it seems to me like a wall-mounted faucet would be out of the way, which would be a good thing. I haven't priced them, though. Any thoughts?

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It looks nice and its not going to break the bank( not like the cabinets!!)

Are you going to tell us what cabinets you bought?

We bought them thru the KD, they're called Luxor and the company is out of Quebec. Please, if anyone has bad experience with them, don't tell me. We got maple cabinets with a glaze. You can find a picture here.

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Kitchen designers are a waste of time because they don't understand how to cook and what is needed. Went through two designers and threw both out and designed kitchen myself.

Used Franke Manor House sink http://www.frankeksd.com/productdetail.php...group=53&lvl=3# . Biggest Franke I could get, one sink. heavier weight SS, absolutely bullet proof. We use Falk Culinair copper which will dent or break anything it comes into contact with. The Franke is unfazed by rough contact. It handles the biggest pots and roasting pans. You don't need these dinky little bowls for washing vegetables and other things. We have the bottom grate for the Franke and LOTS of vegatables go into the bottom and are washed and prepped. Could not accomplish anything with those little sinks.

Suggest you find something like the Furniture Mart in Chicago where all the brands come together with actual kitchen spaces.

In any event, kitchen designers are a waste of time.-Dick

You got 16 ga, she got 16 ga. You got 30" x 18" bowl, she got 29-1/2" x 16-1/4". She paid $210, you paid...?

You dismiss all kitchen designers based on experience with 2? Nice.

Purchasing a product based on price alone is not a wise thing to do. So much for kitchen designers. Actually I brought in two of the best in my area and started intially with what was supposed to be the premier kitchen supply house. Supply house would not/could not get what i wanted, did not sell what i wanted and was only interested in supplying what they could make the most mark up on. The installer they recammended never showed for an appointment nor called to explain why. Hired local contracter that had rebuilt front and rear decks on my house. Did an excellent job on kitchen, had them continue with total home remake. All this without a kitchen designer! Now if your totally clueless or just want to brag that you had a designer do your kitchen, then that's understandable. But if your half way intelligent, you CAN do the design yourself and get WHAT you want and not what the designer wants.

As an Engineer with a background in Metalurgy, there is no doubt in my mind that Franke makes the best quality product of its kind. But the sink is not the whole story. The appurtances that make the sink work are important from the drain to the facucets/faucets. Franke faucet and sprayer have been bullet proof with no problems. Installation is 4 years old. Sink has Franke Little Butler waiting for installation. This clever little device supplies cold and pre-heated water through a purifier using a spring return to neutral lever that you can activate with any cup or glass.

The Swiss design and manufacture the highest quality products in the world. They are not manufactured in who knows what conditions and under what quality control.

So if your single criterion is price, so be it. mine isn't.

BTW, with a little work, one can find an Internet source that discounts Franke. Delivery is about 1-2 months.-Dick

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This discussion seems to have strayed a bit off topic from kitchen sinks, but I can't help adding my two cents.

First of all, single or double bowl sink is truly a matter of preference and cooking style. I, personally, could not work with a single bowl sink as I almost always have dirty dishes/pans/etc. collecting in one side of the sink, keeping the other side of the sink free for rinsing veggies, washing hands, getting glasses of water, etc. Maybe I'm just disorganized, but it works for my cooking style (my kitchen--my cooking style). I know you've already made your decision (give us a little more notice next time, will you? :biggrin: ), but in general, like most other things in the kitchen, your decision should be based on weighing your personal factors like budget, cooking style, aesthetics, and material/construction. Price isn't the only factor, but you are going to pay more for a Franke or a Blanco (in part due to the quality of the materials and the standards of construction, in part due to the name) than you will for a sink at Home Depot. But, that doesn't mean you have to have the "superior" sink based on any external value scale--you need to find the sink that works for you.

As for kitchen designers, they're not all bunk. I'm certainly capable of sketching up plans for a kitchen, but when I'm making a $30K purchase, I like the backup of a trained professional drawing up (and taking responsibility for) the final layout, complete with measurements and tolerances up to 1/16". AND, I have to say that I found my kitchen designer extremely valuable in working with me to come up with efficient solutions to my individual kitchen needs to keep my project on budget. My kitchen designer didn't try to sell me anything in the way of appliances, fixtures, or hardware. Yes, she reps specific lines of cabinets, but we took that into account when we interviewed her. Other than that, her services were truly design services--when I found my Blanco 512-750 sink on eBay for $100 less than she could get it for me, she was only too happy to let me make the purchase. There were no hard feelings or hard sell tactics to get me to order it (or anything else) through her company so she could get the commission. I'm sorry you had such a poor experience with kitchen designers, but it doesn't mean everyone did--or that all kitchen designers are a waste of time and money.

Feast then thy heart, for what the heart has had, the hand of no heir shall ever hold.
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Kitchen designers are a waste of time because they don't understand how to cook and what is needed. Went through two designers and threw both out and designed kitchen myself.

In any event, kitchen designers are a waste of time.-Dick

You got 16 ga, she got 16 ga. You got 30" x 18" bowl, she got 29-1/2" x 16-1/4". She paid $210, you paid...?

You dismiss all kitchen designers based on experience with 2? Nice.

Purchasing a product based on price alone is not a wise thing to do. So much for kitchen designers.

Hey Dick - I didn't say I was a kitchen designer. I just commented on the difference in price between the two sinks, and then commented on your dimissal of kitchen designers. The two points were not related.

It's like saying all people of any group are a waste of time because you had a bad experience, be they doctors, accountants, teachers, designers, or chefs. Maybe you were unable to communicate what you wanted. Maybe your choices work for you and everyone you know really wants to know what you were thinking?

Some really smart people (and not so smart) have no spatial intelligence. They can really make a mess of a room layout. Based on do-it yourself remodels I've seen in open houses through the years, plenty of people could use design assistance. And yes, I have seen professionally designed spaces that don't work either.

Point: I'd like to see broad stroke condemnation left out of these threads. I suppose I should be nicer one on one as well, but this just pushed my buttons.

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I just wanted to add my two cents. We just finished a kitchen remodel (or almost, still have a little painting to do).

My two cents has more to do with the overall planning regarding the sink, than with the style, etc.

I wanted to get the deepest sink I could, for washing pots, etc. I got a "D" shaped Franke sink. I think it is 9 or 9.5" deep. The "first" plumber we hired for the kitchen remodel did not take into consideration the depth of the sink, compared to the old nasty shallow cast iron sink we previously had when redoing the plumbing in the new kitchen. He did a nice job with the gas line, but did not properyl account for the depth of the new sink and the disposal. When the counters were installed and we called him back to install the sink, he said that we could not install the sink and the disposal as is because the drain line was too high. He said we would have to replace the drain line completely and it would be a lot of money. And this is why I said the "first" plumber. We said goodbye to him and called another more capable plumber, who reassessed the situation, and luckily because we have access the plumbing easily in the basement, was able to cut two small holes and add a small pipe to the drain line to account for the new lower disposal and sink.

My point is this - just make sure that the plumber, or the kitchen designer, account for the new depth of these larger and deeper sinks when laying out the plumbing before the cabinets are installed. It is a lot easier to deal with issues then, and a lot cheaper, than to deal with them later.

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I am really appreciating this discussion on kitchen sinks as I am currently picking stuff for our new condo. I HAD chosen a ss double (one side bigger than the other) one but then came across a Blanco brochure advertising sinks made from silgranit. The black one really caught my eye. While the brochure says that it doesn't scratch I am a little wary. Anyone have any experience with this material?

Cali..your new home sounds wonderful. I have been in renovation hell several times but it is worth it. You live in a beautiful part of the country. I use to live in London so know the area well.

Good luck. I shall be following along as you progress.

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  • 4 months later...

We're designing a kitchen and are inclined to buy a large single sink as we do a fair amount of entertaining. We've always had a single basin and a 28x19" single sink can accommodate large pans for soaking and piles of dishes. But most of what's for sale out there are double sinks. The times I wish I had a double are when I'm washing wine glasses and would like to have a rinse basin.

What's your experience?

“Watermelon - it’s a good fruit. You eat, you drink, you wash your face.”

Italian tenor Enrico Caruso (1873-1921)

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My house came with an asymmetrical double sink -- left side is about 9" wide (shallower basin and has a removable wire dish drainer), the right side approximately 20" wide and very deep. I don't know how common this design is, but it works just fine.

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My house came with an asymmetrical double sink -- left side is about 9" wide (shallower basin and has a removable wire dish drainer), the right side approximately 20" wide and very deep. I don't know how common this design is, but it works just fine.

I've never had a sink I liked, actually. I currently have a double that is too shallow. I hate single sinks because I like to put my main drying rack in the second basin and my secondary drying rack up next to the sink. I either need a bigger sink or more counter space next to it!

Chris Hennes
Director of Operations
chennes@egullet.org

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My house came with an asymmetrical double sink -- left side is about 9" wide (shallower basin and has a removable wire dish drainer), the right side approximately 20" wide and very deep. I don't know how common this design is, but it works just fine.

I have the same but a larger size I think and love it it is nice to have a "clean side" and a "dirty side"

the large side can hold the biggest roasting pans I have so not complaints of room here...

I am not sure what the advantage of a single big sink is anymore? when you can scrape food off on one side then wash the pan on the other

I am putting another kitchen in downstairs and while I thought I would like one of those single giant sinks ..I am not able to see how it would be better than two if you have a good sized double!

why am I always at the bottom and why is everything so high? 

why must there be so little me and so much sky?

Piglet 

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