Do you ever cover the sink to gain work space?

[Anna N]

Inspired by this topic, I wonder if any of you cover a sink to gain extra work space and if so, with what?

I have a double stainless steel sink and thought it would be great if I could cover one sink with something that could serve as a cutting board/work surface and then be reversed to serve as a trivet for hot pans.

I did a google search and found lots of covers for those small sinks in RVs but nothing along the lines of a reversible cover for a fairly standard size sink.

Has anyone seen something along the lines I have described? I am sure that if you were handy then it wouldn't be hard to fabricate.

edited to fix typo

Edited August 21, 2006 by Anna N (log)

[Marlene]

I'm pretty sure I saw these for regualr size sinks at Canadian Tire the other day. I remember remarking at the time that they were a larger version of the cutting board/covers we have for the RV. Try their site to see. Also, the sinks in the big RVS (Class A's) tend to be regular sized. So an RV store would have covers to accomdate them as well which would fit over kitchen sinks.

[Marlene]

An online resource, so at least you know they do make these things!

sink covers

I also used to have a combination cutting board/colander that fit over the sink, but for the life of me, I can't find an example online at the moment!

Edited August 21, 2006 by Marlene (log)

[russ parsons]

for years i had a tiny apartment kitchen and that was exactly what i did. i used a white synthetic cutting board that fit very neatly over one sink. it was incredibly convenient--so much so that i even continued working that way after i got more counter space.

[SuzySushi]

When we moved into our new home (with a smaller kitchen) earlier this year, a friend gave us a clear acrylic (?) cutting board that's meant to fit over one side of the double sink. It has little rubber feet to keep it from slipping.

At first I thought "just what I need... another cutting board" as we already have three others. But I find myself using it most often. The other neat trick is that when I use it over the basin with the garbage disposal, I can push scraps right into the waste.

When I'm not using it, I stand it on end between the microwave oven and the wall.

[moosnsqrl]

I had a wooden one that covered one side of the sink but had a cut-out and it was great - you could just slide the odd bits through the cut-out into a bowl to be deposited later in the compost and still had one side of the sink to rinse things off. Sadly, it split, I glued it, it split . . . finally I just gave up. But I will watch your thread with great interest and hope.

[annarborfoodie]

I have this over the sink cutting board from Crate and Barrel and I really like it. It does give me extra counter space, and as mentioned upthread, it's easy to just push scraps over the edge and into the sink.

[andiesenji]

Contact this company that makes custom cutting boards.

They can make you a cutting board with blocks on the back side that will fit exactly over your sink and not slide around. They can make a cut-out on one corner for pushing waste into the sink.

Their prices are not at all bad and it is worth it to have something that is exactly what you want.

I had them make one to fit a stainless steel utility cart that I use outside by the barbecue. I got one with a round cut-out in one corner so that I can place a container under it (I had a hole the same size cut out of the top platform of the cart) to catch waste.

Edited August 22, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[Kayakado]

I often pull out kitchen drawers and put a cutting board on them to make a lower area for working with dough or to clamp my pasta maker on.

[chiantiglace]

a closet door worked for me once.......

[Anna N]

Some great suggestions here, thank you. None, however, except for Andie's custom-made option is quite what I am after - one that is reversible - cutting board/landing pad for hot pans.

Hubby works in a machine shop where occasionally jobs get botched and stainless steel becomes scrap so I am asking him to put on his thinking cap and see what he can come up. Then, when he has finished the second bathroom, built two small pantries to "bookend" my buffet, installed pendant lights over the breakfast bar, given me a power outlet in my prep area, etc. etc. etc., perhaps he can design the perfect sink cover of my dreams. The downside to this idea is that by the time he gets half of the other tasks done, he will be retired from the machine shop!

For now I have an over-the-sink plastic cutting board and I am just putting trivets on it when needed. It's not ideal but it does the job.

[katbert]

The kitchen in my last apartment had exactly 0 square feet of counter space, so I would regularly drop my largest wooden cutting board (yay Ikea) across the sink (and sometimes on top of the stovetop for prep). Sometimes, depending on the size of the chopping job, I would put a smaller board on top of the larger one since it was a minor pain to wash the larger board. I've put hot things like lids & cookie trays on the board, although I'd still use a trivet for pots & casseroles.

(Current kitchen counter size has improved to ~2 sqft and I still use the cutting board on top of the sink, still fits perfectly.)

[jgm]

I often pull out kitchen drawers and put a cutting board on them to make a lower area for working with dough or to clamp my pasta maker on.

←

I do this, too, and I also put things on the stovetop. (I like to live dangerously.)

Occasionally, when I'm really, really pressed for space, I'll put things inside the oven. In fact, it's an ideal place to dry fresh pasta. But this, too, has its perils. In my house, the fact that the cats can't get to what's inside the oven, is a strong enough advantage to make me do it fairly often.

It seems I've seen pull-out cutting boards in some kitchens, and I've thought of having some installed when we build our house. Has anybody ever used these? I wouldn't think they'd be sturdy enough to do much cutting on, but they'd sure hold a bunch of prep dishes.

In my next life, I will have a large kitchen and well-behaved cats.

[moosnsqrl]

It seems I've seen pull-out cutting boards in some kitchens, and I've thought of having some installed when we build our house.  Has anybody ever used these?  I wouldn't think they'd be sturdy enough to do much cutting on, but they'd sure hold a bunch of prep dishes.

My mother solved the problem by a fold-down cutting board on the end of a countertop. It hinged up into place when needed, fortified by L-brackets that folded down as I recall (sorry, it's been about 20 years since that particular house and details are fuzzy) but it was as sturdy as chopping on a regular countertop - much less precarious than the pull-out kind.

In my next life, I will have a large kitchen and well-behaved cats. 

←

Good luck on that.

[chiantiglace]

I've used the pulled out cutting boards before. Each time I use one, I pull it all the way out and set it on the counter because they have never been sturdy enough for me.

[helenjp]

I have used various solutions, but the one I like best is a white board made specifically for over sinks. One edge is bevelled, so I can sweep garbage straight into the sink (as opposed to having it fall on the floor, which happens too easily when sink-cover boards extend the full depth of the counter).

You may not want a full-size cover if you have a large sink - mine is rather heavy, so I don't always use it, even when I know it would be the best working surface.

[Pat Churchill]

At our home back in NZ I have a large Corian counter with a double sink. The joinery firm that made it kept the piece of Corian they cut out when fitting the sink and then made it into two boards that slotted in over the main sink and the insinkerator hole. It made for a big expanse of bench space. Each one has a small half-moon piece cut out for lifting the board.

Most of the time I use a regular chopping board but Corian is pretty forgiving stuff too.