Do I need a draining board?

[Piglet]

I'm planning a kitchen revamp - reusing the units but changing the sink, hob, dishwasher, work top tiling etc. It's likely to be a 5-7 year fix until I'm in a position to do a "proper job".

I'm seriously thinking of ditching my 1.5 bowl sink for a bigger 1.0 bowl inset sink with no drainer and then using a stand alone drainer with an integrated tray for anything that is washed up. The bonus is that I get some additional work surface as the run with the hob and sink in it is reasonably congested.

I don't really want to spend out on solid or capped work surfaces given the timespan so the nice, moulded drainers don't seem to be an option.

Has anyone done anything similar? Any advice or experience?

[FlossyThePig]

We have a double sink and had drain channels cut into the worktop. SWMBO uses 1 sink as a wet sink (washing up and veg prep) the other as a draining sink.

[B17NNS]

Provided you have the standard PH twin dishwasher set up that arrangement is fine.

[eggchaser1987]

We don't have a draining board, wasn't one when we moved into the house. I wish we had one. It's a must, admittedly we do not have a dishwasher so use the stand alone drainer every day.

One wouldn't take up much room so I would say have one.

[It's fixable...]

Our kitchen is as it came with the house and is really tight for space.

We have a solid beech worktops with Belfast fireclay sink and a freestanding drainer.

When there is a really big cooking job on like Christmas dinner or extended family entertaining the freestanding drainer is put away and the sink is covered with a purpose made shaped plug that fits into the worktop cut-out - hey presto we have an extra three feet of worktop available.

[Gad-Westy]

The last kitchen I did, I put a single round sink in, no drainer. Bench space was restricted so it made sense. We had no dishwasher but it was never an issue. Just bought one of those draining rack with a spout in that poured water back in to the sink.

[Piglet]

It sounds like it's do'able. I've got enough space to replace the 1.5 and drainer that I've got now but I think the space would be better used day to day as work surface rather than sink space given that most washing up goes into the dishwasher.

I've got my eye on a nice Franke inset single sink which is quite a bit bigger than the main part of my existing sink, I'm struggling to find a deck mounted pull out tap though - I know nothing about taps, I can't work out whether the tap needs to say that it's for deck mounting or if it doesn't make a difference?

[trooperiziz]

You could get something like this to use when you need to:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AVWEBH0/ref=...

[Piglet]

trooperiziz said:

You could get something like this to use when you need to:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AVWEBH0/ref=...

Yep that's the sort of thing I was thinking of, Procook do one that is quite like a "normal" drying rack as well. They seem OK and no real difference to having a rack on the draining board except I'll have to remember to empty it (...and bung it in the dishwasher).

[Pheo]

FYI my Franke sink comes with a glass chopping board that fits over the top for prep if needed. its a large 1.0 sink - 600 wide cabinet, so I can fit all the oven pans into it.

It has a flat drainer area on it which is easy to clean. Still deciding what kind of drainer to get for it. We have a movable one for the other end if we need more space.

[trooperiziz]

Piglet said:

trooperiziz said:

You could get something like this to use when you need to:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00AVWEBH0/ref=...

Yep that's the sort of thing I was thinking of, Procook do one that is quite like a "normal" drying rack as well. They seem OK and no real difference to having a rack on the draining board except I'll have to remember to empty it (...and bung it in the dishwasher).

Looking at the pictures, I think the procook one you have to empty, but the one I linked to drains into the sink or captures the water, depending on which way up you have it.

[rovermorris999]

I have one of these steel-frame drainers. Very good, not the cheapest, made in USA, at least ours is.
http://www.simplehuman.com/uk/kitchen/dishracks

[ali_kat]

eggchaser1987 said:

We don't have a draining board, wasn't one when we moved into the house. I wish we had one. It's a must, admittedly we do not have a dishwasher so use the stand alone drainer every day.

One wouldn't take up much room so I would say have one.

This, didn't think it would matter, it does!

[Piglet]

Pheo said:

FYI my Franke sink comes with a glass chopping board that fits over the top for prep if needed. its a large 1.0 sink - 600 wide cabinet, so I can fit all the oven pans into it.

It has a flat drainer area on it which is easy to clean. Still deciding what kind of drainer to get for it. We have a movable one for the other end if we need more space.

Do you know which sink you've got? I seem to be losing the "no draining board" debate at home...

This Ascona looks nice.... http://www.franke.com/kitchensystems/uk/en/home/pr...

Edited by Piglet on Monday 2nd March 18:41

[LaurasOtherHalf]

ali_kat said:

eggchaser1987 said:

We don't have a draining board, wasn't one when we moved into the house. I wish we had one. It's a must, admittedly we do not have a dishwasher so use the stand alone drainer every day.

One wouldn't take up much room so I would say have one.

This, didn't think it would matter, it does!

MIL doesn't have one with her Belfast sink either, it's surprising what a pain in the arse it is when I cook at hers.

[ali_kat]

That's exactly my set up & exactly why I hate it!

1 & 1/2 sinks, waste disposal unit & draining board will be replacing it!