What Sink? Drainer or no drainer....

What Sink? Drainer or no drainer....

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Discussion

camshafted

Original Poster:

938 posts

165 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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I am in the process of refreshing my kitchen and I am wondering whether or not to have a drainer with my sink. I like the look of no drainer, and just having 1 1/2 bowl stainless steel look.

However, the issue is where to drain dishes. I don't have a dishwasher, so would look at getting a separate dish drainer and having it next to the sink when needed and packed away at other times. Might also just put a tea towel down.Thoughts? Worktop will be laminate.

(This is the sink and I am having a similar worktop and tile combination)


Evolved

3,565 posts

187 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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No drainer, looks cleaner, more modern and means you aren't tempted to leave wet dishes sitting there.

Condi

17,195 posts

171 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
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camshafted said:


However, the issue is where to drain dishes. I don't have a dishwasher, so would look at getting a separate dish drainer and having it next to the sink when needed and packed away at other times. Might also just put a tea towel down.Thoughts? Worktop will be laminate.
Terrible idea IMO. Wet dishes, or wet towels, near the cut edge of a laminate worktop is a bad idea. And the water cant actually drain back into the sink anyway, because the sink sits on top of the worktop, so you'll just end up with a wet mess on your worktop 24/7.

Only way you can do it is an undersink and grooves cut into the worktop - which means going stone/quartz.

camshafted

Original Poster:

938 posts

165 months

Thursday 26th May 2016
quotequote all
Understand the concerns about water and laminate but also like the idea of it being cleaner. Plus there are drainers which can sit next to the sink and drain into the bowl

blueg33

35,901 posts

224 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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I would rather have something that looks good with a built in drainer that something that looks a bit better with a bit of plastic tat next to it to act as a drainer as in the pics above.

Not one of my sales directors would allow us to spec a luxury house or flat without a drainer. Why? Because it puts people off. Kitchens have to function as well as look good.

0000

13,812 posts

191 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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No one's regularly packing those plastic things away, they'll stay out permanently, surely?

I bet they go mouldy too.

ali_kat

31,990 posts

221 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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Condi said:
Terrible idea IMO. Wet dishes, or wet towels, near the cut edge of a laminate worktop is a bad idea. And the water cant actually drain back into the sink anyway, because the sink sits on top of the worktop, so you'll just end up with a wet mess on your worktop 24/7.

Only way you can do it is an undersink and grooves cut into the worktop - which means going stone/quartz.
This

It won't look cleaner because you won't put it away; that will become 'old' very fast

grumbledoak

31,534 posts

233 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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Condi said:
Terrible idea IMO. Wet dishes, or wet towels, near the cut edge of a laminate worktop is a bad idea. And the water cant actually drain back into the sink anyway, because the sink sits on top of the worktop, so you'll just end up with a wet mess on your worktop 24/7.

Only way you can do it is an undersink and grooves cut into the worktop - which means going stone/quartz.
<upvote>

blueg33

35,901 posts

224 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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Something like this is much better


camshafted

Original Poster:

938 posts

165 months

Friday 27th May 2016
quotequote all
blueg33 said:
Not one of my sales directors would allow us to spec a luxury house or flat without a drainer. Why? Because it puts people off. Kitchens have to function as well as look good.
That was one of the other things I was thinking about. Future buyers might be put off. Looks like (reasonably priced) function will beat fashion on this occasion!

bstw

147 posts

184 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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camshafted said:
Understand the concerns about water and laminate but also like the idea of it being cleaner. Plus there are drainers which can sit next to the sink and drain into the bowl
We have the green one and I wouldn't recommend it. It only takes a few bits to fill it up and it gets manky in the gaps, fortunately it fits in the dishwasher but its a faff.

There are others that look more functional but they all get slated for not being easy to clean and not lasting long.

The only reason we have it is that we have quartz worktops and I didn't want the draining grooves cut into it as apparently they're also pretty ineffective.

thepeoplespal

1,621 posts

277 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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Make sure the drainer has deep enough sides, so the water doesn't go everywhere when you are wiping the water off it or cleaning/rinsing it.

paulrockliffe

15,705 posts

227 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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We had this dilemma as we fitted a Belfast sink with wooden worktops. I didn't want to cut grooves into the worktop as it'll inevitably stay wet and get ruined. We tried a ceramic drainer that matches the sink, but water would splash up against it's bottom edge, then sit underneath it and damage the wood.

We have a plastic bucket thing that drains into the sink, but can be lifted into the sink out of the way. It doesn't get lifted into the sink, so is quite scruffy. That said, whatever you do you'll need a draining rack of some sort or you'll never have room to dry everything. Only way to keep things clear is a double sink with a draining rack set int he second sink.

I did see a plumbed in draining board that can be recessed into a worktop which was very clean, if I was starting again with the belfast sink, I'd be getting one of those. One day maybe I'll find a way to fit one.

8-P

2,758 posts

260 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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Integrated


ali_kat

31,990 posts

221 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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Integrated won't work well with laminate...

Simpo Two

85,422 posts

265 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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blueg33 said:
a bit of plastic tat next to it to act as a drainer
Agreed - looks like a Betterware catalogue!

kryten22uk

2,344 posts

231 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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camshafted said:
(This is the sink and I am having a similar worktop and tile combination)

Have you seen those Ikea sinks in real life? I got one for my utility room, they're very cheap and cheerful. Thin/cheap bendy metal and always looks dirty. I wouldnt be keen on it in a kitchen.

camshafted

Original Poster:

938 posts

165 months

Friday 27th May 2016
quotequote all
kryten22uk said:
Have you seen those Ikea sinks in real life? I got one for my utility room, they're very cheap and cheerful. Thin/cheap bendy metal and always looks dirty. I wouldnt be keen on it in a kitchen.
Just browsing at the moment. Thanks for the advice, good to hear from someone who owns one. I guess at that price, it won't be great kitchen quality.

Basil Brush

5,083 posts

263 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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We don't have a drainer cut into out quartz worktop as I don't like the look and have the hob and sink flush mounted. We do have a dish washer though and I think it would be a pain if we didn't.

8-P

2,758 posts

260 months

Friday 27th May 2016
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ali_kat said:
Integrated won't work well with laminate...
Do you really want laminate? I know it depends on budgets