Any Kitchen Sink Experts here? what kind to get?

[bagusbagus]

I currently have an old stainless steel one so Have no idea really which ones from the better looking ones are as or almost as durable/long lasting as a stainless steel.

for the looks alone I want one of those butler sinks the most



Than there are the normal looking ones but from ceramic which looks quite nice as well.



I reckon this type or ceramic sink is going to be as ''durable '' as a butler sink since it's also ceramic?
How long do you think you can expect such sink to last? I have seen pictures of used ones where they are chipped/have cracks in the glaze and just look nasty.. There are 3 kids in the house who likes to cook as well so it will see a lot of abuse..


Than there are the granite composite ones, As i understand these are both pretty tough and reasonably solid and have some nice designs as well?


And finally I think there are a bit cheaper ones which are the Resin ones but they still have good designs similar to the granite composite ones at least in pictures? Are those like plastic sinks? Not sure If I like the sound of it.What's up with them? are they just cheap&Nasty looking in reality and usage, or they are just as good as the more expensive ones?



Sooo many choices that it's hard to understand what is what..
Any experts here can give some kind of insight on what kind is the best in real life usage?

[garylythgoe]

I feel like I'm fully equipped to answer this!

I had a Blanco 950x500mm Stainless Steel sink, and I wanted to switch it out for a Composite type sink.

I figured sinks will all be a standard size, and it would just be a like for like replacement, and to fiddle about with the plumbing. Absolutely not.

950x500 seems to be a normal ish size for stainless sinks...

However, Composite/Ceramic/Granite type sinks are all 970-1000mm by 500mm.

So I bought a Franke Basis BFG611-970 sink in black, and widened the existing cut out to accommodate the slightly larger sink.
Bought the relevant waste kit, and it all fitted perfectly with a new coil type tap.

The one I bought is composite granite and it feels like it's indestructible, completely scratch resistant and feels very high quality.

Couldn't be happier with the outcome.

[Edwin Strohacker]

Literally just fitted a Franke Sid under mount sink in black to sit beneath a star galaxy worktop. It replaced a past it stainless steel affair & again, couldn't be happier, the two work together brilliantly.

[frg530]

I can't comment on your suggested ones but I can say don't go for a Franke Kubus Glass sink! We've got the 1.5 bowl one and managed to chip most of our plates and bowls on it, or if it's a metal pan then I'm afraid the glass sink chips. It does look good though (if you don't see the chips). It was my choice as well, not the wife's, she likes to remind me every now and then

[SAB888]

I also have a black Franke sink although a different model. Feels really solid and looks great.

[wibble cb]

How about a stainless steel butler sink?

[Risotto]

In our previous house we had a ceramic sink like the second photo in the OP. It looked nice and was very sturdy but we always felt nervous that it would either crack any plates/dishes that were carelessly dropped in it, or that the sink would be cracked if a heavy pan were to be dropped in it. I think the only time anything like that happened was when a precariously stacked plate that had been left on the draining board slipped, hit the sink and broke. I seem to remember metal objects could leave faint grey scratches on the sink too.

In our current house I fitted a Franke Planar like this:



I'm always slightly dubious about how much value for money some of these expensive brands offer but in this case it's a really well made sink, and very rigid compared to some stainless sinks. You can get various compatible accessories for it too - strainers, chopping boards, etc.

Edited by Risotto on Wednesday 12th April 11:10

[Harry Flashman]

So I'm a fan of the double belfast/butler sink. We have one by RAK - not super expensive, but works very well. One side has an Insinkerator waste disposal unit under it, the other is a simple sink.

It's fantastic. Rinse plates over the waste disposal bit before putting in dishwasher. Or for handwash items, soap in one side, rinse in the other.

I had a single Belfast for years in my flat. Way more got broken at parties than ever got broken by that sink. It;s like a stone floor or worktop - you learn to stop chucking stuff around!

Kitchen by baconrashers, on Flickr


Better view of the sink at an earlier stage in the renovation:

Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr

Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr

[Jonesy23]

Composite ones have a bit of a surface texture, so can take a bit of effort to get clean especially if you've bought a black one.

I prefer it to stainless though as that always picks up marks.

[hyphen]

From a features point of view - more than one bowl, and deeper the better in my experience.

[roofer]

We have this, ticks all the boxes.

[LookAtMyCat]

I have a Teka stainless sink. It's very thick and rigid and looks amazing.

http://www.teka.com/en/kitchen/sinks

[sploosh]

No mention of in sink waste disposal yet ..... One was a already fitted when we moved in and I thought we'd never use it , but wouldn't be without it now.

[S6PNJ]

sploosh said:

No mention of in sink waste disposal yet ..... One was a already fitted when we moved in and I thought we'd never use it , but wouldn't be without it now.

See Harry Flashman's post from 18:14 - he has an insinkerator.

[sploosh]

S6PNJ said:

See Harry Flashman's post from 18:14 - he has an insinkerator.

Oops. Just finished work for a week. Blame the wine.

[S6PNJ]

I considered buying a second hand insinkerator....to mash apples in order to make cider! Another job I never got around to starting, let alone finishing! When I have a bit more time (and after I've planted some cider apple trees for a start) maybe I'll get one!

Oh and 'Sploosh' - is that the sound gloop makes as it hits the insinkerator?

[GrumpyTwig]

Harry Flashman said:

So I'm a fan of the double belfast/butler sink. We have one by RAK - not super expensive, but works very well. One side has an Insinkerator waste disposal unit under it, the other is a simple sink.

It's fantastic. Rinse plates over the waste disposal bit before putting in dishwasher. Or for handwash items, soap in one side, rinse in the other.

I had a single Belfast for years in my flat. Way more got broken at parties than ever got broken by that sink. It;s like a stone floor or worktop - you learn to stop chucking stuff around!

Kitchen by baconrashers, on Flickr


Better view of the sink at an earlier stage in the renovation:

Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr

Untitled by baconrashers, on Flickr

OT I'm digging that colour combo, where's that kitchen from?

[JeffreyLebowski]

These are my thoughts based on personal experience:

Ceramic: looks great to begin with, but can looked very worn after a few years (dark scratches on the white surface), will suffer from chips if impacted by hard or heavy objects and easy to break glasses on. Avoid.

Butler: look great in a country style kitchen, but suffers from all the above issues if ceramic, plus can cause back ache from reaching into them and I found them unhygienic from being difficult to clean the part where it joins the work surface, particularly if it is a real wood work top.

Stainless steel: May not be as trendy as the others, but stays good looking for many years and can polish minor scratches out easily. Defiantly my choice for any future kitchen.

[Harry Flashman]

GrumpyTwig said:

OT I'm digging that colour combo, where's that kitchen from?

The kitchen was from www.solidwoodkitchencabinets.com - designed it myself and had the builder fit it. Love the units - 18mm oak. Doors are too, painted in Farrow & Ball "Mouse's Back", as they will paint any colour for you. The wooden worktop is ash wood, from the same company. The granite is a volcanic stone from a company near Heathrow.

Still some detailing to be done (wine racks, integrated chopping boards etc), but I am really pleased with it! The double sink is damned useful with waste disposal and one of those spray taps.

[zbc]

I used to run the factory where most of the ceramic sinks you see above were made. I have a video of one of our sales managers attacking one with a saucepan and not even leaving a mark. Of course it's possible to damage them and it's worth spending the money to get a good ceramic one whereas there is less risk with a stainless steel one. We have one in our kitchen that I would describe as one of the most fragile designs. It's now more than 10 years old and looks like it did the day it was installed. Depending on how much you are spending on your kitchen there are also some other options that I think look great. Undermount is good if you have the right type of worktop but you can also fit them flush in the counter. The stainless steel ones are also good in particular anything by Franke. Personally I would avoid the composite ones as the quality is very variable. There are some excellent brands but also some really poor ones. They're good for some squarer and sharper designs whereas the ceramic tends to have soft curved edges and thicker walls between the bowls if you have more than one. As they compete with each other the different materials are all basically OK these days it's a bit like a petrol or diesel question.

Ask away here or PM me if you have any particular questions.