Top 8 things to consider before buying a sink

When designing a kitchen it’s easy to forget about the sink. You’re already choosing cabinets, countertops, tile, appliances and more. Here’s how to avoid the most common mistakes and make sure you get everything you want and the kitchen sink 😉

Design

A great kitchen sink can either enhance or detract from the overall design of your kitchen. 

Apron Front (or farmhouse) sinks like this fireclay sink by Elkay, can give you a more traditional style. Just remember if you choose and Apron Front sink that will need to be installed before the countertop fabricator can field measure

Stainless Steel sinks work well with just about any aesthetic. Large radius corners or arched bowls will give you kitchen more of a traditional feeling, while square corners and straight lines will feel more contemporary and modern. 

We love to add a bit of personality to our designs with Elkay’s new Quartz sinks. A little color evokes emotion that you won’t get from stainless steel or white sinks. 

Quality

When it comes to quality there are a few guidelines that can help you pick the right sink for your kitchen, In the global economy we live in now, there are plenty of knock off brands, and low quality offerings out there. A quick amazon search will give you hundred of kitchen sinks for less than $300 each. Before you click the buy button make sure it’s made made by a reputable manufacturer. We love Elkay & Kohler. Both Elkay & Kohler have most of their manufacturing done in the U.S. and provide really good warrantees through their dealer networks. Many other brands that you’ll find online are manufactured oversees, may use sub-standard raw materials, and don’t all have the same quality control standards that we’ve come to rely on from Elkay & Kohler.

Warranty

Warranty Is just as important as quality when choosing a sink. Most sinks will have a stamp on the box that says there is some sort of warranty. It’s hard to decipher what this really means, so we recommend asking the dealer what kind of warranty they supply, What really happens where there is an issue with that sink? After your kitchen is completely finished, and you notice a chip or crack in the sink, how do you get it fixed? Many suppliers will offer to send a new sink, but you’ll have to cover the cost of install, plumbing, lifting the countertops, etc., that come with replacing a sink. Most often those costs amount to much more than the cost of the sink. 

Lead time

Remember your countertop fabricator may need the sink before starting fabrication. It’s important to keep your construction schedule in mind when ordering sink. All too often I see people order a beautiful sink that they fall in love with, only to find out later their whole project will be delayed while they wait for the sink to arrive. A good designer or contractor will worry about this for you, but if you’re ordering the sink yourself, make sure the lead time works for your schedule. 

Fit

It may seem obvious that the sink needs to fit inside the cabinet, but make sure you keep this in mind when ordering. Our general rule of thumb is that the sink should be at least 3” smaller than the cabinet in which is sits. Some sink manufacturers also will show a recommended minimum cabinet size on their spec sheet. Ask your kitchen design or countertop fabricator to make sure the sink will fit inside the cabinet. 

Function

Ask yourself how you use your sink? Or how you’d like to use your sink? The perfect sink for your kitchen should match with how you use your kitchen. I like to set the dirty pots & pans in the sink when I’m cooking, so one large, extra deep bowl works best from me. If you wash dishes by hand, you may want two bowls, once to wash & one to rinse. We recently found a triple bowl sink for a client so they could wash vegetables in one bowl, peel them in the middle and wipe all the peeling into the garbage disposal in the third bowl. Another client of less than average height, wanted a more shallow bowl, so she did not have to reach as far for the faucet. However you want to use your sink, there is the perfect option for you. 

Accessories

Who doesn’t like to accessorize? Accessories can enhance the design and functionality of your sink. Bottom grids & a cutting board are a must for me. I don’t remember how I ever lived without these two simple accessories. Elkay Circuit Chef sinks also give you an option for a colander, and several different cutting board designs. Imagine how much easier clean up will be when you have these accessories for food prep. 

So, before you click the buy button on amazon or take the “free sink” your countertop fabricator offered, remember that a sink can not only make a design statement in your kitchen, but should function the way you use your kitchen on a daily basis. Get everything you want from your design and the kitchen sink!