Small Kitchen Trends

A stainless steel kitchen sink can be a perfect solution for practically any kitchen. Acceptable price is only one of many advantages stainless steel sink has. Modern quality kitchen sinks made of stainless steel are durable, safe, hygienic and easy-to-use. They are available in different styles, shapes, designs and surface textures. No wonder, such a sink can be called a food preparation and cleaning center. In addition, a good sink can become a focal point of your kitchen design. Our buyer’s guide will help you to choose a perfect sink which will be in use for many years.

A stainless kitchen sink blends with different kitchen designs and various cabinetry. You can use it in traditional or contemporary kitchen, it suites country or eclectic kitchen design. Your kitchen may be elegant, minimalist, cozy or unique – you’ll find a variant that’ll suite best. Stainless steel looks extremely impressive in modern kitchen interiors with metal and glass elements.

Stainless steel kitchen sinks – materials and techniques

Stainless steel kitchen sink by Julien (www.julien.ca). Copyright: Julien.

Good sinks are made from quality stainless steel which contains chromium and nickel. These elements protect steel from corrosion, blows and temperature drops. Chromium and nickel also give sink its attractive shine.

There are two basic types of stainless steel kitchen sinks. Some of them are made of single plate of steel. They are called stamped, have no welds and it is an advantage. But such sinks can’t be deep enough for cleaning large pots and pans. Welded sinks cost more, but they are reputed to be better. Such sinks can have various shape and design. They are usually deep enough to hold as many dishes and pots as you need. But the quality of the welds is extremely important here, so make sure whether a sinks’ manufacturer has a good reputation.

The pros of buying a stainless steel kitchen sink for your kitchen

- Stainless steel sinks are rather affordable. Though a high quality sink with beautiful design and different accessories is not always inexpensive, you can get a very good food preparation and cleaning center for a decent price.

- A sink made of stainless steel can have various artistic designs. It can be polished or mat. Would you like to have a unique kitchen sink which is embellished with very attractive patterns? Some of them imitate various textures such as bamboo, seashells and leaves. At the same time the embellished sink will be very smooth and durable.

- A good sink is not afraid of corrosion and stains.

- Such kitchen sink is rather easy to clean. Steel can be easily sanitized so you may not be afraid of dangerous bacteria. Stainless steel has no pores on its surface so it’d not absorb the remains of food and other wastes.

- You may put hot pans and pots into the sink bowl.

- Stainless steel can be easily recycled, so sinks made of this material are eco-friendly.

Stainless steel sink cons

On the other hand, stainless steel sinks may have a rather considerable shortcoming. Some of them are loud, because stainless steel amplifies sounds from running water and vibration from dishes. High-end sink manufacturers promise that they have solved this problem. Just make sure that the sink you like has proper sound deadening on the underside. Steel should be thick enough to protect your ears from loud noise. According to experts, steel which is 18 gauge or better would be a good choice. A steel kitchen sink with satin-polished finish needs special care. Water drops may leave mat stains. Wiping dry the sink after every use is the best way to prevent this problem.

Good kitchen sink – buyer’s guide

Before buying a sink decide what qualities you need. If your kitchen is too small, there would be no space for a large sink. So a single bowl sink would be the best choice for you. Corner stainless steel kitchen sink can be a very good variant for a small kitchen too. It helps you use a mostly unusable space in the kitchen. Corner sink may have one, two or even three bowls. Usually such sinks have a triangular shape to help them fit in the kitchen cabinet corner.

If you need to wash many dishes and pots and cook much every day, you’d better look for a double-bowl kitchen sink. One basin should be deep enough for large pots and pans and the other may be shallow. Triple bowl stainless steel sink demand much space so your kitchen must be rather spacious.

Think carefully: would you need a water filter, colander, soap dispenser and other kink accessories? Make sure that the sink has holes for various faucets and extras.

You can check the quality of the stainless steel with a small magnet. If steel is good enough, the magnet will slide easily. If the sink surface attracts the magnet strongly, the sink is not the best one.

Make sure that the sink bowl is deep enough to hold everything you need. Also make certain that its ledges are deep enough to prevent water from draining onto the countertop.

How will you install a stainless steel sink? A sink may be self-rimming which drop in from the top. This installation method is very simple, cheap and convenient. But you should remember that some food particles would get under the edge of the sink. It is a good choice if you don’t intend to buy new kitchen cabinets and change a countertop in the near future. You may also prefer undermount stainless steel kitchen sink, it attaches from the bottom. In this case the edge of the sink rests underneath the countertop.

Cute stainless steel kitchen sink may have many practical accessories. It can be equipped for cleanup and food preparation with filtered water faucet, soap dispenser and cutting board that fits right on top of the sink. Your sink may also have grids, crockery baskets and other essential items. All of them will make your kitchen life much easier.

Blanco, Kohler, Elkay, Teka and Franke are the most well-known stainless steel kitchen sinks’ manufacturers. Their production has a good reputation and they provide a really good choice of various kitchen sink designs.