This is part 2 in our 3-part series on choosing the right kitchen sink for your kitchenCRATE project.

In our previous post, we looked at choosing a sink finish.  We discussed the advantages and disadvantages of cast iron, stainless steel and engineered stone sinks.

Now that you’ve chosen a sink finish, your next decision is in the sink bowl configuration. When making this decision, the key factors are the number of bowls, the depth of the bowl(s) and the size of the bowl(s).

Number of Bowls

The most common kitchen sinks are either single bowl:

Single Bowl Sink

or double-bowl:

Double Bowl Sink

You can also get sinks in a three-bowl configuration, and if you look hard enough there are even more variations to choose from.

The decision on the number of bowls comes down to personal preference, specifically how you use the sink.  Are you a pile-the-dishes-in-the-sink-until-the-company-leaves” type of person?  Well, then a large, single-bowl version might be for you.

On the other hand, maybe you use your nice silverware often, and can’t run it through the dishwasher.  In this case, you might prefer a double-bowl set-up allowing you to soak your silverware in hot water on one side while you’re cleaning the rest of the dishes in running water on the other side.

Either way, think through your most common kitchen activities and choose a bowl configuration that’s right for your most common uses.

Bowl Depth

Your next choice is to choose the depth of your sink.

Common sink depths range from 6-10″.  If your sink has more than one bowl, you can often get different depths for each side, or have the same depth on each side.

For example, here’s a double-equal deep bowl Kohler Deerfield sink:

Kohler Deerfield Double Equal Deep Cut Sheet

And here’s an example of a high-low Kohler Lakefield sink, with each bowl having a different depth:

Kohler Lakefield Large-Small Cut Sheet

And to add further options, here’s a unique hybrid that offers two different depths without the center divide, and with only one drain (in the deep end, of course.)  It’s the Kohler Carrizo:

 Kohler Carrizo Double Equal Combo Cust Sheet

Bowl Size

Your last selection criteria is the bowl sizes and shapes. This is only applicable if you’re interested in a sink with more than one bowl.

Here are common bowl size configurations:

Double-equal: the bowls are identical in size.

 

Kohler Deerfield Double Equal Deep Cut Sheet

Large-medium: on large bowl, on medium bowl.

 Kohler Executive Chef Large-Medium Cut Sheet

 Large-small: you guessed it, one large bowl, one small.

 Kohler Lakefield Large-Small Cut Sheet

 

So there are the three deciding factors you should use when choosing your kitchen sink bowl configuration.  Next up, we’ll look at choosing a sink installation method as it relates to your countertop.

KitchenCRATE is a 7-day, $15,000 kitchen remodel offered around Stockton, CA. If you’re interested in learning more contact us today!