Need a new kitchen sink? We can help you find your perfect sink. We’ve got just about every sort of sink you could want – black kitchen sinks, undermount sinks, Blanco sinks and more – all available to buy online or in-store from retailers right across Australia.
The kitchen sink gets plenty of use every day, but shouldn’t it look attractive as well as be fully functional? With so many interesting and traditional kitchen sinks for sale, you can definitely find the product that’s right for your home.
Read on to find out:
Kitchen sinks can be commonly grouped into two categories:
Drop in kitchen sinks are the most straightforward to install. This type of sink, as the name suggests, is simply dropped into the cutout kitchen benchtop and the edges of the kitchen sink overlap the cutout. One consideration to keep in mind when purchasing a drop in kitchen sink is that due to it’s installation type, a barrier is created between the benchtop surface and the edge of the kitchen sink. As such, when you wipe food and liquids away from the edge of the kitchen sink, crumbs and fluid can be trapped in that cavity and it’s difficult to clean fully.
Under counter kitchen sinks, also known as undermount, are installed under your kitchen benchtop. The kitchen sink can either be supported underneath by your kitchen cabinet structure or, can be fastened and hung directly off the benchtops underside. With the latter installation option, you need to keep in mind the weight of the kitchen sink itself as the appropriate attachment fasteners will need to be installed. An undermount kitchen sink allows you to easily clean around the benchtop and sink edges as there is no opportunity for food or fluid to be trapped underneath.
When it comes to selecting what type of material your kitchen sink will be, there are several options available.
Stainless Steel is the most common kitchen sink material. Stainless steel kitchen sinks are incredibly durable and can come in polished and brush finishes. The thicker the steel, the higher the quality of the kitchen sink. When glasses, mugs or dishes are accidentally dropped in a stainless steel sink, they can be more forgiving than other material kitchen sinks.
Stainless Steel kitchen sinks are not all of the same quality. There are three factors that affect the quality of your stainless steel kitchen sink. Stainless steel comes in varying thicknesses (known as gauge). A 16 gauge stainless steel kitchen sink is one of the thickest available and will be more durable, being more resistant to dents.
Good quality stainless steel kitchen sinks should also be fitted with sound installation to dampen the noise of washing up in your kitchen sink.
The grade of the stainless steel is also important in determining the longevity of your stainless steel kitchen sink. Stainless steel can be one of four grades. Cheap kitchen sinks will be made of the lowest grade, 201. Better quality sinks will be made from 302, and premium quality kitchen sinks will be made from 304 grades stainless steel. The best grade of stainless steel will be less likely to corrode, oxidise, or rust. You should buy the best stainless steel kitchen sink you can afford as it will stay shinier and look newer for longer.
A porcelain sink is often called a Fireclay sink, or butler’s sink. It is made from a clay that can withstand high temperatures and is commonly used for making firebricks. It’s very similar to vitreous china but far more robust. Fireclay can be both matte or glossy finish. One of the more expensive styles of sinks on the market, fireclay kitchen sinks are made from a clay mould and left to dry. Once dried, a porcelain enamel coating is applied then kilned at extremely high temperatures to fuse the coating into the sinks surface, creating a strong and durable sink.
The only consideration is that due to the coating being fused to clay, it can chip off from the kitchen sink if it is knocked hard enough from a wayward kitchen utensil. A Bulter’s Sink works particularly well in Shaker or Hamptons style kitchens.
It’s true what they say, black is always in fashion and never before has it been so on trend than in the kitchen. Black kitchen sinks are very popular at the moment, generally made from a combination of granite and quartz, with granite being the preferred dominate ingredient, the composite kitchen sink is a fine choice. This style of kitchen sink is very hard wearing and resistant to stains and scratching.
A single sink is preferable when space is not a luxury, or if you desire one large sink rather than a double sink. Keep in mind a single sink will limit what you can do in your kitchen by only allowing for one purpose at a time.
A more common design to find in the kitchen, double sinks allow for versatility and practicality for today’s kitchen styles. Allowing for dual use, one side can be allocated to cleaning while the other sink is used for food preparation. Both sink bowls allow for draining through individual pipes that meet below the counter. Double sinks come in a range of styles and sizes to meet your design needs.
The one and a half sink with drainer provides a versatile approach to kitchen preparation while maintaining practicality and not taking up excessive space on the kitchen bench. The half sink with drainer allows for either small cleaning tasks to be carried out while the other sink is in use, or split use when preparing meals that should not come in contact with other ingredients.
This style of sink comes in either a single or double design with a stainless steel drainer built into the bench top next to the sink, allowing for drip drying of dishes and food preparation, with the run off going back into the sink. This adds to the versatility of a double sink and improves the function of a single sink.
Bench space is usually a hot commodity in the kitchen but, for those that are serious cooks nothing is more handy than extra kitchen sink space for ease of preparation! With the popularity of cooking shows like My Kitchen Rules and Masterchef, it’s no wonder that double bowl and double return kitchen sinks are trending. If you’ve got the room, this style of kitchen sink will make for a sensational addition to any kitchen renovation.
A good rule of thumb to remember when choosing a kitchen sink is to think bigger than you need, it’s much easier to deal with more sink space than less. By keeping this in mind it may help save you future frustration and money if the times come for you to upgrade to a more suitable sink size.
When you are looking for your best kitchen sink to buy, there are several important things to consider:
The size of the kitchen sink bowl that you choose comes down to two questions – how much space do you have on your kitchen bench and how much washing up do you do in your kitchen sink? Lots of people and lots of clean up needs a bigger kitchen sink. Small kitchen or limited kitchen bench space may mean a smaller sink size.
Choosing the configuration of your kitchen sink is all about your personal clean up preferences. In general its wash on the left side of the kitchen sink and the drainer on the right side of the kitchen sink. But your choice of kitchen sink is completely up to you. If you have a lot of large size dishes and pots make sure your kitchen sink is large enough to fit them in. Also think about whether you want one kitchen sink bowl or a double bowl kitchen sink. And whether you need both kitchen sink bowls to be full sized.
Kitchen sinks can either be a drop in or undermount design. Work out with your kitchen designer what will suit your kitchen design best.
When you have chosen your kitchen sink don’t forget to think about towel rails to hold your kitchen towels.
And don’t forget about your kitchen tap choice. The kitchen sink you chose will come with a varying number of kitchen tap holes. A single hole is for a mixer tap. If there are three holes in your kitchen sink, the sink is designed for two kitchen taps and a spout. A sink mixer is considered more convenient than two separate taps. Mixer taps can also be fitted with a pull out hose, making washing up in your kitchen sink easier.