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WHAT STYLE OF KITCHEN SINK IS RIGHT FOR ME?

Creating your kitchen is a process full of massive decisions. Whether this is your worktops, cabinet colours or handles there are plenty of choices to make! One thing that can often get overlooked is your style of sink.

The are plenty of variations of the sinks below. You have the choice of a single, double or even treble bowl! In most cases, apart from the overmount sink you also have the choice of drainer grooves on either side (space dependent).

Sinks come in lots of different styles, shapes and colours. In the following article we will look at the more popular styles of sinks to help you make an informed decision!

Belfast Sinks

A Belfast sink is a real statement in the kitchen. Whether this is single or double bowled, it sits in the cut of your worksurfaces and kitchen units exposing the front edge. The Belfast sink can give your kitchen an almost rustic feel. It’s large design is a throwback to when the sink was used for multiple household tasks!

Please note a Belfast sink must be fitted prior to templating.

PROS	CONS
WEIGHT – Belfast sinks tend to be the heaviest option of sink. If you are fitting this in an old kitchen, you must check the units will withstand the weight. Generally, this isn’t a problem, but better to be safe than sorry!	LARGE SIZE – if you have a smaller kitchen, this does take up a lot of space! Due to size you may lose room for prepping or storage.
APPEARANCE – it is arguably the most striking of sinks due to it’s size and exposed front. A Belfast sink really stands out from the crowd!	WEIGHT – Belfast sinks tend to be the heaviest option of sink. If you are fitting this in an old kitchen, you must check the units will withstand the weight. Generally, this isn’t a problem, but better to be safe than sorry!
PLENTY OF OPTIONS – although the most common Belfast sink is a ceramic sink, you still have plenty of material and colour options to choose from.
CLEANLINESS – as it sits under the surface you can brush any crumbs or waste directly into the sink from work surface.

Undermount Sinks

An undermount is perhaps our most popular kind of sink. It’s main design feature is to sit below the work surface. When fitting your quartz we will stick this up to the surface. Due to the way it is fit there is no rim between work top and sink.

An undermount sink must be on site during work top templating/fitting but not fitted.

CONS	PROS
PLENTY OF OPTIONS – undermount sinks come in a huge range of sizes and materials. The most popular choice for this is stainless steel.	REPLACEMENT– undermount sinks are bonded up to your surface and will need a professional to remove them. This could also be seen as a positive as they are extremely hard to move!
SUBTLE – the design is slightly more subtle than something like a Belfast sink and can blend into the kitchen surface. Of course, this is down to preference!
CLEANLINESS – as it sits under the surface you can brush any crumbs or waste directly into the sink from work surface.

When fitting with quartz or granite, there aren’t many cons with undermount sinks! If you’d like any advise on this, please let us know.

Overmount Sinks

Overmount sinks come in plenty of other times such as top-mount or drop-in sinks. They get there name as such from be mounted over the sink, and sitting on top of it. This is opposed to an undermounted sink above.

An overmount sink must be on site but not fitted during work surface templating/fitting.

CONS	PROS
PLENTY OF OPTIONS – overmount sinks come in a huge range of styles and sizes! The more popular sinks are a composite or stainless steel but are available in plenty of materials!	CLEANLINESS – The actual surface is easily to clean. However, as the sink sits on top of the work surfaces it can be more difficult to clean. The lip means there can be a build of waste if not cleaned daily.
COST-EFFECTIVE– generally, overmount sinks are the most cost-effective option of sink. This is dependent on supplier so please do your research before purchasing!	SPACE – overmount sinks can take up more unusable space than sinks sitting under the counter. The lift on the sink and aspects like drainer grooves being built in mean they can use space less effectively.

Integrated Sinks

An integrated sink is something build along with the worksurface. This is dependent on the material and only available in certain colours of work tops. The most common integrated sink is through our Silestone range or built into Corian.

They are very sought after so is stock reliant! If you have any questions about what can work with this, I would advise getting in touch with our office to talk you through.

This must be on site but not fitted during templating/fitting.

PROS	CONS
DESIGN– this blends the worktop and sink almost seamlessly. We have had very positive feed back from our customer regarding this!	SIZING/DESIGN OPTIONS – although there are a few different sizes and design options, you could argue there are less than other types of sinks. The quartz integrated sinks are extremely heavy and have a definitive maximum size.
CLEANLINESS – as it sits under the surface you can brush any crumbs or waste directly into the sink from work surface.	COST – generally, these are the more expensive options of sinks. This can be dependent on supplier so we advise doing your research about these!

Prep Sinks

A prep sink is another option for your kitchen or utility. Generally, this wouldn’t be the main kitchen sink. These are normally stainless steel undermounted and single basined and used for general kitchen prep. This can increase productivity in the kitchen and make cooking for/with friends that touch easier!

Of course, this is dependant on space but may give you that extra dimension!

PROS	CONS
SIZING – these are a lot smaller sinks that can fit any a small run.	UTILITY SINK – you can use these to clean things apart from food to not cross contaminate!
MORE OPTIONS – a prep sink can increase efficiency in the kitchen, allowing multiple people to cook or prep at the same time!	BUDGET INCREASE – if these aren’t really needed, it is an additional cost for you. We only advise on getting a second sink if it’s going to be useful!
UTILITY SINK – you can use these to clean things apart from food to not cross contaminate!

So, there you have it! Our (almost) comprehensive list of kitchen sinks. We are aware there are a few more ‘bespoke’ sink types but this should have you covered on most. We will upload a material guide list shortly, too so keep an eye out for this.

As ever, if you have any questions please don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team. We would love to answer any questions you have.