how many bowls?
Consider how you use your kitchen sink. Do you wash a lot of baking pans? If so, consider a large single bowl sink or a dual level sink w/ enough room to lay the pans down to soak. Most dual level sinks feature an oversized bowl to wash or soak things w/ another smaller sink for rinsing or a garbage disposal. Make sure both bowls are large enough to meet your kitchen needs. If you share kitchen responsibilities, consider two sinks. One can be used for food prep & the other for cleanup. An island or bar sink, usually a smaller single bowl sink, is the best option.

IMPORTANT FEATURES

steep, straight side walls
Deeper bowls can accommodate soaking & rinsing large pots & pans. A relatively flat sink bottom increases usable bowl space allows dishes & glasses to be safely stacked.

offset drains
Placing the drains to one side provides more flat space for stacking dishes & glasses & creates more usable space under the sink. Offset drains also allow water to drain even if a large pan or tray is soaking in the sink.

web or divider
For double bowl sinks, make sure the web or between the two bowls is lower than the outside sink walls. This will provide overflow protection by allowing water to flow from one bowl to the other.

undercounter mount sinks mount directly to the underside of countertop material. This installation provides a flush mounting making it easy to clean.

tile-edge sink corners are squared off to more closely resemble the tiles on countertop. The sink is mounted flush w/ the tile & sealed in w/ grout. This type of installation also makes it easy to clean directly into the sink.

self-rimming sinks have rounded corners & mount on the surface of the countertop material, the easiest type of installation requiring only adhesive caulk to seal the sink in place.

Related Plumbing Articles • how to choose a bathroom sink • how to choose a faucet • how to choose a toilet • how to choose a whirlpool