Redoing your kitchen? The sink and the worktop are the essential elements of any kitchen and you should pay extra attention to these; sinks and worktops vary greatly in material, sizes and intended usage. Here is some basic information to make your choice easier.
We’ll start with the sink. When it comes to sink material, we suggest you stick to the basics and go with a stainless steel sink. Steel is easy to clean and durable. True, it can be scratched, but these marks can be brushed off. Virtually all manufacturers provide bottom grids – tray which are put in the bottom of the sink in order to prevent scratching. Aesthetically speaking, it will blend in any environment and look good. Although, to be fair, you might have a little problem with waters spots if you live in an area where the water is hard, but these can be cleaned as well.
If you’re looking for a traditional, old fashioned vintage style, a porcelain sink might be your choice. However, they can chip which leaves a black mark. Metal pots and pans can leave scruffs which are pretty hard to remove. Granite composite sinks have gained popularity in recent years: they don’t have problems with water spots, and are resistant to scratches and chips. Cons? They require some special maintenance and are prone to stains.
Kitchen sink pros from Aqua Sanita saying there are plenty of sink configurations nowadays. The most common is the two basin configuration. The basins can be both of different and equal size. If you choose a sink with different sized basins, you’ll get a sink that will allow you to perform separate tasks, and the main idea is that you’ll be able to clean the dishes in the larger basin and prepare food in the smaller one. Many choose the different sized basins as the larger basin can contain a lot of dishes, although the sink with equal basins is most common by far as people appreciate the sense of symmetry. Either way you’ll be able to soap the dishes in one basin and rinse water in the other.
You’ll be spending hours working at your worktop, so before purchasing it, think what you will use it for: if you cook a lot, choose a heat-resistant material (granite) around the hob, so you can move hot pots and pans right onto the woktop. If you have hygiene related concerns, we’d suggest an anti-bacterial material such as stainless steel or Corian.
If you value looks, think about a composite worktop. It’s practical and looks especially well in modern kitchens (a variety of colors are available). It doesn’t require much maintenance; a damp cloth and a mild detergent will do. It is more durable than most natural stones; you can sand any scratches.
Stainless steel worktops are a good choice for commercial kitchens as they are very hygienic. Keep it clean with a specialized stainless-steel cleaner, and wipe it with baby oil from time to time. It’s waterproof, heatproof and resistant to acid. It will scratch eventually, but it will still be usable and anti-bacterial. Of course, this type of worktops is a perfect match for stainless stee sink, so take some time and look up online for it – the choice is pretty opulent.
Laminate worktops are often considered to be the best buy: they require almost no maintenance (clean it with a mild detergent), are resistant to stains and chemicals, although not to steam or heat. We suggest you use a thicker model for increased durability. However, they’re not suitable as a cutting surface.
As you can see, it depends mostly on the intended usage and the kind of aesthetic you’re trying to pull off in your kitchen. Hopefully you now have a basic idea of what kind of sink and worktop to choose.