Sinks

Sinks

Three decisions settle a kitchen sink, and cut-out size is the one that cannot be worked around. Measure the existing aperture rather than the old sink, because a replacement can be larger than the hole but never smaller than the unit it sits in, and a 1000mm sink needs a 1000mm run of worktop with clearance for the cabinet below. Bowl configuration comes next. A single bowl gives the largest usable space for oven trays and pots and suits a household that uses a dishwasher. A bowl and half adds a small second bowl for rinsing and draining, which is the more practical choice where washing up happens by hand. Reversible sinks let the drainer sit left or right, which matters because it should be on the side away from your main prep space, and it means one product fits either kitchen layout. Mounting is the third choice. Inset sinks drop into the worktop from above and are the straightforward fit for laminate. Undermount sinks fix beneath the surface so crumbs wipe straight in with no rim to catch, but they need a solid worktop such as stone or composite. Material affects both look and upkeep: stainless steel is light, cheap to replace and shows water marks, ceramic is heavy, deep and can chip, and composite resists scratching and heat while offering colours steel cannot.

Pyramis supplies most of the range, covering Vera and Athena single bowl sinks at 860mm by 500mm, Vera and Athena bowl and half sinks at 1000mm by 500mm, a Dione stainless steel undermount 1.5 bowl at 590mm by 450mm and an Alazia composite single bowl in sandstone. Franke makes the Argos reversible inset sinks in stainless steel in single bowl and 1.5 bowl. Sanindusa supplies a Reno ceramic bowl and half sink with a left hand drainer in white, and an under sink cargo bin with two 15 litre bins is stocked for 450mm units. For taps to match see Taps, and for traps and wastes Waste Fittings.