Let me add that I have read every thread about this and I still can't decide!!

Single!! You still can't fit a big pan or cookie sheet into a double bowl sink. You can always add a dishpan to a single sink for soaking etc.

It seems I am one of the few who LOVES a double bowl sink. I cannot imagine having a single. Had one growing up and would never go back. I bought a Ticor double bowl - extra deep - equal size bowls from Overstock.com. It is beautiful.

Why would you want to even consider a dishpan or draining on a tea towel? I work the same as you do. Use one sink for either washing or prep (I don't have a prep sink) and the other side to drip dry stuff - works perfect. Keeps them off the counter too - can't see them as they are deep sinks.

It really is a personal choice. That is my preferred option.

Is your sink in the island? If so, perhaps you want a smaller footprint.

Good luck in your decision and reno!

Thanks!

icequeen -- that is my worry -- that I've never worked w/ a single bowl -- what if I hate it?

Yes, my sink is in an island.

One vote for single, one for double. Keep them coming! :)

shelly, I'm having the same dilema. And I've read every thread, too! For me, it's between the Blanco Diamond 1 3/4 bowl and the Blanco Performa Cascade Super Single. As of last night, it was the super single. Tonight??? Who knows. When I hand wash, I rinse over the wash basin then set on the counter to towel dry. I'll be following the responses closely.

srahndennis -- those are the sinks I am looking at as well! What a coincidence! Interesting to see what we both decide! :)

I am another that likes a double. My last sink was a large side and a medium side and I miss it. I knew going with a single I would but this kit is small. I wash a lot more veggies than I do cookie sheets and everything else fit in the large side of my last sink. I am getting used to working with it but I did like always having a clean sink.

I debated on this and decided to go with one of the Kohler Smart Divide sinks....easier to handle washing cookie sheets and such (less of an angle) but still enough division to allow me to soak dishes and then do veggies on the other side.

My vote is for double, but like you I've almost always used a double. When I had a single I did not like it, but it wasn't a huge single like you see here. If you had a prep sink I could see being more persuaded to go single, but since you don't, what are you going to do when you need to defrost meat AND prep veg? Or any combo of the things you mentioned above? The dish pan idea would certainly work, but if you don't find yourself feeling constricted because you don't have a lot of large things to wash currently, you'd probably be fine with a double.

I don't have huge things which require a huge sink, and for the number of times I have to wash something large vs. needing two bowls, it was a no-brainer for me. I'd rather just turn that pan around to wash both sides than have to bring out a dish pan every time I needed two bowls.

Of course this is really a personal preference thing, based on the way you do things, but it sounds like you may be a double-bowler :)

I grew up with double sinks and had them my entire adult life. It never occurred to me to do anything different until finding this forum. I'm an enthusiastic convert to single.

There is nothing that I could do in the old sinks that I can't do in the large single. There are things I can do in the single that I couldn't do in the doubles.

I wash quite a few pots, plastics and wood by hand.

You don't need the factory to divide up the sink for you. All sorts of things can be used as dividers---dishpans, bowls, pots, colanders, even measuring cups (to soak a spatula or garlic press.) You can adjust the divisions according to your needs.

I had a single bowl in my old house and hated it. Granted it was not a 33" but still - not being able to compartmentalize "dirty" away from "clean" really bugged me.

I currently have a double bowl and love it. We are remodeling our kitchen now - I can't imagine going backward BUT I will have a need to soak an indoor 1-piece grill frequently.

So, I too am considering the Kohler Smart Divide - I figure I can run enough water in there to fill both bowls over the top of the short "Smart Divide" to soak the grill overnight. Rather than putting out a large dishpan every couple of nights :)

I sure would like to try one of those composite granite sinks, tho.... Why doesn't somebody make a sink with a *removable* divider lol!

Good luck with your decision.

I recommend a single bowl sink. It's very easy to turn it into a double bowl by using a dishpan and it's very easy to take the dishpan out when you need the whole sink.

I have a 36" sink and I would never consider a double bowl sink again. I had them for 30+ years and always found them difficult to use. I also have never gone without using a dishpan, no matter what kind of sink I had. I find it easier to keep control of things in the sink when I can corral them in a dishpan.

I don't like single bowl sink at my mother-in-law's kitchen. I hate the dishpan she uses. I'll buy a 60/40 double bowl sink so that I can soak my big thing. My concern now is which side I'll put the big bowl.

I think it depends on how much room you have. A two sink combo works well as long as one of the sides is big enough to easily wash roasting pans, soup pots, etc. My sink cabinet is only 33" and I couldn't find an undermount two bowl setup that was as roomy as my current topmount so I'm going with a rectangular single bowl when I get new counters

We have one like this and it works out perfect. It's so easy to soak a couple of things in the small sink or drain/hold pasta, veggies, etc.

I love this one and it's the 2nd house we put it in; I wouldn't do without the 2 sides again.

It depends on the style of sink, but in general, I think you should get a double. The old fashioned tile-in sinks were easier for washing big things in, however, because you could trap the water in the tiled area at the top of the sink. With an undermount sink, you can do that as well if it's sealed correctly at the edges, if the divide of the sink is exposed.

A lot of people nowadays have just their bowls exposed, with stone on the divide. This makes every large thing slosh over the top. It looks pretty, but it limits function.

So I vote for a double sink with an exposed divide.

Or get a "smart-divide" sink that gives you some of each. It has a lowered divide so that you can better deal with large things while still having two bowls for your other functions.

I pointed this out on another thread, so if it's old news for some I apologize. Blance makes a silgranite 1 1/2 bowl model number 440200 that is on their website under "drop-in designs" even though it can also be undermounted. The advantage of that sink is that the large bowl accommodates a half-sheet baking pan laying flat on the floor and larger roasting pans, but it provides a small side sink as well. I usually use the small sink for air drying the few things I don't put in the Dishwasher. I also use it to rinse lettuce from the garden or to soak small items since the small sink fills up much faster than the large one and uses a lot less water to get the job done.

As to why it's not in the undermount category on their website, I don't know. I've e:mailed Blanco about dual listing it in both categories and all they've said is they are overhauling their website. But their website clearly states it is for both undermount and drop in uses.

I do have it undermounted and we love it. Given that I could get the best of both worlds (large main bowl and second sink), that's the one we went with. And I do have a prep sink in another area of the kitchen, but because of always having things air drying (wooden spoons, small pots, collanders, etc) I love having the double at the main sink.

I haven't read more than the first few posts here today (will later when I have more time) but here were my first thoughts:

1. Do you have space under your counter for a dishpan? Dish pans are IMO VERY handy - regardless of whether your sink is single or double - but only if you have a quick place to store it.
2. How clean are you? Do you keep your sink so clean that you could dry dishes on one side after washing them in the other (as one poster recommended) or to put food directly into for washing?
3. I have broken and chipped more than a couple of dishes on that center separator because it's hard and narrow. I HATE it when that that happens!
4. If you buy one of those rubber things to place over the center separator thingie, to protect dishes from chipping/falling, that rubber thing will get dark and mildewy quickly unless you're the very clean type who remembers to bleach it regularly.

Obviously you see where this is going...

I've had a double sink for the last 16 years (2 different homes) and I'm about to switch to a large single and CAN'T WAIT. I'm not a clean enough person to use the sink to put clean things in it (food or clean dishes) and I'd have to be VERY clean to get away with that because "they say" (Oprah/Dr. Oz!) that sinks are harbor more bacteria than toilets, bizarre as that is! And, I have room under my sink to just shove that dishpan in there quickly and get it out of the way. I do that now in fact, and I have a double sink. I just think it works better, cause it can be removed quickly, can be used for other purposes (is always right there under the sink) and also cause its bottom and sides are all soft enough to protect my dishes. Granted not everyone has space under the sink, and not everyone would want to leave a dishpan in the sink all the time...I get that.

All the new sinks these days have drop-in baskets and other accessories you can use, so that's how I'm planning on rinsing my veggies. :) Meanwhile big cookie sheets will fit in the sink, as will other larger items I can't even think of now but I"m sure I'll need to wash at some point in the future. The drains now days are off-center so I'll pull out my handy-dandy dishpan for one side of the sink for soaking, then rinse on the other side (or else just straight into the dishwasher from there).

Good luck! Can't wait to come back and read what everyone else has written - it's quite the personal choice based on personal experience and lifestyle I imagine!

Ok I have a partial-revision to make! ;) I just read everyone else's comments. I can't keep my right sink side (smaller bowl) clean to save my life. Some family member or friend inevitably dirties it up. If I put a sign up that said "this side of sink to remain spotlessly cleaned and sanitized at all times" - and IF the people in my life - including myself - would be good enough about following that rule - then it would indeed be worth having a two-sided sink for me.

Problem for me/my family at least is that it always ends up dirty and I don't want to have to scrub it out every time I want to clean veggies or dry something in it. On the rare occasion I immerse veggies to clean them (I usually just hold them under running water, cause then I know all the grit's really getting off), I just use a big mixing bowl and set that down in the sink since it's quicker than cleaning out the sink.

Seriously though, if you don't have the cleanliness issues I do (e.g. less people coming and going) and if you really use the other side for purposes that involve needing a clean side, the double-sink is the winner.

Will you ever face this scenario?

I homeschool my children and have a baby, so I have to pile dishes throughout the day into the large bowl of my cast iron divided large bowl/tiny bowl (sort of like cathrugg's) until a quiet time when I have nothing else of greater priority. (Hard to find until DH gets home.)

Tonight, I discovered a spill on a refrigerator shelf. I had to take out the shelf and all its contents and set everything in the sink to rinse/wash off. I didn't want to set anything on the counter and get that all messy too. As usual, there were dishes in the large bowl waiting to be put into the DW. (They won't sit in the smaller bowl because of the slant; they all slide toward the drain.) I chose to set the shelf, non-messy side down, on the counter, take each individual item, wash it off, place it on the dirty dishes or find a place down on the bottom of the bowl (kitchen is torn up and didn't want to take the time to fish for a towel), then wash off the shelf itself in the smaller bowl so I wouldn't run water on the containers I had just cleaned. This is not an isolated incident (in that I often have to wash larger things in the smaller bowl).

I, for one, am very excited to be getting a 33" single bowl, probably Blanco Silgranit in Cafe.

What does everyone do with pots, pans, wood cutting boards, etc that don't go into dishwashers and that don't get hand dried right away because you're too lazy and/or tired after cooking and cleaning for several hours?

I have to choose between single and double also, and thought the double was a good choice in order to insert a drainer for all the above mentioned items.

I went round and round on this subject too. I always thought when I remodeled I'd be getting a single. Then I was looking at the smart divide. I ultimately wound up with a 60/40 and couldn't be happier. We used to have a dish drainer in our other half of our old 50/50 sink, and I figured we would do the same now. But these sinks came with these great grids and I am not using a dish drainer because the grids are good enough. Here's a pic. That frying pan in the small side is a large size pan too!

Squiggs, what's the total width of the sink?

I have a three year old remodel and I LOVE my single sink. It is very large and I do lots of dishes. I would never go back to a divided sink which seems little to me now. I made the decision after doing a ton of dishes at a friend's house after a soccer team dinner where we fed 60 soccer players pasta and had big pots and pans. I was sold at that point and will never go back to the little sinks.

I love my Blanco Cascade sink. I can fit all the things I could never fit in my old double sink. All the large pans and casserole dishes I use to have to fill and leave on the counter all fit. Cookies sheets and my large oven grates are now a breeze to clean. I also like the small one for draining cutting boards, recyclables and silverware. There is nothing I can't fit in there and I would never go back to a double bowl. I could even get use to the super single.

It's so funny...everyone has such good points! Both sides! Err...no pun intended.

I have kept going back and forth about this issue too. This forum has educated me as to sink grids, which are a really great way to keep the dishes in the sink while drying. (Who knew!)
I handwash everything, except dinnerware and silverware, which gets rinsed off and placed in the dishwasher. I can't stand to have a cluttered sink, so I don't have things pile up very often. I nearly always have one of my double bowls filled with soapy water, when I am home.

My current sink is white enamel over metal. My complaints with it are chipping in 2 places and how quickly it gets stained.

So, after reading all these postings, I think I will be getting the Cafe Silgranite Double bowl, with the sink grids!

How big is your space? If you have room, I'd go for a double - with one large side - like buehl's or squigs' sinks.

I have had a single sink all of my adult life. It's fine, and it's what I have now due to space. But I STILL like going to my mom's and using her double sink. She has 2 even bowls and they are too small for soaking the huge pans, but that can be solved with a larger bowl on one side.

Given how you use your sink, and that you LIKE that setup, that's what I'd get if you have the space for it.
Now, space may be the deciding factor for you. If you only have 33 inches, it may be tight to find a double bowl with a large enough bowl on one side. I think most have 18x15-3/4 for the large side.
Ideally, one like buehl's requires a 38 inch base.

Despite the fact that there have been many threads on this, I think this is one of the most useful threads I have read on this topic. Someone pointed out the the personal 'cleanliness' factor of the family should be taken into consideration - and as soon as I read that, I understood why divided sinks have never worked for me. Both sides of my sink tend to be dirty. I have never compartmentalize how I use the two sides of the sink, so I use both sides for everything. The result: the 'clean' side gets used for dirty stuff (like trimming meats), and the 'dirty' side gets used for clean stuff, and both sides end up being generally all purpose.

I tended to treat all of the 50-50 sinks I have used at vacation houses and relatives houses the same way as my sink. And, I also find that I naturally gravitate to the part that has the disposal.

Based on this, I am going to go with a single bowl sink (either 30 or 36 inch), but I am also going to insist on a prep sink, which I was wishy washy on before.

Imagine how you would function with a single sink. Are you set in your ways or open to managing your clean up in a different way? I think this is important too. Some people have a way of doing things, and they have always done things that way, and they will never adapt to doing things a different way. It is important to thy own self be true!

By the way, I did a blog post on this topic yesterday, and the comments section has a ton of helpful advice. There were kitchen designers weighing in, interior designers, people who had recently remodeled.

Here is a link that might be useful: The Kitchen Sink

I am just so happy to see all the double-bowlers coming out in support of their sinks. I've had single and I've had double, and I wanted a double bowl, even if the cool kids wouldn't let me sit at their lunch table (or single-level island) because of it.

We are very happy together now, my traditional double-bowl integral sink and I. Stop by some time, as long as we aren't having our Special Time with the stainless steel wipes.

lucretzia, here's the spec for my sink:

Brand: Ticor
Model: TR1600
Installation Type: Undermount
Exterior Dimensions: 34" x 20-1/2"

Interior Dimensions: 17-1/2"x 18-1/2" (L) 13" x 16-1/4" (R)
Basin Depth: 10" (L) 8" (R)

Drain Opening: 3-1/2" Standard
Material: High Quality 18/10 Chromium/Nickel Stainless Steel
Sink Gauge: 16-gauge
Finish: Brushed Bowl and Polished Rim (*I had galaxytool brush out the rim on mine so it isn't polished)
Minimum Sink Base Cabinet Required: 36"

Shelly, what size is your sink base? And will you have a prep sink? Those two questions can help in your decision.

I too am reading this thread with great interest as I have read every other double/single thread I can find here on GW. I continue to be confused.

Like Shelly I have no prep sink, don't mind using a dish towel to dry dishes on the counter and my sink will be on my island. So Shelly you pick for both of us!

I presently have a big, not huge single, but I grind up silverware, sippy cup valves and baby spoons on a regular basis when they slip into the disposer. This is what I hate about the single.

I leaning toward a double, like squigs' above since I can take the dishes and rinse them in the smaller disposal sink then hide them in the big sink or get them into the DW.

WOW!! This is a great thread!! I am still undecided, though, I am leading toward the Blanco 1 and 3/4 sink that was mentioned.

However, I had never seen the Blanco Cascade and that really intrigues me!

I am space for a 33 inch sink now, but I could easily bump to a 36 inch space or 38 inch space if needed since I haven't ordered cabinets yet.

Beuhl -- yours requires a 38 inch sink base???

Keep the ideas and pics coming!!!

shelly, think about your sink base cabinet. If you keep it at a 33, I would say get a single sink. That Blanco Cascade sure looks nice! But if you are going to get a divided sink, definitely get a larger sink base and get a big double.

BTW, my disposal is on the large side. That's where the dirty dishes go. The smaller side is the clean dishes. And my DW is also on my left side. HTH

Shelly, I am curious about why you like the 1 and 3/4 sink versus the equal bowl. (Maybe that is the solution!)

Semi, Maybe what you need is a different kind of disposal to keep the stuff out of it? You can get a strainer basket that fits above a disposal flange. I think batch feed disposals also load and work differently so that you don't lose stuff in them (but I'm hazy on how they work).

Shelly, there's also the Kohler Stages sink if you're at all interested in having a reef for meat prep and accessories.

My sink is the Ticor S405D and fits in a 36" sink base with no modifications. However, most of my cabinets, including the sink base, have 1/2" walls, not 3/4", so that may be why no mods were necessary. Others have had to modify their 36" sink bases by scribing the sides a bit, but it wasn't a big deal (at least that's what they said).

We also prefer a double-bowl...and we also have a prep sink! Based on Shelly_K's description of how she works & uses a sink, I think she will be happier with a double-bowl sink.

Here's a pic:

And the specs...

Dimensions:
Overall: 35-1/8" x 20-7/8" x 9"
Large Bowl: 21-3/8" x 18-3/4" x 9"
Small Bowl: 10-1/2" x 15-7/8" x 7"

It's a 70/30 sink. We went from equal-sized bowls in our old kitchen, which we hated, to this, which my DH, in particular loves (he does most of the cleanup). He thinks the sink is one of the best things about our new kitchen.

My largest cookie sheets, roasting pan, and refrigerator shelves & bins all fit in the large bowl. I understand that some people have very large pans, cookie sheets, etc. and may need a bigger bowl, but it really depends on what you have/need, not what others have/need.

Squigs -- I guess what I am looking at is the 1 1/2 bowl by Blanco. It has a 9 inch width small bowl and a 20 inch width larger bowl. This seems like it would fit my needs. I would have the dispoal in the larger bowl where dirty dishes go. For defrosting meats and putting a few clean items, the smaller side. The biggest thing I have to wash is my half sheet pan and I've always done fine with my equal bowls now so have a larger bowl than that would probably work great for me.

I like the Blanco Cascade, but I really would like two drains, I think. I use that second drain (non dispoal) quite a bit when I fill it with soapy water or have water in there for defrosting meats. I know I could use a dishpan, but... all that's been said before.

Plllog -- I'm checking out Kohler Stages... stay tuned. :)

shelly, that's a real nice size large bowl. Mine is a few inches narrower. But my small side is large enough to set my colander in. I don't know if you could do that with the 9 inches. I know some people find that is enough room for their purposes though. It's really a trade-off; no right answer, which is why it's so tough! Definitely measure it out and try and imagine using the space.

From your description, I would say a double sink. I personally couldn't stand mine: I could not even lay flat the 12" cast iron skillet I use all the time. I decided to dedicate serious space to my sink and got the 45" Kohler Stages single sink. 12" of it is a shallow area that can be used for clean stuff if I want to.