Don't know if this helps but the blanco super single inside measurement is 26" wide. I have it and love it.

It does help, thanks. I'm finding conflicting info on what is said to fit. I think it has to do with the mounting method used.

I'm not sure which super single the previous poster has... but I have the blanco silgranit off-center drain one. I just measured it -- at it's widest point it's about 30.25 inches... narrowest - a hair under 30". It is currently TOP MOUNTED in a 30" framed cabinet. Yes, dh carved out the sides of the cabinet for the sink in order to install it. The new sink cabinet will be 36" frameless (& sink will be under mounted)

riley, you are correct. I have a 33" in a 33" cabinet; some KD's said it would work, others disagreed. Bottom line it did work, but there is no extra "faceplate" (? no clue if that is the right term) next to the sink.

Please consider the amount of water you are going to use. Washing/rinsing under running water? IMO double bowl, wash in one rinse in the other.

This is the Blanco super single I have. http://www.amazon.com/Blanco-BL441024-Stellar-Undermount-Refined/dp/B0028BS1EQ

Undermounted and did not cut the cabinets.

Ahh, you have stainless. I've been looking at the Silgranite and that might be the difference. The more I look into it the more it looks like I can make a bigger sink than they (Blanco) recommend work.

Thanks

To CAA, I don't leave the water running. I turn it on and off as needed. To me, rinsing dishes in standing water is like bathing vs. showering. I never understood the concept of sitting in a pool of dirty water. I realize after reading this thread that to many people, that's the way they do it and either it doesn't bother them, or they actually like doing it that way. As the saying goes, that's what makes the world turn.

I do what you do sjhockeyfan. I've always been confused by these threads because I never fill a sink with water to wash dishes. I give everything a quick rinse and put them into the dishwasher. Things washed by hand get done with a soapy scrubby and then rinsed under running water. Anything that needs to be soaked is filled with hot soapy water, not placed in hot soapy water. I hated my double sink with a passion, couldn't wait to get rid of it.

I do it the same as sjhockeyfan...all plates, bowls, utensils, glasses, cups, measuring spoons, etc go in the dishwasher, no pre-rinsing just scraping any scraps into the compost bucket. Any pots/pans or knives I hand wash...I use WAY less water than filling up 1 side of a double bowl sink, even a small double bowl. If I have 5 pots/pans (more than a normal dinner) and 2 knives to wash, I wet everything and turn off the water, wash/scrub everything and set it on the grid, then rinse everything and rinse out the sink.

dc, I put pots & pans in the dishwasher too, if there's room. (I think the mechanical dw does a better job cleaning pots & pans than the human dishwasher otherwise known as my husband LOL)

I do it the same as my mom did, lol.

My dishwasher is a seldom used mechanical marvel for the next owner.

I think there is a lot of confusion over true hand washing, dishwasher use, and the overlap of the two methods. I just hope all consider water and electrical consumption. Here in the Midwest neither are cheap and that's only part of the equation. What works for one family may not be the most appropriate way for another family?

As I read the responses it's clear to me as to why the Colorado River is a trickle by the time it reaches it's destination. Ouch!

I sometimes do wash without filling up the bowl. Sometimes, a pot used to cook potatoes might have some debris over the sides. In this case I find filling the sink with soapy water does a better job to soak it vs just filling the pot full of soapy water. I also like those sponges on a stick that you can fill with soap.

I do like the ideas I have heard from all posters.

Carol

CAA, I'm reading thinly-veiled judgement of dishwasher users?

Sorry, may need to click on pic to see entire image

† Source: BNW16: A comparison of manual washing up with a domestic dishwasher, Version 2.5, UK Government

I've been wondering if those dishwashing versus handwashing water-usage studies account for all the pre-rinsing people do before the DW.

I admit that in our last house the dishwasher was so crappy that I basically only saw it as a sanitizer; I rinsed everything under running water before sticking it in the machine. I know I'm not the only person who did/does a thorough rinse before the dishwasher. I would guess these studies don't account for this?

BTW, I'm not on either team. Just curious about the study methods

I know I'm not the only person who did/does a thorough rinse before the dishwasher.

A thorough rinse is one of the things that makes the dishwasher not work so well. Scraping is all that's required, rinsing is not good, as the enzymes in the dishwashers need the debris to do their job.

http://www.treehugger.com/kitchen-design/built-in-dishwashers-vs-hand-washing-which-is-greener.html

Energy efficient dishwasher still wins :-)

Some things just can't go in the dishwasher. My prized cast iron, handed down for 4 generations now, will NEVER go in the dishwasher. And my knives....dishwasher dulls them. Wine glasses too tall for the top rack and too fragile for the bottom rack. I will always handwash things and I'm NOT going to worry about the water it takes to do so.

sjhockeyfan325 I read a good housekeeping article a few years ago that was very detailed about how to load the washer, to not rinse and why, etc. Very informative. However, on the rare occasion my husband would load the DW (he doesn't rinse) the dishes came out with food particles on them. I admit rinsing is wrong, so very wrong *head hung in shame* but a lot of people have crappy dishwashers and a lot of them pre-rinse under running water.

It looks like the study is new, Energy Star DWs (not necessarily the average DW) versus handwashing. Makes sense those DWs win. The ten year old machine at our last house might not.

The way that my water bill has tripled in the past 2 years has me being very aware of how much water I use to wash/rinse. And I am far from being in a drought state!

Riley005, go to the Blanco website and click on the "specifications" for any sink that you think might work. There will be drawings, top and side views, with measurements that will clearly show you if the sink will fit. Remember that your space available inside your cabinet is probably only 32" or less (must subtract the width of the cabinet's side walls). It did look like there are one or two silgranite sinks that could work.

Riley005, go to the Blanco website and click on the "specifications" for any sink that you think might work. There will be drawings, top and side views, with measurements that will clearly show you if the sink will fit. Remember that your space available inside your cabinet is probably only 32" or less (must subtract the width of the cabinet's side walls). It did look like there are one or two silgranite sinks that could work.

Thanks, I did some looking at specs and I think I can make it work.

Saying that dishwashers always save water is misleading and only true in the circumstances most favorable for dishwashers and least favorable for hand-washers.

I read hockeymom's article, if it applies to you and justifiable then great. I am happy that it has concerned people googling about resource consumption. As the article pointed out it's not a one size fits all chore. Too many variables. For my teen daughter and I, both working and her going to school, always on the go, eating out but healthy, it's not justifiable to accumulate a dishwasher full of dishes to run it. The "granola" would be petrified onto the spoons and bowls by the time we had a full load. Think congealed food particles. The method I use to wash and rinse by hand the few pieces we use is efficient. Google "combat shower" or "sea shower", that's how I wash dishes.

Did I read that correct about part of the study being based on the average faucet running at 2 gallons a minute? I just dug a gallon jug out of the recycling bin ;-) turned my faucet on at the usual flow rate that I wash and rinse and it took 2 minutes and 10 seconds to fill the one gallon container. Now keep in mind that's my faucet with my comfortable flow rate and my aerator attached.

But anyway ladies and gentlemen getting back to the original point....I favor a two bowl sink, a large two bowl sink.

The only reason "like" a double sink is to hold the dish drainer rack out of sight for those items like knives or light plastic or quick rinse items.. As they dry. I clean up as I cook, you see. AND we don't use the dry cycle. On our excellent DW so most things dry on DW rack in place, but some, espec plastic, get pulled shaken and set out to dry. But that's a lot if real estate for a look (or, better said to not have to Look at)

When we had wash dishes and pans, we clean them all and stack and then. Rinse them . Saves water too.

I DO LIKE two sinks just not together, I love that we have a small bar type small sink and no dirty dishes or stuff from our plates goes there. We use it to soak veggies. Or someone can quick hand wash if the main sink occupied. It was the luxury addition to my apartment kitchen and it has paid off

Usually, the only time I soak is if I'm doing a lot of baking when I might fill a bowl with hot, soapy water to soak my rubber scrapers, measurers, beaters and such in. That's mainly so they're ready for re-use if I need them again. If I don't, they go in the DW without stuff being dried on.

As for regular washing , even with my current double bowl (that I can't wait to get rid of!), I've always used the combat/sailor method. Anyway, I typically use a palm-scrubber with a soap dispenser attached. I'll just wet the dispenser and it's usually enough to scrub several items before it needs wetting again. I'll move all washed items to the other bowl and rinse them at the same time. I think this method will be perfect in a single sink and much easier and quicker as I won't need to pick up and move the items but, rather, just kind of scootch them over.

I've fairly recently discovered that most items don't really need soaking. I used to soak by filling the item itself, not putting in a filled sink. What I do now is use the same palm scrubber, wetted, and squeeze out soap while giving the item a scrub with the brushes. This loosens everything with a lot less water used. I might need to give it a second scrub or use a tougher scrubber on it to really clean it but I rarely actually soak anything anymore.

I've always been conscious of water/energy usage and didn't use my DW as much, especially for bigger items, as I thought my method was more energy efficient. But after reading articles on how the DW is really more energy efficient, I've tried to get in the habit of just putting more items in the DW, even some bigger items, and turning on the DW more frequently. I've been monitoring my electric and water bills to see how it compares. Both water and electric usage are down, even though I was going it combat-style to begin with. Of course, it's hard to tell on the electric because with longer hours and warmer weather, we're just plain using less electricity now anyway. However, the decreased water usage seems to confirm that it is making a positive difference by using the DW more often. And my DW is about 15-20 years old. Energy efficient for its time but not like the new ones.

I also love the time I'm saving by not hand washing much anymore. Oh, and I scrape but NEVER rinse with the single exception being something that is going into a relatively empty DW that might get gummy when dried. If the DW is about half-full, I know a load will be done soon enough so I don't even rinse those gummy-type items.

I have a big double sink. Hate it, can't wait to install a 30" single bowl. The only time I ever fill a bowl is to soak the disassembled bits of my range top. I don't usually even do that, but last time I left the stove deep cleaning chore a bit too long and it was nasty.

Everything that can go in the dishwasher goes in the dishwasher. I have an apartment size Bosch, so it doesn't take long to fill it up. Because I'm in LA and the water situation is dire I try not to handwash anything I don't have to. I don't usually use water to prerinse, because... I have a dog. He thinks it's one of his jobs, and being half border collie he takes his jobs VERY seriously ;) (I know this grosses some people out, but it's all going in the dishwasher anyway)

For pots or if I need something clean to reuse I just use the soap on a wet scrubber method, and then rinse or wipe everything down with a clean wet dishrag. If I have a pot that would need soaking I usually simmer vinegar and water in it for a couple of minutes and then scrub. Quicker and more effective. Also, let me take a moment to evangelize about the super amazing awesomeness of a chainmail pot scrubber. They seem expensive for a tiny little scrap of mesh, but they are the best thing ever for cleaning cast iron and stainless and you can get most baked on crud off a ss pot just a little water and no soaking.

One pet peeve I have about the double sink is that food scraps inevitably get in the bowl without the garbage grinder, and some will somehow manage to work their way under the strainer, so then I end up having to pick tiny fermenting scraps of food out of the drain. Yuck.

I have a Kohler low-divide Apron Farmhouse sink that I LOVE!! I use a wash bowl for washing in and rinse on the other side. I use a drying mat on the counter which I store underneath. I LOVE my bowl which is VERY decorative. When I'm washing the dishes that I don't put in the DW, I feel like it's sooo country!!

Kitchen Sinks · More Info

Thank you Myra but the last comment on this thread was in 2015. :)

And.... people are still looking for ideas :)

Am I the only one who doesn't want her dishes sitting in a pan of nasty, greasy, dirty water? I use my dishwasher for what I can, but pans must be hand washed. I put them in the sink after using them and put water in them. After dinner, I come back and using a sponge/detg wand, I wash the pan, rinse it under the faucet and dry it and put it away.

When I use my good china for dinner parties or holiday meals, I rinse each dish as they are cleared, and then stack them - in the sink. We call it making a "clean mess". I then later wash each dish with the sponge wand, rinse it under the running water, and put it on a drying pad to dry until hand dried. I do the same with silver - rinse, wash when convenient, rinse and dry.

If there is a nasty pot, I put water and a squirt of Dawn in it and let it soak. Later, I either use the sponge wand or the brush wand and wash it out, rinse and dry.

I can think of few things more nauseating than a sink full of greasy, dirty water. Yuck!

"And.... people are still looking for ideas :)"

Not on this thread they aren't. Start a new one?

There is no thread police LOL. It was a good topic that is helpful to those trying to decide between single, divided or double kitchen sinks, as well as efficient dish/pot washing strategies. Once the topic gets brought up to the top of a list, then others who did not see it the first time around have a chance to reread the ideas contained within. Thanks Myra.

We have a single sink and a scotch brite dish wand, and would never go back. They can ooze soap, key is to store them with the pad up.

https://www.amazon.com/Scotch-Brite-Dispensing-Dishwand-Heavy/dp/B00027ZNDK

I LIKE to read the old threads when they are something like this. I like to see new comments added to it. I don't like seeing 20 threads started with only 2 or 3 comments in each one.

Two examples I can think of off hand: the one about how to test stone countertops and the one about a particular granite Fantasy Brown.

Anglophilia, I stack my dishes in the side with the garbage disposal, run water on them, and then rinse and put in dishwasher or rinse and put in the other side of the sink with hot soapy water. I can't stand dishes with food put in the soapy water. I like my double sink. If I ever had a house with a single sink, I would have to have a dishpan for the soapy water.

I hate banging into the wall of a divided sink. I would only have a single bowl. I put all my dishes in the DW, so don't need a "clean side" of sink for dishes. For pots and pans, I never fill a sink, but either rinse under running water, or if its something like a roasting pan, I fill the pan itself with soapy water and let sit. Which I can do, thankfully, because I have a single bowl sink. And with an offset drain too, so that the roasting pan is not covering the drain.

As to the forum police for old threads, it does bother me when people revive threads that are 7, 8 or even 10 years old. Those threads seem dated, the photos in them are no longer visible, and it seems a waste of people's valuable reading time to revive those very old threads. But for a couple-years-old thread, there should be no "thread-revival shaming". :)

Myra

LOL. No "thread police" here. I guess I just find it annoying to open a thread where someone was asking for advice, YEARS ago. I assumed that others felt the same. Perhaps not. I'll start paying more attention to the post date before I click on threads now.

https://www.amazon.com/Joseph-85055-Dishpan-Draining-Handles/dp/B00AVWE6O8/ref=sr_1_17?s=kitchen&ie=UTF8&qid=1522603186&sr=1-17&keywords=joseph+joseph

This is what I use too mcwall. They are awesome!

Chess. Give it a rest. We are ALL tired of you trying to start an argument. Get off this ‘old’ thread that you’re not interested in. Or... are you? LOL

I'm building a new house and have chosen a single bowl sink. I found your comments helpful even if it is 2019

Thanks for reviving this old thread. I had the same question about how people use a single bowl sink and found lots of information that applies to my current needs. I especially enjoyed the post from jillius in 2015 with her numbered steps for washing, rinsing, etc. in a single bowl. For dishes that didn't go in the DW, I've always had double bowls and filled a sink with hot, soapy water and rinsed on the other side under running water.

We use a dishpan and I couldn’t be happier. Lots of versatility.

2021 and I enjoyed this thread. It may have changed my mind about switching to a single bowl sink

If it weren't for the hatred of the double bowl sink, I'd have no business. When given a choice on a replacement sink, 99% of my customers get a single bowl. Half of the 1% left get a low divide.

@K D - I thought this 100-comment thread is a convincing case for people that single bowl is the way to go. But get whatever you like better - bang into that divider to your heart's content!

2023 and this thread was still helpful!

I just got a new ruvati stainless steel sink in a 60/40 split. It took me forever to decide because I felt I had to get a large single bowl. I finally chose what I felt I would like the most and I love it. I've had it three weeks and am so happy with it. I have two friends that each redid their kitchens and got single bowls and regret it so not everyone dislikes the double bowl sink. I'd never want a 50-50 double but the 60-40 meets.all my needs.

Sept 2023 and just the info I was looking for. :)