'I can't quite understand is why people with sufficient space and money don't plan a second sink."

If you have "sufficient" space and money - go for it. However, I live in my version of a real world. I have only X amount of possible counter area, and a limited budget. I use a double sink. To me that is 2 sinks! The way I use it (with a dish tub on one side for rinse water), it can actually act as 3 sinks. Got a sink full of soapy water and need to drain a can? Pour the fluids down the drain on the rinse tub side and still have clean rinse water on hand. There is nothing stopping anyone from getting a drink of water from the RO dispenser at any time.

mrspete makes great points - here are mine.

Two separate sinks cost about double one does. (Sink + faucet + accessories)

You also lose counter top real estate with 2 sinks and the sink under cabinet is even more wasteful of cubic inch storage than a lazy susan corner! A second sink breaks up a nice expanse of counter.

A second sink needs to be cleaned as often as the first, and that wastes my time.

A second sink = twice the leakage potential.

A second sink actually attracts more people into the kitchen. You need to wash your hands? Use the bathroom just steps away.

But who am I? I think I may be the average consumer who grew up with far less than what HGTV says you need to have today. I don't have an island, a disposer, nor a dishwasher. My kitchen is 9 X 13 and I am happy to have the luxury of a single (double bowl) sink.

I don't chose to have duplicates of lots of things in my home (Family room + Living room + Media room + Den), excess dining areas (Dining room + Nook + Counter seating) or a gazillion bathrooms. I like it nice, compact, and affordable. My home is cozy, homey, and inviting. People are amazed that we live in such a small footprint, but anyone can if they fully live with essentials and just don't add, add, add because they can.

The only place I would ever want a 2nd sink is in a butler's pantry so hand washing dishes could take place where they are stored. But I don't have one.

As for washing ones hands in the kitchen sink, well, I'm an old lady and my mother would have cut off any hand that came near her sink to be washed at anytime, let alone when she was cooking dinner! That's what bathrooms are for!

And those silly little bar sinks...heck, a tray with the booze and a pitcher or water take care of it nicely.

I had never even considered a second sink until I found GW. And, when I found GW, I already had a design from a KD who never asked if I wanted a second sink or even suggested on. We have a large kitchen and a large island, so I was more than happy to add a second sink - the cost was minimal in as we previously had one sink in the island ($500 to trench the slab plus the cost of the sink, faucet, garbage disposal, etc). Our kitchen is still being completed, but with a family of 5, the extra sink is one of those things I'm really excited about!

I cook every day and night, frequently very elaborate meals since I love to cook and love food from all over the world, and I have never once even considered needing a second sink. Having one sink has never impeded my progress. I'd rather have the counter space and cabinet storage- that's something even my large 1955 kitchen (one of the largest rooms in our very small house!) never seems to have enough of! Also, only the cook gets to wash their hands in the kitchen- everyone else needs to be using the bathroom sink!

I have a good sized wet bar off the den with a 16x13 sink. It checks off all the above requirements- hand wash, refill a drink, fill with ice. What I don't understand about almost all the prep sinks I see is where do you put the prep dishes when done? I don't want to carry dirty dishes all around the kitchen to the dishwasher. I think one sink with sufficient prep space on either side works best for me.

I am adding a prep sink for a few reasons.

1. DH is the best in that as I cook, he helps me to clean up. Invariably I will need to rinse something at the sink or add some water, or something, and there's hubby trying to clean up. He gets mad if I tell him to move in the middle, because he doesn't understand that I have something on the stove and need to get to the water quickly before whatever is on the stove burns.

2. DD (dear dog) eats raw and DH will clean DD's bowl when DD is done eating. If I'm trying to prep during DD's eating time, DH and I get in one another's way. Now with 2 sinks we won't.

3. Sometimes DH actually helps me prep. We'll both be cleaning and cutting veggies for example. Again we're in one another's way

I asked for a 2nd sink and we discussed it....buuuuuut what we really need is for him to use another trash can. :0) That's when we get in each others way!

I just don't want another sink to have to clean. some of the above reasons it would be nice to have another sink but I think I would just prefer to have a larger sink with 2 faucets

"I just don't want another sink to have to clean."

That made me smile. I felt the same way after living with a master bath with dual sinks for awhile. :)

Like another poster, I live in SoCal and have a tensioned slab and the island would be the logical place to put the extra sink. The nightmare of trying to route plumbing and passing the inspections just doesn't justify trying to put one in. Since it's usually just me in the kitchen, I don't think it would reduce traffic. We thought about it briefly when we re-did the kitchen and decided it wasn't worth it.

I am not a "clean as you go" type person. I make a raging mess of dishes. How nice to have a large, single clean up sink to put all my dirty dishes into until the time comes to start cleaning up. As it is now, I clutter up my counter with all the dishes because I have to leave my sink clear for prep. To me it sounds like heaven to have a sink that is clean, empty and right beside where I plan to prep, for rinsing produce, washing my hands after handling meat, rinsing my knife for the next chopping spell, etc. Even though I usually cook alone. But I do have small children that I hope will join me in the kitchen as they get old enough and it will be even better then.

This is obviously personal preference. Everyone has their own cooking and cleanup practices (or habits). It also depends on your kitchen layout and how much backtracking you will have to do to reach your sink from frig, etc. For those with small kitchens it may not make sense at all, and that's fine.

ETA: also, we will have a basement under our new kitchen, and my handy DH and plumber dad will be doing the plumbing. Choose an inexpensive, small stainless sink and basic faucet and the cost shouldn't be too high.

So THAT'S why crl has two faucets!! Duh! SMH

The chances of my husband deciding to cook dinner other than what I hand him to put on the grill are slim to none. If he did I'd be happy to help prep for him. As of now his manner of helping me prep is to set the table which is one reason I want my dish pantry out-of-the-way. The second trash bin is sounding like a great idea, though - thanks nicole! The dog bowls will be in the laundry room with access to a laundry tub or half bath for water/cleaning. It's a matter of prioritizing not only the financial aspect but which things in a kitchen are more important to you and that's very individual. I'm still chewing on this one.

I want and could use another sink and cost is not a factor for us. We had originally planned to put a small prep sink on one side of our island, however it is small (57"wide, 27" deep) and drops to table height for sitting and rolling dough. When I prep I use the whole island and spread out so I think the sink would interfere. We also like to use it as a buffet and the sink would limit that. We are in SO CA so post tension slab is a consideration. I knew I had to have a 48" two oven range plus a separate steam oven and all that eats up valuable cabinet/storage space. Instead of a prep sink cabinet I will have a set of four drawers for prep items next to 38" pot and pan drawers. I really need the drawers, especially since I'm going framed inset this time around. I'm including filtered water dispenser inside the SZ fridge and there is a bathroom just outside the kitchen for hand washing. We will have a 36" single sink with separate hot/cold water faucet. Hopefully I won't have any regrets! Lol

I thought about a prep sink, but went with a huge sink with 2 faucets. Kitchen is being remodeled now, so I cant tell you how its working for me, but I've only had 1 sink 1 faucet in the past, so this will be a step up.

I didn't want to give up the real estate on my island, and felt like it was too much for my kitchen.

I do have two trash cans though, thats when I get bothered in my prep zone.. (Just backing you up nicole! ;-)

I love my second sink! It makes my layout work...just as it makes or breaks many layouts that people bring here for critique. I don't have a large Kitchen. In actuality, it's not the size of the Kitchen that dictates the need for a prep sink, it's the layout coupled with workflow!

What many people don't realize is how things will change when they get the island they "absolutely must have". They plan to prep and do all sorts of things at the island - until they run into the reality that they don't have a water source and end up doing most of their prep next to the cleanup sink - fighting dirty dishes, other people trying to cleanup/prep/cook, as well as, often, too little counterspace in that unplanned for Prep Zone.

It's all about:

• Good planning
• Understanding workflow - general Kitchen workflow - not just what you do today - b/c that's often obsolete once the new kitchen is installed
• Being flexible
• Understanding whether or not a prep sink is needed (workflow & Kitchen Design knowledge needed)

--and--

• Being honest and objective.....instead of clinging to what you think you know is best (i.e, trying to rationalize your layout b/c you're so attached to it as-is).

In a previous home I built, I put in a prep sink on the island that was identical to my regular sink. It was my pots and pans sink. What a luxury.

In the current home, I just put in a prep sink in the kitchen renovation. So far it has been used to defrost items, spoon and pan drop zone, soapy water for cleaning the house, my husband's drop zone for his smoothies, and prepping fruits and vegetables. All of these functions occurred while I was using the main sink at the same time. It has multiple uses. The primary reason is getting my husband out of my way when I'm cooking.

We store the dog toys in the bar sink. It's deep enough to keep the dogs from getting the toys out. I suppose we should use it for drinks.

Oh, and bar sinks and prep sinks are not the same thing! (In case some people think they are.)

I seem to always have more than one person working in the kitchen so because we have space, we put one in. It's been useful. Also lets us get really behind on dishes. :)

@ homechef59

Dog toys in the bar sink? No fun! When I had a dog I kept his toys in a floor basket. It amused me when he got them out to play with, and especially when he would take out his leash and bring it to me because he wanted to go for a walk.

Recently I put my cats' toys in a tray under the coffee table. Not particularly attractive I suppose, but I enjoy seeing them look through the toys and deciding what to play with. :)

I had a double sink and am replacing it with a large single, but no prep sink for many of the reasons already listed. Ours is a one butt kitchen (mine) and when I remodeled 13 years ago my KD wanted to put a 2nd sink into my kitchen. I declined then and I've spent the past 13 years wondering why it would have been a good idea. I haven't come up with a good reason for me to have one, so won't be doing one this reno either.

Bathrooms have toilets, showers, sinks and tubs and are often used by only one person at a time.

We took the tub out of our bathrooms as well, and went with big walk-in showers with bench seating instead. Is that the equivalent of only one large single sink in the kitchen?

Budget it the only reason I don't have a prep sink in the kitchen, so we put a second sink where it could share plumbing with the main sink, on the other side of a pass-through. That area is where we seat everyone for large family dinners, and it can be converted to a tiny, temporary, efficiency apartment if necessary, so the investment in a sink and faucet made sense.

When I was planning the kitchen, we were almost empty-nesters, and I was
the only one who cooked, other than my late husband who would occasionally fix canned soup or eggs. Fast forward a couple of years, and one of my daughters, who had married and moved out, left her husband and moved back in with us, bringing her small son. She's since remarried, and my new son-in-law is a willing kitchen helper, so we have three cooks, and a grandson who likes to help.

I have the kitchen I planned--a one-person kitchen--so it's nice to be able to send a helper to the other sink, out of my small space. Also, my main sink is a large single bowl, so I often use the smaller second sink to thaw and rinse meat--it's so much easier to clean. The coffee maker was relocated to that sink for a family gathering, and it's been there ever since--it's really nice to have it out of the work spaces.

If money grew on my maple trees, I'd have a real prep sink in the island, between the fridge and range, and I'd have a cutting board made to fit, so that I could still use the island to spread out noodles to dry. :)

I've given this a fair amount of thought. It's my intention that our next home be our last until retirement, so I've been thinking through exactly what kitchen would make me happy for next 40 years so I can make sure we get a house with the proper space for it.

The kitchen I grew up with was small and a galley kitchen. My mom installed the clean-up sink and range on one side of the galley and a prep sink with a big counter on the other side. (The fridge is in an eat-in nook.)

They still have that house, and the prep sink gets used only when someone else is using the clean-up sink. That's what my mom wanted it for, so she was successful in her goal, but I've wondered a lot why I almost never use the prep sink when cooking alone at their house (and no one else does either). I use the big counter for prepping all the time (and so does everyone else), but I will turn around, cross the aisle, and use the clean-up sink rather than the prep sink during prep.

I'd genuinely rather not be crossing the aisle to get water (I drip water everywhere), but I can't seem to stop.

I think the real answer is that the clean-up sink is the clean-up sink, and I am a clean-as-I-go kind of cook. So even though every time I use the sink isn't to rinse a dish or drop it off in the clean-up sink to clean shortly, I do use the sink enough for those reasons while prepping that it's easier for me to keep going back to that sink for all the other reasons (rinsing fingers, getting water, etc.) than to have to focus in the moment to decide if I really need the clean-up sink for what I'm trying to do or if the prep sink would do for this particular task. I think it's just simpler for my particular brain to keep going back to the clean-up sink for everything.

My mother's prep sink also lacks some of the features of the clean-up sink, making the prep sink fundamentally less pleasant to use. The prep sink is much smaller (obviously), isn't well-lit (the clean-up sink has two can lights above it, and the prep sink has none), and has counter on only one side.

I do usually cook alone (and so does my husband), so while I want my kitchen to work well when I occasionally have a guest or two over, it's my primary concern that our kitchen work especially well for one person. For me, that means a relatively small kitchen, and I want our biggest counter next to the clean-up sink because then I can prep and clean-as-I-go without crossing the aisle and while enjoying the largest sink.

With every iteration I've doodled, I'm not coming up with a natural place for a second sink in my potential small kitchen where the clean-up sink is my primary prep sink. A second sink works so well in kitchens where the prep sink is in the prep zone, but I want my clean-up sink in the prep zone.

What I'm leaning towards instead is an unusually large clean-up sink with two faucets and ample counter on both sides of the sink for those rare times when someone else needs the sink or is cleaning up while I'm cooking.

Budget....if your kitchen needs a prep sink to make it work, then consider postponing some things that can be done later (e.g., backsplash, decorative doors on ends of cabinet runs/backs of cabinets on islands & peninsulas, expensive faucets, etc.).

When remodeling, the #1 priority should be infrastructure items/items that cannot be readily added/fixed later -

• workflow
• cabinets
• fixed fixtures (e.g., undermount sinks)
• counters (if stone or other relatively expensive materials), etc.

OTOH, those items that can be added later can be postponed until additional funds are available.

If the layout really calls for a prep sink to make it work and you cannot put in a prep sink (e.g., extremely expensive b/c on a slab), then maybe you need to reconsider the layout. You need to consider redesigning the kitchen so it doesn't need a prep sink to work.

That's where we often run into resistance from people - not accepting the reality of the situation - the layout won't work w/o a prep sink, they don't want to put in a prep sink (for whatever reason), but they also aren't willing to rework the layout so they don't need a prep sink.

I also worship at the altar of the one butt kitchen. I don't allow helpers in my kitchen.

I don't need a second sink to clean.

I don't use my large sink for hiding dirty dishes or soaking. It is available for whatever use I require at all times.

As an addendum to my previous post, I create significantly more dirty dishes, bowls, and utensils when prepping a meal than when serving and eating for our family of 4. A big help for workflow was to put in 2 dishwashers. That does seem more efficient than just another sink full of dirty dishes.

We have a large kitchen and did a six figure remodel of it last year (stopped counting after awhile) and we did not put in a second sink (gasp). I did not want it to detract from the large island and frankly I did not see the the need. We also do entertain frequently. I have never seen the need for one and don't think I would ever use one! Guests wash their hands in the bathroom. Drinks are from the beverage center. I also have a 2nd kitchen and bar in my basement where most of our entertaining is done.

Cleaning a prep sink is significantly easier than cleaning a tub or shower, yet no one balks at putting in multiples of them!

Seriously, it's really easy to clean a sink...and I hate cleaning!

In our old kitchen, we had a big single bowl sink, but the laundry room was between the kitchen and garage. It had a big plastic laundry tub DH used for cleaning filthy golf clubs and shoes. The new laundry room is back by the bedrooms. I knew if I didn't put in a second kitchen sink, DH would try to clean his golf clubs in my kitchen clean up sink. No, no, no, no, no.

Then I realized I didn't want him to wash golf clubs in the second sink, either. So I went back to my architect and builder, and we figured out where to put a sink in the garage. It's right beside the kitchen door. He can leave the door open if he wants to chat while he scrubs the mud out of cleats.

DH rarely cooks, but we have a big orange tree, and he juices. He's not a tidy juicer. (And we had 80s tile countertops--grout--ick.) He will now be able to use the prep sink for juicing--away from windows and blinds, away from overhanging cabinets. He'll still make a mess, but he won't have to shut down the whole kitchen for the operation. That's a definite improvement.

I've cooked in crap kitchens most of my life, and a second sink is a matter of convenience rather than necessity. I can make great things with iffy layouts and equipment, but it's going to be fun to have two sinks.

I agree that cleaning a prep sink isn't so bad usually (depends on the sink material), but I actually do balk at random extra bathrooms (and the tubs and showers they may contain) for cleaning reasons. More houses are being built these days with one bathroom per bedroom (or even more than that), and that just looks like a lot of work to me.

Prep sinks can also be hidden when not in use. I have seen islands with prep sinks where the only way you know it is a prep sink is the faucet. You can keep the cut out of sink and put it in place when you need it. There are also sinks where the faucets are integrated like this blanco available in Europe. My kitchen is going to get a second sink. I have a 9' island and this will aid in my workflow in the kitchen. As much as I will like to be alone in the kitchen, my friends and family are always in there with me. Suddenly the need to make a fruit bowl arises when I am baking and cooking moving between the zones!!

I agree with Buehl that an open mind is needed to design a functional kitchen beyond past experiences and Houzz pictures of pretty kitchens.

Good luck!

It seems odd to me, too, that people complain about cleaning up a prep sink but then have all those bathrooms including a master with two sinks. That is the sink I don't get. Why in the heck do people need two sinks in the master bath? You're married and share everything else but you can't share a sink? I don't get it. In my wildest dreams, I can't think of any tooth-brushing emergency that would require me to need a sink NOW and not be able to wait for someone else to finish rinsing before I wet my toothbrush.

To be honest, never seen the need for a master bathroom either. We've never had one. Never missed having one. And less toilets and showers/tubs to clean, YAY!! I'd rather clean 10 sinks over those.

Back to the topic...I agree with buehl's statements. Some kitchens need a prep sink and some don't. It really depends mostly on the layout and partially on how people like to work. And some kitchens plop in a secondary sink in a place that makes no sense to have a sink so it's no surprise to me that it doesn't get used.

In my own kitchen, even though it's small at 13x9.5', a prep sink makes the most sense. Adding a clean-up sink on the new peninsula is the only way I can get the DW out of the prep zone which is a huge, constant irritation for me. As I've become a bit infamous for my anti-DW-in-prep-zone rants, most of you probably know this already. In my prior home, I was able to prep with the DW door open and plop things in immediately after use. I miss that and will be able to do that again once my new sink and DW are hooked up. (Some day, hope springs eternal.)

If I had not chosen to install a new clean-up sink and move the DW by it, I would have been limited to switching the sink and DW which would have meant my lovely 54" of prep counter would have been reduced to a measly 30". Nope, not gonna happen.

I would gladly clean two sinks with my tongue if I had to in order to gain the convenience two sinks in my small kitchen will give me.

If my kitchen allowed for one huge sink, with two faucets, where one side could be used for prep while the other side was used for cleaning, I would have gladly done that as well. But there would have been no way to lay out my kitchen for that and not shrink my luscious, big prep space. But, in the right space, that can be a lovely alternative to a second sink. Again, it's all about the layout.

I'm in the UK and don't know anyone here with two sinks in their kitchen ;) Our last (Georgian) house had a huge 36' x 15' (at the widest point) kitchen that was partly an extension we added, but we never considered putting in a second sink. We have always (or at least at our last three houses) had double farmhouse sinks which suffice for our needs. In two out of our last three houses we also had a utility room with sink adjoining the kitchen, so there was a second sink not far away!

In this house the kitchen is considerably smaller - in fact it's the former dining room as the original 1850s kitchen is even tinier so we're moving it - and will again only have the one (double) farmhouse sink. The old kitchen is becoming our utility/pantry and will have both a sink for clean up and the dishwasher. Adjacent to this is a toilet where guests can wash their hands. This isn't a budgetary decision, but the construction of the building (built into an escarpment and partially subterranean) doesn't allow for new plumbing to add a prep sink in the island or elsewhere in the room.

What are these extra sinks you speak of? I don't understand this concept - I have 2 in my house (1 bath, 1 kitchen)! Oh, I actually have a laundry sink too but I'm not sure I've ever cleaned it to be completely honest. With a few small kitchen exceptions most of the prep sinks around here come into play in large kitchens where things are further away so a prep sink really helps your work triangle. I know hardly anyone (myself included) who could give up the counter and storage space for a prep sink - it just wouldn't make sense. I've never had a problem sharing the sink for clean up and prep (most of my clean up involves scraping and the DW so not even much water used). I could see it being helpful having 2 dedicated prep spaces with sinks access since DH and I cook together a lot, but hardly necessary.

I didn't know I needed a prep sink until I had one. My sister who has a flair for kitchen layout insisted, and I reluctantly agreed. Oh, wow. Game changer. It keeps "intruders" on the kitchen perimeter, which I love. Like some of you, I wanted one butt kitchen. I hate people in my zone. And because of my kitchen's layout, the prep sink cuts down on 50% of the traffic.

This evening I was able to wash a vintage cornet in the kitchen while someone else cleaned up after dinner.

(Not everyone needs a spare sink in the kitchen, but if you put one in, make sure it's big enough to bother. I bet I could get a trumpet in there!)

I know hardly anyone (myself included) who could give up the counter and storage space for a prep sink - it just wouldn't make sense.

If I wasn't planning on using my peninsula for my clean-up center, the counters would serve no purpose. Without a sink within reach, a counter is useless to me. I guess it could become a place for clutter to collect but I really don't want that.

While my clean-up sink is sitting in the counter but not yet hooked up to plumbing, I have things stored under there organized as if the pipes were already there, and I have a lot of room for storage of bigger items. I don't feel like I'm losing any storage at all.

What exactly is the difference in a bar sink vs. a prep sink?

My guess would be location and actual use.

In my house I have a laundry sink, a bathroom sink in the front bath, a bathroom sink in the basement bath, a huge triple basin sink in the main part of my U shaped one butt kitchen, a smaller "bar sink" just outside the U for others to get drinks, wash hands, etc and 2 sinks in the master bath; I don't know how ANYONE that is married survives with only one. Hubby and I get ready for bed at the same time, get up at the same time, get ready for special occasions at the same time, etc. We ALWAYS use both sinks simultaniously and previously, our getting ready took twice as long because we would have to wait for one to be done shaving, putting in/taking out contacts, brushing teeth, applying make up and doing hair, etc.

I could NEVER go back to a shared bathroom with only one sink...my marriage might not survive!!!

My second kitchen sink isn't a prep sink, as I do all my prepping between my big triple basin and my stove but it seems almost like I'm degrading it to refer to it as a bar sink. The coffee pot and espresso maker sits right next to it and so it gets used daily for coffee. If I making something microwaveable that requires water, I use that sink since the microwave sits next to the coffee maker. If something I heated in the microwave needs to be drained, it is drained in that sink. If my kids need to wash their hands or get a glass of water, it is from that sink. All the cans we recycle get set on the counter next to that sink; they get washed out at that sink and put in the recyclable container that lives under that sink. When we have parties, we fill that sink with drinks and ice, it is the perfect cooler since, as the ice melts, it drains.

Calling it a bar sink almost seems to minimize it's importance but calling it a prep sink is inaccurate as I don't really prep there.

Maybe we should create a new classification, the useful sink!! ;)

I call mine the auxiliary sink.

"But if you could have one, and planned not to, I'd love to know why. And suggest that you plumb for one while building - especially in islands - for the benefit of the next owner of your home."

Really? Sort of as charity towards the next owner? Are you kidding me? Nationally the return on major kitchen remodels is about 61%. So the buyers of renovated houses already get state of the art kitchens at a 40% discount. Why would home owners who go through the messy hell and stress of renovating owe the next buyer anything at all? One thing's for sure, buyers aren't willing to pay a dime more for the extra plumbing for a prep sink. Jeez....

Fori- Mine is big enough to wash an alto horn LOL! I have a sizable collection of vintage cornets, trumpets, and yes, a 100 y/o alto horn.

As has been mentioned, the answer (as in many decisions) is, 'It depends'. I lived 60 years in apparent happiness with only one sink. Since my wife and I both cook, though, I was often frustrated at not having an open sink available. Part of it is habit; my wife always seems to have one side of the sink full of soapy water; the other half has dishes in the drainer.

We just built the home of our dreams, and one of my requirements was a second sink. The house was somewhat designed around the kitchen, and the kitchen was designed to function with two sinks. It works perfectly for us! Because of our long-ingrained habits, the main clean-up sink still has the soapy water and dish drainer. But- there is another sink! The rule is that the prep sink stay open unless actually in use.

With our habits, even if it was a one person kitchen, the second sink would still get used. I've watched my wife in action, spreading stuff all over the kitchen (with a big grin on her face) and using the prep sink all the time so she can use the clean-up sink the way she likes and is used to. other folks have different habits, wants, and needs, and should plan accordingly. We are perfectly happy with a 30" cheap slide-in range; others can't imagine getting buy with less than a 42" Wolf or whatever.

We are very fortunate in that we were able to use our modest funds (and an enormous amount of sweat equity) to get the home of our dreams, modest though it is. We put in what we really wanted, and left out what was not important to us. The trick is to learn to ignore the chorus of 'must haves' and listen to your own voice. If re-sale is a factor for you, then that has to be considered as well.

My kitchen is not large -- 11 x12-- and it has 3 doorways / aisleways. We have our main sink in our island (23" D single sink, the biggest we could fit into a 24" cabinet).

I never in a million years thought we could have a second sink...and I sure didn't want to give up counter space or cabinet space for one. But a KD suggested we consider one because she thought it would greatly improve the work and traffic flow.

I was really resistant at first, but the more we worked in our unrenovated kitchen, and imagined having that second sink, the more I could see how useful it could be to our relatively small kitchen.

When we renovated last year, we squeezed in a TINY sink (8" x 16") into a 30" counter area between a wall and our stove. This reduced my original plan for drawers there from a single bank of 30" drawers to a bank of 18" drawers (still decently large for casserole and bowl storage) and a single 12" cabinet with one full length door where I store all my cookie sheets and chopping boards.

Now I have easy access to water for filling pots and draining them, washing vegetables, and making coffee (coffee maker is tucked in the corner). That area is a prep area for my husband while I work on the end of the island with access to the main sink. Some would argue the small sink is too tiny to be useful. I would love to have a bigger sink there if I had more room, but I'm not willing to give up more drawer space for it. This size sink works well for us.

As Buehl said, it's all about function and work/ traffic flow.

I've got plenty of space and sufficient money and choose not to have a second sink (nor two in the bathroom-- though we do have both a laundry room sink as well as a shop sink for activities like washing out paintbrushes and disassembled engine parts) because it would mess up a very efficient working space. For both cleanup and prep I'd want a big sink. It could either go in the middle of the primary working surface on the island or be located a half dozen steps away from the action. Neither of those options is acceptable. Our single big, deep double-bowl sink is right where it needs to be to be most useful, and 98% of the time works perfectly for both prep and cleanup. A second sink would not be as convenient and would displace some other more important use.

In some fantasy life I contemplate a second "summer kitchen" for canning and other large scale cooking exercises, but truth is that's only a few days a year and I'd rather take a nice vacation someplace exotic with the money.

No, the difference b/w a prep sink and a bar sink is not location, the difference is size. Bar sinks are usually shallow, small sinks - sometimes as small as 9" or 10" wide and only 6" or 7" deep. Prep sinks, OTOH, are deeper and wider. They should be at least 15" wide - interior width, not overall width, and as deep as a larger sink - 8" to 10" or more (bottom of sink to top of counter). Mine is 15-3/4" square and 10" deep. Prep sinks should require at least an 18" sink base (for the sink to be big enough), and even better would be a 21" or 24" sink base.

Bar sinks don't have to be that big b/c they're primarily used for filling/emptying/rinsing glasses and the like.

Prep sinks need to be bigger b/c you're prepping food - which means there needs to be enough room for the food + your hands + any tools you use while prepping.

Location, though, will determine how you use it, so even if you have a decent size prep sink, if you put in the wrong place it will probably not be used or it will be used for other uses (maybe even as a bar sink!)

I'm chuckling at all the comments about how much space people have but adamantly refuse to put in a prep sink. Whether you actually need one or not, I cannot say b/c I don't know your layouts, but so many people put in large amounts of counterspace that is a waste of far more money than an extra sink will cost b/c the counters are located where they're useless - whether b/c there's no logical work zone in that location or b/c there's no water source to make it work. Those counters then become very expensive drop/clutter zones or maybe just dust collectors!

I reiterate - just b/c you work a particular way today, doesn't mean you can't make it better with a better layout in the future nor does it mean that you will work the same way if you have a different layout.

Yes, it may be all you know, and something that you've made do with for years - after all, human beings are very adaptive, we can make do with almost anything, regardless of how bad something it is. We're also resistant to change and new ideas and we often have a hard time seeing other ways to do things - even if they would be so much better! We hang on to what we know and either can't see the better or don't want to b/c we're convinced that we want can be had b/c someone has convinced us it will work when it really won't (like those islands that people cannot fit with adequate aisles & seating overhang b/c someone told them they could skimp on either or both and "it'll be fine" - those someones who often have a monetary gain b/c of that island or b/c they don't have to live with it, so talk is cheap and it makes you happy to hear them say it).

That's why places like this Forum with people who can look at layouts objectively and give good critiques are so important and invaluable. There are several people here who can give you good advice and even do layouts for you. (No, not all advice is necessarily good advice and if you read enough layout threads you will learn which posters are better at layouts than others....ditto for aesthetic advice, while I will do layouts, I generally stay out of aesthetic threads b/c I'm not the best at aesthetics - others are far better!)

Anyway, this whole prep sink discussion, while interesting in some cases, has brought out an interesting mix of people.

Oh, and I don't recommend roughing in a prep sink at a particular location b/c you don't know where it might be needed in the future - so there's no point to it. If you know you are going to put one in in a particular location in the future, fine, but I wouldn't do it "just b/c".

One of the earlier posts led me to count...we have 10 sinks total in the house but no prep sink in the kitchen. Have never missed it. I do think it's layout and use issue. Some of the messy jobs people describe above are always done in a utility sink which for me is in a laundry room adjacent to the kitchen.

My prep sink is also my utility sink because I couldn't fit one into the laundry room.

I absolutely don't need a prep sink. Even my layout would be fine without it--it's just a galley that can't help but be efficient. But at least half the time there is more than one person working in my kitchen so it comes in handy. Hell, it's worth it just to have some place else to go when your hearing-aid-defying father in law is slowly peeling an apple parked in front of the sink...

I didn't expect quite so many replies to this thread, but appreciate all of them! Pippabean, I could've phrased my suggestion about plumbing better. When I make decisions for my home thinking about "the next owner", I'm considering that she could be me. Young women with toddlers can consider whether they will enjoy having space for pre-teens to help. Women with teens can consider whether they will need as much fridge and pantry space when the children leave home. And all of us can consider whether our kitchen could function well should our lifestyle or physical abilities change. For example, I had a temporary problem with my hands recently, and received a lot of extra help in food prep and cooking from my family. The incremental cost of extra pipes during a build - especially in islands where adding them later is expensive or impossible - is small. I would feel good, not resentful, about making a small investment which might benefit a future owner of my home.

Raphaella, I'm seeing more people plan for what I'm beginning to think of as two kitchen homes: one that is a large "pantry" with sink, microwave, electric appliances, and counter space and one that is a "kitchen". It seems like a shift from kitchen/dining room to pantry/kitchen configurations - both systems separate the messier kitchen work from the prettier guest gathering areas.

Texas Gem and Mama Goose, I agree with you about the useful/auxiliary sink. And with the broader idea that having better infrastructure in a family home eases tensions. I love my husband, but not sharing our poorly designed bathroom. I know my mother shared one with 8 people when she was growing up, but I'd like to have my own. I appreciate what loonlakelaborcamp said about living in a small foot print with essentials - I cook when we go tent camping (ice, water, stone, fire). But I cook more now than before our remodel, because even though I didn't understand the inefficiencies of our old layout it was easier then to "just order pizza" and easier now to make a quick sandwich or salad because.... workflow. Putting shoes near the door helps people exercise more, chocolate at the cash register increases sales, sidewalks facilitate neighbor interactions.

We don't have a prep sink and would not consider one if we were remodeling even though we could afford it. There aren't any issues in our kitchen that a prep sink would solve - it would be a solution looking for a problem (we also share one sink in our master bath and get along famously). For our small lake house build, we aren't planning a prep sink either, but DH is planning an outdoor fish cleaning station. Since he doesn't get on GW and no one we know has a prep sink, do I want to mention the concept of a prep sink in lieu of the outdoor fish cleaning station? I think not!

Oh, omelet, no argument from me that a fish-cleaning station anyplace but inside the kitchen is a great investment! DH does it outside or in the big utility sink in the basement. And I'm so grateful for that! :)

I was so clueless when I started my kitchen reno - my goals were a new, pretty kitchen & more oven space. I remember when our KD introduced me to a trash pull-out and I thought "why would I need that fancy thing for trash?" I had basically the same reaction when she recommended a prep sink. I had been lurking on GW, mostly looking for aesthetic design ideas. I did start researching some of the KD's recommendations & realized I NEEDED a prep sink or my island was going to be a barrier island. I have a 14"x 15.5" prep sink. I do wish I had gone with the slightly larger size that my KD recommended. Larger would be safer when draining a really large pot of hot water. I'm also glad I read a thread here about including a garbage disposal & air switch at both sinks.

We love, love, love having two sinks now. We have a Stages 45 in an island for prep and a clean up sink on the perimeter. I keep a plastic bowl in the Stages while prepping and throw prep items in the bowl as I go and then just take the bowl to the clean up sink when done. Prepping is now such a joy around these parts. We stage items on the island counter (50 inches) between the frig/pantry and Stages 45. There is trash pull out there. We then move items to the Stages cutting board area. I love that I don't have to wipe counters much any more. And, we just tip the cutting boards into the sink, wash them, and then they are right where they need to be for the next task. A quick spin around to the range or a few steps for plates/bowls for things that don't need heat and we are done. If things need a food processor, we have 24 inches and a plug left of the stages for that.