Kitchen sink - sink in sink

last year

Shopping for a new sink for a kitchen face-lift. Debating 2 bowls vs 1. Can only go 33 inches wide. I would love a single bowl workstation sink IF one of the accessories held water so you could use it as a small sink. Anyone seen one?
I read about the American Standard Chive, and it has the sink in sink accessory but the reviews are awful due to rust, otherwise I think it would be perfect.
Thx in advance!

Featured Answer

cat_ky

last year

We are all different, and what works for one, doesnt work for another. I would go somewhere and try out a single basin sink. I dont like them, but, some friends do. I also do not like stainless, anything, but, others love stainless. Its what you, like that is important.

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Comments (25)

Helen
last year
Many of the work station sinks have a "basin" as one of the accessories.

However you can use a regular plastic basin if you need one so not sure what the issue is.

At any rate, I can't imagine why anyone would want two small "basins" versus one large sink as you can always make a sink smaller with a bowl or basin but can't enlarge a single bowl

I went from a classic double bowl Kohler enamel to a relatively large single bowl farmhouse sink and I absolutely love the functionality. I can wash large stuff without tiling and getting water all over. I can put stuff in one half of the sink without covering the drain and faucet.

I opted for a left offset drain so that I don't have a drain in the middle which also enhances functionality.
Fori
last year
I kind of wish I had a double basin sink. It's my preference when it's big enough that both basins are large enough.

If the basins in a 33" double aren't big enough, go with a dishpan.
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ci_lantro
last year
If you currently have a 33" wide double basin sink, you can easily gain a bit more counter top and get a 30" single bowl sink. You gain quite a bit more sink by not having the center divide. I learned this when I replaced a 33" 60/40 sink with a 33" single bowl sink.

My must have was a rear corner drain.

I love the single bowl and will never go back to a double bowl sink.
doods
last year
Just curious... so when you have a single bowl sink how to you rinse the pots or dishes you are washing by hand, does the sink not fill up with too much water?
Helen
last year
Why would the sink fill up. You rinse off the soap with the spray or under the faucet. How else do you rinse off soap other than under the tap with clean water?
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Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
IMO use the DW more and hand wash less . I find most people spend 1/2 the time rinsing dishes before they go in the DW and if you get the right DW you never have to rinse the dishes. I wask all my stainless pot sin the DW it keeps them looking like new and I keep hand washing to some copper pots and some very tall champagne glasses everything else goes in the DW No need for a dish pan. BTW I hate work station sinks all those bits are too small all need a home and IMO stainless is the only material for kitchen sinks I also do not care where the drain is.
Fori
last year
@doods, you just wash with a soapy sponge/dishcloth. If you're doing a lot, it wastes water. If just a few items it's not bad. Or you put your soapy water in a dish pan on one side of the sink.
Helen
last year
I am assumimg that the most items are actually washed in the dishwasher. FWIW rinsing is actually counter productive in terms of modern dishwashers as some food bits are necessary to get the dishes clean - just google for the explanation.

I limit hand washing to large pieces of cookware since they take up so much space in the dishwasher that it is more practical to clean in the sink. But I clean with a soapy scrubbie or sponge WITHOUT the water running and then rinse off briefly with the water turned on. And there are some delicate items that I do handwash like stem crystal.
Brown Dog
last year
I’ve lived in a lot of different houses and have used every kind of kitchen sink. Single bowl sinks are great for hand washing really big items and we all have big stuff that won’t go in the dishwasher. Double bowl sinks where bowls are either same size or one is bigger than the other are great for putting dirty stuff in one and having the other ready to use. I have found that you can get used to either single or double bowls. In my opinion, go for aesthetics. Go for the one that looks the best in your kitchen and with the faucet. Seems weird to go for looks on such a functional item, but both styles of sink function slightly differently and both of those slightly different functions are important.
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Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
When people change their kitchen sinks, they overwhelmingly choose to go to a single bowl from a double. Once in a while a low divide. Never has one ever called me to express regret at their choice.
wdccruise
last year
Kohler K-5540 Prolific 33" undermount single-bowl workstation kitchen sink with accessories including wash basin (specs)
doods
last year
last modified: last year
Thanks everyone, was just curious. :-) Should also say, most of my dishes go in the dishwasher. However on a regular bases I have large soup pots, saute pans, and larger bowls that I do not put in the dishwasher. In that case I hand wash in the sink and think its important to rinse the sudsy water off. So I guess that can work in a single bowl because the larger sink can accomodate the extra rinse water. Thanks again.
ci_lantro
last year
so when you have a single bowl sink how to you rinse the pots or dishes you are washing by hand, does the sink not fill up with too much water?

No. You are thinking that people are using the stopper and filling the sink with hot soapy water. How I do it:

My largest dirty item becomes the dish pan. Gets half filled with hot soapy water. Use the faucet or spray for rinse. I hand wash large items--dishwasher space hogs, anything aluminum, knives and non-stick cookware.

I've had a single bowl sink for a bit over a year. I can recall using the stopper exactly one time and it wasn't to wash dishes.

I have a couple of plastic dish pans around from camping days. Have never had the urge to use one in the sink. Would be in the way 98% of time, something else that needed to be cleaned and no place to set it out of the way or store it.
doods
last year
Thanks Cilantro, you are right I was thinking "using the stopper.... " Your explanation make sense, can always teach an old gal new tricks! :-))
Helen
last year
I guess I have never filled up a sink with water to wash dishes for the same reason I don't take baths - I just can't wrap my head around using dirty water to wash dishes or my body🤣🤷🏼‍♀️

I think like @ci_lantro I have always used the largest pot or pan and tossed items in there to soak for a bit unless they are delicate like crystal in which case they are in a safe spot until I wash. I then wash them and use clean running water to rinse.

Also the advantage of a large single bowl sink - especially with an offset drain (one that is to the side and not to the middle) is that you can stack or soak dishes on one half and still be able to use the faucet and drain however you want. This is especially true with a work station type of sink since you can use accessories in a very functional manner - for example I use my "grid" as both an extension of the counter and a place to dry hand washed items or produce. I just put stacked dishes or the soaking pan under the grid if I am using it.

Among the accessories for my sink are a drop in strainer and a drop in bowl - neither of which I own because I don't need them but for those whose habits are different, they are available

Havens Metal Accessories

They just added a "drying rack"

FWIW I have the little rack to the side and find it super convenient for sponges and such as I never had a good place to store them when they were damp.
cpartist
last year
last modified: last year
I have large soup pots, saute pans, and larger bowls that I do not put in the dishwasher.

If it's just the two of us eating, I manage to get all but the soup pots in the DW too. The only time I don't put all that in, is if there are too many other dishes and then I still try and put the dirtiest pans and bowls in.

If I wash by hand, I leave it to the left of the sink and one at a time I bring it into the sink to wash and rinse before letting dry to the right of the sink. If something has baked on stuff that needs to soak, I don't. I wait for the next DW load and do it in the dishwasher because the dishwasher gets off 99%-100% of the crud. If there's anything left, it's a quick light swipe to remove whatever is left with a drop of soap under the sink versus not using the DW and having to scrub and scrub by hand.
mcarroll16
last year
I handwash the way ci_lantro and Helen do. Largest pan is the dish tub. Our new kitchen is finally (mostly) installed, and having a large single-bowl sink is incredible. My largest items fit completely in the sink for easy washing. Even the giant pastry board. No more tilting the large items one way, then another, with water accidentally sloshing on the counter and floor.

I don't know that double bowl/single bowl is an important debate. The really important thing is having at least one sink bowl that is at least an inch longer and deeper than your largest pot or cutting board.
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BeverlyFLADeziner
last year
https://www.bliote.com/collections/kitchen-sink

I think these new sinks have great innovative features
Yousif Ali
last year
I kind of wish I had a double basin sink. It's my preference when it's big enough that both basins are large enough.
doods
last year
I have a large double bowl stainless steel sink, both sides are equal size and deep. I have no problem washing cookie sheets, large stock pot, large roasting pan,

etc... I like having the double basin sink.
Ally De
last year
I'm another one who loves my double bowl sink. I've had a single, including a huge, oversized single and I freaking hated it. I despise using a separate wash basin to soak things - and if your concern is using dirty water to wash dishes, I'm confused how using a dirty pot as a wash basin is any different.

If you search the forum here, you'll see this has come up about a thousand times before. (Ha ha.) Some people prefer a large single basin, and some people prefer a double. Neither is right for everyone - it all comes down to personal preferences.

Know what you want, get what you want, who cares what anyone else wants. End of story. LOL.
Helen
last year
@Ally De I can't begin to know how others hand wash items but I do NOT wash anything actually in the large pot that is soaking. I use a sponge that has soap or a scrubbie as necessary to clean each individual item.

I have never cleaned dishes by filling up anything but my understanding is that the container or sink is filled with soapy water and then the item is rinsed of the soap.

I don't deliberately put a bowl or pot in the single bowl sink to clean but I generally have at least one large bowl or pot that would take up too much space to put in the dishwasher. If I had small utensiles or silverware I would put them in that in order to consolidate them until I loaded the small items in the dishwasher - not to clean them.

Different strokes for different folks but the overwhelming majority of people now deliberately opt for a single bowl sink.
jjaazzy
last year
33" undermount with a rectangle collander that stays put. Best of both worlds. Krass is I believe what I used and it was inexpensive compaired to the Kolher. I had a 90 deg corner 36" and loved it, but I will say that the 90 deg corners were a finger buster to clean. Get a bottom that has better pitch and maybe wipe it out at the end of the evening it tended to get moldy. I had a metal grate at the bottom of mine too. I should have plugged the bottom 1x per week with a light solution of bleach. But definitly loved the big sink.. I had two turkeys sitting in that thing one time.
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Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
"Can only go 33 inches wide."

Sez who please? How large is your sink base cabinet please? A 36" sink undermounts into a 36" cabinet, no matter what the sink manufacturer says.

Kitchen sink - sink in sink

cat_ky

Comments (25)

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