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Design Dilemma Kitchens

Maximum Kitchen Sink Size

thesimmonsfamily

last year

I am trying to determine the maximum size undermount stainless steel kitchen sink I am able to get in our kitchen renovation. I will have a 36" base cabinet (measurement from left to right). I've read that I can have a 36" long (side to side) sink if I strap it instead of clipping. My main question is about the width of the sink (from the wall to the edge of the counter). My cabinets will be standard 24" (from wall to front of cabinet). I will have tile backsplash behind the sink. Single hole kitchen faucet has not been chosen yet and will be chosen to fit the space I have. It will be mounted in the counter behind the sink (not mounted in the wall). What is the maximum width (from wall to edge of counter) sink I could get?

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Comments (4)

PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
last year
I ussually find 18" is fine . I do however think a 36" wide sink takes too long to fill usually . But take the biggest thing you will ever wash in the sink and see what size you need.for that. I do not mean cookie sheets they can be washed eithout soaking all in the sink at one time. But big pots you use often for sure . I run a catering biz with 2 backto back 24" sinks with built in drainboards no problem . The sinks fill quickly and handle even my biggest pot. I do not like double bowl sinks and I do like 10" deep /
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
It depends upon your cabinet layout, but most folks want the faucet to stay inside a standard 24" deep cabinet. If that's your case, if you rabbet the 1" sink flange into the top of the front cabinet rail, you could get a sink that's 20 5/8" deep (flange to flange) and still have about 3 1/2" from the rear of your sink cutout to the wall which is plenty of room for a faucet and splash.

Here's the linked 36" sink on a retrofit, so I couldn't pull it forward, but there's no law preventing you from placing your faucet to the side either:

If the bar overhang wasn't in the way, the faucet could have been centered. Faucets take up virtually all the same space so get the one you like please. The pictured Chestnut color has been discontinued; it's black, charcoal (gray) or bright white now.
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I'm getting a 36" cooktop and also a single-bowl, 36" sink, not because I needed them to match, but because I cook a lot and I want the room. With the sink, I will have the option of putting a dish rack in the sink instead of on the counter, but I can also have the whole sink when I'm washing large half-sheets or doing other stuff like scouring raw sheep fleece (probably not something you plan to do LOL). My husband talked to the kitchen guy to finalize our plans, and they decided that 36" was "too big" for me, so tried going with a 30" sink. I set them straight. All that said, it depends on how you use the sink. It's a matter of personal preference. Right now I have a double-bowl 29-inch sink and I HATE it. I can't even fit a broiler pan in it. I think most people find 29 or 30 inch sinks perfectly adequate. But if you are a big cook, or a cook who uses big pots and pans, why not go bigger (if you have the counter space)?
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thesimmonsfamily
Original Author
last year
@Patricia Colwell Consulting Thank you! That's a good suggestion about checking the size of the biggest thing I wash.

@Joseph Corlett, LLC Thank you! I want the faucet to stay within the standard 24" cabinet.....so, could I go with a sink that's 18 3/4" wide and avoid the rabbet process and still be able to have the faucet between the rear of the sink and the wall? I already feel like I'm pushing the envelope by insisting on the use of a strap instead of clips and insisting on a positive reveal. (I plan to stick to my guns with those two, though!) Thanks in advance!
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
last year
"....so, could I go with a sink that's 18 3/4" wide and avoid the rabbet process and still be able to have the faucet between the rear of the sink and the wall?"

Yes.
thesimmonsfamily thanked Joseph Corlett, LLC

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