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leonardjan

Workstation sink?

leonardjan
last year

Hi,
I’m looking for a divided (double bowl) sink with workstation accessories. Stylish is a great price point with a colander, cutting board and drying mat. What I really want though is a smaller bowl that can rest on the lip for adding utensils to soak or washing smaller dishes without letting the faucet run or filling up the entire sink. I could add a bowl to the sink but I feel like there should be an accessory for the workstation. Anyone recommend one?

Comments (20)

  • Helen
    last year

    What is your price point?


    I got a work station from Havens Metal. Mine is copper but they also do stainless steel and they do fully custom as they make the sinks at the relatively small factory in Florida.


    Havens Metal


    Ask to speak to Alex Havens as he was very helpful when I was ordering mine in terms of recommending specific configurations.


  • leonardjan
    Original Author
    last year

    I’m in Canada and so hoping to get something from a supplier up here!

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  • ci_lantro
    last year

    You want a double bowl sink, a work station sink, and one with yet another bowl as an accessory to the sink?

    Frankly, this sounds like a mess to me because the division between the bowls will get in the way of accessing the sink and the division eats up potential sink space.

    IMO, a single bowl sink would be more usable and practical. I'm not particularly enamored with workstation sinks because I want maximum sink bowl size. Once the ledge is created in a workstation sink, your sink bowl/ bowls get smaller, front to back. And the accessories not being used have to be stored someplace.

  • PRO
    Patricia Colwell Consulting
    last year

    There ar lots of these sinks in Canada. I will give you my opinion on them I think the parts are too small they all need a place to be stored since honestly it really is a nice sized sink without all the pats added. I never have understood the need for gunk trppinf gris in the bottom of the sink either. I runa cater ing biz from my home and that style of sink would be pure useless for me . Ilkke anice large (nto to large ) deep single bowl stainless sink I do like undermount but not a huge issue . Sinks are work horses in the kitchen so cluttered up with sliding stuff cutting the sink usefullness in 1/2 is just all wrong.

  • David Ahn
    last year

    Doing another kitchen (downsized) and similar question, workstation or just a single deep bowl. In my 2011 kitchen we had a 45" Kohler Stages sink, we never really used the drain board portion, so to us it was just a 33" single bowl sink. I keep seeing photos and videos of workstation sinks, but they're demonstrating imaginary tasks in empty accessories, not showing me how one would actually use it in a working kitchen. This is the best actual demo I found so far: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWLp84bwqxw


    I'm really having a hard time seeing everyday uses of the accessories. The best thing I can think of is raising the bowl or colander so you don't have to go deep into the bowl, and chopping on a stable cutting board and sliding it directly into a bowl or ramekin without fumbling with a bunch of items in your hands.

  • leonardjan
    Original Author
    last year

    You’ve all convinced me. No workstation. Instead I will try and find something like the old Blanco 60/40 split which has a 10” deep bowl and 7” bowl.

  • David Ahn
    last year

    @leonardjan Yikes! I hope I didn't have a hand in turning you off to workstation sinks! I'm looking for someone to talk me INTO workstation sinks because I lack the imagination to see how it would help my wife and me. I can see their potential and flexibility, but videos of sliding empty accessories around on the ledge doesn't help me see how it would actually be used. I was hoping someone who uses them, like @Susanne Woolley for example, to show me how it would work in an actual prep workflow as well as in a cleanup workflow.

  • vinmarks
    last year
    last modified: last year

    I just watched that video. That would drive me nuts sliding things around and she was putting things into an additional sink. I don't get the point of a workstation sink. Everything she did on the video I can do with my smaller prep sink. I use a cutting board next to it to prep and the board goes right into the dishwasher. I drain pasta in the sink and the colander goes right into the dishwasher. And most people getting these workstation sinks don't have an additional sink so what happens to the pots and what not that need to be hand washed? So you have to clean up all the parts you used with the workstation sink then move all said parts out so you can wash pots and pans? As far as serving things in hot pots it's called a trivet that goes on my island where we serve the food.

  • Helen
    last year

    @David Ahn - I have a work station style of sink but really it is just a sink with a ledge that is deep enough (but not that deep) so that certain "accessories" fit securely into it


    I don't fiddle around with it so I am not sure how it is negative to have


    My accessories are :


    Sponge holder - this is a relatively narrow "grid" shelf which holds sponges and other wet stuff. I also keep a small bottle of detergent on the ledge. Very convenient and nicer than alternatives


    Cutting Board - this is essentially just a cutting board but it fits over the sink. Since I have a relatively small kitchen, it increases the functional "counter" space. It also is cleaner since any kind of debris or crumbs or whatever falls directly into the sink and so I don't have to clean the counter


    Grid - drying rack. This is a 15" tray with holes that I generally keep to one side of the sink - I can use it to dry stuff - I can use it when I need to load or unload as it acts as an extension of the counter when it is in place


    I also was gifted a cutting board with a hole for a stainless bowl to be inserted. I don't use it that much but theoretically you can chop and sweep into the bowl


    I am able to have a 36" single bowl single with a left offset drain in my relatively small galley kitchen. I can fit a standard roll out trash container in the sink cabinet as well as a garbage disposal becaue the plumbing pipes don't cut the cabinet space in half.


    Without the work station capabilities I would not have been able to have a large sink and so I would have to put the trash container in front of one of my cabinets instead of neatly tucked away.


    I am not sure why someone wouldn't want a sink that had the ability to work directly over the sink and provided additional counter space when needed.

  • M Miller
    last year
    last modified: last year

    @David Ahn - I’m with @vinmarks on that video. I couldn’t even finish watching it, it was making me so uncomfortable and antsy with all that sliding and getting things out of the way.

    I find workstation sinks claustrophobic. I want full elbow room when using the sink and free open space of the sink. My cutting board is on the counter where I can apply as much knife pressure as I want, and then sweep the trimmings into the sink disposal without having to move anything. I use a separate colander (by RSVP International). You can also buy on Amazon a colander that lays across the sink if you want that. Same with roll-up dish drying rack that can lay across the sink - many sizes on Amazon (in heat-safe stainless steel, not just silicone).

    Also keep in mind that the ledge of the workstation sink reduces the interior space of the sink.

  • jtkaybean
    last year

    @Helen I have a massive BOOS end grain maple cutting board where I do all my prep.

    (I’m very picky about my cutting boards😂)Also,I prep at my peninsula

    ,near french door.Easy access to herbs in backyard and my back isn’t turned when I have guests sitting there.


    OP go look at Lowe’s display of workstation/non workstation sinks .The regular sinks (same dimensions) looked bigger because of that ledge.Might not be a big deal for you,it was for me.


    I can see how a lot of people would love a workstation though.If you use all those accessories sounds like it’s worth it.




  • Leonard Painting
    last year

    I'm not going to get a workstation. I think I will regret it.

  • David Ahn
    last year

    @Helen Thank you, I appreciate the input from someone who has and likes it. The offset drain is definitely a must for a trash center!


    What I'm thinking is if you get a bigger workstation sink than the regular sink you were going to get (in my case, 45 vs 33), rather than "taking away" 12" of counter space, an 18" cutting board gives you that 12" back plus an additional 6" to work on without sliding around and juices leaking onto the counter.


    Plus with the ingredient bowls, you can chop and sweep directly into those. You do shrink your sink then (cutting board + ingredient bowls), but it should reduce a lot of lifting and moving of ingredients. I don't really buy the "serve over the sink" concept, but maybe tabletop racks where the ingredient bowl tray could be lifted into might be great for taco night (or Chinese hot pot, if you're into that kind of thing).


    I never used my Kohler Stages' accessories; the walnut cutting board was really nice but so thick and heavy it wasn't easy to throw around, so we just dried our knives on the ledge, so the ledge was just wasted counter space most of the time.

  • Helen
    last year
    last modified: last year

    @David Ahn I also think of my sink as providing me with extra counter space that is actually more functional than a counter would be. I don’t use it as a serving area although it is a convenient place for baked pans from the oven. I like having the large sink as i can shove dishes in one half and still have the faucet and drain clear.

    Mine isn’t one of those enormous trench sinks 🤷‍♀️ but what I have is extremely functional for my kitchen. I am not sure why they are controversial

    Obviously it depends on one’s kitchen. i don’t have a separate prep sink so I need to make my one sink and limited amount of counter as functional as possible


    Mine is a copper farmouse styie from Havens Metal

    Havens Metal

  • D Ahn
    last year

    @Helen Thank you! Ballpark, how much? I've seen some of Havens' videos, but it looks pricey!


    I'm leaning toward a second try with a full 45" (instead of with the ledge we never used) and lighter more manageable cutting boards. We'll see what my wife prefers… it's her kitchen, I'm just her kitchen designer LOL

  • Helen
    last year

    @David Ahn You can go to the site and build your configuration and it will give you the total price.


    Mine is copper and a high quality copper sink with a living finish is more expensive than stainless steel and is also not widely available because even the higher quality sink mamufacturers don’t make them. My copper sink is maintenance free - even easier to maintain than stainless 😂

  • David Ahn
    last year

    @Leonard Painting I get it, it's very hard to rethink the sink, there's quite the learning curve. But I think I'm leaning toward it, if just for the chopping in the sink for easy disposal and drainage capture, plus the drying rack to reduce countertop clutter.


    Fingers crossed this time goes better than last!

  • D Ahn
    last year

    @Helen I just re-read your first post, and having seen Haven’s sponge shelf, I feel that’s a must have. We have the suction cup sponge holder but it’s dirty and always falling down or off, but also keeping the dish and hand soap off the counter is priceless.

    Plus the ability to have things drying on top, soaking on the bottom rack, while still using the rest of the sink for washing since it will run under the rack also seems like it would be really nice, and probably worth the price of having to wash the bottom rack from time to time.

    Now the question is price vs quality: can’t beat the value of Kraus and Ruvati, the slightly higher price of Delta’s Rivet (which looks like the Ruvati with better accessories), or whether Havens or the Galley are really worth the premium to us. (I know that calculus is different for everyone!) One thing for sure is Havens’ all stainless steel accessories seem not overpriced but rather overbuilt ($1600 for the pro chef) so I would lean toward just the sink and sponge tray and source other accessories from elsewhere.

  • Helen
    last year

    @D Ahn


    To clarify a few points - the "grid" I have is almost always on top of the sink as I don't use a grid on the sink floor. I suppose if I didn't want the grid on top of the sink for some reason, it could go on the floor of the sink but typically it just is on top and functions as an extension of the counter so there is nothing extra to clean on the sink floor.


    Regarding the accessories - I think getting the cutting board from the sink manufacturer is good because it fits securely into the dimensions of the sink and is very stable. Prior to my remodel I had a cutting board that I used over the sink but it wasn't as stable so I didn't prep heavy duty stuff on it like winter squash or the equivalent.


    I haven't priced stainless versions. As I tried to explain I don't think of my sink as a "work station" style which seems to conjure up some kind of enormous trough like sink. My sink is a sink with a "ledge" that is sufficient so that various "accessories" fit securely into it. I would think at this point many of the good quality stainless manufacturers make some version of this sink but I haven't researched the market and so I don't know if they make accessories.


    I went with Havens because I wanted a copper sink in a specific style = and one that was low maintenance because it has a living patina. Because of the living patina it is more low maintenance than stainless or cast iron enamel because it never has to be "scrubbed" - the most I ever do is use some dish detergent to sponge it if I have poured something greasy in it. I also love washing the way the patina changes constantly.