Your desire for an apron sink will determine this entire dilemma for you! If you want an apron sink and ability to have a draining rack, then you'll have no choice other than to do a workstation sink to hold the rack.

And a workstation sink also means the sink needs to be on the larger side in order to accommodate the accessories so they don't get in the way. The smallest ones out there are probably 27 inches or maybe even 30 inches I don't know.

I think you'll be happy. One of my regrets was making my prep sink 15 inches. I always wished it was bigger. I would have used the darn thing much more if it was larger.

We just purchased an 18” round Elkay stainless undermount sink for the island, and a 36” apron front sink as our main sink. The 18” looks to be a good size for our use.

We have a 33” clean up sink and an 18” prep sink. We use the prep sink for prepping, washing hands, rinsing recycling, drawing and draining cooking water (for pasta, etc.), getting drinking water and so on. We use the big sink only for dishes and other cleaning (hood baffles for example). The 18” has been plenty big.

I would make sure if the faucet on the prep sink swivels that the sink is wide enough to contain full side to side rotation. We have a bar sink on or lower level with swivel faucet and pull down sprayer…and very limited counter hence the bar sink. Wish the sink was wider….

You might show the kitchen plan, for anyone to advise: ) ?

I fail to see how an apron sink improves strain on a back, either,

My cleanup sink is 32 inches. My prep sink is in my island and is 20.5 x 19.75. I wanted a decent size sink without it being too big that it takes up too much counter space. We never clean dishes in our prep sink. It is used for washing produce, draining pasta, filling coffee maker and occasionally washing hands. Workstation sinks do not appeal to me.

We need to see the plan. I agree no way to understand how apron front works better for your back.

Good grief, I guess Jan and Patricia have never had lower back issues. Lucky you!

With an apron front the front edge of the sink is closer to you ... no front rail made of stone/quartz ... so you don't have to lean and/or bend forward as much.

Most fabricators make the stone/quartz front rail too wide, as it is easier/safer for them to fabricate and transport, so your sink ends up further back and can cause issues for those with back problems, since you have to bend and reach further forward.

Yes. Our clean-up sink is apron front because I actually lean into it and am working with things on the bottom of it. Our prep sink is undermount and I don’t use it in such a way that I’m leaning into it. I definitely have had back issues and I’ve been happy with the set up.

While I've found that a smaller prep sink (mine is 18 inches) is sufficient with the counter space next to it, there's a different feature that's been a great benefit for me. I am short and am getting shorter as I age (seriously, down 1.5 inches since my 20s.)

I couldn't reduce the height of the main sink counter, which has two standard size dishwashers flanking it (we didn't want dishwasher drawers), so it's used mainly by my tall husband. I did reduce the height of the counter where we have an induction cooktop and prep sink by about 3 inches below the norm. That shorter counter height has been a godsend both for using the sink and for seeing into and stirring pots on the cooktop. No more back pain while prepping or cooking.

Double Bosch ovens are also along that wall with side opening doors. Both my husband and I, despite our significant height differences, love the side opening feature. It's something else for anyone vertically challenged to consider.

My client base is split - half are removing prep sinks ( either too small, take up valuable counter space or they are just not needed ). The rest need them due to the layout - sink is a little too far from ref or an island creates a bit of a barrier or there are multi cook/preppers in the space.

Seeing the plan will help advise you better.

Ultimately, you need to figure out what you will be doing with the prep sink - honestly. When working in your kitchen now, do you think " Geez it would be so much better if we had another sink" ?

Someone posted once - you should design for the person you are, not the one you think you will turn into simply because you renovated. I am seriously saying this to myself as I begin planning for my own renovation. It is good to be honest with yourself

I put in a single bowl 33" cleanup sink because it fit the exiting hole in the counter. After installing, I saw that I would be happy with a 30" sink. Workstation sinks don't appeal to me and, if you are planning a prep sink, too, I don't see any point of getting a workstation sink. (Less front to back space with a workstation sink because of the integrated ledges.) Space permitting, I think I would want a 24" prep sink to have plenty of space for veggies in the bottom with a colander/ garbage bowl/ saucepan/ Dutch oven, whatever, too.

In my view, small "prep" sinks don't justify their cost. Labeling them as prep sinks is somewhat misleading, as they contribute minimally to actual food preparation tasks. The real game-changer in food prep is the workstation sink. Having been available for 14 years, workstation sinks are increasingly recognized as the standard for efficient food preparation. When consulting with my clients, I frequently recommend eliminating the smaller sink, unless they have a specific non-preparatory use for it.

You mention back pain and a solution being a farm sink. You are right on target. A well designed farm sink should have no more than a 1 1/2" thick face, allowing you to be closer to the work area of the sink than you would have with an undermount sink. Another back-saver is a well designed faucet, with a reach extending to the middle of the bowl. Couple both of those, and the backache will be a distant memory!

My in-laws dislike their workstation sink. i wouldn't do it. They complained constantly of "stuff" being in the way aka the cutting boards and strainers always sitting there taking up half of the sink. because putting them away was a hassle and lugging them back out was hassle too. so the boards and racks always stayed in the sink meaning 50% of their sink was available for draining pots and washing them.

This meant that washing anything would splash water back up onto items drying on the rack and they would become re-wetted again. Is re-wetted a word? idk. basically if you wanted to dump a pot of seafood water, you'd manage to splash the gunk back up onto the chopping board that's taking up half your sink. Even if nothing it on it, you have to carry it out of your sink and then carry it back.

Oh and their dish drying rack was solid metal and rather heavy. So that's another thing. It's cumbersome to maneuver. A rollable $10 silicone one from Amazon is a lot easier to maneuver around.

And when I would visit I didn't like the idea of them serving food from off of the sink full of backsplash of god-knows-what bacteria. Probably isn't that unhygienic in the grand scheme of things but the thought of grabbing "finished" food from off of a dirty wet sink didn't feel right.

If your plan calls for a prep sink and a cleanup sink, i wouldn't bother making any of them workstation. Just make them decent sizes. Maybe 24 inch for the prep and 30" for the cleanup. Posting your layout would help

I have a work station sink and purchased the cutting board and drain rack that rolls up into a tube…just in case I did want to use them. They are handy…in narrow lower cupboard next to the sink and easy to pull out when needed….but I don’t.