Kitchen Sinks

The kitchen sink is the most-used fitting in the house, so it is worth working out the bowl arrangement before anything else in the kitchen is settled. Everything downstream — cabinet width, tap position, drainer side — follows from it.

The range covers single bowl, one-and-three-quarter, double bowl, round and square sinks in stainless steel, from the Dante and Impact ranges, in countertop and undermount, with and without a drainer and with or without a tap hole punched.

Choosing a kitchen sink

• Single bowl — one large space, best for washing baking trays and oven racks. The choice if you run a dishwasher and only really need somewhere to rinse and soak.
• One and three-quarter — a full bowl plus a small one. The small bowl takes a waste disposal, or holds the sponge and the cutting board so the main bowl stays clear.
• Double bowl — two equal bowls, for washing in one and rinsing in the other. Still the standard where there is no dishwasher.
• Round — a prep or secondary sink, or a small kitchen where a rectangle would eat the whole bench.

Countertop or undermount

A countertop sink drops in from above and its rim sits on the bench. It works on any benchtop material and it is the simpler install. An undermount fixes beneath the bench so the stone runs straight to the edge of the bowl — no rim to catch crumbs. It needs a solid benchtop, so stone or timber rather than laminate.

Check the tap hole before ordering. Some sinks come punched for a mixer, some are supplied blank so the tap can go into the benchtop instead.

Mixers to go with them are in Sink Mixers, boards and drainers in Sink Accessories, and compact prep bowls in Bar Sinks. Builders Warehouse Online delivers Australia-wide.