Choosing a sink and faucet for the kitchen

Recommendation points

• Form factors of modern sinks
• Installation method and material of manufacture
• Choosing the right mixer

Many modern kitchens look like works of art. It is reasonable that accessories for them should be of high quality and look attractive. Our site will tell you which sink and mixer are best suited for your headset and what installation features they may have.

Form factors of modern sinks

Not so long ago, only ordinary sinks made of thin sheet stainless steel were offered on the plumbing market, which differed mainly in the size of the bowl. Today, the category of iron sinks alone has dozens of different options, and there are also products made of composite materials and artificial stone. It is extremely difficult to navigate in such a variety and it is completely incomprehensible what to put at the forefront: practicality or appearance?

You should start by choosing the type of sink. The simplest ones are single-section, having only one bowl. There may be several sections, the largest sinks have three of them: for washing dishes, for rinsing and for a colander for food waste. When choosing such a sink, you need to take into account that it will require much more space both on the surface of the countertop and inside the case. The dimensions of the cabinet should be larger on each side by 5 cm holes in the tabletop.

The shape and size of the bowl also matter. The most spacious and practical are rectangular sinks with a corner radius of about 100 mm: with the same cross-sectional dimensions as a round bowl, this ensures the maximum area and capacity, there are no dead zones in the corners. However, the appearance of the headset can dictate its own rules: for kitchens whose facades form a strict geometric pattern, sinks without rounding the corners may suggest itself, while for kitchens in the English style or with complex milling of facades, a round shape of the bowl will be more appropriate.

Sink sizes in diameter range from 35 to 60 cm, depth – up to 30 cm. The larger the bowl capacity, the better in general, but overall ergonomics must be taken into account. So, for people of short stature with a significant height of the countertop, a deep sink will not be very convenient. In addition, you have to sacrifice space inside the cabinet: a sink and a siphon do not allow you to put a bucket, it will have to be taken out in a separate section.

Sinks are simple and with draining wings, which, in addition to their intended use, have other advantages. For example, due to the wings, additional protection is provided against water ingress on the ends of the postforming, there is a place for defrosting food and a heat-resistant platform, on which it is not scary to remove a hot frying pan in an emergency. It is better to choose a sink with wings sloping towards the bowl. If the overflow hole is transferred to the wing, this does not give any fundamental benefit.

But you need to think carefully whether it is worth buying a sink with fenders, or it is quite possible to do without them. In small kitchens, you have to fight for almost every centimeter of the countertop, while the wing can easily be replaced with a basket or rug for rinsing and drying, which are installed in the bowl. Some models of sinks are available with different sizes of fenders, which allows you to choose the optimal part of the work surface that you are willing to sacrifice. In addition to the dimensions, the position of the wing can also change: some sinks initially do not have a puncture under the mixer, it is done depending on which edge it is planned to place the dryer.

For corner kitchens, the best option is to remake communications in advance and install the kitchen in a corner. These have a five- or hexagonal shape and even if there are wings on all sides, they steal very little usable tabletop area. Even if the kitchen just on one side just adjoins the wall, a small corner sink is the most preferable option..

Installation method and material of manufacture

Most sinks in modern kitchens are installed in a cut-in method. At the same time, the sides of the bowl rise above the table top no more than 10 mm, thanks to the chamfers along the edge, the product looks with the table top almost as a whole, if you close your eyes to the color mismatch. An outdated option for today is overhead sinks, in which the thickness of the body above the table top is approximately 20-25 mm. In fact, these sinks are designed for free-standing cabinets, the walls of which are flush with the sides. The third type of sinks is underlayment, which are attached from the bottom. If the worktop material allows a hole with a waterproof edging, this type of sink is most preferable.

Tip: always pay attention to the completeness and quality of the fasteners. For example, in mortise sinks, lugs welded to the sides from the inside are used to press against the tabletop. The quality of the connections in these places in budget sinks is lame, when tightening the fasteners, the ears often break off.

More than 2/3 of sinks on the market are made of stainless steel. This material is the most resistant to impact and dirt. There are two types of such products: seamless and welded. The first type is made from a solid sheet, the minimum thickness of which is 0.12 mm, the maximum can reach 0.7 mm. The surface of such sinks can be glossy or matte, but best of all – textured: scratches will be less visible on it. Solid-drawn sinks from an expensive segment can be anodized with copper or brass, which affects only the color, but does not affect the performance properties of the metal.

Welded stainless steel sinks belong to a separate category, as a rule, they are installed on stainless steel countertops. The thickness of the metal can reach 2–2.5 mm, which makes the sink heavy and extremely durable, due to the massiveness of the bowl, it dampens the sound of falling water well and no additional sound insulation is required as with solid-drawn products. However, it is not always possible to justify such an expensive purchase..

Also, sinks are made of polymer materials. The most common ones are made of artificial stone, which is quartz, marble or granite chips mixed with a compound – epoxy or polyester resin. Almost all artificial stone countertops are cast with such sinks, which excludes the presence of any seams and gaps. However, for postforming worktops, it is possible to install a composite sink if the color of the finished product matches the surface of the work surface as much as possible. In terms of the quality of materials, composite sinks vary greatly, which causes a price range from 9,000 to 70,000 rubles.

Composite materials are lighter than steel and for the most part perfectly withstand severe mechanical stress without the formation of dents and chips. Only hot objects and coloring liquids pose a threat to such sinks: it is almost impossible to completely remove traces of beetroot juice or food coloring.

Choosing the right mixer

While there are many varieties of taps for horizontal taps, there is only one suitable form factor for the kitchen. It is a single lever mixer on a low column with a high flexible or adjustable spout and a side lever arrangement. Such a product is guaranteed to meet the expectations of high comfort and practicality..

The quality of workmanship determines the durability of the mixer. It is recommended to buy plumbing fixtures with a body in the form of an all-metal turned, plastic or composite glass, equipped with a solid ceramic cartridge. In the presence of a flexible spout, the cost of a simple but high-quality mixer will be about 2,000-3,000 rubles. In more expensive models, additional functions can be implemented: temperature control, a retractable hose, an adjustable aerator, and touch activation. Comfort when using the sink is good, but you need to remember that really high quality additional gadgets are implemented only in expensive plumbing samples.

There are several technical details to consider when choosing a mixer for your kitchen sink. You should pay attention to the type and length of the through fasteners: on solid-drawn sinks made of thin metal, it is better to fasten the clamping nut to the wrong side of the tabletop, otherwise the product may be too wobbly. The heavy case indicates that the manufacturer did not save on materials and did not make some of the internal parts from low-quality alloys.

In terms of design, there are also a number of recommendations. All creative form factors imply an almost unreasonable increase in cost, while the internal filling is no different from just solid products. A faucet in the kitchen is the most visually significant accessory, and therefore it is easy to spoil the appearance of the headset if it differs from handles and other fittings in color and shape. It is also advisable to choose a faucet according to the color and type of surface in accordance with the sink: chrome and matt for plain stainless steel, turned bronze or brass for yellow anodized sinks.