Countertop sinks

Despite its relative stealth, washing is one of the most important elements of the kitchen, as every day a huge amount of not only dishes (even if there is a dishwasher in the house), but also products that the machine clearly cannot cope with passes through it.

Built-in sinks today have a huge palette of color and design solutions, so that every kitchen will definitely have its own sink. The most popular options include:

• Classic sink with one bowl, different shapes.
• Sink with one or more wings for drying dishes, food or storage of detergents.
• Sink with two bowls, in one of which you can wash the dishes, and in the other vegetables and fruits.

If we talk about designs, there are three:

Integrated. This option is most often made of artificial stone, it is very beautiful and organic and is part of the tabletop, between them there are no joints or seams, which guarantees additional beauty and hygiene.

Invoice. Very popular and easy to install. The sink is simply superimposed on top of the cabinet and occupies its entire top, instead of the table top. Most often, this design has a wing that allows you to use it doubly functional.

Mortise. This design, in principle, is similar to the previous version, the difference lies in the fact that it does not replace the top of the stand, but is inserted into a pre-made hole in it. Many manufacturers even put in the box with the sink stencil, which is convenient to cut a hole for it.

The integrated type can be divided into two types:

• Built in from above.
• Recessed bottom.

Materials for creating kitchen sinks are not so many, however, this is perfectly offset by the presence of a huge number of design options and colors.

For many years, and still is a very popular material for sinks. And there is nothing strange in this, because they will have a number of the following advantages:

• Easy to operate. With such sinks it is easy to clean off stains and dirt, they do not require special cleaning.
• Beautiful Laconic and simple option, but it looks stylish, its shiny surface is universal and fits well into any interior.

• Durable. Such material is not afraid of any blows or detergents, even the most aggressive.
• Eco-friendly. In addition to the original environmental friendliness, such material also does not absorb harmful substances and bacteria, so you should not worry about the deep cleanliness of the washing.

• Steady Not afraid of changes in temperature and is not deformed, so you can safely pour boiling water into it or put hot dishes.
• Cheap. With all these advantages, stainless steel has another indisputable advantage, there is no need to overpay. Of course, the price range is very large, but it is not difficult to find something completely inexpensive and without sacrificing quality.

Of the minuses of this material are the following:

• Noise. The sound of water falling on a metal surface is amplified with its help several times. It annoys so many people.
• Small scratches. Such a surface, of course, is not afraid of strong blows, but minor scratches may easily appear, the performance will not change of course, but the appearance is a bit spoiled.

• Detergents. Same thing with them. Applying an aggressive tool, you need to carefully monitor the time, because if you leave it longer than necessary, the upper enamel will eat away and dark spots will appear.
• One color. Stainless steel can not be painted, so if you want something more interesting in terms of color, rather than just metal, this option is better not to stop.

Many people may associate this material with fragility and unreliability, but in the case of sinks it is better to forget this stereotype, because they have really good performance qualities:

• Sustainability. Like stainless steel, ceramics are not afraid of boiling water, hot utensils or hot fat.

• Wear resistance. Small, ugly scratches on ceramics are not terrible, so it will keep its original appearance for a long time.
• Silence. Perfectly absorbs the sound of falling water, protects nerves and does not distract.
• Manifold. A huge number of shapes and colors allow you to choose a ceramic sink for any interior.

Well, sadly, but this material also has its drawbacks, which are sometimes difficult to smooth out with a careful treatment:

• Heaviness Wash ceramics will be quite heavy, so that the public transport alone does not take it, and the installation will require professional intervention.

• Instability Scratches on ceramics do not appear, but if something heavy falls, a piece can easily break off or a crack may occur.
• High cost. Of course, it is difficult to call ceramics a very expensive material, but compared to stainless steel, the pricing policy here is much higher.

Kitchen sinks made of artificial stone have a number of undeniable advantages:

• Versatility and beauty. Such a sink will always look beautiful and expensive, and thanks to the huge amount of color and design solutions, it will always be possible to choose exactly the model that looks best in a certain interior without any problems.
• Ease of operation. If they say that even with the slightest contact with something hot or soiling, stains remain that cannot be washed off later, then most likely we are talking about a product from low-quality material. On a high-quality car wash will never remain traces that can not be washed. It is very easy to take care of it, just wipe it with an ordinary detergent.

• Hygiene. Due to the tightness and non-porosity of the material, harmful microorganisms and fungus cannot grow in it, and some manufacturers, in order to increase this indicator, additionally process their goods with antibacterial agents, therefore there will be no unpleasant smell in the sink, and you should not worry about purity .
• Soundproofing. With an artificial stone of such troubles, as with a stainless steel does not arise, it perfectly absorbs noise.

• Strength. Indeed, it is not so easy to break or break a quality sink made of artificial stone. So the accidental fall of heavy objects is not terrible for her.
• Heat resistance. Artificial granite (if it is, of course, high-quality) can withstand very high temperatures and does not deform at all.

And despite its significant advantages, artificial stone has some important disadvantages:

• High price. This is really a significant drawback, all the above advantages can be observed only in an expensive sink, so if the quality of the sink is really important, you will have to spend a lot of money. This can only be justified by the fact that this purchase will last a very long time and will not require repair or replacement costs.

• Heaviness Such kitchen accessories, in addition to the price, have considerable weight, they are rather difficult to assemble, and in order to bring them to their destination, transport will be required.
• Fakes. Sinks made of artificial stone should be carefully examined and meticulously selected before purchase.There are a lot of fakes and low-quality goods at an inflated price on the market now, and it will work out when it is too late. Therefore, before buying it is better to read customer reviews and focus on well-known, reputable brands.

The standard for the table top is considered to be 60 cm wide, it does not have to look for special options for sinks, any standard option will do. However, now there is no need to be limited to standards, because even in a regular store you can find various options for sizes and shapes: circle, oval, square, rectangle, corner variant, more or less than 60 cm, with a standard depth of 17-20 cm or more and t .d plus to everything, it is impossible to forget about an opportunity to make the built-in sink to order.