As we were hosting the family for Christmas this year, I tried to pay extra attention to how we were using our kitchen sink and how a different sink might work better and improve our lives. Really. I’m quite obsessed with finding the perfect new sink for our kitchen. I’ve spent countless hours researching this topic and it’s about time I make a decision and move on.
A decade ago, one would just go to Home Depot or another such store and pick from their 10-20 selections. These days, there are thousands of choices at your fingertips. There are forums to ask questions to other homeowners and numerous resources for researching. There is almost too much information out there, especially given the fact that the kitchen sink is only one of many choices we will have to make.
In our current house, we have the old standby equal double compartment stainless steel sink. I’ve never really had any issues with how this type of sink functions, so our initial (and quick) choice was this Kohler Toccata model. But as I’ve had more time to contemplate the choice, I’m still curious to see if we can do better.
I love the look of the square edge stainless steel sinks like this Blanco sink- but I’m nervous about giving up the second sink and know that the first scratch in the stainless will be painful. An alternative material was suggested by Rakieten Sales- a composite material made by Astracast. As I researched this material, it became apparent that this product is more common in the UK than the US. So I contacted my good friend, Fiona who is an interior designer in Scotland and asked her if she had experience with it. She had just spec’ed a similar material for a house- the Carron Phoenix ZX pictured below.
As I washed all the pots and pans from the Christmas dinner, it occurred to me that an ideal solution might be 3 sinks- one for rinsing dirty dishes, one for dishwater/washing and the other for draining. Unfortunately, I would blow the entire plumbing fixture budget if we were to go to this solution, so I’ll have to compromise and find the most flexible solution.
This Astracast model has some great accessories that make it more functional and I love the dark gray color with small metallic flecks and square drain detail. We have a sample of the material that we are putting through the ringer and its holding up to our abuses. From a sustainable point of view, this sink will fulfill our requirement of durability. For flexibility, the accessories, such as a small bowl that fits into a cutting board will expand the possibilities and quell my nervousness over the single compartment sink. Now it’s on to the perfect faucet………….
A decade ago, one would just go to Home Depot or another such store and pick from their 10-20 selections. These days, there are thousands of choices at your fingertips. There are forums to ask questions to other homeowners and numerous resources for researching. There is almost too much information out there, especially given the fact that the kitchen sink is only one of many choices we will have to make.
In our current house, we have the old standby equal double compartment stainless steel sink. I’ve never really had any issues with how this type of sink functions, so our initial (and quick) choice was this Kohler Toccata model. But as I’ve had more time to contemplate the choice, I’m still curious to see if we can do better.
I love the look of the square edge stainless steel sinks like this Blanco sink- but I’m nervous about giving up the second sink and know that the first scratch in the stainless will be painful. An alternative material was suggested by Rakieten Sales- a composite material made by Astracast. As I researched this material, it became apparent that this product is more common in the UK than the US. So I contacted my good friend, Fiona who is an interior designer in Scotland and asked her if she had experience with it. She had just spec’ed a similar material for a house- the Carron Phoenix ZX pictured below.As I washed all the pots and pans from the Christmas dinner, it occurred to me that an ideal solution might be 3 sinks- one for rinsing dirty dishes, one for dishwater/washing and the other for draining. Unfortunately, I would blow the entire plumbing fixture budget if we were to go to this solution, so I’ll have to compromise and find the most flexible solution.
This Astracast model has some great accessories that make it more functional and I love the dark gray color with small metallic flecks and square drain detail. We have a sample of the material that we are putting through the ringer and its holding up to our abuses. From a sustainable point of view, this sink will fulfill our requirement of durability. For flexibility, the accessories, such as a small bowl that fits into a cutting board will expand the possibilities and quell my nervousness over the single compartment sink. Now it’s on to the perfect faucet………….
1 comment:
Take a look at this range of kitchen sinks.... Let me know what you think.
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