Any housewife dreams of making the kitchen in her house perfect. After all, she spends quite a lot of time on it, creating various culinary masterpieces. Therefore, in this room it is necessary to create all conditions for a comfortable stay. It is unlikely that anyone is happy with such a routine daily activity as washing dishes. However, if you choose the right convenient wash, you can significantly facilitate this process. The model of this product, as well as the material from which it is made, depends on many factors. How to choose a sink for the kitchen from stainless steel? Let's try to consider this issue in more detail.
Criterias of choice
What should you rely on when choosing sinks from stainless steel for the kitchen under the countertop? It is important to consider the size of the room, the style of the interior, as well as the number of people living in the house. The sink for the kitchen should have an attractive appearance and be functional. The comfort of the person working in the kitchen will depend on the characteristics of this product.
The built-in stainless steel sink not only looks spectacular. It can also be used as a hot stand. Such a sink is very durable and of high quality; it will serve faithfully for many years.
Today on sale there is a wide range of sinks for every taste and color. They come with one or more bowls, and also have a square, round or oval shape. Mounting can be done in many ways.
The benefits of stainless steel sinks
The built-in sink for the kitchen made of stainless steel has a number of positive aspects. Here are just a few of them:
- It fits well in any interior.
- Democratic cost: such a sink can afford absolutely everything.
- Practicality: simply look after a stainless steel sink. You can wash it by any household means.
- The stainless steel sink has a completely smooth surface. This provides hygiene to the product.
- A wide range of models: stainless steel can be used to make sinks of any designs and shapes. You can easily pick up a product for a specific style.
- Environmentally friendly and corrosion resistant. For the manufacture of shells of this type, an alloy of chromium and nickel is used. It does not rust. The sink remains shiny and smooth for a long time.
- Stainless steel is resistant to high temperatures. In such a sink, you can put a hot pan. She is not afraid of boiling water and hot steam.
- Durability: a stainless steel sink will serve you for many years without losing its characteristics.
disadvantages
Unfortunately, even good stainless steel sinks for the kitchen have their drawbacks. These include:
- Small thickness: under the influence of loads, the sink can bend.
- If the sink is located close to household electrical appliances, it will need to be grounded.
- The sink is quite noisy. When washing dishes, strong crashing will occur. This disadvantage is not observed in special models with low noise level.
- Depth of washing: it usually does not exceed 15 cm. This applies to products manufactured by stamping.
- A modest selection of colors: stainless steel sinks are found in just one color - silver.
Types of sinks
Let's look at them in more detail. The built-in sink for the kitchen made of stainless steel can have various mounting methods:
- Mortise sink: very popular among housewives. This type of model is easy to install with your own hands, without the help of a wizard. Using such a product is very simple. It can be mounted in furniture of any sizes and shapes. Over time, stainless steel does not stain or fade, which allows the sink to always look spectacular. Products may vary in size and number of bowls. The main features of this option include ease of use, significant space savings, multifunctionality, and wide configuration options. It is planned to add additional parts to the main structure. These include: a grid for drying dishes, a cutting board or a colander.
- Surface-mounted sink: to install this model you need a separate kitchen cabinet. This product is capable of replacing a countertop. You can install it yourself, but this process requires certain skills. The sizes of overhead sinks for the kitchen made of stainless steel can be different. They are mounted on the principle of a cover. This solution is ideal for modular furniture. If the structure was not mounted correctly, over time, a space may appear between the cabinet and the sink, in which water will accumulate. This design is suitable for any kitchen. It is relatively inexpensive, but it looks very attractive.
Number of bowls
What you need to know about the design features of stainless steel kitchen models? The built-in sink can be equipped with several types of containers. The most compact and simplest solution is the single-cup model. This is the most basic option. It is perfect for a headset with a small work surface. The built-in sink for a kitchen made of stainless steel with one bowl is usually rectangular in shape with rounded edges. Even with a fairly compact size, this design is quite roomy and comfortable. The distance from the sides of the recess to the wall, sidewalls of the cabinet and the edges of the countertop should be at least 5 cm. As a rule, compact kitchens have single-bowl round sinks.
The double stainless steel kitchen sink is a convenient and functional design. Usually, the bowls in it are placed in one line. There are also models that are installed at an angle to the crane. A two-bowl sink is only suitable for fairly spacious rooms. Using a model with two containers, you can wash vegetables and thaw meat at the same time.
Round sink
What is its feature? Every housewife has to spend some of her time cooking. An impractical and inconvenient kitchen sink can make living in the kitchen a real challenge. Therefore, it is extremely important to choose the most suitable version of the sink.
Round sinks for the kitchen (including stainless steel) have become popular relatively recently. Today they are purchased no less than products of square and rectangular shapes. It is more convenient to wash round sinks, as they do not have corners. The gain is also obtained through the efficient use of space. The circle has a deeper capacity. Typically, such sinks are available in a depth of 20 cm, which ensures ease of use. Unlike rectangular designs, a round sink is more technically advanced. It has compact dimensions and is great for installation in small kitchens.
Consider the main advantages of round sinks:
- spaciousness;
- the absence of angles increases the hygiene of the product;
- compact sizes of models help save space in the kitchen;
- round sink looks original.
Square model
What should be a sink for a stainless steel kitchen, and which is better to choose? According to designers, the most functional products are square-shaped models. They are best suited for installation in countertops of traditional dimensions.
The square stainless steel mortise sink is also quite compact and roomy. For the kitchen, this option is also convenient because it is easy to pick up additional accessories for it, for example, a cutting board. Typically, such designs are made single-cup. Square sinks are quite in demand, but still somewhat inferior to rectangular sinks . The advantages of such models should also include ease of use. The sink can easily be placed even on a countertop of non-standard depth. In addition, this design provides ample opportunity to equip the work surface with additional elements such as wings, bowls, chopping boards and others.
What to look for?
When ordering a specific model, the buyer is primarily concerned about how to choose a sink for the kitchen from stainless steel, so that the sink will serve for a long time. It is necessary to take into account the recommendations of specialists.
So, what should you pay attention to:
- Material quality: so that the sink has reliable corrosion protection, is not afraid of increased loads and temperature extremes, chrome and nickel must be present in the composition. This coating is easy to keep clean. It does not require special care, and for a long time retains its original appearance. To check the quality of steel, you can use a simple magnet. It should slide well on the surface.
- The greater the thickness of the material, the better. Of course, such a sink has a higher cost, but its life will be much longer.
- When choosing between a stamped and a welded product, it is better to give preference to the second. Welded sinks are more durable and have a high level of noise absorption.
- Pay attention to the quality of the seam processing. It should be high.
- The surface finish can be polished, matte or textured. Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages.
- In order for the stainless steel sink to maintain a presentable appearance for a long time, it should be wiped after each use.
- The installation method should be selected based on the design features of the countertop. The sizes of stainless steel kitchen sinks depend on the size of the room. But on the thickness of the steel sheet, special attention should be paid, it should be about 1.0 mm.
- It is preferable to choose a product with noise protection. It is a special rubber pad that absorbs the sound of falling water.
- The warranty period for low-cost models of sinks is from 1 to 2 years.
Which is better: stainless steel or artificial stone?
It is worth paying attention to the merits of these two options. Let's see what is the advantage of a stainless steel sink for the kitchen under the countertop. Such models have a neat appearance and are inexpensive. Thanks to a wide selection of textures, you can easily choose the option that suits your interior design. Experts recommend a closer look at the sink with wings. Firstly, they provide additional protection to the tabletop, and secondly, it is much more convenient to work with them. Models with wings have a very neat appearance, they are not afraid of corrosion. Installation of the product will also not cause any special problems. You can do it yourself without resorting to the services of professional masters.
However, this option has its drawbacks. If water drops enter the sink, there will be a lot of noise. It is also not recommended to put a massive mixer on the stainless steel sink. The structure may deform under its weight.
A sink made of artificial stone will look luxurious in any interior. Its service life can reach several tens of years, while it does not lose a presentable appearance. This design does not require special care. It does not fade in the sun and does not make much noise. In addition, artificial stone is not afraid of exposure to aggressive chemicals. The main disadvantage of such models is the high price.
Manufacturers
It is important to ensure that you select a stainless steel sink for the kitchen for long-term use. To do this, you need to have some idea about the manufacturers and understand which one is better to give preference to. The leaders in the production of sinks from this material are considered Spanish, Italian, German and Dutch companies. All their products are of the highest quality. In construction stores today a rich assortment of both traditional and original models for the kitchen is presented.
Currently, the best manufacturers are:
- Villeroy & Boch;
- Florentina;
- Foster
- Smeg;
- TEKA
- Longran;
- Blanco;
- Reginox;
- Polygram
- Ukimox;
- Alveus.
To choose a high-quality stainless steel sink, experts recommend taking a simple magnet with you to the store. If he will be well attracted to the product, then you have a model of low-quality non-food stainless steel. In this case, it is better to refuse the purchase.
Summary
In this review, we examined in detail how to choose a sink for the kitchen from stainless steel. Today on sale you can find a wide selection of products for every taste and budget. The determining factors when choosing a sink should be the dimensions of the room, the design of the kitchen and functionality.
For a compact room, a round mortise model will be an excellent option. A kitchen sink made of stainless steel consignment note is best suited if you use modular furniture. If space allows, you can try installing a sink with two bowls.
A stainless steel sink is a simple and inexpensive solution. However, she also has its drawbacks. Such models make a lot of noise. This minus can be smoothed out by slightly changing the design of the product. It is better not to put heavy objects in the stainless steel sink, as the product may become deformed. For the same reason, you cannot install a massive mixer on it.
If you have the opportunity to equip your kitchen with a quality design, then you should not save, as your comfort depends on it!