The kitchen is used every day, and the sink is frequently “visited”. Choosing a suitable and cost-effective sink can make you feel good every day when you use it.
Single Bowl Pros:
- It offers a larger operating space, making it easy to wash dishes and pots, and it’s less likely to splash water during cleaning.
- Single Bowl Cons:
- There is no functional partition, making it inconvenient to wash vegetables, dishes, and drain water at the same time.
- It’s best to choose a single bowl with a depth of over 18 cm to effectively prevent water splashes during cleaning.
However, these drawbacks can be resolved with newly designed partition drainers and vegetable washing basins.
Double Bowl Pros:
- Double bowls allow for a clearer functional partition, and using both bowls simultaneously can increase cooking efficiency.
- Water-saving, especially for those who are accustomed to soaking vegetables, as the individual capacity of double bowls is smaller, saving more water. Double Bowl Cons:
- Double bowls take up more space, and small double bowls are inconvenient for washing pots.
- The structure of the water trap is more complex, and if the water filtering is not good, it can easily lead to blockages.
How to Choose Sink Material?
- Stainless Steel
- Pros: Affordable, sturdy, and durable.
- Cons: Prone to scratches and has poor oil resistance.
- Quartz
- Pros: High aesthetic appeal, wear-resistant, high-temperature resistant, and easy to clean.
- Cons: Expensive, light colors require frequent maintenance to prevent staining, and there are many quartz sink brands to choose from.
- Acrylic
- Pros: Seamless integration, no dirt trapping, repairable, and easy to clean.
- Cons: Imported from abroad at a high price; budget-friendly domestic brands offer good quality comparable to imported ones.
Installation Methods:
- On Counter: Easy to install and replace, with no additional installation costs.
- Flush Mount: The countertop is level with the sink, creating a seamless visual effect, but grinding costs are required.
- Under Counter: The sink is installed below the countertop, making cleaning easier and preventing water from splashing out, but it requires additional reinforcement costs for the cabinet. Precautions:
- Choose 304 stainless steel with the official mark SUS304 and a nano-antibacterial coating for wear resistance, stain resistance, and easy cleaning; it won’t scratch with a steel wool pad.
- The sink must have a soundproof pad and anti-condensation coating underneath for good sound insulation and moisture prevention.
- Choose a sink with a wall thickness of at least 0.8 mm, which is sturdy and不易变形; when selecting, knock on it—if it sounds muffled, it indicates thick material.
- Opt for a sink depth of 19-21 cm to prevent water splashes when washing dishes.
- Choose a sink with the drain positioned near one side wall instead of in the center to increase storage space under the cabinet.
- If the countertop size is less than four meters, choose a single bowl around 65 cm.
Faucet Selection Strategy Faucet Types:
- Screw-type faucets
- Require multiple turns to open, with water flow increasing gradually from small to large, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive and is gradually being phased out.
- Lift-type faucets
- Can be turned on by lifting upwards, with water flow controlled by the lifting angle, which is convenient and common in bathrooms nowadays.
- Basin faucets
- Can effectively prevent the problem of forgetting to turn off the water and avoid touching the handle alternately, which is hygienic and safe, especially during epidemics, but they may have delays after long use.
- Lever-type faucets
- Opened by rotating the handle, with water flow controlled by the rotation angle.
Faucet Materials:
- Zinc alloy: Inexpensive, but the handle is prone to breaking, and most faucets online are made of zinc alloy.
- Stainless steel: Resistant to acid and alkali, not easy to corrode or rust, and lead-free, making it a safer faucet option, but it is difficult to produce on a large scale and is expensive.
- Fine copper: Fine copper faucets have a copper surface coating for wear resistance and corrosion resistance, with a strong sense of luxury, often used for basin faucets.
- Ceramic: Ceramic faucets do not accumulate scale easily and are durable, but they are expensive and prone to breaking, not recommended for families with children.
Valve Cores:
- Ceramic valve core: Due to its small pollution, wear resistance, and sealing, it is the most commonly used material by most brands on the market.
- Stainless steel valve core: Less affected by water quality, wear-resistant, and sturdy, it is a higher-grade material.
- Roller valve core: Long service life, easy to install and repair, but its style is outdated and is gradually being phased out of the market.
Selection Points:
- Valve core: Stainless steel valve core > Ceramic valve core > Roller valve core.
- Appearance: Stainless steel > Ceramic > Fine copper > Zinc alloy/Plastic.
- Plating: Plating is done to make the faucet more aesthetically pleasing and to improve its wear resistance and corrosion resistance. The plating layer should be between 8μm and 12μm, with chrome plating being the best method.
- Aerator: An aerator can control water flow, with effects of filtering, noise reduction, splash prevention, and water saving, so choose a faucet with an aerator.
- Budget and brand: Within a similar budget, always choose a well-known brand.