Are you annoyed by…

 

…someone washing their hands in the big kitchen sink at the same time you’re trying to rinse the veggies or the dishes?
…dripping water on the kitchen floor as you transfer the washed fruit over to the cutting board on the opposite side of the island?

 

First world problems, I know.

 

But whether you like to have a helping hand in the kitchen or just want everyone to stay out of the chef’s way, don’t dismiss the idea of a second kitchen sink. Even in a small kitchen, you can add a secondary sink without stealing space.

 

Workflow, Wet Bar or Washing Up

Separate water access for a second set of hands or different tasks makes meal prep and post-meal clean-up easy for 2 cooks. A prep/bar sink installed on its own designated counter space helps contain a floury mess when baking, gives guests quick access to filtered water for drinks, or a comfortable spot to brew a pot of coffee on early mornings.
A small sink isn’t just for the kitchen. Homeowners are installing small prep sinks in master & guest bedrooms as a wet bar or coffee station, an outdoor kitchen or BBQ spaces and even replacing that flimsy plastic sink in their RV with a small under-mount sink. Talk about glamping in style!

 

The Kitchen Triangle

If you were to draw a line connecting your refrigerator, stovetop and sink, they should make a triangle. This footprint allows for a smooth, decongested kitchen workflow. A triangle only has 3 sides, so where do you install a secondary sink in the kitchen, so you’re not creating a traffic jam?

Continuous Countertop

If your prep sink is sharing counter space with your main kitchen sink, 4’ of constant countertop is the absolute minimum amount of prep area you need

Uninhabitable Island

Resist the temptation of installing your prep sink in the middle of your island just because you love everything lined up symmetrically. You need the most amount of uninterrupted food prep space you can get. Here are two of the best placements for installing a prep sink on your island:

Pivot Placement

Install on the same side as the stove so turning to the left/right and your chopped veggies can go right from prep to pot with a pivot.

are right in the pot with no extra steps.

Face the Fridge

Install so you would be facing the fridge BUT on the opposite end. This gives you freedom, whether it’s for cooking, or cleaning to place food from the refrigerator right on the counter without taking extra steps.

The Strong & Silent Type

Shapes range from round to square to compact rectangle, but for material, stainless steel is the most common for kitchen prep or wet-bar sinks. For a gorgeous heavy duty sink, 16 or 18-gauge stainless steel is remarkably strong weight and durable for a kitchen prep or wet-bar sink and will hold up fine to support a quality faucet.

Just remember the smaller the number, the heavier & more durable the sink will be.

And if the scraping of utensils or clang of drinkware in a metal sink is like fingernails on a chalkboard look for sound-absorbing technology that reduces dishwashing and garbage disposal noise.

 

When looking online make sure you’re looking at the interior dimensions and not the full size that also includes the lip on drop-in sinks. Common bar sink dimensions run from 15, 17 & 18 inches for width x height. Look for deeper bowl depths up to 10” to better wash & drip dry stemmed glasses, colanders and pots.

 

Don’t Fight with a Faucet or Garbage Disposal

Don’t make the mistake of thinking a bathroom faucet will fit ok on your small prep sink. This is for the kitchen remember. A bathroom faucet won’t have the best water flow, and if the water doesn’t hit the drain directly, you’ll get sink splash.

Some prep sinks come with cutting boards that fit over the top so you can work right over your sink and bottom racks to prevent scratches, rest washed veggies or dish drying and allow dish drying.

A note on garbage disposals – If you need a garbage disposal in your prep sink it’s best to buy a sink that comes with one. Trying to fit one after the fact could leave you to take your sink to a welder to make the drain hole larger.

How do you pick the right faucet? Check out our Faucet Buying Guide here.

 

Before you make your final decision on a prep/bar sink, visit your local plumbing showroom and see one in person to get a real sense of the size.

 

We’re here to give you all the answers you, your contractor/plumber need to know about size & materials, installation, and order and delivery timelines. Give us a call at (902) 494-5266 or visit our showroom at 75 Peakview Way, (off Larry Uteck) in Bedford.