Shopping for a New Kitchen Sink: Single, Double or Triple Bowl?

One of the decisions you will encounter when shopping for a new kitchen sink is the number of bowls you prefer. Double bowls are most commonly found in homes today, but single and triple bowl sinks have also become common for use in new homes and kitchen renovations. Some factors to think about are the size of your sink base (the space where the sink will be installed), how you use your kitchen and how you wash dishes. Here we take a look at a few considerations for deciding among single, double or triple bowl sinks.

Single Bowl Sinks
The main advantage of a single bowl sink is having one large basin in which to work. Single bowl sinks are helpful for tasks like washing large items such as pots and buckets. They also make sense when the sink base is relatively small, and functional space within the sink needs to be optimized. Single bowl sinks are common options for areas that have limited purposes, such as islands or wet bars.

Double Bowl Sinks
Double bowl sinks are the most common in kitchens today. The primary advantage of a double bowl sink is the ability to use each side of the sink for different tasks at the same time. Washing dishes becomes more convenient when one basin can be filled with water and the other can be used for rinsing. A division between two bowls is also helpful for keeping the garbage disposal available while dishes are placed in the opposite side. A drawback of a double bowl sink is that compared to a single bowl sink of the same size, a double bowl sink has less capacity to wash large pots and pans.

Triple Bowl Sinks
Triple bowl sinks usually consist of two larger sink basins with a smaller one in the middle or to the side for the garbage disposal. This configuration keeps the garbage disposal available, even if both sink wells are occupied. Typically triple bowl sinks are best suited for areas with large sink bases, and provide the ability for more than one person to stand and comfortably work at the sink.

The most important consideration when shopping for a kitchen sink is how you use your kitchen. Think about your past experience with sinks of different types as well as what your preferences are when washing dishes.

About the Author: David Ems is the CEO of Overstock Deals, a leading supplier of discount faucets and fixtures for residential and commercial applications. Please visit www.OverstockDeals.com to browse kitchen and bathroom sink faucets and other plumbing fixtures from 50+ major brands.