Double or Single Bowl, Choose Wisely!
There is a strong debate on kitchen sinks that some are not aware of until they come across it themselves during their remodel, and that is the double bowl versus single bowl debate. At Directsinks.com, we find usefulness for both, but this debate is really dependent on how you work in your own kitchen. I made a little checklist or quiz if you will. Take a look below!
- Do you have or want a garbage disposal?
- Do you throw your frozen meats in the sink to defrost on your way out the door in the morning?
- Are you water savvy, and care about your ecological footprint?
- Do you set your dirty dishes aside for later?
- Does prepping your food revolve heavily around your sink?
- Do you have limited counter space?
- Do you use a lot of large pots and pans when you cook?
- Do you wash your dirty dishes pretty quickly after use?
If you answered yes to questions 1 -5 a double bowl sink might be best for you!
Double bowl sinks get a bad rap in the north east because many people don’t find garbage disposals relevant but for those that do, a double bowl sink is often accompanied with them. Double bowl sinks are also super useful for food prep like peeling or chopping, you can just grind them down the drain when finished and rinse. Raw meats are better contained as well when defrosting or prepping. If you are a busy bee, double bowl sinks allow you to set your dishes aside for later, soaking or drying without stopping up your sink use. You can also separate you delicate shishware like wine glasses from your heavy metal ware.
A couple things people don’t consider before buying their double bowl sink:
Double bowl sinks eat up more counter space, so if you are putting in a sink for a small apartment or you have a tiny galley kitchen, this sink may not be for you. Additionally, people with double bowl sinks have claimed that neither side of the sink is truly large enough to hold cookie sheets and big pots to soak and wash. Some people just never use the other side of the sink.
If you answered yes to questions 6-8 a single bowl sink may be for you!
Single bowl sinks are best for smaller kitchens and those that cook with large pots and pans often. They are larger which allows you to have more space for washing and soaking those pans. Single bowls can also be versatile as well in the sense that because they are large, you can fit a basin of water in the sink for soaking purposes. Some single bowl sinks even have systems that allow accessories to work perfectly for ease of cooking like drain boards that can be added to one side of the sink to dry your clean utensils. If you have small pets or a baby, a large single basin sink is helpful for washing them without breaking your back bending over the tub.
Some things people don’t know about single bowl sinks:
You don’t really have the option of separating clean and dirty dishes, or hiding the dirty ones on the soaking side. If you have raw chicken defrosting and juice spills out, well then your whole sink is contaminated instead of half. Your fine china is more likely to be damaged if you put them in the same sink as your cast irons.
So you have a lot to think about if you are in the midst of deciding which side of the debate you land on. If you just can’t decide, we do have a small token of advice: CLICK HERE
Frequently Asked Questions About Kraus
Kraus has been, and continues to be, one of our most recommended brands for several reasons. The Kraus product quality is consistently high. On par and often exceeding the finish, features, and styles of brands priced a lot higher. Speaking of which, the brand is priced extremely well. Kraus’ popularity has grown exponentially and demand for their sinks and faucets is not slowing down. This leads us here: Questions and Answers about Kraus that, we at DirectSinks, are asked quite often. If you have other questions not mentioned below, please call, email, or stop in!
Kraus was founded in 2007. They are headquartered in Port Washington, NY.
Really good actually! The majority of Kraus Kitchen Sinks are made of 16-gauge stainless steel, which is more than adequate regarding thickness of the metal. The sinks have a generous amount of undercoating and padding which results in a very quiet sink. The faucets are very well made and easy to install. We recommend their products to our own friends and family, and we also have their sinks, faucets, and accessories in our own homes.
Kraus' Full Warranty can be seen here
We Summarized the Kitchen Sink and Faucet Info Below
Faucet Warranty - Lifetime Limited Warranty
Kraus USA Plumbing, LLC (“Kraus”) extends this warranty to the original purchaser for personal household use of the Faucet when purchased from an authorized Kraus dealer and in the location of original installation. This warranty is non-transferable.Kraus warrants the structure and finish of the Faucet to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for as long as the original purchaser resides in the residence in which the Faucet was first installed.
Kraus warrants the Faucet's sprayhead assembly (including the engine, aerators, structure, restrictors, back flow preventers, sprayer hoses, braided supply line hoses which encompasses nylon, silicon and stainless steel) of the product to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase.
Kraus warrants the Faucet's cartridge to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for a period of five (5) years from the date of purchase.
Any product reported to the authorized dealer or to Kraus as being defective within the warranty period will be repaired or replaced with a product of equal value at the option of Kraus.
Kitchen Sink Warranty - Lifetime Limited Warranty
Kraus USA Plumbing, LLC (“Kraus”) extends this warranty to the original purchaser for personal household use of the Kitchen Sink when purchased from a Kraus authorized dealer and in the location of original installation. This warranty is non-transferable.Kraus warrants the structure and finish of the Kitchen Sink to be free from defects in material and workmanship under normal usage for as long as the original purchaser resides in the residence in which the sink was Kitchen Sink was first installed.
Any product reported to the authorized dealer or to Kraus as being defective within the warranty period will be repaired or replaced with a product of equal value at the option of Kraus.
Absolutely. If you call their offices, they actually pick up. If you write in, they respond.
Business Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00am to 8:00pm (EST)Address: 12 Harbor Park Drive Port Washington, NY 11050
Call: (Kraus Customer Service): 1-800-775-0703
Text Kraus At: (631) 212-0703 (Message and data rates may apply.)
Email Kraus Directly:Info@KrausUSA.com
Not normally. First, if you dig into the internet deep enough, you will find a complaint about every sink brand and rust.
Kraus is often mentioned simply because of the popularity of the brand.
Most frequently, something that looks like rust shows up in the first few weeks after the sink is installed.
Why? During the countertop fabrication process a very fine dust is created (like sawdust from wood, but very fine). If this dust is on the sink after installation and gets wet, it may show oxidation on the surface of the sink.We see this as the most common cause. Typically after the sink is thoroughly cleaned after installation, no stains will show up. Another situation that can cause a stain or mark is if something is left in the sink and it's wet, especially flatware, pots and pans, and steel wool. The composition of your water can also contribute to this. Water with high iron content will leave stains frequently.
Really great information about this can be found here, at Bar Keepers Friend
Kraus typically has the items shipped in 2-3 days. Most items will ship with UPS from their New Jersey warehouse. Some small items, such as faucets or accessories may ship out of their N.Y. location.
No, unfortunately our clients can not pick up from Kraus
DirectSinks will often have various faucets and sinks at our location. Generally, these items are stocked for our local clients such Kitchen and Bath Designers, Builders, and Countertop fabricators. If you are on Long Island and want to pick up something from us, please call first. We do not keep stock of everything. Please call and ask before making the trip!
Normally, you won't find Kraus on display. However, exceptions are out there. We have several Kraus faucets and sinks on display in our Cabinet Showroom. Some of our local Kitchen and Bath clients also show some various Kraus items.
Observations and Opinions
| Kraus | Ruvati | Advantage | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overall Quality | Excellent | Excellent | Both Great |
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime | Limited Lifetime | Both Great |
| Availability |
|
|
✓ Kraus |
| Customer Service | Consistently Excellent with Great Communication | Inconsistent & lack communication | ✓ Kraus |
| Style & Design | Vast Selection of Kitchen Sinks and Faucets Decent, but more common bathroom sink designs |
Vast Selection of Kitchen Sinks, No Faucets Large Varity of Bathroom Sink Options with many unique options, including stainless steel. No Bathroom Faucets |
✓ Kraus if you need a Kitchen Sink & Faucet ✓ Ruvati if you are looking for a Bathroom Sink |
| Value and Price | 30" Small Radius Undermount Sink KHU100-30, Standard Online Price $329.95 Often has Sales. In this exact example, the Kraus sink has been on sale for less than the Ruvati |
30" Small Radius Undermount Sink RVH7300, Standard Online Price $299.00 Infrequently has Sales |
Can go either way. Kraus often has sales that bring this example to their advantage Check the current pricing with the links below: Kraus KHU100-30 Ruvati RVH7300 |