How to choose the right kitchen sink
It can sometimes feel difficult and sometimes overwhelming with all the choices that need to be made when designing or renovating your kitchen. The kitchen sink is one of the central interior details in your kitchen and is one of the most used and visible elements. To facilitate the choice of sink, our Product Manager Anders Sund and Nils-Olof Svensson (Nisse) at customer service will share some tips and advice. We have also involved Frida Lundgren who, with over 50,000 followers on Instagram at @froken.frida will share some of the thoughts she had when replacing the old sink in her kitchen (in Swedish).
Choosing a sink
Frida:A stainless steel sink in my eyes has a classic elegance that never goes out of time! It just gets better over the years and requires minimal maintenance. For me, the choice was obvious. See Fridas and her followers’ thoughts about choosing kitchen sinks. Link to Frida’s post.
Anders Sund: We at Contura Steel of course want to promote the stainless-steel sink, and that for several reasons. Stainless steel is extremely durable, hygienic and easy to keep clean. It is no coincidence that large kitchens and professional chefs prefer stainless steel in their working environment. A stainless-steel sink is not as sensitive for dents as wood and, unlike stone, it is a little bit flexible which reduces the risk of breaking glass and porcelain in the case of careless handling. In addition, it can withstand most liquids without being affected. Since a stainless-steel sink is has no joints that risk leaking, we recommend that you choose stainless at least for the work surfaces closest to the sinks.
Countertop or inset sink: A countertop sink gives you the advantage of a large unbroken stainless-steel work surface that is durable and will endure whatever you mightdo with it. With an inset sink, on the other hand, you can get an sturdy stainless surface around the sinks and combine this with other countertop materials of your choice.
What some may experience as a disadvantage is that stainless steel scratches easily. When the sink is new, the first scratches are clearly visible but over time they multiply and eventually will be less visible and instead build up a nice patina.
Keep in mind when planning
Frida: For me it was important to make a choice that is timeless. This sink will be in our kitchen for many years and shouldn’t be dated, or worn out for that matter, over the years. We are living in times that require sustainable consumption and minimized wear and tear mentality. To Frida’s post.
Anders Sund: To start with it’s important to ascertain whether the lower cabinets have standard dimensions or not. Standard cabinets are usually 40 cm, 60 cm or 80 cm wide and usually fit a standard countertop. If it is not a standard measure, we can easily solve it with a custom-made sink that can be designed up in our design program.
The depth of the countertop is usually determined by the cabinets. The depth will be the total depth of the cabinet from the wall to the outer edge + the thickness of the door + a few more mm. The most common in an older standard kitchen is a depth of 600 mm, but newer kitchens often require 610 or 620 mm. New IKEA kitchens require in most cases 635 mm deep countertops. If the top connects to another countertop, it should have the same height, usually 30 or 40 mm. We have all these standard depths and heights as standard dimensions.
The bowls are normally placed so that you do the dishing in the largest, rinse in the smaller and then place the dishes etc. on the surface next to the small bowl, which is why most people want the smallest bowl closest to a free surface. This is how our standard sinks are disposed but we offer the opportunity to switch the bowls in all our sinks, even in the standard countertops. The type of bowls and their size are limited by the width of the cabinet body.
Order and Delivery
Frida – “Today’s adult score: When you feel the anticipation when Schenker announces that tomorrow will be the day they deliver our new sink. Dishwashing and hand washing ♡ ”. Frida’s post.
Nisse – You can buy our products from our retailers or through our website. If you have designed a custom-made sink in our design program, you can send us a request via the program. We at customer service will then contact you and ensure that everything seems to be correct and answer the questions you might have. You can also place an order directly from the program and will receive an order confirmation on what you ordered not later than the following day. Payment is made by invoice or bank / credit card.
Delivery: Nisse – A stocked product will be delivered within 2-3 days. For a custom-made sink or outdoor kitchen product it usually takes about 15 working days. You will find the delivery date on the order confirmation you receive after you place the order. The sink is delivered to the address stated in the order and the distributor, usually Schenker, calls the customer before delivery to ensure that there is someone that can accept the delivery. This is however for Sweden only, if you live outside of Sweden please contact customer service to arrange the transport
By “tracking delivery” located at the top right of our website’s start menu, you can track the delivery by entering your order number from the order confirmation.
Unpacking & installation: Tips from Nisse – Check for transport damages BEFORE you sign that you have received the goods. The blue protective plastic on the steel surfaces can be used as protection against minor scratches during installation, but if the bench will be stored for a long time or be exposed to heat or sunlight, the plastic must be removed otherwise the adhesive will harden and the plastic can be very difficult to remove. Should this happen, you can apply some acetone between the plastic and the sheet to dissolve the glue.
