Unless you own a new home or you’ve had your kitchen remodeled recently, chances are you probably only have one sink. But stop and think about it – there are probably plenty of times you’ve wished you had another sink. Perhaps during the holidays when all the food prep plus lots of cooking pots and more dishes than your dishwasher could hold had you longing for a second one. Or maybe you’re like many households and two cooks are working side by side, both jockeying for position by the sink.
Believe it or not, years ago more than one sink in (or near) the kitchen was not unusual. Many historic homes have butler pantries, and a small sink was commonly a part of that area. It was a convenient place for filling water pitchers or quick clean-up of a serving piece. With today’s modern kitchen designs, second sinks are becoming more commonplace. Larger sinks – often referred to as the “main” sink are reserved for cleanup, while smaller sinks – often placed on a kitchen island or near a stove top – are handy places for food prep, draining pasta, or filling cooking pots. Some newer kitchens are even incorporating a second, more compact dishwasher near the prep sink.
If you’re re-working or remodeling your kitchen and are considering adding another sink, here are some considerations:
- Ideally, sinks used for cleanup should have plenty of counter space on both sides of the sink – 3′ is a good rule. That allows plenty of space for piling up the dirty dishes and pots, as well as an area for a drying rack.
- Clean-up sinks should be large enough to accommodate your biggest cookware – stock pots, baking sheets, etc., as well as deep enough to allow dish clean-up without flooding the area. A faucet either rotates out of the way or is high enough to allow a deep pot underneath is extremely helpful.
- In close proximity to the clean-up sink you’ll want your dishwasher, trash compactor (or pull-out trash bin), plus cabinets for clean dishes and drawers for silverware.
- A prep sink should be surrounded by lots of open counter space – and we mean lots – room for cutting boards, mixing bowls, bags of produce, etc. Proximity to the stove and refrigerator are helpful, but you don’t want to get too close to the stove. An idea place for a prep sink is at one end of a kitchen island. Nearby should be drawers for utensils, knife blocks, mixing bowls, cutting boards, etc. Electrical outlets for mixers and other small appliances are also a necessity.
- When it comes to placement under a window, that depends on your particular choice. If you enjoy socializing while you cook, a prep sink on an island is a great choice. If it’s a view you prefer, put it under a window. We know, that 65% of the time you spend in your kitchen is preparing food, while only 15% is spent in clean-up?
- Prep sinks aren’t just for large kitchens. In fact, they can actually make a small kitchen more workable by dividing up sink use. Prep sinks can be very small – just large enough to rinse some veggies or fill a pot for the stove, which can be accomplished by a pull-out nozzle, so sink size isn’t even an issue.
Iron River Construction now offers kitchen remodeling packages. If you’re wondering how to work a second sink into your kitchen design, give us a call.
