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Design Dilemma Kitchens

Kitchen sink: undermount or top mount

5 years ago

We are looking at sinks and are wondering if we should first do undermount or top mount, and also single or double sink?
Thank you!

Featured Answer

friedajune

5 years ago

last modified: 5 years ago

Undermount single. I'd like to know Lena M's rationale for her rec, but I have a feeling she is pulling your leg. I don't know where Midcenturymodernlove gets her mythy info. A properly-installed Undermount sink can be filled with water and heavy pans. I've had 3 in 3 kitchens with no problem.

Undermount because you won't have a seam to trap crumbs at the counter the way a top mount does. Just easily swipe food from the countertop into the sink. Streamlined appearance – the under-mount sink offers a more current clean, look in the kitchen. I haven't seen top mounted sinks here in 10 years unless the counter is laminate - I believe older laminates force you to do a top mount. Single bowl because it allows you to easily wash larger items without banging into a divider. You can also set down cookie sheets and roasting pans to soak in a single bowl. If you must have a double bowl sink, then the sink cabinet must be 36" wide or more to enable at least one of the two bowls to be a decent size. If you must have a double bowl, do not get a 50-50; get a 60-40 or 70-30 so that one bowl is a decent size,

Comments (27)

Helen
5 years ago
Undermount because it is so much easier to clean - you can just sweep crap from the counters right into the sink and there isn't that edge that inevitably becomes a gunk trap.

Most people opt for single bowls because they are much more functional. You can place large pans and sheets without having to maneuver around the divider.

Double bowl sinks (IMO) are an anachronism from when people would fill up one bowl with suds to wash dishes and then rinse in the other. You can always get the functionality of a double bowl if necessary by placing a bowl in one side but you can never get the functionality of a single large bowl with a divider.

In my current remodel I opted for a relatively large 36" single bowl with a ledge configuration. The ledge is designed to hold a grid (for draining or washing or whatever); and a cutting board. This means that my sink is effectively a more functional extension of the counter for prep as anything I need to wash is directly over the sink - i.e. no worries about cross contamination from chicken or whatever and any mess can be swept directly into the sink.

I opted for a drain on the left side in the rear which means that more real estate on the sink bottom is available since my drain would not be blocked if I am soaking a large pan. Moreover, it also frees up more usable space UNDER the cabinet since my garbage disposal is not in the middle - therefore instead of two small bits of open space on either side of the disposal, I have a large space to the right of the disposal which means there is room for a pull out trash container.
PRO
HALLETT & Co.
5 years ago
With no other Information undermount single bowl...
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THOR, Son of ODIN
5 years ago
Top mount double, no question.
sheloveslayouts
5 years ago
Do you hand wash daily? You'll probably prefer some variation of the two basin sink. I'll never go back and love a large, single basin. But I rarely handwash more than a single thing at a time.

Undermount versus drop-in is limited by what kind of countertop you have and what your budget is. Our previous kitchen renovation was an undermount SS sink in quartz. After living with it for 7 years, I didn't see the cost/benefit of undermount and chose a DIY cast iron drop in sink in my recent kitchen remodel.
midcenturymodernlove
5 years ago
Top mount if you want to put heavy pans in and fill them with water. I've had both. Go with top mount!
jackiemom22
5 years ago
I suggest an under mount cast iron. It‘s easier to keep tidy and maintain since there is no caulk that runs along the countertop. I think it’s overall a cleaner look. I have a double sink with a small basin side for garbage disposal/small cleanups and a larger side for things like soaking pots. It really depends on how much hand washing you may do. Good luck with your project!
friedajune
5 years ago
Perhaps visuals will help:
Judy Mishkin
5 years ago
i'd vote for good sized single basin undermount.
suzanne_sl
5 years ago
Unless you have a laminate countertop, I don't know why you'd choose a top mount. The freedom of just wiping your crumbs and crud straight into the sink vs picking it out of the edges of the top mount speaks for itself.

Your second question is more complicated because it has to do with how you use a sink - not someone else, but you. Not only that, but people feel pretty strongly about their preferences. You just need to figure out how you use your sink and what your preferences are. This is a list I made to help a neighbor who is about where you are in the planning process. You may find as you read that you will have some AHA moments and recognize that a particular point of view resonates with you. IOW, there isn't a "right" answer, just an answer that rings true for you.

Really big sinks: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2465743/does-anyone-have-the-galley-sink-how-do-you-like-it#n=67

Stainless Steel vs other types: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2705122/anyone-regret-getting-stainless-steel-sink

Two large singles to make a large double? https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/3679375/can-i-install-two-large-single-bowl-sinks-side-by-side

Best stainless steel sinks? https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/4623870/who-makes-the-best-stainless-steel-sinks

Black granite (Silgranit) sinks: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2670664/pros-and-cons-of-purchasing-a-black-granite-composite-sink

Best SS farmhouse sinks: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/3564493/what-is-the-best-brand-of-farmhouse-stainless-steel-sinks

Sink reveal, flush or positive: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/2663293/undermount-sinks-flush-or-reveal

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sheloveslayouts
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Unless a top mount is poorly installed, there's no picking crud out, suzanne (sorry ninigret.) I chose a drop in cast iron in butcher block and I'm just as pleased as I was with ss undermounted in quartz (with thousands of more dollars in the bank.) There are valid reasons for all choices.
gigirambles
5 years ago
I would prefer an undermount single sink.
User
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Top mount sinks have their own advantages but are out of fashion ( they are cheaper and easier to install and have less risk of dislodging over time). If you pick one you might want to avoid the cheap looking, builder grade sinks with a thick edge. The main problems with this choice are based on aesthetics and fashion not functionality. But there are some nice looking top mount sink options:

-If you have a modern kitchen you could look at the Kohler Vault, which is a dual mount stainless steel sink with a very thin edge, so thin it's possible to wipe crumbs past it. And it looks nice.

-If you have a traditional kitchen you could look at a top mount cast iron sink. Kohler makes several nice ones ranging in price. Cast iron sinks are a nice old fashioned look and don't look cheap or generic as some of the top mount stainless steel sinks might.

-Kohler makes both options with a "low divide" or "smart divide" which would allow you to use both halves separately while still fitting large items in the sink. It offers the best of both worlds as opposed to regular double and single bowl sinks.
functionthenlook
5 years ago
A double bowl or single bowl is a personal preference. Personally I like a single bowl because I can fit larger pans in it to wash or soak. I love my under mount sink. I just brush the crumbs from the counter right into the sink. Yes, you can have a under mount sink with a laminate top. I have one. The sink has to be installed at the time of fabrication. It is not something that can be done after the counter is already installed. It is more what I call a flush mount. There isn't a lip above or below the sink.
PRO
Patricia Colwell Consulting
5 years ago
Large single bowl undermount and I like stainless.
PRO
Barnes Custom Builders
5 years ago
under-mount oversize single.
Cadyren
5 years ago
I put in a double bowl undermount six years ago & like it well enough. I figured it would be easier to not have to clean around the outside mount. I have found that the tiny little edge of the inside bowl gets almost as cruddy as around the outside of a top mount. My DH wanted a double bowl & I didn't care, as I was used to it. It is fine, even though I don't always hand wash. I hate the single bowl sink at my Dad's, so I feel I made a good choice.
THOR, Son of ODIN
5 years ago
My point being it is a question is similar to a poster showing up out of nowhere and asking:

"What Color Should I Paint My Cabinets?"

If you care do some research, or at the very least a word search on the topic in this forum.
simmtalker
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Under vs top and single vs double is such personal preference.

I chose top mount because I like the look of it and it prevents granite chipping around the sink (such a heavily used area). I also chose a double bowl with low divide because I do a lot of handwashing and appreciate having "clean" and "dirty" sides in a sink, but the lower divide will still allow for larger items to be placed inside the sink.

I would stay away from Kohler Vault sinks, though....I ordered SIX Kohler Vaults, and they all had damage....I finally gave up on Kohler.
PRO
Joseph Corlett, LLC
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
I run a sink replacement business. 90% of my replacements are single bowl undermount sinks and about half of those are apron style. Once in a while a low divide.

I replaced an equally divided undermount in a two-year-old home this afternoon with a single bowl. "I feel like I can breathe" she said.

I rarely get a damaged sink from Kohler and I buy a lot of sinks.
Stephanie
Original Author
5 years ago
Thank you, all! I left it open on purpose to see what the trend is right now based on responses, and people's preferences in case I need to consider that for the future if we sell our home. I will look into these options!
Shannon_WI
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
in case I need to consider that for the future if we sell our home

While a few people like a top mount, the majority of home shoppers (not frequenters of this forum where people are very obsessed with kitchens) will prefer an undermount for the reasons stated above. If I were looking at a home to buy, and saw one that had a top mount sink in the kitchen, it would make me want to deduct the cost of a new counter and undermounted sink from the purchase price. It would not make me turn away from the home if it were otherwise nice, but I would definitely think "do over" for the sink, and mention it in the negotiation. If the home had other issues I did not like, the top mount sink might be the added thing to the list that would put me over the edge to turn me away from the home.
Boxerpal
5 years ago
I love a single giant bowl undermount sink. So deep I can wash a small dog or put a giant lasagna pan in and bury my elbows deep in suds. Oh not washing the dog and lasagna together although the dog might like that. I also like that a deep single bowl can hide party dishes while guests hang out. And a big single bowl can fit a plastic washing tub for other cleaning. I do love the undermount because peelings or crumbs wipe right into the bowl.

Visit a kitchen design store or a lowes, or HD and check out their displays. Pretend you are cleaning a huge turkey pan or a pile of dirty dishes. Which do you like? How do you see yourself working in your kitchen? That will help you decide.
shivece
5 years ago
I love my double sink. Just like the undercount sink picture.
PRO
Tailored Living
5 years ago
Usually an undercount sink looks more modern.. top mount is used really often if the worktop is laminate so that will seal better the wood.

About single or double bowl is really a personal matter.. If you have enough space I would go for a large double.
simmtalker
5 years ago
If you just want to go with the current trend, definitely get a single bowl undermount.
Olga Kramar
5 years ago
Undercount for ease of cleaning, absolutely! Wiping counters is so easy; just sweep the crumbs right in. Had a summer rental last month that had top mount divided sink; drove me crazy every day.

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