During my recent kitchen remodel, I replaced my 70/30 sink with another one. I have the high divider so I can easily soak several cookie sheets and pans while still having full access to the small side. Our family cooks together so we need the separation to keep prep and hand washing convenient while someone is using the large side. Also, even though I ended up getting a separate prep sink in my large island - we still find that the 70/30 split serves us well.

What about a single bowl do you dislike? I thought I would miss my split sink, but I am loving mine now! I need a bowl of suds to wash - some people just use soapy rag and running water. That’s weird. But I only wash three basic things: knives, plastic, and pots & pans. I found a little tub I use for sudsy water and I still have large sink to handle my baking sheets, etc. I love it.

I look forward to having a wider double bowl sink. In my mind this is the best of both worlds. If it is a 60/40 split then you get the size of a single bowl sink with a second bowl the size of a regular double bowl. A 42” sink will do it.

What don't I like about a single bowl? How do you drain something or wash off a slimy piece of fish or wash your hands when the single bowl and drain are already dedicated to another use? How do two people at once use that single bowl sink for two different purposes? My concern with a single bowl isn't the washing & drying dishes part; it's the prepping tasks.

Sharon Fullen--good to hear that the 70/30 split works for you and your family. What model or type of sink do you have?

mainell--What variety of 60/40 do you have? I am probably looking at a 36" to 39" sink that I can also use for doing prepping tasks with a board of some sort to prop on top.

Anyone have any comments on whether a curvy back or straight back to the sink is best? thanks much again.

You want what you calked ”a straight back”, i.e. a rectangular sink. Try to get one with at least one of the drains toward the back, not in the center. That way you can set things down, like a sheet pan, without covering the drain, or only partially covering the drain.

What you have not mentioned, but is key information, is what width is your sink base cabinet. With the sink requirements that you have, the cabinet must be at least 36” wide.

I am having my cabinets custom built and right now am planning on a 36" cabinet but could go larger if necessary. We are working in finalizing our plans.

So, I know that the way I use it is effectively a split sink with my little basin, but I can pull it out and wash the whole turkey so much easier. I can soak the whole roaster flat. Filling my big water filter dispenser. So many other reasons I like my single bowl. never going back. but I would agree the low divide would be my second choice.

The kitchen in my recently purchased house is original 1978 and has a double sink, approximately 43", 50/50, typical rectangles with rounded corners, drop in, full high divide . I will never go smaller than this, and I love having two full size sinks. Rough dimensions of each sink is 19 x 16 x 7 deep. Elkay makes similar ones that start at around $450. I'm all about function and this just works for me. I left behind a 32" zero radius super deep shiny new sink and I still like the current function better.

I'm have a 70/30 Blanco granite composite in Cinder (grey). Here is some info - https://www.build.com/product/summary/204781?uid=3930605&jmtest=gg-gbav2_3930604

It is a granite composite sink. I love the matt color and it cleans up easily. Really pleased I bought the 70/30 and matching prep sink.

IMO being able to place a dishpan (Rubbermaid) inside a single bowl sink is still preferable to two bowls

I'm curious to hear what you decide. I have been spending a stupid amount of time trying to choose a sink. My hang-up is that I am frequently thawing something, so I need a small basin for that, then the dirty dishes end up in the other bowl. I have never had a single bowl, I think I would miss the second bowl.

TBL from MA--

Very interesting comment that you much prefer the typical old double sink that has large size basins to the more modern zero radius. I actually saw a couple sinks that have two large bowls and thought maybe that was overkill. Guess I'll take anther look.

theresen--Your basin is unique but I don't want to handle having to find a place to store something like that away. I am thinking that with the size basins I am thinking about I will be able to fit a turkey roaster flat. LOL I just went to measure my Cuisinart roasting pan (19.5" including flared handles) and it took me almost 10 minutes to find it. That tells me how often I use it!

Sharon Fullen-- I have been wondering about the sinks with the curved backs and whether they are efficient. Yours looks like the large basin is quite good sized even considering the curve. It looks like the sides go straight down so there is no loss of space caused by a taper. Silgranite has been on my list of possibilities since so many people seem to love the granite composites.

Beverly--I want a second drain, and you can't get that by just putting an additional tub in a single basin sink.

T Go TX--I hear you! I too have spent an inordinate amount of time choosing a sink, and I have a huge pile of printouts of specs on various sinks.

We have a 70/30 and it's perfect (it's in a 36" sink base).

The large bowl is big enough for our largest cookie sheet & casserole dish, roasting pans, all the bins & shelves from our refrigerator (except the 36" wide one -- which would not fit in the vast majority of single bowl sinks either), largest pot (including handles), and several bowls from a baking marathon (see pics below). Yes, it's even large enough to handle a 25 pound turkey (although, you do know you're not supposed to wash it, right?)

The small bowl is small enough to soak a a few things or use it for a quick prep or to fill our largest pot (8 qts).

We are very happy with ours. We will always have a 2-bowl sink -- just not a 50/50.

We like the "D" shape b/c it allowed us to bring the faucet a bit closer to us (it's b/w the bowls) and b/c it was deeper (front-to-back) than most rectangular sinks we saw at the time. Rectangular sinks were (and may still be, I haven't checked lately) around 14" or 15" deep while ours is 18" deep, again, front-to-back. We have about 4" more depth than rectangular.

As you can see below:

• Large bowl: 21.5" x 18.75"
• Small bowl: 10.5" x 16"

.

The following pictures were taken after a marathon baking session!

Large bowl at work!

Small bowl at work!

I have a low divide Kohler Strive in my new build. I like the modern look very much and it comes with accessories which I do not use.

KOHLER K-5284-NA Strive Undermount Large/Medium Double Bowl Kitchen Sink, 32-Inc · More Info

Buehl--That Ticor sink has been discontinued, but there are other similar ones by other manufacturers. It seems to me too that in many ways a sink that is deeper from front to back would be a good use of space unless it gets too close to the back wall so that the faucet will interfere.

Rachel-- I have seen the extra large version of that Strive sink and have contemplated the line. The extra large size is a full height divide though so perhaps the one you have is batter. Interesting to hear that you don't use the accessories at all. You don't even use the bottom protector rack?

I tried the rack for one day and it was so bothersome to me. So I am scratching the stainless steel, but eventually they'll all blend together. For me at the end of the day it's a working kitchen. In my last house I had an Elkay double sink . . . I had it for 26 years. It was a workhorse, but definitely had more rounded lines so didn't have the contemporary look most people want today. I definitely wanted two bowls and the low divide seemed like a nice compromise. You need to know that the newer, squarer sinks don't drain as easily since they don't have the same slope as older style sinks.

Rachel--

Thanks for getting back to me. It sounds like people can choose the latest fashion (the more squared off sinks) or utility (the older looking sinks with the rounded corners and more sloped bottoms). I have been thinking about this trade off.

We have a 60/40 low divide and love it and will be putting the same thing in with our remodel. I’m not sure how tall the divide is, maybe 6”? It’s perfect for how we use our kitchen. We always have the side without the disposals for dirty dishes and the other side free to rinsing, etc.