amoreland, what don't you like about your current sink I have the exact same sink and love it - in fact, we liked it so much in our last house we used the same sink when we remodeled the kitchen in our current house.

Full disclosure - I've never had a single sink, and the 60/40 replaced an equal double that we didn't like.

Over the last twenty five years 95% of my clients get single bowl stainless.

I understand what you're going through - I am having a difficult time thinking about giving up my double sink for a single bowl. I've always had a double bowl sink - so, it's what I'm used to using.

However, I also hate when I want to wash/rinse a large item - and have to do "gymnastics" in order to do so (plus, I hate the overspray that happens). So, I've decided to go with a single bowl sink - most likely stainless.

But - it's still difficult to change habits that you've had for a many years.

Always had either double or triple bowl sinks/ equal size or 60/40/ all enamel over cast iron. I now have a 32" single bowl stainless steel (last two years) and wonder why I put up with divided cast iron sinks for all those years.

@AnnKH The right side has the disposal and is more shallow. So that is the side i want to wash all the dishes so food is rinsed down and it's way too small!

@ci_lantro - your comment has helped me with this issue. I haven't had a stainless steel sink since when I was in college. I've had 60/40 enamel over cast iron sinks for many years now. I've been worried about changing - but I think my initial decision is the correct one - 32" -34" stainless single bowl! I'm not going to worry about it anymore - I'm just going to determine which one!

Single bowl all the way. I have stainless 32 inch.

What I dont understand is what are people using the second bowl for?

I wrote the the following on this thread: Favorite kitchen sink style and material

I currently have a black blanco single bowl sink and detest it, both the material and the single bowl. For me, clearly just a personal preference, the single bowl is hard to use. I keep a smaller wash tub in it and have never filled the actual sink to wash in, the idea disgusts me mainly because the drain is a garbage disposal and no matter how much it is cleaned it is still the third circle of hell. The small tub is difficult to wash in and, since it is always in the sink, I have to constantly rinse out from under it. As for the material, the silgranit seems to hold on to grime much more than stainless or cast iron.

My favorite sink that I have had was a kohler 50/50 low divide. It was white cast iron but I think that at this point in my life I may prefer stainless. The low divide worked well for me even though I did not ever fill it enough to actually have water in both sinks. I do not tend to use excessive amounts of water to wash so the depth allowed for plenty of water and the ability to maneuver larger items around and to have them rest on the divide if needed.

edited to add:

A large single bowl sink is difficult to use as a wash sink without some sort of smaller wash container in it because it takes s a lot of water to fill the single bowl even minimally. Having the container in the sink makes the sink a less useful, more difficult multi bowl sink. My main use of multi bowl sinks was to rinse dishes in the disposal side and throughly clean in the non disposal side, allowing both rinsing of dishes for the dishwasher and hand washing at the same time as having dishes soak or be washed in the other side.

A large single bowl sink is the way to go! Trying to wash large pots/pans/baking sheets in a small sink is so unpleasant. I have a Blanco silgranit super single in one house, and an Elkay quartz luxe in the other, and both are fantastic.

I have grids in both sinks, and I wash our dishes exactly like vinmarks. Pretty much everything goes in the dishwasher except pots and pans (All-Clad stainless, which should be fine but they say don't), cutting knives, and anything plastic or wood.

I quickly run a towel over pots and pans and let them finish drying on our cooktop. This leaves room in the dish drainer for other items. And the pots and pans are dry in no time, and get put away before going to bed.

There are many different approaches and personal preferences to washing dishes and each of the different sink variations work well for some but not as well for others. It is a good idea to know what is your own style and preference verses what others do or do not do/have or do not have. We are lucky to have the variation of both choice and individual style and it's in all of our best interest to both know ourselves and respect others differences.

Single bowl for me. I have had double bowls in the past and I don't like using them. My mom has a new double bowl that I hate using. It's a 70/30 or some odd combo. The disposal in on the small side and is shallow. It's a PITA to rinse food from plates into the disposals side and the other side is too small for larger items.

I put everything that I can into the DW. For the stuff that gets hand washed, like wood cutting boards and knives, I used a roll up mat in my previous SS undermount.

We just got new cupboards, counters and sink and the sink has a dish drying rack that sits on a lip of the sink. I bought the sink on FB marketplace. It's a Kraus granite composite with off set drain. I like it so far but it's only been in for 2 days.

Looking closer at the photo, the OP's sink looks like a 70/30, which is a big difference from my 60/40. The 60 side of my sink is much larger than one side of the old double sink (50/50) that we replaced.

The smaller side has the garbage disposal, and is closer to the DW, so it is convenient to scrape dishes (if necessary) before loading. We also have sink grids (which I love!). I have never had a pot or tray that was too big to wash in the larger side of our sink - I guess I never had a cookie sheet so filthy that it had to lay flat to soak.

I'm in the tiny minority that likes my 70/30 sink. The large side accommodates cookie sheets, roasters, large casserole pans with ease. And I still have the small side to rinse & drain whatever else comes along. The little side is my "dump" sink.

I've loved my granite composite sink for 20 years. The material is quiet, easy on glassware & silver, and best of all, it retains heat so wash water stays warm. I cook with cast iron a lot, & my dishwasher isn't great at drying plastic things, & the above mentioned items often need a good soaking, so I hand wash a lot.

But we're buying a new house, & will replace the current stainless equal bowl double sink. Nobody makes a 70/30 sink in composite material anymore.

Does anybody like low divide sinks? A 60/40 low divide composite sink might do.

"Does anybody like low divide sinks? A 60/40 low divide composite sink might do."

Low divides can be the best of both worlds. You still get two sinks, but since the divider isn't in the way, it'll swallow a baking sheet.

How wide is your sink? That may be the issue. If it's not at least 36"W and a 60/40, it's likely the reason you're not happy.

We have a 70/30 in a 36" sink base. The large bowl is 21.5" wide and the small is 10.5" wide. As with AWM, we are also in the minority in that we really like our double-bowl sink. The large bowl is wide enough for all our pots/pans (including handles), cookie sheets, roasting pans, refrigerator bins & shelves, etc. It's even wide enough for the Vent-A-Hood insert that needs cleaning occasionally.

Our sink is stainless steel, btw.

For my prep sink, I have a 17" square single bowl - so the bowl is smaller than the large on in our main/cleanup sink but wider than the small bowl.

Our "new" house has a single bowl 36" sink and we're not very happy about it, especially my DH since he will be using it more than I will be -- at least once I re-do the island and put in a prep sink (yes, it needs it to make it truly functional). I did tell him to give it time once we move in (next week!) and see how he feels about it later. I told him most people on the Forum rave about their single bowl sinks, so we'll see. (It's also an apron sink, so that is also contributing to his dislike.)

If you have to constantly keep a small basin in a large single bowl sink, then it seems to me you might be better off with a double bowl. Otherwise, you either have it in the sink and need work around it or you have to find a place to store it when it's not in the sink and, if you are short on storage around the sink area, that might not be feasible.

We use the small bowl for soaking things and small tasks when the larger bowl is in use and the larger bowl for most other tasks. See the pics below to show you what will fit in our sink.

*Sigh* I'm going to miss my current Kitchen!!!!

My recommendation:

If the sink base is less than 36"W, you'll probably be better off with a single bowl sink. 33"W is marginal. If it's 36" or wider, then consider a 70/30 instead of a 60/40, I think those sizes are more functional.

Large Bowl

Small bowl:

I love my single bowl Franke stainless steel sink. It's very well made and large enough to hold large pots and pans. I had a 50/50 double sink once and hated it.

I think Buehl has the answer here. I love my 29" single bowl sink, and wouldn't want to go much smaller. But I would love to have a second sink if the kitchen was just a bit larger. A double-bowl sink in 36" or wider would really be great (and a faucet for each bowl).

It’s not the sink, it’s your habits. You have a dishwasher - put dirty utensils and measuring cups into the dishwasher instead of the sink. By putting them in the sink, you are creating another task that needs to be done. If you must hand wash something, DRY IT BY HAND and put it away. If you let it drip dry, you are once more creating another task that needs to be done. Your kitchen will look way more clean and tidy without the dirty dishes in the sink and the clean but wet dishes stacked to dry.

I have the same sink that Buehl has. I do like it. That D-bowl shape really gives those extra inches to fit larger items. I use the small sink a lot for rinsing recycles, soaking smaller items and doing a quick wash. The only thing I can't fit are my stove grates. They are a pain to wash. I grew up with no dishwasher so we always had a plastic tub in the sink to soak stuff in and leave room to fill the tea kettle with water.

Not sure what sink I will do next!

In my current (newer) house I had plenty of counter space, so I solved the drying rack issue by doing an integrated drainboard. Julien: stainless 30" sink with 18" integrated drainboard. The sink also came with a cutting board and colander that sit on the counter edge.

I don't have a huge sink cabinet as the DW sits under the drainboard. Careful planning and lots of double checking on my part with all the vendors/subs to make sure it would work.

Love your sink great idea!!

I am in the process of having our kitchen island torn out and replaced because I have a sink just like yours and I hate it. I am replacing it with a 32" 16 gauge stainless steel single bowl. Rounded corners so it is easier to keep clean.

We have owned 10 homes (including 3 custom builds and 2 gut renovations) and I have only had a divided sink in one. In a custom build we had a 36" 70/30 cast iron sink with the disposal mounted under the small basin. It cost a fortune, weighed a ton, and was a devil to keep clean. We now live in a high rise apartment so the 36" dual basin is not practical. But if you have room for it, I would recommend it - altho probably not white procelain over cast iron. Elkay makes one in stainless steel.

And I want to add this: If you are old enough to have lived in 10 different houses you are old enough to ignore anyone who tells you to stick with a sink you hate you are doing your dished wrong.

Single Bowl Franke sink with a bottom grid and with roll out mats that provide drying space (if you want that), either using the interior sink ledge (see photo - the mat rolls out up to 2/3 of the sink width), or use the wider mat that rolls over the sink using the counter top as support.

This is a composite/granite sink which I think is the only way to get the interior ledge - not available in stainless.

Model PKG11031-WKC

Aside from your personal dishwashing habits which are your own and I won't comment on, I also think sinks are a bit of personal preference. I just replaced my sink a few years ago. I kept the double bowl concept but the new one is deeper. Believe it was a Kohler.

In our current house, we had to replace the under-mount black sink and chose a composite cream top-mount double sink. We cook a lot and hand wash pots and pans. The kitchen supply salesman assured me that the composite sink was stain resistant, but within a year, the most-used side was stained beyond remedy. Vegetable peels, coffee, you name it, it will stain the sink. Stick with a stainless sink is my advice.

We just finished a kitchen remodel and put in an Elkay quartzite, single bowl undermount sink. It is super deep. It comes in several colors. I got white and just love it. Our contractor told me that many of his clients have used them and love them. I have had no problems with staining. I do rinse it if I put something in it that could stain it. We wash a lot of dishes by hand and it is super nice. I have a grid on the bottom. It is the best sink I've ever had. My last sink was a Kraus single, undermount, high quality, stainless and I liked it but I love the Elkay way more.

I have a sink like the one below and use the vegetable basket(4 inches deep) to dry my pots. Of course it's not the size of the sink you have but it works really well for me.

Blanco Silgranite full+3/4 bowls, low divide, disposal in the 3/4 bowl, stainless grids in both. Our color is Cafe Brown. Installed fall 2015 and no issues.

When I was shopping single bowl sinks, a right rear corner drain was a must have. For a couple of reasons. First being that getting the drain in the rear corner means that access to the drain stopper/ strainer is much, much less apt to be blocked by things in the sink and is more user friendly. This was a huge pet peeve when I had center drain multi bowl sinks. Second reason is because the plumbing / drain under the sink isn't smack in the middle of the cabinet. Getting the drain back in a corner & out of way makes for a wide uncluttered/ more usable space.

After futzing around with cleaning a stainless sink with Bar Keeper's Friend, I happened onto an easier way. Flip the grid (if you have one) upside down, stopper the sink, fill the sink with an inch or two of hot water, add dishwasher detergent powder (gel detergent would work if that is .what you have) and leave it all to soak for a few minutes. Then wipe the sink down, drain & rinse. Easier than scrubbing with BKF. BKF is great stuff but it is stinky; I really dislike the smell.

Yes, I hate those small bowls in the double bowl sinks. One thing to avoid with your new sink is any sort of new modern plastic-like material. Sadly most sinks on the market now are made of that "cheap" material but can be very expensive. Be sure to get cast iron even if it costs more. Old-fashioned things are better in most cases. And avoid the square interior corners like in photos in previous posts - crazy looking and not functional. Consider an antique sink with drainboards - drainboards are great for setting pans to be washed and water getting splashed up on the sides.

Single Bowl. Single Bowl. Single Bowl. Be SURE to have radius (not 90 degree) corners.

And consider farmhouse style.

I have a single bowl with drainboards on both sides and love it. It is steel with porcelain enamel white paint that has held up for over 60-70 years. I use a small antique metal dishpan to wash dishes as my dishes are antique and dishwashers would ruin them. I see nice old valuable Pyrex in thrift that some unknowing person has put into dishwashers and ruined! So Sad. Dishwashers take up too much space and no need for one. Pots and pans have to be washed by hand anyway.

I have a similar sink to yours after having a twin double. I rarely fill to wash as we mostly use the dishwasher and I rarely use the smaller side. I just wanted a bigger bowl, which I now have! I would not want a giant single sink especially since I don't have a lot of counter space and it would be a lot fill or to keep looking clean. Anything large to soak I soak on the counter and then wash in the sink. A bit bigger bowl-but not much bigger ( beuhl's👆) might be handier but I have no plans on changing -stainless steel but paid a bit more to get a good one.

Ha ha maybe a bit bigger than yours and more like buehl's!

I have always had variations of double bowl sinks. After 45 years of marriage when i was replacing countertops in the kitchen, i went with a single bowl workstation sink. It is a high quality stainless with rounded corners. I believe it is 31 inches.I love it! It has a grate for the bottom to prevent scratches, a cutting board and a flexible drain board.

OP, we are all different. Like you, there are some items I don’t put in the DW. I love my large single sink, as it accommodates large items. When handwashing small items, I use this tub, place the items on a drying mat, dry when ready,

and store the tub for the next use. Good luck with your decision

Amoreland -- re the BLANCO -- yes, the white DOES STAIN. We drink a lot of coffee and tea, and our white Blanco spends a lot of time being beige-y, unfortunately. I love the size and shape and it's been quite durable. But keeping it white...it's a losing battle.

Here is a 20" wide by 17.5" depth ( front to back) with

lobster pot, frying pan, cookie sheet and turkey roaster.

I would say this should the minimum for bowl size.

Sink size · More Info

Yes, these pots and pans fit, barely. How do you move them around when cleaning them? 20" is too small IMO.

20 inches is too small for a cleanup sink. That is what my prep sink is.

"Amoreland -- re the BLANCO -- yes, the white DOES STAIN. We drink a lot of coffee and tea, and our white Blanco spends a lot of time being beige-y, unfortunately. I love the size and shape and it's been quite durable. But keeping it white...it's a losing battle."

While Blanco invented the genre, their composite sinks aren't nearly as dense, and therfore stain reisitant, as the Elkay Quartz Luxe. Order free samples of each and see for yourself. It's like comparing a brownie to a chocolate bar.

If you're a rinser, you'll be fine with a lighter composite sink. If not, you'll probably be disappointed.

I can’t believe how much I am overthinking this sink. 🤣. It’s not even going to be our forever kitchen. But I am strongly considering this 60/40 low divide. I just don’t think I can get used to a single bowl and this gives us a slightly bigger basin than doing 50/50 and I think low divide will make it easier to wash bigger dishes. Blanco in Cinder. Anyone have this and have regrets??

What is your routine? You should load as you prep dinner. After dinner, clear the table in stages -plates go into the dishwasher the do larger items, hand washing drying and putting away what can’t go into the dishwasher. Anythleft to soak can soak. Why do you need a divider?

I have a 33" Kohler Executive Chef White Cast Iron sink, 6/40 split. I love it. I remodeled 2 years ago and felt lots of pressure from reading Houzz posts to go with a stainless steel, single bowl sink, but I what I knew was right for me and went with the white cast iron. I had a white cast iron for 25+ years prior to my remodel, and it looked just as good after 25 years as it did when it was put in. No chips or stains. I personally do not like the look of stainless sinks they always look a little dirty/cloudy to me (I have a stainless sink in my basement bar area). I did not want a singe bowl as I hand wash several dishes that I do not want to put in the dishwasher and like to put the clean ones in the other half of the sink. The large side of the sink is plenty big for my pots/pans/cookie sheets. Point is, do what is best for how YOU use your sink, whether that is a single bowl, split bowl, stainless or other. I have no regrets! :)

Not everyone has a huge kitchen with plenty of counter space . Have a couple of thousand customers that think this works just fine. I did , however, say that the bowl size at 20 by 17.5 was a minimum for washing the posted items. To each his own,

Very first sink installed. Somerville, Ma. 2015

Reality Sink · More Info

And it finds it's way into some pretty high end designs too.

Newton Kitchens & Design · More Info

We have a 30 x 17 x 8 deep Elkay single bowl with bottom grate. You can buy a really narrow (7x15) stainless dish drainer that fits inside the sink (even if it's advertised to hang above). We hand wash some things and then stack to the side in the drainer. Plenty of room to do both. Shopping on "A" using the 7x15 in search comes up with a fairly diverse selection of stainless drainers that can just sit inside the sink, on top of the sink grid, don't take up countertop space and it works for us.