ᐅ Kitchen Sink Draining Rack and Vegetable Basin – Yes or No?

Hello everyone,

We need your collective and expert knowledge once again. We are in the final stages of planning our kitchen and want to sign off on it this Friday. One of the last details we are considering is the sink. Currently, a simple 60cm (24 inches) stainless steel sink is planned. This was recommended to us by our consultant. It’s a sink without a drainer and without a vegetable bowl.

Our question to you is: what material do you have for your sink, and what would you advise against or recommend? What do you think about a vegetable bowl and a drainer? Are they necessary or completely unnecessary?

Thanks in advance for your help.

I would definitely advise against stainless steel. It always shows water spots and scratches very easily. Silgranit (or whatever it’s called depending on the manufacturer) is much easier to maintain and looks better.

The type and number of basins are a matter of personal preference. Have you observed how you use your sink in daily routines? I don’t need a second basin, but I wouldn’t want to go without a draining board. For the next kitchen, with different habits, it might be a different story.

A drip strainer is not necessary; there are other options. A second sink is also not required. But I wouldn’t want to do without the side draining board (or whatever you want to call it). I believe our sink is 80cm or 90cm (about 32 inches or 36 inches) wide in total, split evenly 50/50, and I could easily go up to 100cm (about 39 inches), with a little more space for both the basin and the draining area.

We have a double basin in a 90cm (35 inch) base cabinet. Both basins are the same size. This way, one of the basins can also be used as a drainboard for dishes, etc. You can quickly store dirty dishes there temporarily and still have the other basin free.

The only downside for us is that a full baking tray doesn’t fit in one basin.

We have the Blanco Andano 340/340 undermount, stainless steel. It should also fit in an 80cm (31.5 inch) base cabinet.

I always thought I absolutely needed a drainer area, but we decided against it for aesthetic reasons and because it provides more counter space. We have a granite countertop with a 50cm (20 inch) undermount sink, so after washing, you can simply wipe the water from the countertop into the sink. For me, this is perfect—I would plan it this way again.

Best regards
Sabine

We have been using a stainless steel sink with a linen finish for many years (scratches are not visible, and water spots do not stand out). I wouldn’t want a plain stainless steel finish either. For the new kitchen, we chose stainless steel again with a linen finish, but this time with an additional drainer.