Sorry Epressler and everyone else. I meant to say that most of the large single bowl lovers (not double bowl) also had a prep sink to go with it.

Yes, I realize that I could have 2 garbage disposals, but it seems a bit much IMO.

i have posted on the smart/low divide sink-- put it in this summer and haven't looked back! love love love it. so many reasons... search google under the my name kawh and low divide and you should find my details. much luck.
kawh

I just switched from a double bowl stainless to a 30 inch single bowl and I don't have a prep sink to go with it, in my small space. I had runnels placed in my counter to allow for a drainboard, and if I need it, I place a plastic tub in the big sink to use for washing dishes or grating potato skins, or for when I also need to drain pasta. Either way, the big sink is so much nicer than the double bowls.

In my old double, I had a dish drainer on one side of the sink, so technically only had one single bowl to use. Even if I had the second side, it still wasn't big enough to was lasagna pans and cookie sheets, so I thought it was useless. I don't get drenched today when I try to wash something large because the big sink can handle it.

Love my Franke single bowl, large sink. I can wash cookie sheets, babies and roasting pans. I have no need anymore for a double sink.

I think Uroboros5 put it best! I've had both and will not go back to a double sink. I find that the divider is always in the way, each bowl feels cramped and too small and if I want a separate "space", I can always use a dish tub. Will you have a separate prep sink? That would give you the unobstructed sink area you mentioned. (It's funny, but the double sink always felt obstructed to me.)

Years ago I switched to a single just to get a few more inches of counter space. No prep sink.

I like having only one sink to clean and all food debris goes down one drain to the disposal.

In our remodel I bought a blanco 441024 which is the largest undermount sink for a 30 inch base. Its not installed yet but I am so excited. I get about 5 extra inches in length and a few inches in depth. It will be so easy to wash pots, pans, and cookie sheets. If you want to see it installed, willtv has it.

The only issue I can see with a single bowl (only 1 sink in kitchen) is that if you are piling dirty dishes in the sink instead of the DW. My teenagers seem to not like the DW as they tend not to put dirty items in, run it when needed, or unload it. So rarely I find the DW full (dirty) and the sink full and unusable. Most of the time this is not an issue. If a few things are in the sink I can usually just move them to the side and still use the sink.

When the remodel is done I'm going to crack down and insist everyone put dirty dishes in the DW and run and unload it as needed. Of course the new sink is bigger so it will even less of an issue.

Even with my teenagers bad habits I would never go back to a double.

Here's a shot of our Blanco 441024 Super Single.

It's the same one referenced above by "debrak".
We've always deposited dirty dishes in the DW so, the business of the sink getting backed up with them has never been an issue for us.
The only thing I can't lay flat in the bottom of the sink are my 3 largest cutting boards.
They're big @ 24"x18".
Aside from that, everything fits easily.
It is our only sink and a tremendous improvement over the small, shallow single bowl it replaced.

Here's a shot of our Blanco 441024 Super Single.

It's the same one referenced above by "debrak".
We've always deposited dirty dishes in the DW so, the business of the sink getting backed up with them has never been an issue for us.
The only thing I can't lay flat in the bottom of the sink are my 3 largest cutting boards.
They're big @ 24"x18".
Aside from that, everything fits easily.
It is our only sink and a tremendous improvement over the small, shallow single bowl it replaced.

I like having only one sink to clean, and I like that small scale food debris goes down one drain. No prep sink. No disposer. Small stuff goes down the drain, and bigger stuff gets lifted out using the sink drain strainer.

I got a single to get a few more inches of counter space. I undermounted it and got a big counter overhang too. The sink cutout hole is smaller than the sink. In the sink cutout, my counter edging is full bullnose, which cost real money to get. You save in some areas, and you spend in other areas. A big sink and a big counter. That is what we got.

A deep sink hides things. What it the big advantage of hiding things? It's that used, wet, or dirty things are not in your visual field. But, you know they are there. You can go fetch them when needed. The glass of water. The spoon. The last cup used. That kind of thing. Post meal, we don't stack plates in our sink. (We throw them into the dishwasher.) When I need a sponge or J cloth, I find I have to go look and see. The sink hides things so well that I'm still surprised to find the sponge-in-use is in the sink. Hiding a wet rag or sponge is a big advantage, in my mind. Sometimes hygiene is partly psychological... We cut a microfiber rag into squares and use them more and more instead of sponges.

I got a colander that hangs over the sink. We use it every week. Its home is in the storage space above the wall oven.

I bought a separate rubber basin to wash dishes in. We returned it. We never used it. It was Ikea's Boholmen basin. We like Ikea because they let us make mistakes by trying things out and seeing what works.

mj - laughed aloud over bathing baby in sink. Any sink that can bathe a baby can also bathe a turkey!!! Something I actually *do* think of when I'm preparing a bird.

Anyone really really dislike having a square sink like the Ticors sold on Galaxy Tool site?

BT

No prep sink. Went to a single from a double four years ago. Absolutely will not go back to a double. With modern dishwashers not requiring rinsing, it is not that hard to keep the sink cleared out while prepping (and I have the dreaded corner sink that's partially blocked by the open DW). Then after dinner it can swallow everything until cleanup, leaving the counters clear.

If you are considering a 70/30, evaluate whether it can fit your chunks o fridge and stove.

Everything from the dog to oven racks to fridge drawers can get washed in there.

Since posting this thread yesterday, I have read more opinions about sinks than I thought possible! I don't think I've seen anyone who does NOT like their single bowl sink which has given me a lot of reason to strongly consider that. We will not have a separate prep sink and like Aloha2009, I wondered if people who loved their single sink also had a second sink someplace else in the kitchen.

Kawh, I did read your post last night about the low divide sink and that may be an option. Luckily, I don't have to make the decision today so I'm sure I'll change my mind another 20 times before I do. Just like every other decision so far in this kitchen remodel. Just when you think you are done.....you're not!

Thanks to all for your responses. I'm addicted to this forum.

I have both a prep sink and a double bowl (70/30) and would still probably not go to a single bowl! We love having two sides to work with for cleanup or for cleanup + second prep. I used a single bowl at a rental my sister had in Florida and I really disliked it! But, there was no prep sink. I think if there had been a prep sink I may not have disliked it so much.

What don't I like about single bowls? One place where all the water, scrapings, etc. go so no "free" sink for clean dishes or other uses.
Dirty dishes in the way that have to be moved if you need sink space (we usually keep the smaller side free for filling pots, etc.)
Takes way too much water if you need to fill it for doing dishes, soaking, or other (yes, I know you can use a dish pan, but then you either have to leave it out all the time or find a place to store it - and they're not exactly small!)

That said, if your sink base isn't at least 33" wide (36" is much better), I would probably recommend you get a single bowl b/c even the larger bowl in a 70/30 double-bowl in a narrower sink base will be too narrow.

We have a 36" wide sink base and the bowls in our double-bowl sink are 21" and 10.5" wide. Plenty wide enough for all our pots & pans (including handles), refrigerator shelves & bins, Vent-A-Hood insert (I hand wash, I don't put it in the DW), trays, and cookie sheets. The larger bowl also holds a lot!

I've always had a single sink, so really can't compare; no separate prep sink, no garbage disposal, I try to keep dishes washed and put away (only me in the house). I have a stainless steel colander I keep in the sink and use for cleaning produce. Even if there area few dirty plates or bowls in the sink at the same time (sink not filled with water), they don't interfere.

My Mom has a tiny double sink in her kitchen, one side has the garbage disposal.

I really think it's all in what you get used too. I've has a single large bowl sink for many years. I was just visiting my Mom and she has a double bowl sink. What a PIA that was when I was cleaning her kitchen. Works for her though, she lives alone and doesn't cook much anymore.

When we gutted the kitchen last year we put in a Ticor 32" single and I love it. I leave the metal colander in place all the time and use it mostly as a small dish rack for drying my knives. Those I never put in the DW. With the grid on the bottom it seems like the perfect depth. And boy, does it hide things!

No prep sink as my kitchen is not huge and my sink is right where I need it to be.

Nancy

Here is a link that might be useful: Here's the linky to my sink

Now we have a big,single bowl, ceramic drop in with the drain offset in the back left corner. I love this feature of the drain being "out of the way" and have been unable to find the same setup in single stainless bowl. Suppose I will get used to drain in the middle, but right now seems like I will always be moving stuff to get to the drain. Anyone out there know of an undermount with offset drain?

My Blanco silgranit super single has an offset drain and can be under or over mounted. I really like this feature as it's hard to block the drain. I also have the grid, which also make it hard to block the drain. I have a large prep sink too.

Elkay makes a SS undermount with a corner drain.
Model #GUH281610R.
Try an internet search for sinks with corner drains.
You may find others.

My 33" single sink was installed last week and I LOVE it! I previously had what seemed like a 60/40 (with the faucet and disposal over the smaller section?????) I am so happy with this one large bowl...dirty dishes can hide in there instead of on the counter until it is their turn in the dishwasher. I've also realized that it forces me to dry my pots and pans and put them away immediately since I don't have a separate section to let them sit in. That's a good thing!

I think it depends upon the double sink you have. I have a Ticor S405DR, which is about 70/30. The large sink is large enough to fit my largest pot or pan, as well as a cookie sheet. In fact, it's actually wider than most single bowl sinks because of its design. I use the smaller sink for a variety of tasks. I soak and wash vegetables. I plug it and fill it with soapy water to soak flatware and service items when we have a big dinner party. It's also big enough for me to butterfly chickens or cornish game hens in it, keeping all the blood and potentially infected parts in the sink. Then when I'm done I can just spray it and hose it down with a bleach containing cleaner. So for me I find this double sink provides me with more versatility without sacrifcing any of the benefits of a large single sink. On the other hand, a 50/50 sink is probably not useful. Both sinks are either too small to handle main sink duties and too large for prep sink work. Ultimately though, it's a matter of personal preference and how the rest of your kitchen is laid out.

My larger Blanco double-bowl sink is much more spacious than my 1970s era porcelain double-bowl sink.

We are a family of 5 and are using the dishwasher more than once a day. I handwash my knives, but the other extras wait until the next load. Dirty dishes go in the right sink and the left side is for filling the coffee pot, cleaning vegetables etc.

Track what and how you use your current sink(s) and what you like/don't like about them. That will give you your answer.

OK, there has to be someone who LOVES a 50/50 standard double bowl sink, and it's ME! I have no prep sink, and I like having two work areas available. We hand wash lots of things that don't do well in the DW, so I like to have one side for stacking those items, leaving the other side for prepping food. I have no trouble washing pots and pans, and my everyday pots are not tiny. How big are your turkeys that you need a 30" sink to soak them? A 25 pounder fits easily in one sink, although I'd rather cook and eat a smaller one. I can't lay out a cookie sheet, but I line them with parchment so they rarely require scrubbing.

Two sinks definitely provide maximum flexibility.

I'm a total convert to the single lifestyle. I have a small kitchen, and last winter replaced my twin bowl stainless with a large Silgranit single bowl. I do not have a prep sink, nor a pot filler, this is my only sink/water source in the kitchen and I LOVE it.

I loathed the old sink, which was too small to wash a sheet pan, and too small to hide more than 2 dirty dishes. The new sink is large enough to hide all the dirty dishes awaiting the washer with room to spare for other tasks. In addition, my large canning pot and pressure canner fit in the sink--under the faucet, even, for filling. The sink grid keeps dishes off the bottom and allows me to drain large items or veggies in the sink after washing.

With a plastic tub or (what I more frequently use) a large stainless bowl, I have a double bowl sink when I need one. I compost, so don't have or want a sink disposal, and one drainpipe, in the back right corner allows for maximum room in the sink cabinet under the sink -- which in my small kitchen is a big plus.

As many have said before, it depends on what your personal cooking/cleaning style is. I personally feel a single bowl sink allows for maximum flexibility and I'll never go back. I'm looking forward to bathing the grandkids in there! Maybe I'll put something similar in the bathroom, too... now that I think of it.

I am not going to lie. I need a sink big enough to wash large pans and small dogs. Yes, I said it....dogs! Better for my back and the dog get's a nice view out the window. Clean it up afterwards and you're golden.

I do not have a prep sink and I would never go back to a double.

Went to the largest single bowl I could find in my remodel, after living with a double for 20 years. I'm singing the chorus here too: will NEVER NEVER NEVER go back!!

It's great for all the reasons people have mentioned. I really don't understand even the negatives; you can always put in a dishpan if you really want to corral dirty dishes. I haven't done that but heck with a large single bowl it would be no problem at all.

As much as I like being married, this is one instance where I'd rather stay single. I eliminated a prep sink from my plans and went with a pro-style faucet that allows the main faucet and sprayer to work simultaneously. The large 32" single bowl can be shared for prep and cleanup when necessary. I also like that my full sheets and cambro pans can all fit.

Have a 25" single and like it - as others have said its so much more versatile. If you want, you can use it as a double bowl by simply putting a dishpan in 1/2 of it. It sits on top of the metal grid leaving the drain open. I love that metal grid. Can wash small amts of dishes and just leave them stacked on the grid to drain/dry.

Strangely, 25" is the widest you can get for a 30" sink base. You'd think they'd invent a 27 or 28 incher but no such luck. I am truly baffled because 30" is a standard size for sink bases. Some 25 inchers have wider/larger bowls than others so its worth shopping around.

Single bowl Kohler Cape Dory......moved into the house last week, have been washing things all week, I LOVE IT!

Kasha kat, which sink do you have?

Mine is kindred QSL2225 - the 10 inch deep model + grid. For a ss sink it looks good.

Thanks!

kashka_kat, FYI Blanco makes what they call a Super Single that will fit in a 30" base cabinet.
It measures 28"x18" with interior demensions of 26'x16".
It's what we installed and we love it.

I have always liked the 50/50 double sink but for only the reason that I only use my dishwasher when I have a large crowd so I always keep the dish drainer on one side for clean dishes to dry. If it wasn't for that I believe I would want a single sink.

Love my single farmhouse sink! It is a very nice size--30"X 20"X 10".

Why I love my sink:

The pans on the bottom of the pile on the left are 18" X 13". The blue plates on the right in the forward corner are 11" dinner plates. There is also a mixing bowl (under all those utensils) in the top right corner and one of those large batter bowls from Pampered Chef in the middle. I can load the sink with all these dirty dishes and keep my counters looking nice and clean. What's not to love? LOL!

Yes, I have a prep sink, but I even if I didn't, I would NEVER go back to the double bowl situation I had previously. I am so over that. ;^)

I've always had a 50/50 and even after i read all the raves on here about a single bowl, (and the fact that i love the look of the single farmhouse sink) i realized that for myself i love washing on one side and putting them all in the other side. I didn't want to ever mess with soggy counters or a dish rack. Hate dishracks! And I can fit a canner in one side under the faucet - I don't need it to be any bigger. So, i guess it's whatever you prefer after all. How would you use your sink?

Love my single sink, and have gone back and forth with my own kitchen remodeling plans. Thanks to all who have shared your experiences. I like using the double sink at relative's homes for holidays, but wonder about the day to day functioning and how that would go. Thanks Dolode for asking the question. I'm addicted to this forum as well!

36" single bowl and LOVE it! I don't have a prep sink but I've found no issues with that. I load things in the DW and if I have a few things I need to hand wash I just set them to dry on the counter, or I hand dry and put away quickly. I don't have a dry rack and just put a towel on the counter for things to dry on if needed. I love being able to wash my huge cast iron pot and other large items. I've always had 50/50 with the dry rack on one side and thought I'd miss it. No way!

I went from a 50/50 double sink to a huge 36 Blanco supersingle, and I absolutely love it. Would never go back to a double. I only have a few things that get washed by hand and they just dry on a couple towels on the counter. No biggie. I love not banging the sides of the sink or trying to rinse off cookie sheets and having water drip all over me (happened so many times). But my favorite thing, is that I can put so many dishes in there, and unless you are standing right over it, you can't see them so my kitchen doesn't look like I have a sink full of dishes (or a soaking roast pan on the counter) if someone stops by unexpectedly. Oh and I don't have a prep sink. It's our only sink in the kitchen.

LOVE my Blanco super single with center drain....love the size...depth! It can hold so much and you don't even see it....I had a 70/30 split for over 12 years with the garbage disposal on the smaller side...it was ok....but I'm loving being able to put pretty much any size anything in my single bowl....and I have no prep sink either.

Dolode--your post has been really helpful to me. I need to order a kitchen sink for my remodel ASAP. Love the Blanco silgranit sinks and, based on what I've read here, I'll probably buy a single sink. (Can't wait to get rid of my small 50/50!)

Those who have the single sinks...are there any disadvantages to having the drain in the back or corner, as opposed to a center drain? Also, where did you purchase your sink and how did you pick the size? My sink base is 36".

Thanks!

I agree with above poster, I had a 60/40 and the only thing that didn't fit flat was a cookie sheet. Everything else fit fine. I now have a single and yes my cookie sheets fit flat but since my kit was to small for a prep sink I have to wash the sink out constantly because we do lots of fruits and veggies daily and I do not bake cookies daily. I miss my 60/40.

Lake_Girl To those who love their single bowl sinks - do you or don't you have a separate sink somewhere else in your kitchen?

We don't. I'm a prep everything then clean as you go type cook and this works for me. I have had every double sink type there is. Our last one was a 50/50. I didn't hate it (like I did our Kohler Lakefield at our old house, which is more of a 80/20), but I didn't like washing things in it. I LOVE the single sink and will never, ever go back to a double. Never.

Here is one reason we switched to a single. This pan is 15" wide without the handles. Note how it is sitting on top of the sink:

This is the same pan in our current sink (obviously before install). Much better!:

And this is how it looks right now (tomorrow morning the scene on the right will change to wine glasses drying ;):

Hsw_sc's picture is exactly why we're switching from a 60/40 to a single bowl. It wasn't just cookie sheets and roasters for us. It was skillets and other pots that I'd have to tilt and swirl around to clean. They'd always bang their handles on the sides, etc.

We do use things like our Dutch oven, cookie sheets, the crockpot liner, roasting pans, etc on a regular basis. I can't wait to be able to wash them freely with a lot of room.

I'm so excited about putting a big single bowl in our new house. We're a family of four and end up with dirty dishes in the sink. I'm in the camp that if I have dirty dishes I'll rinse them and then put them in the dishwasher. if I have things that need hand washing also then I'll use a tub on one side of the inside of the sink.

I have to vote with Marcolo on this one. I've had single bowl sinks in apartments and hated it. Making dinner tonight was another example of why I need a 2-bowl sink:

Dishwasher was running & there were 3 dirty plates + 2 cups in one side of the sink.
Pasta cooking on the stove - big pot of water.
Colander on the OTHER side of the sink, waiting for the pasta

Without 2 bowls I would have had to take the dirty dishes out of the sink & put them on the counter before putting the colander in the sink. Today it was only a few things, sometimes it could be a lot more. We air dry our dishes in the dishwasher so at the end of a cycle I can't just pop the door open & put them away lickety-split. They need time to finish drying (with the door ajar).

I do prefer the sinks with a lower dividing bar between the 2 sides but given the choice of a 50/50 split or a single-bowl, I'd pick a 50/50 every time. I won't run the dishwasher until it is FULL and that is rarely aligned with the number of dishes that can fit in there (it's like trying to cook exactly the amount of food we'll eat ... better to just plan that there will probably be leftovers).

-Pam

I asked the question about the prep sink, because someone somewhere said that single bowl people usually have a prep sink. I'm glad to know so many w/o a prep sink still love their single bowls. I use my 12in. fry pan and different size cookie sheets a lot, and they definitely don't lay down in my double sink. (My current sink is pretty much 50/50, with one side having a little extra width, don't know what you call it.) You have to turn the pans all around to wash and rinse adequately. I don't put these things in the dw, because they take up too much room. This thread has been very helpful.

This is such an interesting discussion. I had my mind all made up to go with a farm sink or the large Silgranit single bowl, but several weeks ago during the design process I was imagining how my current kitchen use would work if I were in the new kitchen. That's when it hit me that I use the disposal all the time but I hate washing dishes on the disposal side of the sink because it doesn't seal as well and if I accidentally leave a spoon in the water it can go down the disposal when I empty the sink. I don't have space for a prep sink. So my new plan is a Silgranit 70/30 type. I love the look of a single sink, and I love the idea of having room to wash or soak those large items, but in the end practicality must win out.

Your discussion was great for me because it helped confirm all the pros and cons and I still think I'm making the best decision. Thank you!

I would go back to a double sink only with a gun held to my head. We couldn't afford to do a real renovation, so just tackled the most productivity-killing problem, the sink. (The size and configuration were only part of the problem; ancient pipes had reduced the water pressure to a fraction of what it could be.)

I would never have known of or thought of a big single sink without this forum. Incredibly, the Blanco Silgranit super single exactly fit the dimensions of the existing sink and cutout. I ordered one online, along with a Delta touch faucet, and they sat in the garage for a few months until we were ready to have the plumbers go at the pipes.

It's absolutely wonderful to be able to put stove grates, grill grates, and my biggest pots completely into the sink. The grid makes quick cleanup of pots and pans easy, and the many items that get frequent washing-up drain and dry on it while I'm using the other half of the sink for prep.

But the biggest difference it's made, which I wasn't expecting, is how much it expands the workspace. The main prep counter area is a measly 30" of counter between the stovetop and sink -- but the sink is so big and unobstructed that it's actually part of the workspace. This came home to me when I was straining and quick-chilling chicken stock (ice water in a big stainless mixing bowl, smaller bowl inside it in which hot stock is stirred). The grid makes it easy to do the entire job in the sink, effectively doubling my prep area.

I'm going to stick my neck out here and give a different perspective. If I had a prep sink, I may have chosen the single sink, but I don't. I ended up getting a very large triple sink, and I've been happy with it. The two larger basins are about 20X16X10, with a small one in the middle. The large basins are adequate for cookie sheets, large pans, etc. The sink is large, almost 4' wide. Kind of looks commercial. I have 45 linear feet of counter space not counting the 5X7 island, so space was not an issue. Would I do it again? Probably. We also have a small sink in the beverage center, but that is not used for food prep or cleanup.

Long ago all sinks were long single sinks with no divider, THEY SIMPLY SAT A DISHPAN IN ONE SIDE WHEN THEY NEEDED IT. THUS THE TERM DISHPAN. I plan to put a farmhouse drainboard sink in my house with No divider. JUST MAKES SENSE TO ME. If I need it divided for some reason I will sit a plastic dishpan on one side till I'm finished.