One sink maker calls bowl configuration a personal preference. That maker also gives a working rule: if you use a lot of large platters, roasters or pots, a single sink or a combination bowl might be a good choice, and an equal sized double bowl is a good wash and rinse model. So the single or double bowl sink question starts with the biggest pan you wash and how your household washes up.
That choice gets locked in sooner than you’d think. The sink is cut into the countertop, so once the counter is cut, the bowls you chose are the bowls you keep. Picked late, or picked by habit, a sink can fight the way your household cooks and cleans up for as long as that counter lasts.
Is a Single or Double Bowl Sink Better?
Neither one is better in the abstract. One sink maker treats bowl configuration as a personal preference. That maker points cooks who use a lot of large platters, roasters or pots toward a single sink or a combination of bowl sizes, and calls an equal sized double bowl a good wash and rinse model.
The same maker adds a point about capacity. In one sink maker’s answers on bowl configuration, the deeper the bowl, the straighter its sides and the tighter its corners, the more the sink holds. So shape counts, not just the number of bowls.
So the useful question isn’t which sink is better. It’s what goes into your sink, and how the people in your house wash up.
What Sits Between One Bowl and Two?
A second sink maker’s guide names the layouts. There’s a single bowl. There’s a double equal bowl, where both bowls are the same size. There’s a double offset bowl, where one bowl is larger to take bigger pans and dishes. And there’s an offset pair with a low middle divide, which that guide sets lower than most double bowl sinks.
Sizes come with that list. A second sink maker’s guide to bowl options gives its standard kitchen sink sizes as 25 by 22 inches for a single bowl and 33 by 22 inches for a double bowl. Those are that maker’s sizes, not a rule for every sink.
An offset pair or a low divide can be a middle path. If your household wants two bowls and still washes big pans, that layout may be worth asking about. Sizes vary by sink, so plan from the spec sheet for the sink you pick.
How Does Your Biggest Pan Settle It?
Picture the biggest thing you wash by hand. A roasting pan, a sheet pan, a stockpot, a platter. Then picture the bowl it has to sit in. If it can’t lie flat in that bowl, the bowl may be too tight for the way you cook. That’s why the first maker points large-pan cooks toward a single or combination bowl.
A big holiday meal is a fair test. The roaster comes out, the platters pile up, and the stockpot lands in the sink with everything else. A sink that handles a weekday rinse can feel tight when the whole meal comes off the stove. Think about that cleanup, not the showroom.
If two bowls still appeal, that’s a reasonable thing to want. Ask your designer whether an offset pair gives the big pan its room.
Do You Wash and Rinse Side by Side?
How your household washes up matters as much as the pan. The first maker calls an equal sized double bowl a good wash and rinse model. A house that washes in one bowl and rinses or soaks in the other may miss that second bowl. So it’s worth asking who stands at the sink, and what they do there.
Where the sink goes shapes the plan too. Our post on what an island sink needs around it says an island sink works when the island is long enough to give the sink its own counter. The dishwasher has to sit within reach of it. The floor has to take the supply lines, the drain and a way to vent that drain. The bowl choice is one part of that.
When Should You Choose the Sink?
Choose it before the counter is cut, and before the cabinet order goes in. Lang’s designers ask about sink style early rather than after the cabinets are ordered. Lang’s process also has a final floor plan stage, where the design team finalizes all dimensions, floor plans and mechanical specifications. It helps to have the sink settled by then.
Wood counters show why. Our butcher block post explains why our designers ask about sink style early: with a wood counter, an undermount sink puts wood in contact with standing water every day.
The second maker’s guide tells anyone replacing a sink to consider the length, width, depth and shape of the existing hole. That’s the part worth sitting with. Once the counter is cut, the sink is tied to that hole. So the bowls come first, and the cutout follows. A few things are worth settling with your designer while the plan is still on paper:
- Know the biggest pan you wash by hand.
- Watch how your household washes and rinses.
- Compare one bowl with two equal bowls or an offset pair.
- Settle whether the sink sits on a wall run or an island.
- Keep the spec sheet for the sink you pick.
What Should You Bring to a Design Consultation?
A few things make the conversation concrete. Bring the size of your biggest pan, or a photo of it beside a tape measure. Bring notes on how your household washes up, plus what you like and dislike about the sink you have. Photos of the kitchen help, and so does the spec sheet for any sink you’ve picked.
With that in hand, a designer can put the sink on the plan your countertop and cabinets are built from. A jobsite visit can then check that plan against the real room.
Our certified designers work with you to find a layout that meets your needs and how you plan to use your kitchen, and they help you find the materials for your design. That’s the work behind kitchen remodeling with Lang’s certified designers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Single and Double Bowl Sinks
What is an offset double bowl sink?
A second sink maker’s guide describes it as two bowls where one is larger, so it can take bigger pans and dishes. The same guide lists a version with a low middle divide, where the divide between the bowls sits lower than most double bowl kitchen sinks. Both can be a way to keep two bowls and still leave room for a large pan.
How big is a single bowl sink compared with a double?
A second sink maker’s guide gives its standard kitchen sink sizes as 25 by 22 inches for a single bowl and 33 by 22 inches for a double bowl. Sizes vary by sink, so plan from the spec sheet for the one you choose. Ask your designer how that sink fits the sink base cabinet on your plan.
Does a deeper sink bowl hold more?
One sink maker says so. In that maker’s own answers, the deeper the bowl, the straighter the slope and the tighter the corner radius, the more capacity the sink has. It’s a point about shape as well as depth. By that logic, two sinks with the same outside footprint can hold different amounts, which is one reason to read the spec sheet for the sink you like.
Is a double bowl sink good for washing and rinsing?
One sink maker calls an equal sized double bowl a good wash and rinse model. That same maker treats bowl configuration as a personal preference, so it isn’t a rule for every kitchen. It also points cooks who use a lot of large platters, roasters or pots toward a single sink or a combination of bowl sizes. Your own habits at the sink decide it.
Who can help choose a kitchen sink in a remodel?
Lang’s design team can. Design consultations are available in the showroom and online by appointment. Our designers ask about sink style early, before the cabinets are ordered. Lang’s remodeling process also includes a jobsite visit for a complete in-home analysis, and a stage where the design team finalizes all dimensions, floor plans and mechanical specifications.
Bring Your Sink Question to a Design Consultation
In Lang’s 12-step remodeling process, designers visit the jobsite for a complete in-home analysis before the design team finalizes all dimensions, floor plans and mechanical specifications.
The bowl choice is easier to settle while the plan is still on paper. So it helps to bring the biggest pan and the washing habits to the first meeting.
Lang’s 12-step remodeling process lays out the steps from the first appointment through final plans, and it helps the design team, the contractors, the installers, the plumbers and electricians through the renovation schedule.
If you’re still deciding on a single or double bowl sink, talk with Lang’s design team in the Newtown showroom or online by appointment, and bring the biggest pan you wash into the conversation.
