Kitchen Sinks Buying Guide
When purchasing a sink for your commercial kitchen you need to think about various different aspects. Consider the space area designated to your sink, how busy your operation is and how many sinks you might need. For a very busy kitchen, it’s recommended to have multiple sinks, at least two, and stainless steel is the best quality material as it gives years of good use without too much wear and tear. It’s also durable and easy to keep clean. Note, the industry standard height is 900mm and generally the depth is 600mm or 600mm.
Sink Use
You should think about what the sink is to be used for, for example, washing up, food preparation or for housekeeping and consider where the flow of the items to be washed come from, for example, do they come from the right or the left? The answer will help you decide whether you need a left or right draining sink or even a sink centred in the middle. You might decide you don’t need drainage at all.
Small or Large?
For large quantities of washing up you will need a sink with good space inside and some sinks are available with very deep bowls designed for heavy duty washing but if this does not apply to your business, you can easily get by with a standard sized bowl. It may be that you only need a small sink for food preparation or for small amounts of washing up.
Double Sinks
Double sinks are useful for rinsing and draining and also if you are going to have more than one person at a time using the sink.
Pre-Wash Hoses
These are exceptionally useful pieces of equipment and allow you to pre-rinse dirty plates before loading into the dishwasher. As they are used very regularly it’s important to buy something high quality. Look for pre-assembled products which are ready to install and if you need good length to avoid overstretching choose an extra-long wall bracket to complement your hose.
Points to Remember:
- What shape sink do you require, square or round? Remember rounded edges are far easier to keep clean but square sinks have a slightly larger capacity.
- Do you want your sink delivered fully assembled or are you happy to assemble it yourself?
- Some sinks are not supplied with taps so remember to select the taps you need to go with the sink you choose.
- Some sinks come with useful shelves underneath giving you extra storage – always a benefit!
Wash Basin
As well as a commercial sink, it’s important to have an area where staff can wash their hands hygienically but often space is tight in which case you may want to consider an electric handwashing system which easily plugs in. Constructed out of hardwearing, heavy duty stainless steel, these single wash basins are designed to last for many years. Look for a system which can wash up to 85 times per fill. These systems are created for maximum water efficiency too and come with temperature controls so set correctly, they are always comfortable to wash hands. The beauty of electric hand-washes is their portability as well because they normally come with wheels so they can easily be transported.
Taps
To complement your sinks you will need taps and there are various styles from mixer taps to neck pillar taps depending on your preference. They are very simple products providing hot and cold water from stainless steel construction and designed to work with the commercial sinks available. Mixer or neck pillar taps both do the same job it is purely a matter of preference.
Centre Benches
Kitchen benches are useful for food preparation use, cooking tasks and storage. Look for durable, hardwearing and long-lasting stainless steel construction which is easy to clean and promises years of excellent performance. Consider the size of space you have and choose the right bench accordingly, on the Alliance website you will find sizes from 600mm to 2400mm.
For further information on Kitchen Sinks visit the Kitchen Accessories pages in the Catering Appliances section or contact the Alliance customer care team