THE KITCHEN GUIDE BOOK

The best kitchen sinks should be beautiful and functional. There are many more choices in plumbing fixture design then there used to be. let's explore some kitchen sink ideas for the different styles, installation methods, and then also for the best kitchen sink material types.  

Kitchen Sink Style and installation Guide

Kitchen sinks come in a few different types of styles. Sinks are getting more options these days with things like built in lips to hold drying racks, and single to quadruple bowls, but there are still basically four types of kitchen sink, self rimming, under mount, apron sinks, and tile in.

Self Rimming
Self Rimming sinks, also known as drop in, lip over the counter top. The faucet is usually connected to the sink itself. The over mount type sinks can be any material type. Self rimming sinks are the easiest to install, but are not as easy to clean around the lip as an under-mount sink. With a drop in sink the hole cut out can be rough because it is covered up. This makes for an easy cut with a down blade jig saw for laminate, or for a cheaper unpolished granite solid surface cut. When installing an over mount type sink there are clips under the cabinet that hold the sink down. A cast iron sink is so heavy that just a silicone bead is usually sufficient to keep it in place.


UnderMount
Under-counter sinks are mounted below a solid surface counter-top. This type of mounting allows for easy counter-top cleaning, and has no lip to catch dirt. Under-mount sinks are the most popular for utility, and aesthetic reasons.  It is best to leave the sink mounting to the solid surface installers. The under mount sinks can be any of the kitchen sink materials. An under mount sink is attached by using epoxy, or sometimes silicone and epoxied clips. The faucet with an under mount is attached to the countertop.



Apron or Farmhouse
Apron sinks are set low on the cabinet and have a tall front giving it an old fashion look. The cabinet under an apron sink has to be shorter, or cut down to allow the front to sit on the face frame. If the apron sink is cast iron then please reinforce the structure underneath with 2x4's or strong metal brackets. 



Tile In
Tile in sinks have square edges that are to be tiled up to so that the tile is flush with the sink.





BEST KITCHEN SINK MATERIAL TYPES

Stainless Steel
There is a reason restaurants use stainless steel because it is durable, cleanable, and light weight.
Use 18 gage or thicker for the better stainless steel sinks. The only draw back is stainless steel can scratch. Look into dampening systems if your worried about the disposal vibrating.



Enameled Cast Iron
Enameled Cast Iron is  durable, doesn't stain, and scratch resistant. The draw backs of cast is it is very heavy, and can chip given the right blow. All together the cast iron is the toughest kitchen sink finish. 



Integral Solid Surface
Integral Solid Surface is colored all the way through so scratches can be buffed out, they are heat resistant and not overly heavy. The draw back is clean-ability. Blanco has a good solid surface called Silgranit, and Swan stone has a good product as well.



Acrylic Sinks
Acrylic sinks are usually the most affordable, but the are the least durable. Acrylic sinks have the look of a enameled cast iron but without the durability.

The Rest
There more different types of sinks like Copper, Vitreous China, Fire Clay, Glass, Concrete, and Stone. These are more for decorative situations and the function-ability should be discussed with the seller or manufacturer.

What would I choose for the best kitchen sink? I usually go for what style fits better in a certain kitchen stainless steel. cast iron, or solid surface are all fine choices.


Sink Manufacturer links: American standard, SwanStone, Elkay, Blanco, Franke, Moen, Rohl,
Vigo, Kindred,   



FAUCETS

Kitchen Faucet design choices are endless. Kitchen faucet brands are endless too. I personally have had good luck with Delta And moen. I have had a little trouble with Danze.

Faucet Manufacturer links:   Kohler,  Grohe, Price Pfister, Belle Foret,  Cifial,

In this refrigerator guide I am not going to go into which refrigerator is a better top freezer or bottom freezer, or which brand is better because I just don't know. When I buy a refrigerator I check consumer reports, and retailers for real reviews. 

I will go into how to install refrigerators, the different types, and sizes of refrigerators, and how to have the cabinets set for different refrigerators. Every refrigerator is different please read the installation instructions for the specific leveling procedure, and electrical placement.

There are three different types of refrigerator as far as installation goes, The built in, The counter depth non built in, and regular depth.

                                               Built In Refrigerators

The Built In refrigerator is the kind that looks built in by having a lip over the cabinet refrigerator panels. Built in refrigerators are not very deep so they need to be as wide as possible, and the compressor is usually mounted on top. 

Built in refrigerators usually come in 36" or 48" and are very heavy. Before ordering or installing the cabinets know the exact opening needed for your refrigerator of choice. There is really only a 1/8" of play, if that, so the refrigerator cabinet panels need to be exact, and perfectly plumb!

Install the built in refrigerator by using a refrigerator dolly and a buddy to get it in the house, and in the hole, (5 buddies for a 2nd floor). The built in fridges almost always have a way to level the refrigerator from the front. After the fridge is level screw the sides into the fridge panels. Hopefully you remembered to plug it in, and hook up the water supply.

In most cases there is not room for a cabinet above the refrigerator in 8' high ceilings because of the compressor. The refrigerator plug also has to be high up close to the compressor, check the manufacturers specs, and do the plug placement during the rough electrical stage.

                                           Counter Depth Refrigerators

The Counter Depth non built in refrigerators are going for that built in look, but without the lip over the refrigerator panel. They most often stick out more than the owner wants, but definitely less than a regular depth fridge.

Installation of a counter depth refrigerator is the same as a built in but it is not screwed to the sides of the fridge panels. The electrical placement for the Counter depth fridge is the typical height for fridge plugs, around 4' high.

The counter depth refrigerators are going for maximum width because of the loss of depth, so they are often only a 1/8" less than the normal 36" refrigerator opening at 35-7/8". Again make sure your openings are perfectly plumb.

                                                           Regular Depth Refrigerators

Regular Depth refrigerators can stick out as much as 4" to 10" from the cabinetry. It is possible to get wider fridge panels so the refrigerator surround ends up deeper to try and hide more fridge. The fridge sticking out is the obvious trade off to having a lot more storage capacity, which for anybody with a large family is the only option. 

If you want decorative panels then make sure the refrigerator is the model that accepts panels, and the type of panels from your cabinet company will jive with each other. This picture is of a 48" built in with decorative panels from the cabinet company.

                                        Shopping for Refrigerators

The online retailers have driven appliance prices down forcing the local retailers to also drop the prices. Appliances are best bought from a local storefront in case there is a problem and the appliance needs to be returned. Installation if done by a certified installer will qualify the buyer for an extended warranty with some appliance manufacturers. Appliances really are one of the first things to figure out with a kitchen remodel because the cabinet layout is done around the appliance sizes.

Dishwasher openings are always an even 24" between cabinets. Some foreign dishwashers run a little skinny, but always leave an even 24" opening width.  The  opening height should be 34.5", the height of the cabinets. When installing cabinets always fur up the bottom of the cabinets to finish floor height for correct appliance height. If in the planning Stages allow for working room on both sides of a dishwasher if possible. 

The power for a dishwasher can be provided by a wire traveling under the dishwasher and into the dishwashers electrical box, or a cord can be wired into the dishwasher electrical box if there is a plug outlet behind the dishwasher or an available plug outlet under the sink next to the dishwasher. Some dishwashers come with a cord already attached  so they need a plug outlet. Choose and check your dishwasher instructions before rough wiring. Dishwashers usually need a home run dedicated circuit at the panel. Check local code and instructions on the dishwasher.

The dishwasher drain and air gap can be done in different ways. Check your specific dish washers instructions for acceptable air gap procedures. Some manufacturers allow the drain hose to be looped up high and attached to the inside of the cabinet then to the disposal or drain. Other manufacturers want a counter top mounted air gap, or a separate trap for the air gap. Most plumbers will say that the separate trap is the way to go, but this would have to be done at the rough plumbing stage with two sanitary T's in the wall on top of each other servicing both the sink trap and the dishwasher trap.


The water supply for a dishwasher is a longer version of a flexible faucet hose with both ends having a 3/8" fitting. Most dishwashers come with a brass  90 that fits into the dishwasher and has the 3/8 male threads on the other, but some do not and you have to buy it. At the shut off side under the sink it is ideal to have a T and a separate shut off for the dishwasher, but if the rough plumbing is already done then a dual shut off can be purchased.
 
Dishwasher finishes come in stainless, black, or white. Some companies offer colored front panels. Most companies have changeable fronts that include the option of using a panel from the cabinet company that matches your cabinets. If you want the wood panel option make sure the dishwasher model is ok for that, and you will need a handle to go on the outside of the panel.

Dishwasher Quality is best researched out in the reviews from people who own that specific dishwasher. In general the better dishwashers have more options on the controls, an independent water arm for the top rack, stainless steel interior,  Filters/food disposals, and a lot of insulation/ quiet motor.  A cheaper dish washer will have none of those things. Efficiency of water use and power used in a cheaper dishwasher will lessen the functionability, but the best can do both.              
       
Dishwasher with wood panel

Drawer dishwasher with panel