It’s a kitchen design question as old as time: Double sink or single sink, which is better? Some readers recently started commenting back and forth on the question, and it occurred to me that we’d never discussed and debated this topic in a story. (We did discuss the classic toilet paper over or under question, though!) Above: Illustration of American-Standard kitchen cabinets and sinks from a 1953 catalog.
Of course, each design has its pros and cons. [Above: Illustration from 1953 Crane kitchen catalog.]
Double sink pros and cons:
- Double sinks make it easier to wash on one side, stack to dry on the other.
- Or procrastinators can wash on one side, pile dirties on the other, and get to finishing up when you can. [I plead guilty, but you could guess that already, couldn’t you?]
- On the flip side, double sinks typically are smaller, so you sometimes cannot get a big pot or tray completely into one of the bowls. Jamming a large tray into one side of a double sink kinda runs the risk of scratching or dinging it.
- In the same vein, they can take up more room.
Single sink pros and con:
- Single sinks can be sized larger, so they can fit large pots and pans and trays. [My husband is in the single sink camp for this reason.]
- I guess you could say: They encourage you to clean as you go, because there is no second bowl to pile in the dirties.
- Overall, they likely take up less room, so there is more counter space for prep.
Eliza says
double. A thousand times double. I have had both and there is no comparison.
Grama Robin says
Two! One for dealing with dishes and one for dealing with food.
Randerson says
Not vintage perhaps, but the best of all worlds is a 2/3 + 1/3 sink, big enough for big pots or pans with handles on the larger side, and the small side is great for a disposer, thawing by hot water submersion, and all kinds of things! I’d never have anything else! and stainless, which is very ’50s, makes it easy to clean and no chips ever!
Carolyn says
I brought this up last summer during a farmhouse apron-sink discussion. I was getting close to pulling the trigger on any ol’ sink when I realized a single requires a plastic dishpan to wash in, leaving not too much room to rinse. Once you finally acquire THE MOST PERFECT pan, you have to hope there are more to buy and store when inevitably the first breaks. Considering how cheaply made even national brands like Rubbermaid is making dishpans in the last 10 or so years, good luck with that all the way around.
Dbl sink also for food prep – wash/peel your produce on the right, and set it in the left for further processing.
I’m firmly in the dbl sink camp.
Kate says
Out of curiosity, what’s the reason behind the plastic dishpan? I’ve never seen anyone in this country do it but it seems to be a standard thing in other countries and it has me utterly mystified.
CarolK says
Kate, the plastic dishpan is for holding the dishwater so that the rest of the sink is free for rinsing or for a dishrack. When I get a dishpan in the future, I’m going to look at Lehman’s and see if they have any enameled steel or stainless dishpans.
Tarquin says
Nothing beats a double deep basin drainboard sink from the 1940’s.
Maria says
I’ve had both and each has its star qualities. Currently I have a double and that works well as I hand wash dishes. Those were built for wash on one side rinse on the other, but I found dish rack that fits on one side and I love that. With the double sink though you really need the pull out faucet. This way I can still clean big pots even if I have to put it on the counter to scrub.
Wendellyn Plummer says
An old farm house I owned, had the one sink with the drain boards on both sides. Loved the drain boards! The rest of the kitchen was like the picture. Loved that house!
casey says
I wanted a single, but got a double. Whey you’re renovating on a budget, and something perfect falls out of the sky on that 357th trip to the building salvage store, your plans can change.
Allison says
^^ this.
You must never offend the renovation spirits when That Almost Perfect thing is presented to you… or you’ll never get the Absolutely PERFECT anything.
albrt says
We have a triple. All three are reasonably large. It’s a long galley kitchen with not many appliances so there is still enough counter space.
Kate says
Double. So you can pile the dirties in one side and leave the other clear for rinsing/draining things/getting the kettle or big jugs under the tap to fill them. It also gives you bonus drying space for big things. (I’m on team double draining board as well)