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Mar 16

Stainless Steel Sink Strainers You Gotta Try Out

Posted on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 in Maintenance

A sink is incomplete without a drain and a strainer. Strainer has an important function in the scheme of things and is usually made in stainless steel. On buying a new sink it may form a part of that, but you can buy it as a separate part also as replacement of old component. .

If you go online looking for strainers you will find some styles of strainers made from stainless steel. Depending on the design, each has its own effectiveness. Stainless steel strainers for sinks are basically available in four different styles at most of the stores. Here are the different styles:

You get the normal strainers with bigger holes, which may be circular or triangular in shape. These are good functional designs that ensure fast flow of water. But such a design doesn’t facilitate straining of small food particles as they sit around the holes.

The second design is that of regular flat strainers provided with small holes. These are most suitable when you like to prevent smaller food particles from getting washed out from the sink. This design has small holes, evenly distributed over the surface enabling it to strain food particles coming from different directions of the sink. However, you need to keep a watch as flow of water may get restricted, more so when some of the holes are already stuck with suds or dirt built up.

The third design comprises of a stainless steel basket as a strainer. Though they also have smaller holes, the entire basket is removable allowing the user to throw away the food particles collected therein. Normal food particles can’t pass thru the basket.

The last and final design is a mesh basket stainless steel sink strainer and that’s a sure way of straining food particles. This basket is just made from stainless steel net that guarantees to trap any food particles from blocking your drain, thus saving you time and bother of fixing your blocked drain.

Now that you are aware of the different styles of stainless steel strainers, you can choose one as per requirements, but make sure to choose the right size that fits in the sink and prevents its clogging.

Mar 1

Finding Best Stainless Steel Sinks For Your Kitchen

Posted on Monday, March 1, 2010 in Buying Guide

If you are considering a remodeling project for your kitchen, you are sure to include a stainless steel sink for the project to be really complete. A stainless steel kitchen sink is the most popular and affordable item for this one of the busiest parts of your home. Compared to the marble or granite variety it is much more economical, easier to install and would fit most of the available countertop designs. Moreover, they are almost scratchproof, being able to withstand the normal torture they are exposed to in any kitchen, and are very convenient to maintain and clean.

It will be good to keep the following points in mind while selecting a stainless steel sink while renovating your kitchen.

Tip # 1: Planning

Planning of the total project is always important. It helps save time and embarrassment.
For instance, in case of the sink, you should be aware of the size of your kitchen and that of the countertop to ensure perfect fitting. Rest of the specifications follows later.

Another consideration while planning for the purchase of a stainless steel sink will be to have in mind the overall theme of this room. The style and shape that you choose should complement the rest of the fixtures and furniture in the kitchen.

While working on your requirements, you should decide the capacity of the stainless steel sink that would suffice your requirements. A busy household with a large family would certainly need a larger sink. Under such a situation, you may opt for a large single sink or go for a double sink design that would accommodate more number of dishes.

Tip # 2: Shopping

It will be worthwhile to have a look at the available designs before finalizing your requirements. If you are hard pressed for time to go window-shopping, it will be helpful to check online, the variety available with home improvement stores or furniture shops.

Check and compare the available designs of stainless sinks for kitchen with the layout of your kitchen, keeping the size and shape in mind. Simultaneously you can compare the prices also. Don’t be in a hurry to finalize your selection, if looking for the best deal and design.

Tip # 3: Quality Comes First

Now, here is an important kitchen aid that you may not like to change all too soon. It’s therefore important to look for a quality product. Avoid going for the cheaper variety that may need frequent maintenance or a replacement, sooner than you might expect.
Be ware of the cheaper imitations of some of the popular makes. The only way for the manufacturers to offer low prices is thru compromising on the thickness of the metal, which is stainless steel.

Feb 27

Granite Composite Sinks Vs Stainless Steel Sinks

Posted on Saturday, February 27, 2010 in General

For quite a long time stainless steel has been used for making kitchen sinks. Almost all the houses built over the last decade or so have these sinks. Generally such sinks are rectangular in design with one or two bowls, stainless steel can be molded to get any desired shape. As can be guessed, the more unusual its design, the more is the cost of the sink. Modern stainless sinks for kitchens come in a variety of looks and are generally quite affordable.

Stainless steel being quite a durable material is preferred for making of sinks for the kitchen. It may be pointed out, however, that this material resists scratches but is not scratchproof. These sinks are given a brushed finish that helps it to put out of sight most of the minor scratches, which it’s sure to develop during its prolonged use in the kitchen. However, larger scratches, if ever developed, need to be buffed as per the manufacturer’s instructions. Stainless steel sinks require very nominal maintenance and continue to look nice for years.

Recent technological developments have led to the manufacturing of granite composite sinks. These sinks are made from granite or quartz composite and acrylic. They are exceptionally resistant to scratches, stains and heat. They offer better resistant characteristics than stainless steel. Unlike stainless steel, you get a choice of colors too. You may have these in white, black or brown shades. Because of better performance, they are better priced than stainless steel sinks. Another factor that could be adding to their popularity, especially among green homes, is that they are made from environment-friendly materials.

Both these verities of sinks are available in varying shapes and sizes and may have top-mount or under-mount installation. Generally, the top-mount kind is used in association with countertops made of laminates and Formica; as such countertops are likely to get damaged soon because of water that may enter therein. Countertops with solid surface like marble and granite can easily accommodate under-mount designs. It may be worthwhile to add here that top-mount installations are economical, compared to the under-mount kind.

While stainless steel sinks may be preferred because of low prices, the present technological developments have facilitated the availability of durable granite sinks with interesting features.

Feb 9

Undermount Sinks – Classy And Functional

Posted on Tuesday, February 9, 2010 in Sink Types

While considering the addition of a sink or replacement of an existing one, think of the opportunity you have to add a touch of class to your style by opting for an under countersink. Unlike top mounted sinks, the under mount design of sinks offer the advantage of no visible seams at the junction of the sink and the counter top, thus presenting better aesthetics.

With solid counter tops like marble or granite you would like seek an extension of the classic looks and feel of the area. It would be great to provide a granite counter top with a stainless steel under mount sink. Even if you have a tile counter top, you may still incorporate an under mount sink provided you are willing to hire the services of a professional for installation of tiles.
Having decided to go ahead with an under mount kind of sink, you need to decide the style that will go best with your sink area. Mind you that the area in your bar or even the bathroom may not be as large as in the kitchen. Yet, making the right selection for a smaller area can bring stunning results that your guests will appreciate and remember for a long time.

For a bold and daring look why not consider having an under mount copper sink. As it is, copper metal in itself is very eye-catching and copper kitchen sinks are already finding their way to kitchens, but having an undercount copper sink in the bar area or bathroom will surely have stunning effect on viewers.

Another highly impressive style will be with an under mount glass sink. A good majority of people is not even aware of the availability of glass sinks. You get them in many different colors and styles. They are available in mosaic or clear glass and have very neat looks. Chose the kind of glass in an out of this world color and make your statement.

An under mount sink of your choice is a sure way of adding to the décor of your counter top or bar area that will convey your exclusive style to the viewers.

Jan 31

Kohler Bathroom Sinks

Posted on Sunday, January 31, 2010 in Sink Brands

In continuation to the trend of having luxurious furniture and superb wall hangings, people are beginning to include stylishly designed accessories and fixtures for their bathrooms to get a more homogeneous look for the entire home. It’s not difficult to realize that ignoring these plumbing fixtures and sinks could easily mar the lavish looks and style of the interiors. And, manufacturers like Kohler help giving the desired shape to your ideas by offering a range of quality products in many designs to choose from.

Incase you are looking for dependable and stylish fixtures for your bathroom, you shouldn’t afford to ignore Kohler. You get stylish fixtures in stainless steel and bronze plus other materials. They all come with beautiful designs are durable and offer good service for years. You must be wondering what style or design could possibly be there for such non-decorative an item as a bathroom sink, till you have a look at what Kohler has to offer.

You get Kohler sinks as Cimarron, Pennington, Greenwich, Vintage, Ladena, Demilav, Memoirs, and Farmington etc.

On surveying the market you’ll realize that there is no dearth of novel designs for sinks that are available in a large range of colors and styles. All that goes to help you in creating your personalized style of your bathroom. Depending on the individual’s sense of style, be it traditional or contemporary, one may choose a product from Kohler’s range and be assured of quality.

For traditional styled bathroom you may choose from classic styles with rounded and molded details or stately styled with well-defined lines that accentuate individual’s taste. Another range of products that could complement traditional style is the Bancroft line.

You are sure left wondering by the wide-ranging styles of Kohler bathroom sinks. Here, consider some of the designs: Pedestal sinks that are mounted on a pedestal base, Wall mounted sinks that get hung from the wall, Apron-front sink and many other designs in modern style. You get them in various sizes, enabling you to choose a size that would look appropriate to your sized bathroom.

You also get different kinds of sinks that include: Self-rimming sinks, Under-counter Sinks, Tile-in Sinks, and Vanity top sinks and each is designed to provide specific functioning as per requirements of the users. However, you have to pick up a sink that can accommodate the right kind of faucet that could be installed with your plumbing. All faucets do not fit into every kind of plumbing as some are so designed that they would be positioned directly over the sinks while others have holes to control the volume of incoming water.

You can rely upon Kohler for offering a bathroom sink that would give a perfect finish to your bathroom. This designer brand believes in offering accessories of reliable quality.

Jan 12

Copper Kitchen Sinks

Posted on Tuesday, January 12, 2010 in Sink Types

A very common and simple option of upgrading any kitchen is to replace its sink. Often, people resort to this measure and replace their old stainless steel sink, which, as a consequence of prolonged use has developed scratches, with a new stainless steel sink. No doubt, such replacements of an old item with a similar new item give a new look for sometime but that can hardly be termed as upgrading.

Start thinking beyond the ordinary for your kitchen sink. There are many items and points in the kitchen that tend to become its focal point, and the conversation with your guests revolves around those. Take them one by one and try making each one stand out on its merits and let it reflect your style and creative abilities.

You get copper kitchen sinks in different finishes and styles. You may have it in a smooth finish or a hammer tone finish in farmhouse style or the under mount design. As a majority of people wouldn’t have seen a copper sink earlier, they are sure to be impressed by its novel beautiful looks, and that enables you to earn the appreciation of your guests. There’s none denying the supreme wow factor linked to the sight of a copper kitchen sink.

There are a few good practical reasons to favor use of kitchen sinks that are made from copper. The most important concerns the health of your family. Copper is an inherently clean metal that has better antibacterial qualities not offered by other materials used for making kitchen sinks. Bacteria are able to survive on stainless steel for long but it can’t live long on copper surface.

New copper kitchen sinks are shiny but as the metal ages it acquires a bit of dull finish that most of the users find more fascinating than the looks of new metal. Nevertheless, it is very much possible to maintain for long the original brightness of a copper sink by using copper cleaning products or by going in for sinks that have been provided with copper finish. It’s your choice. If you like the looks of ageing copper as it gradually loses it’s shine and enthralls you, continue with that and let it look grand after a couple of years, else go for the other options already mentioned.

Quality of the kitchen sink can’t be ignored. Though most of the sinks that you buy in the U.S. or Mexico are fine, but many of the copper sinks with doubtful quality are being imported. Some of these are not made from 100% copper. It should be mentioned here that unless copper is cent percent pure, it is most likely to develop faults like rusting of the metal or discoloration of the welds. Now, such flaws really spoil the looks of your kitchen sink. Another feature of the inferior quality of material used for making of sinks is the thickness of copper plate. If the thickness of plate is insufficient, the sink gets more prone to developing cracks and dents. Another problem realized with thinner quality of copper sinks is that they produce a different kind of a sound when water gushes thru these. It’s not a very pleasant experience.

So, now that you know qualities of a good copper kitchen sink and the characteristics of inferior metal used for making some of these sinks, wouldn’t it be worth spending a few extra dollars and buy only the variety made in the USA. Let your kitchen sink be the focus of attention for your guests and let them compliment your selection and style of a copper kitchen sink.

Dec 30

Choosing Commercial Sinks

Posted on Wednesday, December 30, 2009 in Buying Guide

Apart from the fundamental principals of any business, food business has to take into consideration a couple of other factors because here you have people who are going to wait and taste your produce on the spot, unlike many other businesses. One very important consideration that you can’t afford to overlook is that of a commercial sink, and there are good reasons for taking time to get the right sink for your food business.

When looking for the right sinks for your business, you should keep the following points in mind to arrive at the right decision.

One: Many different materials are used for making sinks. You need to look for a material that lasts for a long time. That makes stainless a very popular choice, especially for kitchens, though one finds them in specially designed bathrooms too.

It’s not difficult to guess that a sink made from durable material saves you from the trouble of frequent replacements or repairs. Like any other quality product, good quality sink pays for itself, as there won’t be any recurring expense for its replacement, which saves your time too and helps you concentrate on other aspects of your business.

Two: Being in food business means you have to do dishes very frequently. You should have fairly good idea of the number of dishes that need to be done in a given time. That helps you to determine the capacity or the size of your sink. Buying the right sized sink is vitally important. Else, you may fail to keep up with the dish load and that results to having piles of dirty dishes.

Dirty dishes are not good for food business. If they are not cleaned quickly it’s certainly going to hit your business. Imagine the plight of customers who are kept waiting for long for want of clean dishes! You don’t expect them to enjoy their food at the end of an unduly long interval of time after having ordered food. Remember, everybody is hard pressed for time these days.

Unhappy customers could be disastrous for any kind of business. You had everything ready but the customer was made to wait, just because the dishes took too long to get washed and cleaned. This could easily be avoided by have right sized sink in your place.

In conclusion, the two most important factors that you need to consider while buying a sink for your food business are its quality, that saves you recurring expense and time and its size so that the customers are nor kept waiting for long for want of clean dishes. Taking care of these two points helps you and your customers who’ll keep visiting you repeatedly.