Sinks

Stainless steel kitchen sinks, and the specs that matter

These are stainless steel kitchen sinks from Hardware Resources, filed alongside cabinet hardware since they're part of the same kitchen remodel most buyers here are planning. The lineup runs from undermount and drop-in styles to farmhouse apron-front sinks, in single-bowl and double-bowl layouts, with steel gauges ranging from 16 to 20. Handmade models get called out separately from standard stamped ones, since the hand-formed corners on a handmade sink hold up differently over years of use.

Undermount, drop-in, or farmhouse

Undermount sinks mount beneath the counter for a clean edge with no visible lip, the standard choice with a solid-surface or stone countertop. Drop-in sinks rest on top of the counter cutout instead, which works with laminate counters that can't support an undermount's weight along the cut edge. Farmhouse or apron-front sinks expose the front face of the sink below the counter's edge, which means the surrounding cabinet needs to be built or modified specifically for it.

Gauge, bowl count, and sizing

• Lower gauge numbers mean thicker steel: 16 gauge is heavier and more dent-resistant than 18 or 20 gauge.
• Double-bowl sinks split into 50/50 or 60/40 configurations, the second giving one bowl more room for larger pots.
• Measure your cabinet's interior width before ordering, since a farmhouse sink in particular needs the cabinet built to its exact dimensions.

Matching the sink to the cabinet

An undermount or drop-in sink is more forgiving of small dimension differences than a farmhouse sink, which has to line up exactly with a cutout in the cabinet face. If you're replacing an existing sink rather than starting a full remodel, matching the current mounting style avoids reworking the countertop cutout or the cabinet face itself. A double-bowl layout also needs a wider cabinet opening than a single bowl of the same overall length, so check the base cabinet's width before settling on a bowl configuration.