Buying Sinks for Restaurants
Sinks are major components of every commercial kitchen, from small cafes to bustling restaurants, every kitchen and food preparation area needs one. Sinks can be used for three tasks; washing hands, washing and/or preparing food, and washing utensils, equipment and cookware. A different type of sink is needed for each task to ensure maximum hygiene and efficiency is achieved through every service.
Meat and produce shouldn’t be washed or prepared in the same sink that you clean dishes in, so as to avoid cross contamination, so double bowl sinks with double drainers are available to help you speed up food prep and maintain strict hygiene standards. Specialist hand washing sinks are perfectly designed for use in commercial kitchens, featuring knee operated taps and stainless steel materials that are easy to clean.
Construction and Materials
Material
Sinks for restaurant kitchens are made from stainless steel, as this is the most hygienic and durable of metals. Stainless steel is easy to clean and is extremely hardwearing, giving it the resilience needed to withstand constant use in commercial kitchens. However, there are two type of stainless steel used; type 430 and type 304 stainless steel.
304 stainless steel, also known as 18/8 or 18/10, has a protective layer against oxidization (rusting) that makes it perfectly suited to use in food preparation and service areas. This is the most common type of stainless steel used when making kitchen equipment, tables and sinks as it’s the most hygienic and durable.
Buying Guide: Visit our guide to stainless steel for more information on the properties of and how to care for stainless steel sinks.
Fully Assembled or Flat Packed?
Another factor you should consider when purchasing a sink for your kitchen is whether you want it to be delivered flat packed, so you can assemble it yourself, or delivered fully assembled to slot straight into place. The benefits of buying a flat packed sink are that they are generally cheaper, as you have to carry out some of the labour yourself, and they can be brought into compact spaces and assembled in place.
If you want to buy a fully assembled sink you’ll need to make sure you have a clear path to its position in your kitchen; narrow corridors or small doors will make it extremely hard, if not impossible, to get a fully assembled sink into place. Fully assembled sinks are usually fully welded at the joints, making them more durable and hardwearing.
| Fully Assembled | Flat Packed | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Pros | Cons | Pros | Cons |
| Often welded for extra strength and durability | Generally costs more | Easy to install into small areas | Generally less durable as joints aren’t welded |
| More stress resistance at joints | Hard to get into small areas or through small doors | Generally cheaper as you have to build it | Building can be time consuming |
| Delivery can cost more as it’s a large item | Delivery tends to be cheaper as package is smaller | ||
| Can be taken apart and reassembled to move or store | |||
What Sinks Does Your Commercial Kitchen Need?
Getting the correct sinks for your cafe or restaurant kitchen is crucial to ensuring you maintain a professional level of hygiene and reduce the risk of cross contamination throughout your business. Your kitchen will need:
- Sinks for hand washing
- Sinks for preparing and/or washing food
- Sinks for cleaning utensils, cookware and other kitchen equipment used when preparing food
You may also need pot wash sinks for larger cooking vessels. These sinks are specially designed for pots, with deep bowls that make it easy to submerge and clean even the biggest of saucepans or stock pots.
The quantity of each type of sink will vary depending on the size of your kitchen and number of staff, but meat and produce should not be washed or prepared in the same sink, so ensure you have multiple sinks if you are preparing different type of food. Hand wash sinks are a must for every kitchen, regardless of size, as these are designed for use before and after food preparation, as well as when leaving and entering the kitchen.
Infographic: Find out why hand washing is crucial in commercial kitchens.
Buying Guide: It's best to clean crockery, cutlery and glassware in warewashing machines.
What Size Sink Do You Need?
The size of the sink you’ll require will entirely depend on the size and output of your kitchen. Small cafes won’t need a large double drainer and double bowl sink, as it will take up a large amount of space and won’t be used to its full potential. Whereas a large restaurant kitchen might need one or two of these larger sink units.
Many kitchen sink units have undershelves for storage, helping you to make the most of every bit of space in your kitchen or food prep area, but consider where the sink is going to be as undershelves can hinder plumbing or actually reduce space if you want to store large items under your tables and sinks.
Article: Once you’ve picked the perfect sink you’ll need to consider the workflow through your kitchen, visit our article on the Golden Triangle to find out how.