It is quite easy to get bewildered among all of the options that are available in the case of sinks. There are a plethora of manufacturers that are offering a different style of sinks that are of different materials.
However, not all of them are going to be equally durable, and not all of them will be able to last for an extended amount of time.
Looking through all of them, you might ask yourself what type of kitchen sink is most durable. And we are here to answer that question.
We will go through each of the popular sink materials that are out there and give you brief information about them. Hopefully, by the end, you will have a clear idea about which one is the most durable and ideal for your type of workspace.
As we mentioned above, we are going to provide you the information about the most popular materials that are used for sinks. So, we sorted it out according to popularity. Have a look:
Stainless Steel
It goes without saying that stainless steel is the most popular sink material. You will find these in most of the home kitchens, restaurants, and many other cooking places.
One of the reasons behind all this popularity is because of being affordable. The starting point of these sinks is 100 dollars. There are high-end ones that are in the 500 dollars range.
Other than affordability, the other factor that makes them this popular is the outlooks. Stainless steel blends well with every type of kitchenwares. You will have no issues at all in case of matching them with your other materials like plates and kitchen utensils. The stainless steel surface is easy to clean too and you can even paint them.
However, if we are talking about sturdiness, the entry-level ones are not going to be able to offer you a substantial amount of durability. The ones that come with a 16 gauge to 18 gauge steel construction will be able to provide you that.
Alongside that, the 300 series ones will also provide other structural functionalities. As those contain a little amount of nickel and chromium, they will be able to prevent corrosion and will be able to withstand high temperatures. However, they are going to be a little pricy in comparison.
The durability score we would give stainless steel sinks that are of 300 series 16 gauge to 18 gauge: Average.
Cast Iron
Let us move on to the second star of the show, the cast iron sinks. As most of them will come with porcelain or enamel coating on the surface, they are also known as porcelain or enamel sinks.
Because of this coating, they tend to be heavier than the stainless steel ones. And with this heft, they are also relatively more durable than them.
Because of the coating, they will come in a wide range of colors and shapes. So, if you want a metal sinks but do not want a bland metallic-looking outlook, these are the ones that you need to get.
Alongside that, the coating also increases the resistivity of extreme heat. That means they will be able to withstand cold and hot temperatures exceptionally well.
However, there is a catch. The porcelain ones are prone to damages, and you will be able to scuff up the surface using sharp objects easily. On the other hand, the enamel ones usually have the same outlooks, but they tend to be a little less rugged and also less expensive than the porcelain ones.
The durability score that we would give good quality porcelain cast iron sink: Good.
Copper
The copper sinks are the least popular ones in the metal category. However, they are still picked over stainless steel and cast iron sinks for the wide variety of patinas that they offer. These look exceptionally elegant and blends well with the traditional style kitchens.
As they come with a hammered surface, they can offer an old-fashioned feel in the kitchen. The other key factor that makes these stand out is the natural ability to kill germs. They can kill off 99.9 percent of germs and bacterias from the surface. That means you will not have to clean them that often.
However, without proper sealing on the surface, they will not be able to prevent rust and corrosion that cast iron and stainless steel sinks can. If the one that you are shooting for does not have that seal, you will have to polish it with wax frequently.
On that note, the higher quality ones are not entirely of copper. They will have one percent of zinc in them. The range of the decent ones will be 14 gauge to 18 gauge, and those will start at around 600 dollars, which is comparatively a bit expensive than cast iron.
The durability score that we would give to copper sinks that are of 18 gauge: Above Average.
Granite Composite
Apart from all the metal sinks, there are granite composite sinks in the market. These are the luxurious picks for most of the elegant kitchens. They look exceptionally well and will inevitably boost your kitchen aesthetics if you get one of them and install it on your countertop.
Other than just being exceptionally good looking, they are also exceptionally durable. Most of the high-end granite sinks are directly made from the natural rocks. They do not have any sort of bonding or joints in them. Because of this one-piece construction, they can offer an extended overall lifespan.
However, you will also stumble upon granite sinks that are of 80 percent of stone and will have a 20 percent of resin in them. On the other hand, there are quarts composite ones that are a tad below in the case of durability.
Other than that, the high-quality granite ones will also be able to resist temperature exceptionally well. They are also resistant to chipping, which means you will not have to worry about the outlooks getting degraded over the time period.
The durability score that we would give to decent quality granite sink: Excellent.
Final Words
We hope that we were able to cover the most popular sink materials that are available in the market. Alongside that, we also hope that we were able to answer your what type of kitchen sink is the most durable question.
In a nutshell, the most durable one would be the ones that are of single-piece granite construction. It is then followed up with cast iron sinks, then copper, and then stainless steel.
With that, we would like to conclude here by wishing you good luck and hoping that you can choose one of the sinks that will fulfill all your demands and lasts for an extended amount of time.