Posted by Rachel Schwartz on 10/2/2019 to
Bars
Compartment sinks are perhaps the most popular as they can be used for food prep and scrapping in addition to cleaning and soaking dishes. How much you can do with a compartment sink however, depends entirely on how many compartments you opt to get. One-compartment sinks are popular for the quick tasks--rinsing food, filling up pots, draining colanders, etc. Two-compartments allow for an additional space that can be used for cleaning some of the smaller kitchen essentials. Three-compartment sinks are, more often than not, required by health departments as each compartment can be utilized for a more thorough cleaning process (one compartment each for washing, rinsing, and sanitizing). Any of these can be ordered with or without drainboards, splash guards, and faucets.
Soak sinks, as their name might suggest, are used to soak silverware or other smallwares prior to washing. Most of these sinks are mounted on legs making them portable and ideal for a variety of dining and kitchen layouts.
Drop-in sinks and undermount sinks are both ones that are installed in existing tables or counters. The difference between the two is that a drop-in sink is installed from above the cutout, creating a rim or lip on top of the counter or table, while an undermount sink is installed from below the cutout, creating a seamless transition from counter surface to sink. Drop-in style sinks are popular in residential homes. Backsplashes, side splashes, and various sizes and shapes are all customizable when ordering a drop-in or undermount sink.
Ideal for underbar areas, bar sinks are useful for everything from washing dishes to washing hands, to emptying drinks. These sinks are specially built to be lower in height so that they can easily fit underneath a bar or countertop. Bar sinks typically have the same options as compartment sinks with a few additional add-ons available that are specific to bar situations. Two such add-on options include an insulated ice chest and a waste chute located in front of the sink.
There are sinks specifically designed for soaking utensils or throwing away leftover food and drink so it makes sense that there would also be a sink specifically designed for whoever is in charge of cleaning up. Mop sinks, designed for making dumping and cleaning mop buckets and other cleaning tools easy, can be installed directly into the floor or mounted on legs. However, mop sinks installed in the floor will not have built-in areas for the faucet while most mounted models have faucet cutouts. Side splashes and drop-front designs are optional add-ons.
The last commercial sink type--and possible the most important one to have in a commercial kitchen setting--is the hand sink. FDA food codes mandate professional food service environments have at least one sink that is used exclusively for washing your hands--thus, the hand sink. While it should be strategically placed so that it can be easily accessed by employees prior to handling food or after a smoke or bathroom break, the sink itself can be located almost anywhere in the kitchen. A hand sink can be mounted to a wall, placed on a pedestal base, or even fit into an existing counter to table. The only stipulation with this, however, is that side splash mounts are required by code if the sink is located near any food prep areas.
