As kitchens trend bigger and cooking increasingly becomes a family affair, it’s maybe no surprise that many homeowners are starting to install a second kitchen sink. Having two sinks simplifies many tasks in a very large kitchen, and makes it possible for more than one person to do prep work (or dishes!) comfortably at the same time. But if you’re stuck choosing between adding a second full sized sink and adding a petite bar or prep sink instead, it might be worth considering a third option: a trough sink.
What Is A Trough Sink?
Trough sinks are long, narrow sinks that slope towards a drain, either in the middle or at one end or the other. These sinks are only about as deep as a prep sink, so they aren’t a great choice if you want to be able to wash dishes in your second sink. But because they’re so much wider than your average prep sink (and in some cases even wider than a standard kitchen sink) they’re perfect for multiple people doing prep work side by side.
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A Sink To Share
When installed in the middle of a kitchen island, a trough sink turns the whole surface into a usable prep space. You can access the sink easily from all sides, which makes it simple to wash up or dispose of kitchen waste, no matter where you’re standing or sitting. This is a great setup for a family that cooks together; you can have several people working at the same time without competing for sink space. Better still, even though a very long trough sink might take up the whole center of the island, they’re narrow enough that they won’t get in the way of anyone sitting and eating on either side.
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Save Yourself A Trip Around Your Island
If your kitchen island is particularly large, placing a slim sink down the middle might not be viable, particularly if your counter is so large that people wouldn’t be able to reach the sink comfortably from either side. Instead, consider installing a trough sink crosswise along the narrower part of the island. While you won’t be able to access the sink from all sides, you’ll at least be able to use it on both the inside and outside of the kitchen, and potentially from one side of the island. This is especially nice in a very large kitchen, where you’d rather not have to walk all the way around the island to get to the main sink.
Trough Sinks: The Classiest Drink Cooler
Trough sinks are pretty great for entertainers, too. If you fill a trough sink with ice, it’s the perfect place to stash canned or bottled drinks for a party; you get cold drinks in an easy-to-reach spot, and ice that melts right down the drain – no muss, no fuss! This can be a nice alternative to (or addition to!) a wine refrigerator or beverage cooler, as it’s an amazingly simple way to keep a decent number of drinks close at hand and ready to serve.
Find The Right Shape For Your Space
Most trough style sinks are perfectly straight, but there are models out there that add a little curve to these long, straight sinks. These are great for slightly smaller or less conventionally shaped kitchen islands, and work particularly well at the far end of a kitchen island, where you can access it from three sides of the island. While these might not be the same kind of centerpiece that straight trough sinks are, they do make for a much more accessible prep area without taking up much more of your counter space than a standard bar sink.
Scale Your Sink Up Or Down
You can also find trough-style sinks in much smaller sizes. These make a great alternative to a more traditional bar sink when you need a faucet and a drain but don’t have a ton of space to spare. Their rectangular shape gives them a stylishly unconventional look and somewhat more versatile footprint than your average squat square or circular bar sinks. Because they’re so narrow, they take up very little space, which means you’re able to add basic functionality just about anywhere in your kitchen.
Weighing the pros and cons of adding a second sink to your kitchen? While a full second sink or traditional prep sink might not meet your needs, a less conventional trough sink might be exactly what your island is missing.
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