Basic requirements for a modern kitchen

Original design, compliance interior style space and practicality are the three main requirements for a modern kitchen. Its ability to match them, in turn, depends on the quality of the materials used for decoration and equipment, as well as the equipment installed. Particular attention should be paid to the work surface and sink, which largely determine the appearance of the headset and the kitchen as a whole.

The main varieties of countertops

The most stylish and practical solution for a modern kitchen are artificial stone countertopsalso sometimes called composite. Thanks to a combination of a number of outstanding operational characteristics, they almost replaced all the others. Only natural stone products can compete with them in terms of wear resistance and appearance, but their cost will be significantly higher

All composite countertops are hydrophobic, i.e. do not absorb moisture, are resistant to most detergents and the effects of fats. Moreover, depending on the filler used and the manufacturing technology, they may acquire additional properties.

The most widely used are two types of products - acrylic and quartz. The main advantage of the first, made from a mixture of minerals and acrylic resin, is the ease of thermoforming the material at the manufacturing stage. This allows you to make countertops of almost any shape, including, by individual order and realize the wildest fantasies of the designer. For example, a countertop can smoothly transition into a wall panel, bar counter, window sill and even form a single unit with a sink from the same material. In addition, in this case, a very wide palette of color solutions is available.

At quartz countertops their advantage is that they are much closer in characteristics to natural stone, therefore they are distinguished by higher strength and resistance to thermal and chemical influences. In particular, they allow you to put dishes just removed from a hot stove directly onto a work surface without a stand. Scratching a quartz countertop, unlike an acrylic one, is much more difficult, and boiling water can be poured into a granite sink without first opening the faucet with cold water. It should be borne in mind that forming and transporting products from quartz agglomerate is not easy, and complex solutions are not suitable for them. With a long length, a quartz work surface, unlike acrylic, will not be seamless.

Installation options for kitchen sinks and compatibility with waste shredders

Kitchen sink usually selected according to the color and texture of the countertops, although in some cases it makes sense to add a little contrast by choosing an accessory from a different material and a different shade. Acrylic sinks can be mortise and molded together with the countertop, composite ones are always a separate product placed in a hole previously made in the working surface.

If desired, a composite sink can also be glued inside the countertops. However, it is almost impossible to do this at home, since it will be necessary to make a perfectly accurate cutout, after which, using a special composition, close the seam. It should also be borne in mind that if you plan to install a heavy waste shredder in the sink, constant vibration can cause separation of the sink and countertop.

Fortunately, the latter problem is easily solved by competent choice of a disposer.

One of the two leading manufacturers of waste shredders - the American concern Anaheim Marketing International (brand Bone Crusher), took into account current trends and mistakes of the technology's founder - Emerson (brand InSinkErator). As a result, when creating products under the Bone Crusher brand, emphasis was placed on high rotation speed, and laser balancing of the engine allowed to minimize the vibration created by the device. Shredders Bone Crusher also have a small weight, which in combination with the above properties makes it possible to install them on any type of kitchen sinks.