Your kitchen sink plays a critical role in your kitchen. Whether you are washing dishes or rinsing vegetables, the process would be much more complicated without the luxury of a kitchen sink. However, choosing the perfect sink for your kitchen can be tricky, especially considering the abundance of choices on the market.
Kitchen sinks are available in multiple materials, such as fireclay, quartz, copper, stainless steel, and so on. This article will compare quartz, and stainless steel sinks to help you determine if one of these materials is the right choice for your kitchen.
Quartz Kitchen Sinks
Quartz kitchen sinks are composed of thick stone and an acrylic polymer resin mixture. Quartz is a natural stone consisting of quartz crystals and sandstone combined through eons of heat and pressure. It is crushed and mixed in an 80/20 ratio with a unique acrylic emulsion. The combination of the two creates a durable, attractive sink.
Quartz sinks have a non-porous coating that kills and prevents the development of up to 98 percent of bacteria, algae, mildew, and mold spores. This aspect makes quartz an excellent choice for kitchen sinks, as you don’t run the risk of creating a petri dish in your kitchen sink.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of A Quartz Sink?
Pros
- Durable and long-lasting: These sinks will last many years with proper care and can easily withstand daily use.
- Scratch, stain, and heat resistant: These sinks can tolerate high heat levels and are pretty scratch and stain-resistant.
- Hygienic: Stainless steel and quartz are very similar in terms of porousness. Both are non-porous, allowing them to resist the growth of various types of bacteria and other undesirable things. Because bacteria can’t develop quickly on the solid surface of quartz, it is considerably more odor-resistant than other sink materials that may be porous.
- Quieter: Quartz is significantly quieter than other sink materials, namely stainless steel. Although dropping dishes in the sink, especially when there is other stuff in the sink, is sure to make somewhat of a clatter, it is nowhere near as loud as dropping dishes in a stainless steel sink.
- Easy to clean: The non-porous nature of quartz sinks makes them incredibly easy to clean.
- Versatile: These sinks are available in numerous models, styles, and colors to suit the aesthetic tastes of all kinds of customers.
- Heavy duty: Quartz sinks are known for their long-lasting durability.
Cons
- Expensive: While quartz sinks are considerably cheaper than other materials, like fireclay, they are more costly than stainless steel. Generally, high-quality quartz sinks will cost you more than a few hundred dollars.
- May chip if heavy dishes are dropped in the sink (though highly unlikely): Quartz sinks are very similar to stone. However, they are prone to abrasion with repeated abuse at the hands of heavy dishes dropping into the bottom.
- Hard on dishes: If you accidentally drop fragile items in your quartz sink, they may break, given the hard, unforgiving surface of the sink. Always be careful when washing delicate, fragile dishes or items in a quartz sink, as they may break or shatter if you drop them.
- Dark colors may fade: Dark quartz sinks may fade in color over time. While the sink material itself is known for longevity, the dark finish may subside over time after repeated contact with dishes and scrubbing.
- Limited finish options: Quartz may be available in numerous colors, but it generally is only available in matte finishes. If a high-gloss sink is what you’re searching for, quartz may not be the best choice for you. Additionally, while quartz sinks are available in several solid colors, patterns aren’t typically available.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQS)
Do quartz sinks crack easily?
No, they don’t crack easily. Quartz is exceptionally durable, making it resistant to cracks, stains, scratches, and heat.
Are composite sinks durable?
Yes, as we mentioned in the last answer, composites are typically incredibly durable and will last many years. Quartz sinks are usually made with an 80/20 ratio of stone to filler. Lower stone ratio sinks are not as durable, so when choosing a quartz composite sink, go for one with a higher stone-to-filler ratio.
What are the common quartz composite sink problems?
Quartz composite sinks are usually unproblematic for the most part. However, they are typically limited to minor, repairable problems, such as small stains or shallow scratches, when issues do occur.
What’s the difference: granite composite vs. composite quartz?
Granite composite and quartz composite are two common sink materials. They are both composed of ground natural stone (granite or quartz) and some sort of filler. Granite is porous while quartz isn’t, making quartz an excellent choice for kitchen sinks.
The primary difference between the two is the base of the material. Evidently, granite composite sinks are made of ground granite and resin filler, while composite quartz sinks are made of ground quartz and acrylic filler.
Granite sinks, like quartz sinks, are exceptionally durable and heat and scratch-resistant. Granite is made up of several minerals, including quartz, mica, and feldspar. The natural state of the stone is denser than quartz alone, making it more durable than quartz composite.
Stainless Steel Kitchen Sinks
Stainless steel consists of low-carbon steel combined with a chromium content of a minimum of 10.5 percent by weight. Chromium adds corrosion resistance, distinctive stainless nature, and increased mechanical qualities.
The fancy thing about stainless steel sinks is that the chromium concentration enables the development of an invisible, adherent, corrosion-resistant chromium oxide coating. The thin film is self-healing, meaning that regardless of whether it is mechanically or chemically damaged, it can repair itself as long as it has access to oxygen.
What Are The Pros And Cons Of A Stainless Steel Sink?
Pros
- Rust-resistant: One of the most appealing features of stainless steel sinks is rust resistance. The steel alloy has excellent corrosion resistance, which is ideal for kitchen sinks, especially considering their constant exposure to water.
- Hygienic: Porous sink materials can allow the growth of bacteria and other unpleasant things to take hold. However, the sleek, non-porous surface of stainless steel prevents such occurrences.
- Versatile: This compound is malleable, allowing it to take various shapes.
- High heat resistance: Stainless steel can withstand up to 1,700 degrees Fahrenheit. The exceptionally high heat resistance is more than sufficient for day-to-day use.
- Lightweight: The strength-to-weight ratio of this compound is excellent, allowing it to be lightweight but rugged.
- Easy to install: Its lightweight nature makes sinks made of it easy to install.
- Durable: Stainless steel can easily withstand having plates, dishes, and pans dropped into it, all without breaking.
- Inexpensive: Stainless steel is a highly popular choice due to its affordable, lightweight, and durable nature.
- Several finish options available: Although stainless steel sinks are only available in a single color, you do have the choice of several different finishes. They are available in a glossy, mirror-like finish, as well as matte, brushed, satin (which is slightly less shiny than the mirror finish), and a textured finish (which is hard to clean).
Cons
- No alternative color options: Stainless steel sinks solely come in silver, so you don’t get a wide array of choices like you may get with other sink materials.
- Not entirely stain-resistant: Although stainless steel is highly durable, hard water deposits will still happily take up residence on the sink. However, the fix is easy: simply use a vinegar-based solution to combat the issue.
- Prone to scratches: You may scratch the sink if you use abrasive cleaners or scrubbers. Stainless steel sinks have a grain or pattern on them, and if you rub the sink with an abrasive against the grain, you may ruin its looks.
- Noisy: These sinks are not particularly quiet. It can be very loud if you drop dishes in the sink, even with the dampening pads installed or rubber mats in the bottom.
Quartz vs. Stainless Steel
Quartz and stainless steel are both exceptional material choices for the perfect kitchen sink to effortlessly meet and exceed your expectations. Both options are hygienic, non-porous, heat resistant, and durable. From there, they both exhibit unique perks, such as quartz’s stain-resistant surface or the lightweight nature of stainless steel.
These materials are available in a number of different modern designs. Before you choose the perfect product for your kitchen, ensure you analyze each different angle of each sink material, and doing so will help you make the best choice for your kitchen.
Is A Quartz Or Stainless Steel Sink Better?
The best kitchen sink material falls to your personal preferences and needs of your kitchen. Both stainless steel and quartz are excellent choices, but you’ll have to base your decisions on your preferences. For example, if you prefer a glossy finish, stainless steel sinks are the better choice.
On the other hand, if quartz’s quiet, easy-to-clean nature sounds more appealing to you, then go with quartz. Note that quartz sinks tend to be more expensive than stainless steel sinks, but both are still great choices for their own reasons.
I have not noticed that quartz is particularly more expensive than stainless steel. There are expensive stainless steel sinks and there are expensive quartz sinks.
I would agree however, that there are quartz sinks selling for much more than most stainless steel. But in my opinion, they are simply overpriced versions for people with more money than brains.