Making a Splash

Kohler

It seems as if so many of our appliances and gadgets these days are doing double duty. Our cellphones serve as mini-computers and cameras, and our refrigerators are also filtered-water dispensers. So, it comes as little surprise that sink-makers now tout new lines of bundled or optional accessories that turn kitchen sinks into food-prep surfaces, drying racks and thawing pads.

Meanwhile, formerly premium faucet features, such as pause buttons that temporarily shut down water flow so the water goes only to where you want it, have come down in price to the point where you can make a splash without dowsing your savings.

LETTING IT SINK IN. Custom kitchen sink add-ons, such as a drain tray or rinse basket, have been available as options for some time. But about half of today’s manufacturers include at least a few lines of sinks that come bundled with accessories and start at $500. One company making both the sinks and accessories means that the added features slide snugly and smoothly into place on a ledge and that they complement the style of a particular model of sink—aftermarket versions sometimes jiggle back and forth. And these accessories are aimed at both efficiency and appearance. Bottom grids that give you an elevated surface on which to rest kitchen items might give your arms or back a break while preventing scratches on the sink’s surface, and baskets that hold dishes or silverware for rinsing allow you to fill a sink compartment for maximum use.  

Although sinks that come bundled with accessories can add as much as 15 percent to the price of similar sinks that don’t have accessories, buying a bundled package could save you as much as 25 percent of the total cost of buying each component separately. Typical savings are 15 percent to 20 percent.

Elkay’s Gourmet Workshelf sink, which was introduced in May 2009, is the most notable model that is on the market. It incorporates accessories at a different level inside of the sink. Dimples that are 4 inches below the top of the sink in the sink’s side wall can be used to support a sink grid (similar to a bottom grid but not, obviously, placed at the bottom of the sink). The platform creates a more comfortable height for a work surface when compared with having to reach to the bottom of the sink, while it still leaves room for food prep. This comfort comes at a costly premium, however. The added depth and accessories bring a double-bowl sink up to $1,150 from $970.

STICK YOUR NECK OUT. For those who believe that design is neck and neck in importance with getting the job done when it comes to sinks, we have some good news. Stylish high-arc pull-down kitchen faucets that typically stretch up to 16 inches tall have moved into the mass market in recent years. Two years ago, when we last reviewed these products, high-arc faucets carried price tags of $500 or more and mostly were found in high-end specialty stores. Today, you can have your pick of high-arc pull-down models at prices that start below $100 at your local big-box retailer.

But the high-arc look isn’t the only faucet-design development that has moved into economy-price territory. Finishes that feature weathered or distressed looks, such as oil-rubbed bronze, can be found on faucets that cost as little as $100 and in high-arc faucets at just over $200. Two years ago, the latter faucets were priced above $500.

A similar price shift has taken place for the pause button, which allows you to interrupt the faucet spray and pull the spray head out of the sink to fill up a pot or vase. (This button is located next to the spray adjustment button on a pull-down faucet’s spray head.) Faucets that have the pause button are available on most new kitchen faucets from major manufacturers and cost as little as $160. Two years ago, those models typically cost more than $350.