Sink inserts/grids? How do we feel about them?

[ktgrok]

My new sink - a 70/30 split that is nice and deep, came with a grid for the bottom of each side, as well as some covers that allow water to drain down the drain, but prevent you from seeing the drain. I'm not sure how I feel about any of this new fangled stuff, lol! The drain cover for the side with the disposal is not in the sink because hello - can't put anything down the disposal with it there! I'm testing out the one on the other side. 

Thoughts? This seems like something the Hive would have strong opinions on! 

Oh - and this one has smooth feet on the bottom that do not look hard to clean, nor are there a lot of grooves anywhere, if that matters. 

[Clarita]

My those are it's just more to clean. It's just a sink.

If I'm cleaning something that might scrap (like the cast iron) then I have a cheapo flexible plastic thing to protect the sink from scratches. I remove it if I'm not cleaning the cast iron and I might stick it in with the other handwashed items to clean it off.

[ktgrok]

3 minutes ago, Clarita said:

it's just more to clean. 

 

Ok, that was my first thought as well. My DH thought all this stuff was so cool - but he's not the one doing most of the dishes, lol. 

[KSera]

With a split sink (what material?) I always found that a protector for the divider was most important because that’s what would get knocked into by pots and pans. The one on the bottom just made cleaning the sink more difficult. If the sink was stainless steel, I wouldn’t bother with any of it.  

[ktgrok]

2 minutes ago, KSera said:

With a split sink (what material?) I always found that a protector for the divider was most important because that’s what would get knocked into by pots and pans. The one on the bottom just made cleaning the sink more difficult. If the sink was stainless steel, I wouldn’t bother with any of it.  

Yup, stainless. 

[Clarita]

2 minutes ago, KSera said:

With a split sink (what material?) I always found that a protector for the divider was most important because that’s what would get knocked into by pots and pans. The one on the bottom just made cleaning the sink more difficult. If the sink was stainless steel, I wouldn’t bother with any of it.  

Same. Mine is epoxy granite stuff it's the only reason I even think about protecting it when I clean the cast iron. 

[Jean in Newcastle]

I love my sink grid.  But it does not block the drain in any way.  It protects my dishes from breakage and lets things float down to the drain catcher unimpeded.  I can easily lift out and clean the drain catcher.  I do have to clean it and the sink but that's part of cleaning a kitchen. 

[theelfqueen]

Some sinks are made of materials more likely to be damaged by a dropped pan or heavy item. I think the grids are supposed to protect them from that. Otherwise just more to clean. 

[livetoread]

I have a large single stainless steel sink that came with a big grid with a cut out for the drain. I liked it but couldn't fit it in the dishwasher because it was too big. I ended up buying two smaller ones that fit on either side of the drain and I've used them for years. I give them a going over with a scrubbing brush before sticking them in the dishwasher because they don't seem to get perfectly clean otherwise, but that's the only hassle. They protect the sink which did get a couple of minor scratches before I got them.

[ksr5377]

We have a large single stainless sink with the piece that was too large for the dishwasher as well.  After about 2 years I think we threw it away.  It's a sink.  I don't find it necessary for the inside of it to be scratch free. When it was all cleaned up and empty it looked nice, but for our actual lives it just didn't work. 

[Paige]

It was too large for our dishwasher and impossible to keep the underside's nooks and crannies clean without a toothbrush. I liked how it worked in the sink but we tossed it. If it was a split sink and maybe small enough to run through the dishwasher every once in a while it could be nice. 

[Forget-Me-Not]

I love the grid. I didn’t think I would. My sink is composite so it protects it from silverware marks and I love that I can set a hot-from-the-stove pan on the grid without worrying about damaging the sink. I just ran them through the dishwasher this weekend and they came out fine. 
 

ETA: mine has cutouts for the drains. 

Edited March 29, 2023 by Forget-Me-Not

[Tree Frog]

Our stainless steel sink didn't come with grids and i wish I'd purchased some. I now have a dent in the bottom of my 70% side sink. Scratching and staining haven't been a problem for me.

[Pippen]

Sink grids? I had no idea. For several years I've been using a cooling rack at the bottom of mine because my cat would go fishing around in the garbage disposal in hopes of coming up with a snack. That was bad enough, but once  I forgot to put it in and he got a claw stuck. Eventually he worked it free, but it was scary.

Off to check out the real sink grid deal.

[Alte Veste Academy]

I have a Kohler Whitehaven sink (one large tub) that came with a rack and love it so much! I don’t think I’d like the things you’re describing that block the drain/disposal because I’d have to be moving it all the time. But with the rack (I’m thinking what you’re calling a grid maybe?), the wires are spaced widely enough that most anything I’d put down the disposal just goes right through to the sink bottom and flows right to the drain. I use a lot of heavy cast iron pots, and the rack is strong enough to support them, and I don’t scuff my sink. Surprisingly, stuff doesn’t get stuck in the feet, and they don’t stain either, although I do soak the whole shebang in a little bleach water every now and then to sanitize.

This is what I have.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/KOHLER-Whitehaven-5826-and-5827-Sink-Bowl-Rack-in-Stainless-Steel-K-6449-ST/204660276

 

Edited March 29, 2023 by Alte Veste Academy

[Annie G]

I wouldn’t like it covering the drain. Mine has a cutout there so I can easily reach them, which I do ALL the time….to plug or unplug the drain when I hand wash, or to empty the little basket on the other side that catches debris. 
I thought I would hate the grates but I love them.  

[MEmama]

9 hours ago, Pippen said:

Sink grids? I had no idea. For several years I've been using a cooling rack at the bottom of mine because my cat would go fishing around in the garbage disposal in hopes of coming up with a snack. That was bad enough, but once  I forgot to put it in and he got a claw stuck. Eventually he worked it free, but it was scary.

Off to check out the real sink grid deal.

We had to keep a cover over our sink because the kitten liked to go in the sink and drink gross water and eat/ play with whatever was in the compost bowl. It was such a pain, but she finally grew out of it recently.

I hope you find a good (easy!) solution to keep your kitty safe!

[LostSurprise]

This is timely for me. 

We've been in a tug-o-war over this issue since we got our 70/30 sink a few years ago. DH loves it. Loves the look of it. Likes to set cast iron pans on it. I refuse to pick the disgusting thing up and scrub it daily with a brush so the bottom of the sink is now disgusting. If he would scrub the sink daily or every other day, I wouldn't care if it was there or not. 

This is our 3rd or 4th go-round on this issue. In the past I eventually got fed up waiting for him to clean it, bleached everything to oblivion, and hid the rack under the sink for big cleaning episodes. It stays hidden until dh comes across it some day and forgets the emotional impact of the last time we went through this process. 

Seriously, we talked about this 2 weeks ago. He still put the rack back in and the sink is disgusting.  

[MEmama]

7 minutes ago, LostSurprise said:

This is timely for me. 

We've been in a tug-o-war over this issue since we got our 70/30 sink a few years ago. DH loves it. Loves the look of it. Likes to set cast iron pans on it. I refuse to pick the disgusting thing up and scrub it daily with a brush so the bottom of the sink is now disgusting. If he would scrub the sink daily or every other day, I wouldn't care if it was there or not. 

This is our 3rd or 4th go-round on this issue. In the past I eventually got fed up waiting for him to clean it, bleached everything to oblivion, and hid the rack under the sink for big cleaning episodes. It stays hidden until dh comes across it some day and forgets the emotional impact of the last time we went through this process. 

Seriously, we talked about this 2 weeks ago. He still put the rack back in and the sink is disgusting.  

We have a lot of those issues in our house. DH wants to get our main bathroom renoed and likes the most impossible to clean surfaces. Nope nope nope--I know who cleans around here and I'm having nothing of it. I have far too many regrets letting him make decisions he never followed up on. 
 

At this point I'd probably throw the grid thing out. I'm just so over it. 

[Pippen]

10 hours ago, Tree Frog said:

Our stainless steel sink didn't come with grids and i wish I'd purchased some. I now have a dent in the bottom of my 70% side sink. Scratching and staining haven't been a problem for me.

Are the newer stainless sinks not as durable as older stainless sinks?  I have an early 70's sink that has had heavy use and it's not dented at all. There is scratching from normal use but I don't care about that. 

This thread and the glass stovetop thread are really making me think about redoing my kitchen. It very much needs a makeover, but what was put in there in the early 70's has lasted. Even the laminate  butcherblock countertop is still in really good shape.

As for cleaning the sink and cooling rack aka grid, I spray it every day or so with diluted Lysol lemon multipurpose cleaner and give it a good scrub once a week. Same as I did before the rack.

[Jean in Newcastle]

Cleaning the sink and rack is so easy if you make it part of your routine. Every time we empty the sink of dishes (whether it’s loading the dishwasher or doing dishes in the sink, we finish by lifting the rack, spraying the rack and sink to get off any debri and then wiping them with a paper towel or sponge. It is a habit that literally takes seconds. I don’t often have to do a deeper scrub of the sink or rack because it doesn’t get gross or slimy. I do bleach the area if raw meat etc has been around it. 

[Alte Veste Academy]

Yeah, the racks can go in the dishwasher, too. I’ve done that before. 

I spend approximately 36 hours a day in the kitchen, so it’s mine, and I keep it how I want it. LOL 

Maybe I’m weird though (and a little gross? LOL), but even when I clean the sink, I mentally file it in the category of a constantly contaminated surface because of everything that goes in there (thinking about raw meat juices, gross old drinks that the kids have left in their rooms to fester, etc.). So even when I’ve just cleaned it, I don’t consider it a “safe” surface and don’t use it that way. 

[Forget-Me-Not]

5 minutes ago, Alte Veste Academy said:

Yeah, the racks can go in the dishwasher, too. I’ve done that before. 

I spend approximately 36 hours a day in the kitchen, so it’s mine, and I keep it how I want it. LOL 

Maybe I’m weird though (and a little gross? LOL), but even when I clean the sink, I mentally file it in the category of a constantly contaminated surface because of everything that goes in there (thinking about raw meat juices, gross old drinks that the kids have left in their rooms to fester, etc.). So even when I’ve just cleaned it, I don’t consider it a “safe” surface and don’t use it that way. 

I’m the same. I don’t use my sink for food prep (other than throwing food refuse down the disposal). I keep it rinsed out well and scrub it once a week or so. 

I forgot another reason I like the grid—it dampens noise. 

 

Edited March 29, 2023 by Forget-Me-Not

[kbutton]

On 3/27/2023 at 3:02 PM, Jean in Newcastle said:

I love my sink grid.  But it does not block the drain in any way.  It protects my dishes from breakage and lets things float down to the drain catcher unimpeded.  I can easily lift out and clean the drain catcher.  I do have to clean it and the sink but that's part of cleaning a kitchen. 

Some have a hole so that you don't have to take them out, IIRC.

I don't have racks because I think my DH thought they would be a pain, but I grew up with them. Currently, people stack dishes in the sink in such a way that we often have rancid, disgusting water trapped in the sink where a dish has covered the drain, and I think racks would fix that. 

7 hours ago, Alte Veste Academy said:

Maybe I’m weird though (and a little gross? LOL), but even when I clean the sink, I mentally file it in the category of a constantly contaminated surface because of everything that goes in there (thinking about raw meat juices, gross old drinks that the kids have left in their rooms to fester, etc.). So even when I’ve just cleaned it, I don’t consider it a “safe” surface and don’t use it that way. 

I usually use a wash basin that I keep for food purposes instead of prepping food in the sink, but I do disinfect the sink in addition to cleaning it. I also tend to wash my meat hands in the bathroom (because it's already having gross stuff go down the sink) to keep the idea of even a clean kitchen sink from just grossing me out entirely. 

[Innisfree]

18 hours ago, Alte Veste Academy said:

even when I clean the sink, I mentally file it in the category of a constantly contaminated surface because of everything that goes in there (thinking about raw meat juices, gross old drinks that the kids have left in their rooms to fester, etc.). So even when I’ve just cleaned it, I don’t consider it a “safe” surface and don’t use it that way. 

Same.

[teachermom2834]

I recently got a new sink. 70/30 Split with the racks. I was skeptical but the price point was right and I actually really like the whole setup. The racks don’t block the drain.
 

Just an aside but I find myself really reluctant to any kind of change to the traditional kitchen setup. I amuse myself and question why I am such a curmudgeon about it. But any change to kitchen tradition trips me up. I was so skeptical of the freezer drawer on bottom when it first came out and people said they wanted it and liked it. Never would have bought it. Then I inherited one in this house and of course I love it. 
 

Was always reluctant on anything other than the traditional 50/50 split sink. Couldn’t articulate it but I was just sure that if I had a farmhouse sink or the 70/30 split I would just live to regret it. Lol. But here I am with the new sink with those newfangled racks that I saw no use for and dang if I don’t just love it. Hahaha. 
 

I don’t know why I am this way. But don’t try to talk me into a flat top stove. I’m sure it is some kind of trap. 

[LostSurprise]

On 3/29/2023 at 10:20 AM, Jean in Newcastle said:

Cleaning the sink and rack is so easy if you make it part of your routine. Every time we empty the sink of dishes (whether it’s loading the dishwasher or doing dishes in the sink, we finish by lifting the rack, spraying the rack and sink to get off any debri and then wiping them with a paper towel or sponge. It is a habit that literally takes seconds. I don’t often have to do a deeper scrub of the sink or rack because it doesn’t get gross or slimy. I do bleach the area if raw meat etc has been around it. 

I can understand how it would be 'easy' for some folks. Here, people dump old food in the sink all day, the hole gets plugged, icky water backs up, and everything is disgusting. Every day. It doesn't help that I have an aversion to lots of foods in general and old/chewed food specifically. If there is nothing in the sink I just push it all down with a long handled brush, grind, brush with vinegar or bleach, and get on with my day. If there's a grid I actually have to touch it...and it is slimy. You can't clean the bottom without picking it up.

This is not a criticism of you specifically, Jean. Creating a routine is often the answer to making our lives better, but I find "X is SO easy if you make it part of your routine!" overly simple. Beneficial routines come in all shapes and sizes. We all have different living situations, family members, aversions, problems, sensitivities, preferences, order of things we find important. If it's a matter of creating a routine where I'm constantly reminded of of my spouse's executive dysfunction and the equally good routine where I don't have to face it, I choose no grid. I choose no grid, Jean. I want that sink cleaned so quickly I don't even had to wonder who the heck is so thoughtless. It's just easier to save the frustration for something more important. 

Edited March 30, 2023 by LostSurprise