You’ve had your home renovations planned for months, but one feature you can’t decide on is the sink. Whether it’s in a kitchen, bathroom, or even an outdoor home bar, having access to a conveniently-placed sink is a game-changer. A friend of yours recently suggested you look into bar sinks for your home remodel. You’ve never heard of such a sink before. What is a bar sink?
A bar sink is a smaller sink that’s handy in such parts of the home as your kitchen, patio, or home bar. Bar sinks do best when placed near an island countertop or cooktop, and most use garbage disposal attachments for even greater efficiency.
You’re admittedly intrigued by the idea of a bar sink, but you’d like to learn more before you commit. This introductory article is for you then. In it, we’ll tell you everything you need to know about bar sinks, from their measurements, how to use them, their average cost, and even some pros and cons.
Let’s get started!
Contents
What Is a Bar Sink?
First, let’s expand on the definition of a bar sink from the intro.
A bar sink is an indoor or outdoor sink that also goes by such names as a prep sink, an entertainment sink, or a wet-bar sink. The average measurements of a bar sink are 15 inches wide, 15 to 25 inches long, and five to six feet deep.
Most bar sinks are copper or stainless steel, but you may also be able to find your ideal small sink in materials like stone, cast iron, or granite. These are appealing materials without a doubt, but their heavier weight tends to drive up the price of your sink. Stainless steel is one of your best bets if you want a bar sink on a budget, as its priced fairly and it’s also a lot lighter than cast iron or stone.
You’re not necessarily stuck with only a circular-shaped sink if that’s not what you envisioned for your home remodel. Bar sinks are also available in shapes like squares or rectangles.
If you want your bar sink undermounted, that’s one option you have. You can also topmount it to a countertop in your kitchen, giving you plenty of versatility when it comes to installation. Check out our guide on undermount vs topmount sinks if you’d like to learn more about the advantages and disadvantages of each installation style!
If you’d like to learn more about what size or shape of bar sink is the best fit for your space, this post will be a useful guide.
What Are Bar Sinks Used For?
Bar sinks have all sorts of purposes, so let’s discuss these more now.
As the Main Sink in a Small Kitchen
If you live in a very small townhouse or home, then your kitchen is probably equally as mini. An overly large sink hogs up too much valuable room, leaving you short on counter space. You might have to choose between appliances like a toaster or a microwave since you can’t fit both.
In such a situation, a bar sink is a perfect solution. It’s equally small, so it frees up more room on your counter. You still get a great sink and you can likely squeeze in both the toaster and the microwave in your kitchen so you have more cooking options.
As Part of an Indoor/Outdoor Home Bar
Let’s say your home is a more regular size. It’s been your dream to have a home bar installed, so you finally went ahead and did it. Whether the home bar is indoors or outdoors, you’ll want a bar sink.
It’s in the name, after all. Bar sinks make a fantastic accompaniment to a home bar because you have just enough room to wash shot glasses, champagne flutes, shakers, and all the other dishes that come from preparing drinks. This wash load is light enough that your bar sink never feels too small. Plus, the great depth of a bar sink will keep your dirty, fragile glasses protected until you can roll up your sleeves and get to washing them.
On Your Terrace or Patio
An outdoor kitchen is a beautiful thing. These second centers for culinary creation tend to include a refrigerator, a countertop, and even a kitchen island. To keep things tidy when prepping your favorite meals outside, a bar sink is right at home as part of your outdoor kitchen on your terrace or patio.
As a Second Sink in the Kitchen
Perhaps you have only an indoor kitchen, and it’s the hub of a lot of activity. You’re so busy in the kitchen, in fact, that you’re thinking of expanding it. You want a kitchen island in there for sure, and a second sink would help as well.
Rather than invest in another full-sized sink, try a bar sink instead. Its slim, streamlined profile makes it the ideal installation as part of your kitchen island, especially if you opt for a garbage disposal attachment as well. Now your kitchen island becomes a great place for quick cleanups.
You can divvy up your dishes so the bigger ones go in the main sink and everything small that accumulates in between goes in the bar sink. Talk about a divide and conquer approach!
How Much Does the Average Bar Sink Cost?
You’re now quite interested in a bar sink for your home, but before you purchase one, you need to know how much money you’ll spend. Since they’re not overly large sinks, the price of a bar sink is typically pretty low. That said, slightly bigger bar sinks, as well as those made of certain materials, might be more expensive.
For example, if you opted for a stainless steel bar sink, then you might not pay more than $50 for the sink itself. If you wanted to customize the size of your bar sink or you wanted a fancy material like copper, the cost would be in the ballpark of $400.
Those prices are only what you’d pay for the sink itself, not for installation. It may cost $200 to $1,000 to install a sink of an average size according to 2020 data from Fixr. The national average is $400 for sink installation.
Since your sink is smaller and easier to install, for most bar sink installation jobs, you’d probably pay between $100 and $400. More complex installations such as installing your sink in a corner of a bartop or kitchen island could increase the cost.
What Are the Pros and Cons of a Bar Sink?
By now, you’re very well-educated on bar sinks. You’re even leaning towards a purchasing decision. Before you make up your mind completely, check out this list of pros and cons.
Pros
Bar sinks can be advantageous in many ways, such as:
- They’re inexpensive, so a bar sink should suit any home remodeling budget.
- The convenience of a second kitchen sink or a sink in your home bar is unmatched.
- Bar sinks are applicable for outdoor and indoor use.
- If you entertain often, having a bar sink is practically a must.
- Bar sinks can open up your counter space, which is especially appreciated in small homes or apartments.
Cons
You should know the drawbacks of bar sinks as well, including:
- Bar sinks are far smaller than your average sink, which limits what you can use them for. For instance, if you had to wash a pan or pot, you likely couldn’t fit it in a bar sink. You’d have to use a full-sized sink instead.
- Some bar sinks can be expensive, as costly as the national average for regular-sized sink prices. This does negate some benefits.
Should You Get a Bar Sink for Your Home?
Now comes the big question. Is a bar sink right for you?
To answer that, we highly recommend you read through all the information in this article again, especially the pros and cons, with a more critical eye. Remember that for most purposes, your bar sink would not be your primary sink. That makes the bar sink easier to commit to, as you’d only rely on it sometimes.
Make sure there’s room in your budget for a bar sink as well. Like we’ve discussed in this introductory article, bar sinks typically aren’t terribly expensive, even with installation costs tallied in, but they can be if you want a more luxe material like copper or stone.
If you feel like a bar sink would benefit your home and you can fit it in your budget, then by all means, get one. These skinny, trendy sinks are certainly right for you.
Conclusion
Bar sinks are smaller and slimmer than your average kitchen or bathroom sink, although they’re quite deep. A bar sink augments a bustling kitchen, and it’s also the perfect addition to a home bar or an outdoor kitchen on your patio. Also, if you have a small home a bar sink might be a better fit for you than a regular-sized sink.
You now have all the info you need to decide whether your home needs a bar sink. Best of luck and enjoy your new sink!
