Ever wonder why metal sinks seem more popular in restaurants and commercial buildings than at home? The reasons for that are many but the common practice of sink styles in homes is to use plain old porcelain and white. For high volume food preparation and processing, metals are a popular choice since they are easy to clean and come outfitted with larger drains. Copper is a metal that is often incorporated in copper kitchen sinks, for good reason.
Copper as the material of choice for a kitchen sink in the home has both functional and appeal , along with its advantages and disadvantages. The advantages of having a copper sink in your kitchen include the ambiance that copper brings in its unique color, hue and sheen. Copper also has quite a variety of style and art to its manufacture. For example, there can be a hammered effect that accents the copper metal's presentation. With age, the copper develops a patina or ornamental aged look. Yet another benefit of copper over stainless steel is its fine removal of bacteria and microbes due to its smooth surfaces. Copper also does not rust as other metals do.
Disadvantages of copper kitchen sinks include the expense of them; they are priced high, especially when the copper material is thickly gauged, meaning its density is high.
Over time, coppers shine fades and if not maintained, there can be an uneven look to the copper. This presents a maintenance challenge of waxing and polishing potentially frequently. Also, scratches can occur more readily with copper, a softer metal, than with stainless steel. Even heat can affect copper.
When a pot or pan is too high, the copper can be damaged from the heat. Not to mention that copper is manufactured in various densities or gauges. The lower the density, the more issues can occur such as easier to scratch and dent; of course the price is accordingly lower too. Finally, let us not forget the noise of moving dishes around with metal against ceramic or metal!
So given the advantages and disadvantages, are copper kitchen sinks worth your investment? Well, that depends on how much you want this type of sink. Figure out how you will use the sink in a regular way and if you are a person that loves to cook as a regular daily or frequent event, you might consider this type of sink along with the best of both worlds to minimize wear, noise and maintenance needs.
What you can do is select a copper kitchen sink model that has a thicker gauge of copper built in so that noise is less when washing or cleaning dishes and it is more resistant to dents and scratches. Also to lower the discolored areas of the sink over time, you might wish to consider welded copper as opposed to soldered. The solder will contribute to darker areas over the face of the copper than welds. Welds are a stronger bond and help to retain the elements appearance.
