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Views: 500 Author: Site Editor Publish Time: 2025-08-03 Origin: Site
For those without cooking experience, a kitchen sink may seem like just a place to hold water and wash dishes. But if you run a commercial kitchen and need to wash a large number of bowls and plates, you will find that a cheap, low-quality sink is definitely a disaster for your kitchen workflow!
A sink is actually the 'cleaning hub' of the kitchen. When you cook in the kitchen every day, you rely on it to wash vegetables, dishes, and rinse oil stains. If the sink is not easy to use, the workload of cleaning up the kitchen after cooking will probably be more than twice as hard.
For example, if you chose a sink that was too small when purchasing, you have to put large pots at an angle when washing them, causing water to splash all over the floor; if the drainage is slow, oil stains will pile up in the sink, smell bad, breed bacteria, and easily clog the pipes, leading to significant repair costs.
Especially for commercial kitchen scenarios such as restaurants, the sink has an indirect impact on the store's turnover. Professional chefs, in particular, have high requirements for sinks. If you ask what type of sink professional chefs prefer, it is neither a marble sink nor a cheap composite material product, but a sturdy and easy-to-clean 304 stainless steel sink - it looks unremarkable, but it has always been a classic
choice for commercial kitchens.
Before elaborating on the 'invisible advantages' of 304 stainless steel sinks, we have to mention the troubles and costs that may be caused by buying a low-quality sink. In the UK, the inspection fee for a sink leakage problem ranges from 200 to 500 Euros, and if repairs are involved, the cost is even higher. Therefore, buying a high-quality sink can definitely reduce your long-term living costs. The situation is similar in Germany; for example, the on-site fee plus repair cost for replacing a drain fitting is 100 to 200 Euros or more.
In addition, the sink is also the visual center of the kitchen, and it secretly affects the beauty of the kitchen. For example, a sink with an abrupt shape and mismatched color will make your expensive and beautiful cabinets look awkward. Moreover, a suitable and high-quality sink can last for more than ten years, avoiding a lot of troubles.
So in Europe, when a sink has a problem, many people choose to buy a new one and install it directly. After all, the high labor and maintenance costs in Europe make many people 'hesitant'. However, the time and energy consumed by repairing and reinstalling it yourself will really make people regret: 'Why didn't I buy a suitable and high-quality sink in the first place?'
In standard-produced 304 stainless steel, the strict proportion is 18% chromium and 8% nickel. Why is this cost proportion the most suitable for manufacturing sinks? It is because it is not only one of the most stable materials but also has low cost and reliable performance. We have to first mention the excellent rust resistance of 304 stainless steel sinks.
Since sinks often come into contact with water and stains, they are often at risk of rusting and corrosion. However, 304 stainless steel sinks have outstanding corrosion and rust resistance.
How does it achieve this performance? Scientists' experiments have found that chromium and nickel on the surface of stainless steel react with oxygen to form a dense chromium trioxide (Cr₂O₃) oxide protective film, which isolates oxygen/water from corroding the inside of the material. Moreover, this film has a dense structure that water molecules and oxygen molecules cannot pass through, and once slightly damaged, it will quickly re-form a protective film. Even if there is a collision, it does not affect the anti-corrosion performance.
In addition, in the kitchen, we often come into contact with substances with certain corrosive effects, such as salt, vinegar, alkali, oil stains, etc. For example, frequent contact with lemon juice and acetic acid will corrode ordinary metals. However, with a 304 stainless steel sink, you don't have to worry about these problems at all.
chromium trioxide (Cr₂O₃) oxide protective film
Material | Rust Resistance | Cost |
304 Stainless Steel | Excellent. Contains 18% chromium and 8% nickel, forming a dense oxide protective film on the surface, and is not easy to rust for a long time | Medium |
201 Stainless Steel | Average. Contains 16%-18% chromium and 3.5%-5.5% nickel | Medium-Low |
Cast Iron (with enamel coating) | Good, but depends on the enamel layer. The cast iron part will rust quickly after the coating is damaged | Medium-High |
Ceramic | Excellent. It does not rust itself but is relatively easy to break | Medium-High |
Acrylic | No rust problem, but general corrosion resistance. It is prone to discoloration and cracking when in long-term contact with high temperatures and strong corrosive substances | Low |
Marble (natural/artificial) | No rust problem, but natural marble is prone to staining, and artificial marble has improved staining problem but its corrosion resistance is not as good as stainless steel | High |
Due to the groove design of the sink, the hardness of its material is also important. A sturdy stainless steel sink can be used for a long time without sinking or deformation, and can withstand the situation of cleaning a large number of tableware in large kitchens.
What is the hardness of 304 stainless steel? The Brinell hardness (HB) of 304 stainless steel is between 140-180, and the Rockwell hardness (HRB) is about 60-80. This hardness is sufficient to cope with the pressure and friction of daily use.Its hardness and corrosion resistance are very high, and it can even be used in the manufacturing of mining fasteners and mining bolts and nuts, proving its reliability.
Moreover, in terms of wear resistance, the wear rate of 304 stainless steel is very low. In a wear test conducted by a Chinese scientific laboratory, the wear amount is in the range of 0.01-0.05 mm³/(N·m). This means that even with long-term use, it will not show significant scratches.
This performance can solve many problems in kitchen scenarios. For example: when you are cooking, putting a hot iron pot directly into the sink after stir-frying will not leave dents; accidentally scraping the sink with a kitchen knife or scissors will basically not leave obvious scratches.
In addition, when cooking, if you need to split crabs or crack bones with a knife and accidentally hit the sink with a little force, you don't have to worry about damaging the sink; even if you scrub the oil stains in the sink with a steel wool for a long time, the surface of the sink remains smooth. Such situations are probably only encountered by people who cook frequently. Therefore, 304 stainless steel sinks are definitely your trustworthy 'kitchen partners'.
Material | Description of Hardness Performance | Description of Wear Resistance Performance | Cost |
304 Stainless Steel | High. Brinell hardness (HB) 140-180, Rockwell hardness (HRB) 60-80 | Excellent. Low wear rate, in the range of 0.01-0.05 mm³/(N·m) | Medium |
201 Stainless Steel | Medium. Hardness is slightly lower than 304 stainless steel | Wear resistance is not as good as 304 stainless steel | Medium-Low |
Cast Iron (with enamel coating) | High. The cast iron base is hard | Good, but depends on the enamel layer | Medium-High |
Ceramic | High. Hard texture and high hardness, but fragile when subjected to severe impact | Good | Medium-High |
Acrylic | Low | Poor. Prone to scratches due to friction | Low |
Marble (natural/artificial) | Natural marble has high hardness, artificial marble has slightly lower hardness | Average. Natural marble is brittle and easily damaged by hard impacts | High |
Almost everyone cares about food safety. However, preventing food poisoning and intake of carcinogens is not only from the perspective of food itself but also from all aspects of food processing.
For example, if you use a sink made of inferior materials, it will lead to the growth of bacteria in the kitchen. Bacterial spores will spread to the kitchen and even the corners of the living room, posing a risk to your health. For example, a heavily polluted sink contains a lot of bacteria, and when you use it to wash fruits and vegetables, the bacteria will contaminate the food.
An experiment monitored the bacterial growth of different material sinks for a week. The results showed that the number of bacteria on the surface of 304 stainless steel sinks grew extremely slowly, while the total number of colonies in ordinary carbon steel sinks increased by nearly 200% after a week; the total number of colonies in plastic sinks increased by about 150% after a week, which is very unfavorable for family hygiene.
The 304 stainless steel sink has a smooth surface, which is easy to clean and does not allow stains to stay, thus reducing the growth of bacteria. In the study "Multimodification of a 304 Stainless Steel Surface Based on DA/PEI/SiO₂ for Improving Surface Antimicrobial Performance", an in-depth analysis of the surface characteristics of 304 stainless steel found that its structure is not conducive to bacterial adhesion. In addition, high-quality 304 stainless steel itself is a very safe material with high purity and no heavy metal precipitation.
First of all, for 304 stainless steel sinks manufactured by most manufacturers, their surfaces are very smooth, and you only need a cloth to gently wipe off obvious stains.
Even if there are very stubborn stains, such as oil stains and dirt, they can be gently wiped off with water. This is also due to the very smooth surface of 304 stainless steel. However, for sinks made of ordinary steel, once the surface rusts, the stains attached to it are prone to complex chemical reactions, making them extremely difficult to remove.
When explaining daily cleaning, it is convenient to keep the sink clean with simple wiping or rinsing, compared with the difficulty of cleaning sinks made of other materials.
Introduce the principles of some special crafts (such as nano-coating, embossing technology, etc.) applied to the sink surface to further improve cleaning convenience.
Explain how these crafts reduce oil adhesion, allow water droplets to slide off quickly, achieve easy cleaning, and save cleaning time for professional chefs.
304 stainless steel sinks have other advantages that ordinary people do not know. Among them, the good thermal conductivity applied in the kitchen is definitely its important 'hidden advantage'. For example, when professional chefs handle hot ingredients just taken from the stove, the sink can quickly absorb heat and dissipate it, achieving rapid cooling. This effectively avoids local overheating of the sink, not only protecting the sink itself but also reducing the possibility of chefs being accidentally scalded.
Professional chefs often skillfully use this feature of 304 stainless steel. For example, when cooking dishes that need to maintain a constant temperature, chefs will place high-temperature objects on the 304 stainless steel operating table. In a short time, the temperature of the ingredients can drop rapidly, precisely controlling the doneness of the ingredients. Moreover, this feature also allows chefs to clean hot iron pots more quickly and easily, avoiding affecting the progress of making the next dish.
304 stainless steel sinks are not easily deformed or damaged under high and low temperatures, and can cope with the complex operating environment of large commercial kitchens.
It can withstand temperatures up to 800°C and extremely low temperatures as low as -196°C without significant changes in its mechanical properties. This means that even in the coldest polar regions, it can be your reliable product.
Material | High-Temperature Resistance Performance | Low-Temperature Resistance Performance |
304 Stainless Steel | Excellent, can withstand temperatures up to 800°C | Excellent, no significant change in performance at extremely low temperatures of -196°C |
201 Stainless Steel | Medium, can withstand temperatures of about 500-600°C | Average, may have reduced toughness at around -50°C |
Cast Iron (with enamel coating) | Good, the enamel layer can withstand temperatures of about 200-300°C | Good, the enamel layer may crack below -40°C |
Ceramic | Medium, generally can withstand temperatures of 200-300°C | Poor, prone to cracking below -10°C |
Acrylic | Poor, can only withstand temperatures of 60-80°C | Poor, prone to embrittlement below 0°C |
Marble (natural/artificial) | Poor, prone to cracking due to thermal expansion and contraction when exposed to high temperatures | Good low-temperature resistance, can remain stable at around -20°C |
Michelin-starred chef Alex: "I have worked in the kitchen for many years, and the 304 stainless steel sink is an indispensable helper for me. During the busiest cooking times, I need to handle a large number of ingredients quickly. When I put the hot baking tray just taken out of the oven next to the sink to cool, the cooling speed of the baking tray is greatly accelerated, saving waiting time, and I can proceed to the next step faster."
Famous restaurant executive chef Emma: "I attach great importance to the quality of kitchen equipment, and the 304 stainless steel sink fully meets my needs. During the busy dinner hours, our kitchen has to deal with a steady stream of orders, and the sink is used very frequently. But 304 stainless steel is very strong and has not been damaged for a long time."
Cooking blogger and chef David shared on his blog: "As a chef who often records video tutorials in the kitchen, the 304 stainless steel sink has brought me great convenience. The anti-fouling and water-repellent properties of the sink surface make cleaning the sink extremely simple after handling various ingredients, reducing my work pressure."
Zhongshan HOMES Kitchenware Co., Ltd. is a professional enterprise engaged in the production of stainless steel kitchen sinks. It has more than 10 years of production and manufacturing experience in the field of stainless steel kitchen sinks, fully understands the actual demand details of various types of kitchens, and creates perfect products.
After years of operation, HOMES' products cover integrated sinks, handmade sinks, and Kitchen Sink OEM customization services, etc. The company uses 304 stainless steel that meets export standards as raw materials, combined with advanced production equipment and processing technology, to meet the needs of families around the world for high-quality sinks.
Its "HOMES" brand series is a patented product. The company has accumulated rich experience in research and development, processing, manufacturing, and services, and continuously improves its professional level. When choosing a stainless steel kitchen sink, look for the "HOMES" trademark.
Kitchen Undermount Workstation
Kitchen Faucet
Bar Sink Faucet
Pull Down Faucet
Sensor Faucet
Bathroom Accessories
304 stainless steel sinks may seem ordinary, but they have many "invisible advantages". Their excellent rust and corrosion resistance, hard and wear-resistant characteristics, good thermal conductivity, etc., make efficient and safe kitchens possible.
For commercial kitchens, it can reduce maintenance and replacement costs, improve process efficiency, and indirectly affect turnover; for home kitchens, it can reduce health risks. Whether it is for professional chefs or daily cooking needs of families, 304 stainless steel sinks are the top priority.
