1.5 bowl kitchen sinks buying guide
A 1.5 bowl kitchen sink, also written as one and a half bowl or 1 1/2 bowl, has a full-size main bowl and a smaller half bowl beside it. This guide explains what the smaller bowl is for, who the layout suits, what size cabinet it needs, and what each of the 1.5 bowl sinks in this collection measures, with bowl sizes and capacities from the listings. The sensible default is a 1.5 bowl if you want a second bowl for rinsing but not the width of a full double.
What is a 1.5 bowl kitchen sink
A retailer page describes a 1.5 bowl sink as a main bowl with an additional smaller half bowl. A second guide describes the same layout as a full-size main bowl plus a smaller half bowl, suited to mid-sized kitchens and to people who want more function than a single bowl without the footprint of a double. The names vary: the same sink is sold as 1.5 bowl, one and a half bowl, 1 1/2 bowl and, with a drainer, a 1.5 bowl and drainer sink. A 1.75 bowl, which has its own page, has a second bowl that is slightly smaller than the main one: see 1.75 bowl kitchen sinks.
What the smaller bowl is used for
Retailer pages give the uses. The smaller bowl is for rinsing vegetables, draining pasta or soaking utensils, while the main bowl is used for washing dishes. A retailer page says the half bowl adds function without a full second bowl, which helps the workflow, and that a 1.5 bowl takes up less room than a full double bowl and so preserves bench space. A retailer guide adds that a single bowl has no separate rinse zone, so soaking and rinsing happen in the same bowl, which is the gap a half bowl fills. Choose single if you use a dishwasher and rarely wash full loads by hand, according to a guide, and choose a double if you hand-wash often and the benchtop run is 900mm or more. The 1.5 bowl sits between the two. See single bowl kitchen sinks and double bowl kitchen sinks.
What size is a 1.5 bowl sink
A retailer sizes guide gives these ranges for a 1.5 bowl sink: 800 to 900mm wide, 450 to 500mm front to back, a main bowl depth of about 200mm and a half bowl depth of about 130mm. It gives a minimum cabinet of 800mm and a cut-out of 780 to 880mm. The sinks in this collection are narrower or wider than that band, and the listings give the real sizes:
- Caroma Urbane II: 1020 x 490 x 217mm, with a 340 x 400 x 217mm main bowl of 21 litres and a 210 x 340 x 197mm half bowl of 9 litres.
- Clark Polar: 695 x 475 x 200mm as an overmount sink and 695 x 455 x 200mm as an undermount sink, with a 355 x 405 x 200mm main bowl of 26 litres and a 255 x 405 x 175mm small bowl of 16 litres.
- Clark Prism: 670 x 440 x 200mm, with a 400 x 400 x 200mm main bowl of 31 litres and a 200 x 400 x 180mm small bowl of 14.5 litres.
- Meir: 670 x 440 x 200mm, in plain and PVD finishes.
- Fienza Tiva 980: 980 x 480 x 180mm with a drainer, a 330 x 380 x 180mm bowl of 19 litres and a 200 x 300 x 170mm bowl of 9 litres.
The Seima Kubic 1.5 listings give bowl depths of 200mm for the standard bowl and 180mm for the half bowl. The Clark Vital 1.5 end bowl has a smooth drainer. Because the listings give the bowls separately, you can compare the main bowl with the pots and trays you wash. The half bowl on the Prism is 200 x 400mm, the half bowl on the Urbane II is 210 x 340mm, and the second bowl on the Tiva is 200 x 300mm.
Which cabinet suits a 1.5 bowl sink
The sizes above show that a 1.5 bowl sink in this collection runs from 670mm to 1020mm wide. The cabinet needs to be 70 to 80mm wider inside than the sink, according to one guide, to make room for plumbing and hardware. By that rule a 670mm sink needs an internal cabinet width of about 740 to 750mm, and a 1020mm sink needs about 1090 to 1100mm. It also says to leave 50 to 100mm between the back of the sink and the wall if a splashback is going in, and to keep at least 50mm between the cut-out and the front edge. Another says a typical topmount cut-out in Australia is about 560 x 430mm for a single sink, so a 1.5 bowl cut-out is wider. Use the cut-out on the specification sheet or the template that comes with the sink. The Caroma Urbane II listing says to use only the templates provided in the packaging for accurate cut-out sizes.
Bowl depth and the half bowl
The half bowl is shallower than the main bowl on most of these sinks. The listings give the main bowl at 200mm on the Clark Polar, the Clark Prism, the Seima Kubic and the Meir sinks, at 217mm on the Caroma Urbane II and at 180mm on the Fienza Tiva 980. The half bowl depths are 175mm on the Polar, 180mm on the Prism and the Kubic, 197mm on the Urbane II and 170mm on the Tiva. A retailer sizes guide gives 180 to 200mm as a standard bowl depth and 220 to 250mm as deep, and says a deep bowl needs a tall or pull-down mixer to reach the base. A retailer guide adds that a bowl that is too shallow splashes while one that is too deep strains your posture as you lean over it. Compare the depths with the tap you plan to use.
How a 1.5 bowl compares with a 1.75 bowl and a double
The three layouts are steps on a scale. A retailer guide describes a 1.75 bowl as a generously sized main bowl with a slightly smaller second bowl, suited to larger kitchens with frequent, varied meal prep, and a double as two equal basins, suited to busy kitchens and households that hand-wash often. A 1.5 bowl has the smallest second bowl of the three, which suits people who want a rinse bowl without the footprint of a double. The listings show the same pattern in litres: the Caroma Urbane II 1.5 has a 21 litre main bowl and a 9 litre half bowl, while the Caroma Urbane II 1.75 listing gives 21 litres and 18 litres. See 1.75 bowl kitchen sinks.
Handmade and pressed bowls
A retailer guide explains how stainless bowls are built. One sheet forms a pressed bowl, and its broad rounded corners wipe clean quickly. Handmade bowls are welded from cut panels, with straighter walls, a sharper shape and smaller corner radii that take more care to clean. The guide says a well-made pressed sink can beat a poorly welded handmade one, so the comparison is grade, thickness, finish and drainage together. The Meir listings describe hand-crafted internal edges that are rounded. The Clark Prism listing states a 10mm bowl radius. The guide's inspection list for any stainless sink is an even brushed grain, consistent edges and corners, clean weld joins, a sloped base and channel, and dimensions that match the cabinet. Run that list over the sink when it arrives and before it goes into the cut-out.
Noise
A retailer guide says thin stainless sinks can sound tinny, and that sound pads or a rubberised undercoating reduce noise and condensation. The Meir listings state sound absorbing technology to reduce noise and vibrations. The Seima Kubic listing for the 1.5 bowl describes a smooth finish and does not state sound control. The Caroma, Clark and Fienza listings here do not mention sound pads, so check the specification sheet if noise matters in your kitchen.
Measuring before you order
Before ordering, measure what the sink has to fit. Retailer guides ask for the base cabinet's internal width, depth and height and the benchtop cut-out. When replacing a sink, measure both the cabinet and the existing benchtop cut-out before ordering, according to a retailer guide, and check the manufacturer's minimum cabinet size for the specific sink and not the outer dimensions alone. A cutting error can mean replacing the benchtop, so use the template or the specification sheet for the exact sink. Choose the sink early. Stone masons often charge for re-cuts, one guide notes, and the plumber, cabinet maker and installer can all work from the same sink if it is chosen first.
Left hand or right hand
Most 1.5 bowl sinks are handed, which means the half bowl, or the half bowl and drainer, is on the left or the right of the main bowl. The Caroma Urbane II and the Clark Polar are available with a left hand or a right hand bowl,. A guide points out that most drainer models are handed and that a flat or shallow drainer pools water, so deep grooves and a slope are worth looking for. Choose the hand by where the tap, the dishwasher and the benchtop run sit. The Clark Vital listing describes an embossed drainer that sends water quickly back into the sink.
Material and thickness
All the 1.5 bowl sinks here are 304 grade stainless steel. One retailer guide notes 304 contains about 18% chromium and 8% nickel and resists corrosion, though it is not completely rust-proof. It says imports at the thin end often use 0.8mm steel, which dents more easily and is noisier, while a more substantial sink uses 1.2mm, about 18 gauge. The thickness varies in this collection. The Seima Kubic listings state 1.0mm, and the Meir listings state 1.5mm against an industry standard of 1.2mm, which is the maker's claim for its own product. The Clark, Caroma and Fienza listings state the grade without a thickness, except that the Fienza Tiva listing says polished 304. Check the specification sheet for the sink you choose. The Meir sinks come in Brushed Nickel, Gunmetal Black and Tiger Bronze PVD finishes, and the listings say the PVD finish is not recommended in a laundry because of the chemicals that may be present.
How a 1.5 bowl sink is fitted
The listings give the fitting method for each sink. The Caroma Urbane II is for inset (drop-in) or undermount fitting, the Clark Polar and Prism are for undermount or overmount, the Seima Kubic is for above-mount or under-mount, and the Meir sinks are for under-mount, top-mount or flush-mount. The Fienza Tiva 980 is topmount, and its listing says sealing tape and mounting clips are included. One retailer guide describes a topmount sink as suiting almost every benchtop, laminate included, since the rim covers the cut edge. An undermount sink sits under the benchtop and is fixed from below. According to the guide, a waterproof solid benchtop such as engineered stone or granite is needed, with laminate and timber not recommended. It adds that crumbs sweep straight into an undermount bowl, while the join can collect grime, and that caulking on both types needs replacing every three to five years.
Is a 1.5 bowl sink harder to fit than a single bowl? No source read says so. The difference is the cut-out, which is wider, and the second waste, which the listings include. The Caroma Urbane II and the Fienza Tiva listings state two basket wastes, and the Clark Prism listing states basket wastes. For the fitting methods in general, inset sinks and undermount kitchen sinks go further.
The tap
The Caroma Urbane II listing says the pictured sink has no tap hole, the Clark Polar is available with none or one, and the Clark Vital and the Fienza Tiva 980 have one. Check the tap hole count against the tap before you order. A sink with no tap hole takes a tap mounted on the benchtop. A retailer guide says to match the sink's size and depth with a mixer that has the right reach and swivel range, and that a deep sink may need a taller mixer. The kitchen taps collection covers the options.
Accessories
The Caroma Urbane II listing describes a work station with integrated stainless steel and bamboo accessories, selected from a drop-down on the product page, and the Meir listings say the matching accessories turn the sink into a kitchen workstation. A retailer guide lists the usual accessories as grid protectors, clip-in colanders, drainboards, chopping boards and roll mats.
Care
A retailer guide gives a short routine for stainless: rinse with warm water after use, wash with mild dish soap and a soft cloth following the grain, and dry with a microfibre cloth to stop water spots. The same guide warns against abrasive powders, bleach, ammonia cleaners and steel wool, and recommends a monthly check under the sink for leaks, moisture and mould. The guide also says to check the rim sealant and the mounting clips and screws on the same visit.
Where to go next
This page covers 1.5 bowl sinks. If you have not settled on a layout, the main kitchen sinks page lists every range, and stainless steel sinks compares the steel grades and thicknesses in more detail. According to one guide, a kitchen sink is used 20 to 30 times a day, so the size and the layout are worth getting right before you order.
