Bronze and gold kitchen sinks buying guide
The bronze and gold kitchen sinks here are stainless steel sinks with a brushed PVD finish, not solid bronze or gold. They come from three makers: Meir, in Brushed Bronze Gold and Tiger Bronze; Caroma, in the Urbane II Brushed Brass; and Fienza, in the Hana Rugged Brass. This guide explains what the finish is, how it wears, how to clean it, where not to use it, which sizes and bowl layouts the sinks come in, how to match the tap, and what to check before you order. For most kitchens the practical call is to decide the tap finish first and then choose the sink to suit, because the makers pair their finishes and the finish names differ between sinks and taps.
What a bronze or gold sink is made of
The sinks in this collection are 304 grade stainless steel with a colour applied by PVD, short for physical vapour deposition. A retailer article on gunmetal sinks explains the process: the colour is applied to the steel in a way the article says is absorbed into the stainless steel, where older powder coating and electroplating sat on the surface as a layer. The Meir listings call their PVD a nanotechnology coating. A solid bronze or brass sink is a different thing. Solid metal sinks develop a patina over time, according to retailer guides, and they tarnish with acidic foods, harsh cleaners and fingerprints, and dent more easily because the metal is softer. The sinks here are steel under a coating, so this page does not promise a patina or any antimicrobial action. See brass kitchen sinks for the brass finishes from other makers.
The bronze and gold finishes in this collection
Four finish names appear, and the names are the makers' own:
- Brushed Bronze Gold, Meir: a warm bronze tone, which the maker's page describes as opulent.
- Tiger Bronze, Meir: a second bronze finish, which the maker pairs with tapware of the same name.
- Brushed Brass, Caroma Urbane II: a PVD finish on 304 grade stainless steel.
- Rugged Brass, Fienza Hana: a PVD finish on 1.2mm handmade 304 stainless steel.
The finish names differ between sinks and taps. The Meir listing for the Tiger Bronze sink calls the sink Brushed Bronze Gold in its description, so read the finish shown in the photographs and the product title. If a colour has to match closely, compare it in person or ask for a sample, because a retailer page for brass sinks says the finish may vary slightly between pieces.
How the bronze and gold finishes wear
Three sources speak to scratches, and they should be read together. The gunmetal article says a PVD sink will still scratch, that the scratches tend to run against the brushed grain and that they are less visible, and it calls that the seller's own claim and not an independent test. A Meir listing quoted by a retailer says the sink is not scratch proof and that sharp objects can leave permanent marks on the surface colour. The Meir maker's pages give no durability text of their own. For another maker's antique bronze sinks, a retailer says the PVD coating gives resistance to tarnishing, corrosion and fading, and calls it a maker's claim to treat as such.
So treat the finish as a coating that resists everyday wear but not damage from hard or sharp objects. Another retailer guide says a grid protector sits just above the basin floor and prevents scratches. The Caroma Urbane II sinks come with colour matched sink protectors, and the Fienza listings say a protector is included with PVD models.
How to clean a bronze or gold sink
The routine is gentle. A retailer that sells antique bronze sinks says to wash with warm, soapy water and a soft microfibre cloth, and to avoid abrasive cleaners and scouring pads. A retailer guide gives the same routine for stainless: rinse with warm water after use, wash with mild dish soap and a soft cloth, and dry with a microfibre cloth to stop water spots. On a brushed finish, follow the grain. The guide says to avoid abrasive powders, bleach, ammonia cleaners and steel wool. The Meir maker's pages link a product care page, but their text gives no sink care steps, and the care page for Meir tapware says abrasive materials such as scourers can scratch the finish. It does not address sinks, but it is a reasonable precaution for a coated sink as well.
Where not to use the finish
The Meir listings state one limit. Because of the nature of the PVD finish, they say it is not recommended to install the sink in a laundry, because of the chemicals that may be present. If you want the same sink in a laundry and a kitchen, choose plain stainless steel for the laundry. One retailer of another maker's antique bronze sinks says its sinks are equally suitable for laundry spaces, which shows that makers differ, so follow the instructions for the exact sink you buy.
Is a bronze or brass sink a good idea
The sources give a balanced answer. A retailer of brass-finish stainless sinks says the colour is a PVD coating on stainless steel, that brushed brass is a matte finish that helps hide fingerprints and watermarks, and that the coating is designed to resist tarnishing. Those are the sellers' statements. The counterpoints come from the same guides and the listings: the finish can still scratch, the sink is not scratch proof, and some of the makers say not to use it in a laundry. The practical test is how you use the sink. A protector grid on the bowl floor is the usual way to limit scratches.
Reading the steel under the colour
A coloured stainless sink is still a stainless sink, so read the grade and the thickness. A retailer guide says 304 stainless contains about 18% chromium and 8% nickel and resists corrosion, though it is not completely rust-proof, and that the 201 grade uses less nickel and more manganese. A retailer that sells bronze sinks says its sinks are made of 304 and 316 grades, and the gunmetal article tells buyers to avoid 201. Salt air within about 1 to 2km is where 316 suits, according to another guide. The Meir listings state 304 at 1.5mm, the Fienza Hana listings state 304 at 1.2mm, and the Caroma Urbane II listings state 304 without a thickness. A retailer guide says a thicker sheet limits flex, noise and denting, so check the Urbane II specification sheet.
Noise
A thin stainless bowl can sound tinny, according to a retailer guide, which says to look for sound pads or a rubberised undercoating that reduce noise and condensation. The Meir listings state sound absorbing technology to reduce noise and vibrations, and the Fienza Hana listings state sound and vibration dampening panels and an anti-condensation coating underneath. The Caroma listings do not mention either, so check the specification sheet for the Urbane II.
Choosing a bowl layout
A single bowl is one uninterrupted basin with room for trays and large pots. One retailer guide points to a single bowl for dishwasher households that rarely wash full loads by hand and for runs under 600mm. Hand-washers, vegetable preppers and families with children who need a separate bowl are the guide's case for a double, which lets you wash on one side and rinse or prep on the other. The 1.5 bowl gives a main bowl plus a smaller prep bowl. A drainer adds width, and a guide says most drainer models are handed left or right, and that a flat or shallow drainer pools water, so look for deep grooves and a slope. See double bowl kitchen sinks for the layouts.
Sizes and bowl layouts
The Meir sizes in this collection are:
- 440mm and 450mm single bowls, and a Mini single of 272 x 382mm that is 150mm deep.
- A 760 x 440 x 200mm large single, with a 720 x 400mm bowl and a 58L capacity.
- An 840mm single bowl with a drainer, and a 1160mm double bowl with a drainer.
- A 670mm 1.5 bowl, and 760mm and 860mm doubles.
The Fienza Hana Rugged Brass comes as a 32L single, 450 x 450 x 200mm, and a 27L and 27L double, 760 x 450 x 200mm. The Caroma Urbane II comes as a single bowl and a double bowl, each with 26L bowls according to the listings. The listings for the two PVD sinks give overall dimensions that conflict with each other, so use the maker's specification sheet for the Urbane II sizes. See Meir kitchen sinks, Fienza Hana sinks and Caroma kitchen sinks for the full ranges.
A retailer sizes guide gives 400 to 560mm as a small single bowl and 600 to 760mm as a large single bowl. It says a small one needs a cabinet of at least 450mm and a large one at least 600mm, ideally 700 to 900mm when there is a drainer. A double is 760 to 900mm, with a minimum cabinet of 800mm.
Matching the tap and the room
The Meir page for its bronze sinks suggests the maker's Tiger Bronze tapware for a matching look and its Matte Black tapware for a contrasting one. A retailer article on gunmetal sinks gives a way to choose that applies to any metallic finish: match the sink to the largest visible steel surfaces in the kitchen, usually the fridge and the oven, since large appliances are harder to replace. A design article describes coloured sinks as a statement-sink trend that runs from navy and pink to copper and gold, and says nothing about which colour is best, so this page does not rank them. The gold taps collection and the kitchen taps collection cover the tap finishes. For the full colour range, see coloured kitchen sinks, and gunmetal kitchen sinks and brushed nickel kitchen sinks cover the neighbouring finishes.
How the sinks are fitted
The Meir listings give under-mount, top-mount or flush-mount fitting, the Caroma and Fienza listings give undermount or overmount (topmount), and the sinks come with their fixings. One retailer guide describes a topmount sink as suiting almost every benchtop, laminate included, since the rim covers the cut edge. With an undermount sink, the fixing is underneath the benchtop. It needs a waterproof solid benchtop, the guide says, such as engineered stone or granite, and it is not recommended for laminate or timber. Crumbs sweep straight into an undermount bowl, it adds, though the join can collect grime, and caulking on either type needs replacing every three to five years. The gunmetal article says undermount is the preferred method for a premium look, especially with stone benchtops. Both methods are explained on inset sinks and undermount kitchen sinks.
Measure first
Start with the measurements: the internal width, depth and height of the base cabinet and the size of the benchtop cut-out, as retailer guides advise. Plumbing and hardware take space, so one guide puts the sink at least 70 to 80mm narrower than the cabinet's internal width. Where there is a splashback, it asks for 50 to 100mm between the back of the sink and the wall. Another says a typical topmount cut-out in Australia is about 560 x 430mm, though sizes vary, so use the cut-out on the specification sheet for the exact sink. Ordering early avoids re-cuts, which stone masons often charge for, and every trade can then work from the same sink, as one guide points out.
Accessories in a matching finish
The Meir page lists a dish draining tray, a colander, a rolling mat protector, a dish rack, a sink strainer and waste plug basket with a stopper, and protection grids sized to specific sink models. The listings say the matching accessories turn the sink into a kitchen workstation. The Caroma Urbane II listings include a colour matched protection grid and basket waste. One retailer guide notes a grid protector, a clip-in colander and a portable drainboard are the usual accessories for any sink. See sink wastes for replacement wastes.
Related pages
This page covers bronze and gold sinks. If you have not settled on a finish, the main kitchen sinks page lists every range, and stainless steel sinks compares the steel grades and thicknesses in more detail. A kitchen sink gets used 20 to 30 times a day, by one guide's count, so the finish, the care and the size are worth getting right before you order.
