Ceramic kitchen sinks buying guide
A ceramic sink is a glazed clay sink, and the quality of that clay and glaze decides almost everything about how it lasts. This page covers what ceramic, fireclay and porcelain mean, how a ceramic sink compares with stainless steel, what to plan for, how it is fitted, and how to size, choose and care for one. For most kitchens that want a ceramic sink, the practical call is a fine fireclay sink, fitted inset or undermount, with the cabinet and benchtop planned around its weight.
Ceramic, fireclay and porcelain
The three names are used loosely, so it helps to separate them. Ceramic is the general term for a sink made from fired clay, and it resists scratches and stains. Fireclay is a stronger kind of ceramic: a reinforced clay that is stronger and more durable than porcelain or standard ceramic, made from clays that are highly resistant to heat and pressure, with a heavy-duty glazed surface that resists chips and scratches.
The difference is in the firing. Fine fireclay is fired at a higher temperature than standard ceramic, so the glaze is fused to the clay, which makes it more durable. Several Turner Hastings sinks are double glazed, and the Fienza Olivia is glazed on all sides. Porcelain is the softest of the three: porcelain sinks are less hard-wearing than fireclay. A sink sold as porcelain is often porcelain enamel over steel or cast iron, where a chip can expose the metal. Check the material line on the product page, and treat fine fireclay as the benchmark for a ceramic sink.
Is a ceramic sink a good idea for a kitchen
Yes, in the right kitchen and with the right habits. A ceramic sink is non-porous, resists scratches and stains, and is easy to wipe. Its finish allows easy cleaning and a high level of hygiene. It rewards care: pans and heavy items are best set down gently, because avoiding chips and stains takes more attention than with stainless steel. If your kitchen is a hard-working one, a ceramic sink works well as a feature you treat with care or as a second sink.
What to plan for with a ceramic sink
A few practical points are worth settling before you buy.
- Weight. Ceramic is generally heavier than other sink materials, so the benchtop must support it or extra support must be added.
- Impact. A heavy object such as a pan, dropped hard, can chip the glaze, so a protector grid in the bowl is a good habit.
- Drying space. Most ceramic sinks have no draining board, so plan a drying solution built into the benchtop or a freestanding rack.
- Depth. A deep ceramic sink takes longer to fill, which matters if you fill the bowl to submerge a cooking pot.
- Sound and marks. Fireclay is quieter with a rubber mat in the base, and white surfaces reward more frequent wiping.
Ceramic or stainless steel
The comparison depends on how you use the kitchen. Stainless steel is lighter, resists heat, and does not chip, so it suits heavy daily use. Ceramic does not scratch in the same way, and it brings weight and a glazed look. Ceramic needs support under the sink and is usually mounted in a semi-recessed position, while stainless steel can be flush mounted, inset or undermounted and is easier to fit. The call: choose stainless steel for a busy family kitchen where you want a forgiving surface, and ceramic for a traditional or farmhouse kitchen where the sink is part of the look. See stainless steel sinks for the other side of the comparison.
Sizes and shapes in this collection
The collection runs from a small square sink to a large butler and a double with a drainer.
- Small and square: the Turner Hastings Cuisine 30 x 46 is a 17 litre sink with a 175mm depth. The Cuisine 46 x 46 is 457mm square with a 28 litre bowl and a 210mm internal depth, and the Cuisine Round is 470mm across and holds 27 litres.
- Medium and large single bowls: the Cuisine 60 is 601 x 462mm with a 39 litre bowl, the Cuisine 68 x 48 has a 46 litre bowl, and the Cuisine 81 x 48 is a larger single.
- One and a half and double bowls: the Cuisine 93 x 48 is a one and a half bowl, and the Cuisine 85 x 46 and 86 x 50 are doubles. The Cuisine 116 x 50 is a double with a drainer, 1160mm across, with two 25.5 litre bowls.
- Butler styles: the Fienza Olivia comes in 610, 760 and 835mm, the Otti Boston is 765mm and the Hampshire 605mm, and the Turner Hastings Novi, Cove and Chester sinks run from about 510mm to 850mm.
The Cuisine 81 pairs with one of the other two square-shaped sinks in the range, placed side by side for a bowl-and-a-half design. For compact options, see small sinks. For the farmhouse and apron styles, see butler and apron sinks. For bowl layouts, see single bowl kitchen sinks, double bowl kitchen sinks and 1.5 bowl kitchen sinks.
Other ceramic ranges in the collection
Beyond the Cuisine and Novi ranges, a few sinks cover specific jobs. The Turner Hastings Belfast is a traditional flat front butler sink in double glazed white fireclay, a heritage design for a period or coastal kitchen. The Galdor is a butler sink in the same fine fireclay, made for Hampton, heritage or coastal kitchens and laundries. The Lusitano 120 x 50 is an inset double bowl with a side drainer, 24 litres a bowl, available with no tap hole or one, with a left or right hand drainer, and it comes with two 90 x 50mm basket wastes. The Tribo 60 x 42 is a large single that installs as an above mount sink, made in Europe from double glazed fine fireclay, and suits a kitchen or a laundry. The Bao Ceramic farmhouse pack is a two sided butler sink, so you choose to show the fluted side or the double framed side, with a shelf inside the sink for accessories, and the set includes a timber chopping board and a stainless steel colander.
Gloss, matte and colour
Most ceramic sinks here are white, in gloss or matte, and some are matte black or a concrete look. White shows marks, and coffee, tea and wine can leave temporary marks that wipe off. Gloss shows minor scratches more readily than matte. The Turner Hastings Cuisine and Novi sinks come in gloss white, matte white and matte black, and the Fienza Benson butler sink in matte black. For colour choices, see white sinks and black kitchen sinks. Fine fireclay is a natural product and is therefore subject to variation, so allow for small differences in size and finish.
Three Oliveri Santorini sinks also appear in this collection. They are not ceramic: they are moulded granite made from 80 percent granite and quartz and 20 percent acrylic, made in Italy. See granite and stone composite sinks.
Concrete look and reversible fronts
Two details in the range are worth knowing about. The Turner Hastings concrete look butler sinks are fine fireclay in a concrete finish. They come in 600, 750 and 850mm sizes with capacities of 51 litres, 64 litres and 34 litres a bowl, a 210mm internal depth and an external radius of about 45mm. They include 90 x 50mm basket wastes. The Fienza Olivia, Charlton and Benson butler sinks are reversible, with a fluted face and a flat face, and the Otti Boston basin is reversible with a vertical rib and a pencil line. Choose the face before the cabinet is made, because the front is what the room sees.
Fitting a ceramic sink
Ceramic sinks can be set into the benchtop or fitted under it, and a butler sink can be cut in around three sides with the front exposed. Because of the size and weight of these sinks, a professional cabinetmaker should build the sink into the cabinetry. The Turner Hastings Cuisine sinks are inset or undermount. The Turner Hastings and Bao sinks offer butler, counter top and under counter options, with shelving or supportive cabinetry required for under counter. For a stone benchtop, the Cuisine 60 and 81 suit undermount with a drainer cut into the stone. See undermount kitchen sinks, inset sinks and drop in kitchen sinks.
Taps, wastes and overflow
Many ceramic sinks have no tap hole, so the tap goes on the benchtop or the wall. The Turner Hastings Cuisine 86 x 50 and Chester are available with a tap hole, and the Fienza butler sinks have none. See kitchen taps, gooseneck sink mixers and sink mixers. For wastes, read the box: the Cuisine sinks include 90 x 50mm waste outlets, the Cuisine 68 a basket waste, the Belfast a chrome waste outlet and an internal overflow weir, and the Chester a stainless steel waste with an overflow kit. The Otti sinks take a waste sold separately, and the Fienza Olivia requires a basket waste sold separately. See sink wastes. Check overflow too: the Cuisine 46 x 46 is available with or without, and the Cuisine 60 comes without.
Ceramic sinks in the laundry
A ceramic sink suits the laundry as well, since a deep ceramic bowl handles hand washing and soaking. See ceramic laundry sinks and laundry sinks.
Shop ceramic sinks by maker
Brand collections hold each maker's sinks: Turner Hastings sinks, Fienza kitchen sinks, Otti butler sinks and Oliveri kitchen sinks. For the full guide to sinks, see kitchen sinks.
Putting it together
- Traditional or Hamptons kitchen with a stone benchtop: fine fireclay, inset or undermount, in gloss white.
- Contemporary kitchen: a matte white or matte black fireclay sink with a protector grid.
- Hard-working family kitchen: stainless steel for the main sink, and ceramic as a feature or pantry sink.
- No drainer on the sink: a rack, a tray or a drainer cut into the benchtop, planned before the benchtop is cut.
- Heavy fireclay: cabinet support planned first, two people to lift, sink on site before the cabinet is made.
Whatever you choose, read the material line, dimensions, weight, overflow and waste on the product page before you order.
