Modern National kitchen sinks buying guide
The Modern National sinks here are of two kinds: 304 stainless steel sinks with round corners and a round waste, in plain stainless and in a PVD Gun Metal finish, and moulded quartz sinks in black, some with a drainer. This guide explains what each kind is made of, the sizes and bowl layouts with figures from the listings, how the sinks are fitted, and what to check before you order. Searches for a modern sink are common, but this page is about the brand, Modern National, and the word is not a quality claim. For most kitchens the sensible choice is to choose the layout and width that fit the cabinet first, then the material, because the stainless sinks and the quartz sinks differ in weight, noise and care. The text names where each fact comes from.
Who Modern National is
The maker's homepage describes Modern National as an Australian bathroom and kitchen brand that sells kitchen tapware and sinks alongside bathroom mixers and showers. It lists sink categories for stainless steel, granite and PVD coloured sinks, plus accessories, and offers a sink catalogue to download. The page does not say where the sinks are made. The listings in this collection say European made, and this page quotes that as the listings' statement.
The stainless steel sinks
The stainless listings give the material as 304 grade stainless steel, the corner style as round corner, and the waste as round. Each sink comes with a matching stainless steel basket waste, or two for the doubles, an installation kit and installation instructions, and the listings say the sinks suit top mount or undermount installation. According to a retailer guide, 304 stainless contains about 18% chromium and 8% nickel, which resists corrosion without making it completely rust-proof. The sizes in this collection are:
- Single bowl: 440 x 380 x 200mm, with a 400 x 340 x 200mm bowl.
- Single bowl: 450 x 450 x 200mm, with a 400 x 400 x 200mm bowl.
- Single bowl: 650 x 450 x 200mm, with a 600 x 400 x 200mm bowl.
- Double bowl: 760 x 440 x 200mm, with two 340 x 400 x 195mm bowls.
- 1.5 bowl: 670 x 440 x 200mm, with a 400 x 400 x 195mm main bowl and a 200 x 400 x 175mm second bowl.
- Single bowl with a drainer: 960 x 450 x 210mm, with a 510 x 400 x 205mm bowl, reversible for left or right.
- Double bowl with a drainer: 1110 x 450 x 200mm, with 340 x 400 x 195mm bowls, reversible for left or right.
The listings do not state a thickness. At the thin end, a retailer guide says, imports often use 0.8mm steel that dents more easily and is noisier. A more substantial sink uses 1.2mm, about 18 gauge. Because the thickness is not stated, check the specification sheet or ask before you order. The round corners matter for cleaning: a retailer guide says a pressed bowl has broad rounded corners that wipe clean quickly, while a handmade bowl has straighter walls and smaller corner radii that need more attention. The listings do not say how these bowls are made, so the build method is another thing to ask.
The Gun Metal finish
The single bowls also come in a PVD Gun Metal finish, in the 440 x 380mm and 450 x 450mm sizes, on the same 304 stainless steel. A retailer article on gunmetal sinks explains PVD, short for physical vapour deposition: 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 article says gunmetal scratches are less visible than on bare brushed stainless, though it calls that the seller's claim and says scratches still happen. The listings do not describe the finish or its durability. A retailer guide says satin or brushed stainless hides scratches and water marks better than a mirror polish, and that a grid protector sitting just above the basin floor prevents scratches. See gunmetal kitchen sinks for the finish from other makers.
The quartz sinks
The quartz sinks are described in the listings as hard wearing quartz. They come in black, and they carry an overflow. The listings give these sizes:
- A single bowl, 380 x 460 x 194mm, with a 320 x 400 x 170mm bowl and an overflow, in the Como range.
- A double bowl with a drainer, 1160 x 500 x 210mm, with bowls of 25 litres each, in the Riva range. The drainer can be left or right.
- A 1.5 bowl with a drainer, 960 x 500 x 210mm, with an 8 litre and a 30 litre bowl, in the Riva range.
- A single bowl with a drainer, 960 x 500 x 210mm, with a 30 litre capacity and a 430 x 440 x 190mm bowl, in the Dello range.
The Riva listings say the mixer tap can be located left or right, using removable blanks, so the same sink serves either hand. The listings suit top mount installation for the drainer models. A retailer guide describes granite composite, a related material, as hard, scratch and chip resistant, non-porous and quieter than stainless, and says it is heavier, so the cabinet may need reinforcing. It says a heavy dropped pot can cause hairline cracks, and that white shows coffee, tea and red wine more than black does. A Houzz guide says composite sinks are matte only because of the way the material is made, and are usually sold in dark hues. Quartz and granite composite are related but not identical, so read these as the nearest comparison. See granite and stone composite sinks for the material in general.
How the Modern National sinks are fitted
The stainless listings say top mount or undermount, and the quartz drainer listings say top mount. One retailer guide notes a top mount sink works with almost all benchtops, including laminate, because the rim covers the cut edge. With an undermount sink, the fixing is underneath the benchtop. 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. That gives a simple rule: on laminate or timber choose top mount, and on stone you can choose either for the stainless sinks. The quartz drainer sinks are top mount only. inset sinks and undermount kitchen sinks cover the two methods.
Which size suits which cabinet
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 single needs a cabinet of at least 450mm and a large single at least 600mm, ideally 700 to 900mm when there is a drainer. It gives 760 to 900mm for an equal double, with a minimum cabinet of 800mm, and 800 to 900mm for a 1.5 bowl. Plumbing and hardware take space, so one guide puts the sink at least 70 to 80mm narrower than the cabinet's internal width. If a splashback is going in, it allows 50 to 100mm behind the sink. Against those figures:
- A 600mm base cabinet: a single bowl about 440 to 540mm wide, such as the 440mm or 450mm stainless single.
- A 900mm base cabinet: the 760mm stainless double.
- A long bench run: the 960mm single with a drainer or the 1110mm double with a drainer in stainless steel, or the 960mm and 1160mm quartz sinks with a drainer, which need a longer cabinet.
Use the cut-out on the specification sheet or the template 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.
Reading the steel on a listing
According to a retailer guide, 304 stainless contains about 18% chromium and 8% nickel, which resists corrosion without making it completely rust-proof. It says 201 uses less nickel and more manganese, which leaves less margin against corrosion, and that 316 adds molybdenum for chloride resistance, which suits sinks within about 1 to 2km of salt air according to another guide. The Modern National listings state 304 for every stainless sink, so the open questions are thickness and build. 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, sound pads or undercoating, 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's guide states thin stainless sinks can sound tinny, and that sound pads or a rubberised undercoating reduce noise and condensation. The Modern National stainless listings do not mention sound pads or an undercoating, so check the specification sheet if noise matters in your kitchen. The guides describe quartz and granite composite as quieter than stainless, which is one reason a buyer who is sensitive to noise might choose the quartz sinks here.
Bowl depth and tap reach
The listings give the depths: 200mm on most of the stainless sinks, 195mm in the double bowls, 210mm on the single with a drainer, 194mm on the quartz single and 210mm on the Riva and Dello drainer sinks. A retailer sizes guide gives 180 to 200mm as a standard bowl depth and 220 to 250mm as deep. These sinks sit at the standard end. The guide says a deeper 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.
Left hand or right hand drainers
The stainless drainer sinks are reversible, according to the listings, so the drainer can sit on the left or the right of the bowl. The quartz drainer sinks say the drainer can be left or right. Another retailer guide says most drainer models are handed, and that a drainer with deep grooves and a slope drains better than a flat one. The listings do not describe the drainer grooves, so check the product page. Decide the side with the cabinet maker.
Replacing an existing sink
When a sink replaces an old one, the old opening sets the limit. Before ordering, measure both the base cabinet and the existing benchtop cut-out, a retailer guide says, and expect a topmount sink to be easier to replace than an undermount. According to a retailer guide, a cutting error can cost the benchtop, so the template or specification sheet for the new sink should drive the cut. The listings say each stainless sink comes with an installation kit and instructions, which is the first place to look for the fixing method.
Accessories
The listings do not name matching accessories. A retailer guide lists the usual choices as grid protectors that sit just above the basin floor, clip-in colanders, portable drainboards, chopping boards and roll mats. It says a drainboard or a rinse basket does the job of a second bowl on a single bowl sink. See kitchen accessories and sink wastes.
Single, double or something in between
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. A double gives a wash side and a rinse or prep side. The guide recommends one for frequent hand-washing, vegetable prep or children who need a separate bowl. The 1.5 bowl gives a main bowl and a smaller second bowl, and the quartz 1.5 bowl pairs a 30 litre bowl with an 8 litre 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.
Taps and tap holes
The listings do not state a tap hole count. A sink with no tap hole takes a tap mounted on the benchtop, and the Riva listings say the tap can sit left or right of the bowl. Check the tap position with the cabinet maker before the benchtop is cut. A retailer guide says to match the sink's size and depth with a mixer that has the right reach and swivel range. The kitchen taps collection covers the options.
Cleaning
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. For quartz and granite composite, the Houzz guide says to wash daily with a soapy nylon brush in circular strokes and dry with a cloth, and never to use abrasive powders or pads. A retailer guide recommends a pH-neutral cleaner for composite sinks and says to avoid bleach, ammonia cleaners and steel wool. The listings give no care text, so follow the instructions that come in the box.
Where to go next
This page covers Modern National sinks. Other makers are on the main kitchen sinks page, and stainless steel sinks sets out steel grades and thicknesses side by side. One guide counts 20 to 30 uses of a kitchen sink a day, so the size, the material and the layout are worth getting right before you order.
