Oliveri kitchen sinks buying guide
The Oliveri kitchen sinks here fall into four groups: brushed stainless sinks with drainer and tray options, stainless sinks with a protective bowl finish, stainless sinks with a large main bowl, and moulded granite sinks in black and white. This page explains who makes them, what each group is made of, the sizes and bowl layouts, how the sinks are fitted, and how to clean them. For most kitchens the practical call is to choose the material first. Pick stainless for a lighter sink that fits a standard cabinet, and moulded granite if you want a heavier, quieter bowl and your cabinet and benchtop can carry it.
Brushed stainless sinks with a tray or board in the box
The Oliveri Sonetto sinks are 1.2mm brushed stainless steel. The box holds the basket waste or wastes, the clip kit, and a stainless bench top drainer tray or a bamboo chopping board, depending on the model. The sizes are:
- Standard bowl: 405 x 455 x 205mm outside, with a 355 x 405mm bowl.
- Large bowl: 520 x 455 x 211mm, with a 470 x 405mm bowl, in an undermount and a topmount version.
- Double bowl: 785 x 455 x 205mm, with two 355 x 405mm bowls.
- Single bowl with a drainer: 1035 x 510 x 211mm, in left-hand and right-hand versions.
- Double bowl with a drainer: 1300 x 510 x 211mm.
Stainless sinks with a bowl protector
Each Oliveri Spectra sink is supplied with matching basin protectors, which create a barrier between dishes and the bowl finish. The sinks come in stainless steel, gunmetal and black, with a matching gunmetal basket waste, bench top drainer tray and bamboo chopping board in the gunmetal boxes. The black Spectra is 304 stainless steel, 1.2mm thick, with an easy-clean PVD coating, a 40L capacity, and topmount, undermount or flushmount installation.
The sizes are:
- Single bowl: 540 x 445 x 210mm, with a 500 x 405mm bowl.
- 1.5 bowl: 790 x 445 x 210mm, with a 500 x 405mm main bowl and a 230 x 405mm second bowl.
- Double bowl: 780 x 445 x 210mm, with two 360 x 405mm bowls.
The protector matters more on a coloured finish than on plain stainless. Hardened metal utensils, food processor blades and pans lightly scratch any stainless sink, and a bowl protector or a drainer basket reduces the contact. A coating that is darker than the steel will show a scratch more clearly, so the protector is worth using. The gunmetal kitchen sinks and black kitchen sinks pages cover the finishes from other makers.
Stainless sinks with a large main bowl
The Oliveri Nu-Petite and Petite sinks are built around a large main bowl. The Nu-Petite main bowl holds up to 30 litres, so you can soak large pots and pans, and the drainer models come with an integrated colander and a bamboo preparation board that fit in the main bowl. The sizes in this collection include:
- Nu-Petite standard bowl, undermount: 410 x 450 x 206mm, with a 380 x 420mm bowl.
- Nu-Petite 1.75 bowl with a drainer: 1150 x 500 x 218mm, with a 380 x 420mm main bowl and a 280 x 350mm second bowl, in left-hand and right-hand versions.
- Nu-Petite double bowl with a double drainer: 1550 x 500 x 218mm.
- Petite single bowl with a drainer: 770 x 480 x 192mm, with a 330 x 400mm bowl.
Shallow stainless sinks and a round bowl
Two stainless ranges are shallower than the others. The Oliveri Endeavour double bowl undermount is 751 x 455 x 154mm, with 330 x 385mm bowls. The Oliveri Ultraform single bowl is 890 x 470 x 171mm, with a 385 x 330mm bowl and a left-hand drainer, or 1180mm wide with a double drainer. The Ultraform comes with one tap hole, three tap holes or none. A depth of 150 to 200mm is shallow and 200 to 250mm is the standard. A shallow bowl splashes less, though it holds less, and a tall stockpot may not sit under the tap.
The Oliveri Solitaire is a round bowl, 490mm across and 186mm deep, with a 420mm bowl. It suits a laundry, a butler's prep bowl or an alfresco kitchen, and a second version adds a tap landing, at 590.5 x 490mm. A round bowl suits a bar or a second sink where a full-size sink will not fit.
Moulded granite sinks
The Oliveri Santorini sinks are moulded granite: 80 percent granite and quartz particles and 20 percent acrylic. They are made in Italy, come in black and white, have an integrated overflow, and are heat resistant up to 280 degrees C. A surface protector is recommended for hot pots, and if minor scuffs or scratches appear you can gently buff them away. The material absorbs noise and keeps the water temperature longer.
The sizes are:
- Standard bowl, undermount: 410mm wide, with a 340 x 400 x 200mm bowl and a 27L capacity.
- Large bowl, topmount or undermount: 560mm wide, with a 490 x 400 x 200mm bowl and a 39L capacity.
- Double bowl, undermount: 860mm wide.
- 1.75 bowl with a drainer, topmount: 1160 x 500 x 217mm.
- Mega bowl, undermount: 760 x 435mm, with a 690 x 400 x 200mm bowl, a 55L capacity and a 16kg weight.
Granite composite is roughly 80 percent crushed granite bonded with acrylic resin, hard and scratch resistant, non-porous and quieter than stainless. It is heavier, so the cabinet may need reinforcing, a heavy dropped pot can cause hairline cracks, and white shows coffee, tea and red wine more than black does. The 16kg mega bowl is a figure to plan the cabinet around. See granite and stone composite sinks for the material in general.
Which Oliveri range suits which kitchen
Match the range to the job. For a family kitchen with a stone benchtop, the Sonetto large bowl or the Spectra single in undermount gives a clean line and a deep bowl. For a kitchen that hand-washes a lot of dishes on a long bench, the Sonetto or Nu-Petite with a drainer keeps the dishes beside the sink, and the Nu-Petite 30 litre main bowl takes the big pots. For a shallow cabinet or a laminate bench, the Endeavour and Ultraform have the least depth. For a pantry, bar or laundry, the Solitaire round bowl takes the least room. For a heavy, quiet sink in black or white, choose a Santorini, and plan the cabinet for its weight.
How the Oliveri sinks are fitted
The boxes show the fitting method. The topmount sinks include a topmount clip kit, the undermount sinks an undermount clip kit, and the Ultraform an adjustable clip kit. Every box also holds the installation instructions and a basket waste. A topmount sink drops into a cut-out and rests on its rim, and it works with almost all benchtops, including laminate, because the rim covers the cut edge. An undermount sink sits under the benchtop and is fixed from below. It needs a waterproof solid benchtop such as engineered stone or granite, and crumbs sweep into the bowl, while the join can collect grime. Caulking on both types needs replacing every three to five years.
The Spectra black also suits flushmount. A flushmount sink sits level with the benchtop, so it needs a fabricator who can cut the groove. Both methods are explained on inset sinks and undermount kitchen sinks.
One bowl, two bowls or in between
A single bowl is one uninterrupted basin, with room for trays and large pots, and it suits dishwasher households that rarely wash full loads by hand and runs under 600mm. A double lets you wash on one side and rinse or prep on the other. Choose a double if you hand-wash often, prep vegetables or have children who need a separate bowl, and if the benchtop run is 900mm or more. The 1.5 and 1.75 layouts sit between the two. See double bowl kitchen sinks for the full range of double layouts.
Tap holes
Most sinks in this collection are marked NTH, which means no tap hole, and the specification lists the tap hole count as zero. Drainer models marked 1TH have one. The Ultraform comes in one, three or no tap hole versions. A sink with no tap hole takes a tap mounted on the benchtop, so choose the tap and its position with the cabinet maker before the benchtop is cut. With a deep sink you may want a taller mixer or a pull-out. The kitchen taps collection covers the options.
Cleaning an Oliveri sink
For stainless steel, rinse with clean water and towel-dry after each use, then at the end of the day wipe with detergent on a soft sponge in the direction of the brushed grain, not in circles. Treat white or grey limescale deposits early with bicarbonate of soda, vinegar or lemon. Polish once a month along the brushing direction, and do not over-polish, because concentrated polishing in one place can change the finish. Light scratches from hard utensils, food processor blades and pans are normal on all stainless sinks and become less noticeable over time. Keep plastic scourers, steel wool, harsh cleaning agents and bleach away, and do not leave soap or a wet sponge on the sink ledge.
For a granite sink, clean it straight after use. For minor discolouration, fill the sink with warm water, add bleach, leave it overnight and rinse, or use a dishwasher tablet instead of the bleach. Bleach is safe for the granite but can harm the stainless steel basket waste parts, so rinse the waste fittings thoroughly. For stubborn stains and minor scratches, rub an abrasive cleanser such as Quickleen-S in continuous straight lines, which removes a very fine layer of the surface and takes the stain with it. Check under any sink monthly for leaks and check the clips and sealant.
Other collections
This page covers Oliveri kitchen sinks only. Oliveri accessories, including the chopping boards, drainer trays and sink protectors, sit at Oliveri kitchen accessories. For other makers, the main kitchen sinks page is the place to start. stainless steel sinks compares the steel grades and thicknesses.
