Stone and solid surface kitchen sinks buying guide
The stone and solid surface sinks here are moulded sinks, not pressed steel. They come from two makers: the Seima sinks, made of Arqstone, a natural quartz material, and the Phoenix 5000 Series, which is quartz and resin. This page answers the questions people ask before they buy one: whether a stone sink is good, how it is cleaned, and what to plan for. It then goes through the sinks in this collection with sizes, and covers fitting, measuring and care. The practical call for most kitchens is a stone-style sink if you want a quieter, heavier bowl in black or white, and your cabinet and benchtop can carry it.
What stone and solid surface sinks are made of
The two materials in this collection are not granite or marble, and this page does not call them that. Arqstone is a natural quartz material, and the Oros sinks add an integrated overflow and corners with a 10mm radius. The Phoenix 5000 Series is quartz and resin moulded in one piece. Both belong to the family that is sold as granite composite or quartz composite sinks, and the general facts about that family are the nearest comparison for how the sinks behave. Granite composite is roughly 80 percent granite and 20 percent acrylic resin, and the dense granite content makes it stronger and more scratch resistant than quartz composite. Arqstone and quartz and resin are not the same as that material, so read the points below as general facts about composite sinks, not as promises about each sink.
Are stone kitchen sinks good
The strengths are consistent. Composite sinks resist scratches, dents and stains well, hot pans can go straight into the bowl, and they are noticeably quieter than thinner steel sinks when water and dishes hit the bowl. The material resists scratches, chips, heat and most household stains and acids, and it looks and feels like natural matte stone. The Phoenix 5000 is denser and quieter than a pressed steel sink and does not ring when a spoon is dropped in it.
The Seima Arqstone sinks
The Seima Oros sinks are Arqstone in black and white. The sizes in this collection are:
- Oros 550: a single bowl, 552 x 440 x 210mm.
- Oros 620: a single bowl with a tap landing, 620 x 495 x 240mm, above-mount, with 0, 1 or 3 tap hole options.
- Oros 750: a single bowl, 752mm wide.
- Oros 820 and 822: double bowls, 820mm wide by 440mm front to back.
- Oros 1160 and 1162: double bowls with a drainer, 1160 x 500 x 210mm in the bowl and 130mm at the drainer, with 0 or 1 tap hole and the drainer on the left or the right. The white 1160 is a top mount sink.
The Seima Rhodes 900 is an engineered Arqstone sink, 897 x 515 x 190mm, with no tap hole and an integrated overflow, and it works in a kitchen or a laundry. The Icaria is a round bowl, 510mm across and 170mm deep, with one tap hole. The Oros range is made in Europe, and Seima makes accessories for it: waste and overflow covers in brushed gold, brushed bronze, gunmetal, black, white and stainless steel, bamboo boards sized to the sink, a drainer basket and roll mats. See Seima kitchen sinks for the full range.
The Phoenix quartz and resin sinks
The Phoenix 5000 Series comes in matte white and matte black. Each sink has a built-in overflow, a centre rear waste that leaves more space in the cupboard below, and stainless steel basket wastes with covers, and it can be fitted as an undermount or an overmount sink. The sinks are 220mm deep, and the sizes are a 418 x 468mm single, a 593 x 466mm large single, 713 to 715 x 466 to 468mm 1-3/4 bowls and an 804 x 468mm double. The 1-3/4 bowl holds 28 litres in the large bowl and 21 litres in the small one. The 804mm double has two bowls of 28 litres each, with a stainless steel basket waste and cover for each bowl, and the sink fixing kit comes in the box. See Phoenix kitchen sinks.
Does a solid surface sink need to match the benchtop
A sink does not have to match the benchtop. The matching advice that matters is about the fitting method and the benchtop material, not the colour. A black or white stone-style sink is a style choice, and the colour pages cover it: see black kitchen sinks and white sinks. If you want the full material overview in one place, granite and stone composite sinks covers the composite family.
Colours and finishes
The sinks here come in black and white. The Phoenix sinks are matte white and matte black, and composite sinks are matte only because of the way the material is made, usually in dark hues. White shows coffee, tea and red wine more than black does. The pages for each colour list sinks from other makers too.
How the sinks are fitted
The Oros and the Phoenix sinks can be fitted above or under the benchtop. An overmount, or topmount, sink works with almost all benchtops, including laminate, because the rim covers the cut edge. Undermount sinks are fixed from beneath the benchtop. Engineered stone or granite suits it, while laminate and timber are not recommended. Undermount sinks are designed for solid surface benchtops such as natural stone, engineered stone and acrylic solid surfaces, and you should ask the benchtop supplier for a suitable adhesive and sealant. Crumbs sweep straight into an undermount bowl, while the join can collect grime, and caulking on both types needs replacing every three to five years.
That gives a simple rule: on laminate or timber choose an overmount fitting, and on stone you can choose either. For the fitting methods in general, inset sinks and undermount kitchen sinks go further.
Using a stone-style sink in the laundry
The Seima Rhodes 900 is a kitchen or laundry sink, and the Oros and Icaria belong to the same kitchen and laundry series. A stone-style sink handles the knocks of laundry use, and the matte surface is easy to wipe, but the weight and the cut-out need the same planning as in a kitchen. Choose the Rhodes when you want one large bowl for a laundry bench, and check the tap position, since it has no tap hole. For dedicated laundry sinks, see laundry sinks and Seima laundry sinks.
Stone-style or stainless steel
The two families suit different kitchens. A stone-style sink is denser and quieter, has colour that runs through the material, and brings a matte, stone-like look to a black or white kitchen. A stainless steel sink is lighter, easier to fit and available in far more sizes and layouts. Choose a stone-style sink when the bowl is a feature and the cabinet can carry the weight, and stainless steel when the kitchen is used hard, the cabinet is standard and the widest choice of sizes matters. If you are undecided, the stone-style sinks here that fit a 600mm and a 900mm cabinet, the Phoenix 418mm single and the 804mm double, are the easiest to place.
Checking the fit
Two measurements come first: the cabinet's internal dimensions and the benchtop cut-out. Leave a gap of at least 70 to 80mm between the sink and the cabinet's internal width, for the plumbing and hardware. If a splashback is going in, allow 50 to 100mm behind the sink. A typical topmount cut-out in Australia is about 560 x 430mm, though sizes vary, so use the cut-out dimensions on the specification sheet for the exact sink.
Some pairings follow from the sizes:
- A 600mm base cabinet: a single bowl about 440 to 540mm wide, such as the Oros 550 or the Phoenix 418mm single.
- A 900mm base cabinet: a double of about 760 to 820mm, such as the Oros 820 or the Phoenix 804mm double.
- A long bench run: the Oros 1160 or 1162 with a drainer, or the Phoenix 1-3/4 bowl.
Ordering early avoids re-cuts, which stone masons often charge for, and every trade can then work from the same sink.
Tap holes and taps
Most of the Seima and Phoenix sinks here have no tap hole, so the tap goes on the benchtop beside the sink. The Oros 620 comes with a tap landing and a choice of 0, 1 or 3 tap holes, the Oros 1160 and 1162 have 0 or 1, and the Icaria has one. Check the tap hole count against the tap before you order, and choose the tap 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, and sink wastes covers replacement wastes.
Choosing a bowl layout
A single bowl is one uninterrupted basin with room for trays and large pots. A single bowl works if the dishwasher does most of the washing or the run is under 600mm. With a double you wash on one side and rinse or prep on the other, and it suits households that hand-wash often, prep vegetables or have children needing their own bowl. A drainer adds width, and most drainer models are handed left or right. See double bowl kitchen sinks for the layouts.
Choosing between Seima and Phoenix
Seima gives the wider range of shapes: a round Icaria, a Rhodes that works in a kitchen or laundry, the deep Oros 620, and drainer doubles with a left or right hand. Phoenix gives the simplest range, four sizes in two matte colours, all 220mm deep, all with a built-in overflow and a centre rear waste. Choose Seima when you need a drainer or a particular shape, and Phoenix when you want an undermount bowl that fits a standard cabinet at 600mm or 900mm.
Related pages
This page covers stone and solid surface sinks. If you have not settled on a material, the main kitchen sinks page lists every range, and stainless steel sinks compares the steel alternative in more detail. A kitchen sink gets used 20 to 30 times a day, so the material, the weight and the size are worth getting right before you order.
