Kitchen Sink Development History - How Did Sink Come to our Everyday Life?

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Everyone knows that today's kitchens are more technologically advanced than ever before. But many people don't know just how much the long history that kitchen has developed over the centuries. The kitchen sink, for example, is a relatively new invention. It didn't come into widespread use until fairly recently. Even then, it took decades for all homes to have a functioning kitchen sink. Keep reading this blog to learn more about the history of the kitchen sink.

A survey by Remodeling magazine in 2016 found that almost half of all respondents cited “a desire for easy cleanup and maintenance as the No. 1 reason they would upgrade their kitchen this year” as their top priority when planning an update of their home’s kitchen. This goes back to a time when many kitchens did not have a sink at all because they were built floor-to-ceiling with cupboards and cabinets on every wall except one so that everything was accessible when you entered the room through swinging doors from the dining room or parlor.

What was a kitchen like before the kitchen sink was invented?

We often think of kitchens as the hub of the home, where families congregate to cook and eat together. But this wasn’t always the case.

If you go back a few centuries, you’ll discover that the kitchen was often a separate building when it existed at all. Even if the kitchen was inside the house, it was usually a very small room with few wooden cabinets or dark cherry cabinets.

In the Middle Ages, the kitchen was a room used to store meat and food that needed to be kept cool because there was no way to refrigerate things back then. There were no tables or chairs in it because there wasn’t much room for them. The room was very narrow, with an open fire in one corner. The smoke from the fire went through a hole in the roof. There were no cupboards or shelves. Everything was kept in barrels or hung from the ceiling. The floor was dirt. The room got very dirty because it was where all the cooking and cleaning took place, which would be very different from the modern kitchen.

Why did the kitchen sinks take so long to become popular?

Kitchen sinks were around since ancient times, but they didn't really become popular until the 19th century. In ancient Rome, for example, the kitchen was equipped with a drain that emptied into a sewer that ran outside the city walls. This kept the air in the city relatively clean. But drains were rare in Europe in the Middle Ages. Some castles had a drain that led to a moat or river, but indoor drains or indoor plumbing were uncommon. This meant that medieval kitchens were filthy places where rotting food and dirty water were allowed to pile up in a corner. In the Middle Ages, most people did their cooking outside, where there was no worry of a fire or a grease spill ruining a wooden table.

However, when people began to build their houses with more wood fixtures and furnishings, it became obvious that a separate room for cooking was needed because it was impossible to keep them clean. Terracotta pipes were used to create rudimentary drains in medieval Europe, but they were often blocked by grease and dirt.

Kitchen sink, water tank, and war world II

Before 1930, kitchen sinks were usually made of metal troughs and wooden cabinets. Water was pumped from supply tanks or wells, and collected in bowls, which were positioned in dry sinks. Copper and nickel silver (an alloy of zinc, copper, and nickel) were among the first metals used for butler sinks in wealthy homes. Manganese silicon, carbon, and iron were utilised in the 1920s to make sinks in the indoor plumbing sector. Porcelain has been used since World War II.

Because of this, the sinks were made of metal troughs and were set in wooden cabinets. The first two materials used for butler sinks were copper and nickel silver, which were only accessible to wealthy households. The sink was not significantly improved in the late 19th century until the early 20th century. In the 1920s, Monel, a firm that produces light and corrosion-resistant kitchen sinks, entered the market.

Nowadays, people spend much lesser time in domestic life at the kitchen sink due to the convenience of the dishwasher (e.g., no more washing dishes), although they must pump water from supply tanks to collect it in buckets or bowls, so that dishwasher is able to wash dirty dishes, pots, and pans.

Interesting, as dishwashers become more and more trendy, cabinet and kitchen designers and sink manufacturers are also after the radical change and have to adapt to the new needs, with the increased understanding that it is not a must that people need to wash pans and dishes in their sinks.

The invention of the ceramic kitchen sink

The first ceramic kitchen sink was invented in 1920. This wasn’t really as revolutionary as the invention of stainless steel because ceramics had been used for centuries to make pots, plates, and other kitchen items. In the 1920s, ceramics manufacturers started using a type of ceramic called porcelain that was a little bit more durable than the stuff that had been used on plates and cups. Soon, people were making sinks out of this material because it was very cheap and easy to make. Ceramic sinks were popular in the 1920s and 1930s, but they weren’t very sturdy, and they broke easily. They also often had small holes in them, which were supposed to allow foods to fall through and into the waste pipe. Unfortunately, many foods were too large to fit through the holes, and this led to many clogs and blockages.

The invention of the stainless steel kitchen sink

It wasn't until the 19th century that a more reliable drain system was invented. The first kitchen sink was made of cast iron and attached to a lead pipe. These early sinks were very heavy and difficult to clean. In the 1800s, when kitchen sinks started to become more popular, they were usually made of copper or lead. These materials are soft and easily scratched, but they're also very easy to clean and maintain. Unfortunately, they're also poisonous. Lead is very toxic to humans, and copper can leach into food and running water. These materials also rust and corrode very easily, which is why you don't generally see them in kitchen sinks today. The first stainless steel alloy, 18-8, was developed around 1910. This was a breakthrough because stainless steel didn't rust easily. After the invention of the stainless steel sinks in the early 20th century, they quickly replaced tin-lined copper sinks because they were more durable and easier to clean.

Unfortunately, it also wasn’t very strong, which made it difficult to make sinks. The first kitchen sinks made from stainless steel weren’t produced until 1936. The first sinks made from them were tiny, about 10 inches long, and held about one quart of clean water.

As time develops, the first porcelain-coated steel sink was introducedin-lined copper sinks that were popular in the 19th century but fell out of favour when stainless steel became the more popular choice. These days, most kitchen sinks are almost the standard kitchen equipment in every kitchen with the universalization of indoor plumbing. It becomes a place where people can wash dishes, do food prep, or ice their wines (i.e., a wet sink bar) and do many of their household chores. Many of the modern kitchens in western countries also come with granite countertops and upper cabinets (i.e., kitchen cabinets/built-in cabinets).

Cresheen is a b2b kitchen sink supplier and sink wholesaler, and our stainless steel kitchen sink has gained a good reputation in the market. Our product range now covers various styles for selection, including:

• Undermount kitchen sink

• Drop-in kitchen sink

• Farmhouse kitchen sink

Whichever style you are looking for, Cresheen is able to provide you with the perfect solution!

Which is better: Stainless steel or ceramic?

This is a difficult question to answer because there are lots of different factors to consider. Both materials are extremely durable and scratch-resistant. They won’t corrode or rust. They’re easy to clean. And they’re extremely easy to maintain. So which is better? It’s hard to say. Stainless steel sinks weigh a bit more than ceramic ones, so they may not be appropriate for a home where there are toddlers or young children. A stainless steel sink is also more expensive than a ceramic sink. So it really comes down to personal preference and idea.

Conclusion

There are many different types of kitchen sinks on the market today, but they all have their origins in the early days of sink development. The first sinks were made of copper or lead, but these materials were poisonous and easily corroded. In the 1800s, stainless steel as a status symbol was invented, and this material quickly became the standard for kitchen sinks because it was more durable and easier to clean. Ceramic sinks were also invented in the 1920s, but they weren’t as popular because they were easily broken and often led to clogs. Today, there are many different types of kitchen sinks available, so it’s up to the consumer to decide which one is right for them. 

Cresheen, as a b2b kitchen sink supplier, is always here to provide you with the best solution! Cresheen is a reliable and professional OEM kitchen stainless sink manufacturer. We have been in this field for over 24 years and our products have been exported all over the world, including the US, Canada, Europe, South America, Australia, and other countries and regions. Please feel free to contact us for more details. We’d love to help turn your kitchen dream into reality! (Sales Email Contact: export2@cresheen.com)