We all have our ways of dealing with it—from basic cleaning products to toothbrushes and wooden skewers—but Elkay came up with a way of preventing it. This Perfect Drain design has no seams or edges to let crumbs and grossness accumulate. Instead, all that stuff goes down the drain where it belongs.

How do you keep your sink looking great? Or how you get it back to beautiful once the bottom has turned from shiny silver to an unintended weathered bronze? Let us know. Add your two cents in the comments below.

But there actually is a way to get that uncluttered, photo-shoot look.

Elkay offers an “e-dock” system with handy gadgets that stick to the sides of the sink. Strong magnets grip the sink wall without scratching, to keep scrubbers, washcloths and other kitchen necessities close by but not right in your line of vision. Unlike suction cups, they won’t give out (or get disgusting) over time.

The e-dock system includes:

• Gourmet e-dock sinks
• Soap ledges
• Washcloth hooks
• Sponge holders
• Scrubber/utensil cups
• Disposer covers

Simple. Now you’re ready for your close-up.

A good sink is like a good life partner. The wrong sink is, well, you get it.

It’s strong and reliable. A flimsy sink that isn’t properly soundproofed will drive you nuts over time. Choose a heavier gauge (16 or 18 should do it) and make sure you’re getting what you paid for. Go with a manufacturer that’s been around the block, so you know they stand behind their products.

It keeps its looks. Years into the relationship, a quality sink will still have that sheen that drew you to it in the first place. It won’t let itself fall apart, with dents or rust in the stainless steel that don’t live up to the manufacturer’s initial promise.

It’s smart and deep (but not too deep). A smart design, with straight sides and tight angles that don’t eat up all the bowl’s capacity will serve you well and provide the flexibility you need to take on dinners for two to twenty. And match the depth and number of bowls to your own physique and lifestyle. For example, deep is good. Too deep can be exhausting (especially for your lower back).

It can even take out the trash. Enough said.

Sure, in the hierarchy of needs, your sink is well below food, shelter and clothing. But once those are reliably accounted for and you narrow the field to your needs in a successful kitchen renovation, the right sink rises high on the list.

Sink.com: Are kitchen sinks designed to be left-handed or right-handed?

Mark: I can’t speak for other manufacturers, but at Elkay, we always look for ways to accommodate all users when we develop new products. That’s why many of our sink models come in left- and right-handed versions. This is particularly important when the sink has differently sized bowls or a special feature on one side.

Sink.com: So which sinks might be better for left-handed people?

Mark: This comes down to workflow preference as much as being left- or right-handed. But we have seen that, when a sink is configured with a smaller and larger bowl, people who are left-handed often prefer the small bowl on the left. I know that, as a right-handed person, I find it easiest to wash in the right side and air dry in the left. Someone who is left-handed might find the opposite to be more comfortable. Dishes to be washed would be stacked on the countertop to the left of the sink, washed in the smaller sink bowl, then rinsed and left to air dry on the right.

Sink.com: What if there are left- and right-handed people working the same kitchen?

Mark: Single-bowl sinks and designs with equally sized bowls are perfect for these families—or those who can’t decide.

Sink.com: What else should a person consider?

Mark: There are a few other factors that might affect the sink configuration.

• First, do you work from left to right, or right to left? Even if you’re left-handed, you may prefer a different workflow.
• Will your plumbing require that a deeper bowl be on one side or the other?
• Do you want the faucet handle further to the left so you don’t have to reach as far to turn it on? What about a soap dispenser? This may drive you to specific sink designs.

Bottom line, before you select a sink you should A: Determine your preferred workflow, and B: Decide what you want to be easiest to reach.

Yes, we’re still talking about sinks.

Fortunately, there is a middle ground. So whether you’re commitment phobic or a committed multitasker, you may not have to choose. A two-bowl sink with a lower center partition can give you the best of both worlds.

Leading US-based sink manufacturer Elkay researched the way people use their sinks and came up with a few innovative answers:

• Their Gourmet line of Aqua Divide™ sinks have a lower center partition that allows pot handles and large pans to extend into the second bowl. So you get the full capacity of a single-bowl sink, with the flexibility of separate bowls.

• Their Work Bench™ sinks have wider partitions, giving you a space to dry items or rest a hot pan.

• Finally, if you’re just looking for separate drying space, a sink with an integrated work surface may do the trick.

When it’s a job offer or a marriage proposal, you have to choose. But relax. When it comes to sinks, you can say “yes” to everything.

Unless you have serious insomnia, there’s no way you’ll log that many hours at the fridge door.

So your sink should offer a few things—and trust us, not all of them do…

• Capacity. A sink with sides that slope in won’t make the most of the available footprint. Instead, look for vertical sides with a minimal curve at the bottom corners to maximize your valuable space. It’ll make a difference when stacking dishes, washing pans, prepping food, potting plants and so on.
• Care. When you put a wine glass or vase into the sink, you shouldn’t have to worry about whether it’s going to tip over. A flat bottom will help keep things upright. Still, many sinks have steeply angled bottoms that put glassware at risk.
• Sound control. You won’t hear this in the showroom or online, but some sinks can sound like a tin roof in a rainstorm. If you prefer to converse in the kitchen, make sure your sink has a sound-absorbing spray coating or pads—or better yet, a combination of the two.
• Comfort. We’ve talked about the importance of choosing the right sink depth, because cleaning up is enough of a chore without giving yourself a backache.
• Cleanliness. Isn’t that the whole point of a sink? Yet it can be one of the messiest areas in the kitchen. Fortunately, some manufacturers are working to solve that. For example, Elkay’s Perfect Drain offers a seamless path to the pipe, so crumbs don’t build up into a nasty brown ring. And accessories such as hooks, sponge holders and more make it easier to keep the whole area tidy.

Bottom line? There’s more to a sink than meets the eye. Look closely before you buy.

“Buy a countertop, get a free sink.”

That may sound like a great deal, but who made that sink? And what is it made of? There’s a reason that no-name company hasn’t made a name for itself. It seems that some manufacturers—who aren’t in it for the long haul—are flooding the market with products they’ve made on the cheap. You can’t blame the counter fabricator for trying to win your business with a freebie, but they’re not the ones who will have to live with it. You will. Every day. For a very…long…time.

“304 or 305. Whatever it takes.”

A quality stainless steel sink by a reputable manufacturer is likely to be made with grade 304 stainless steel. This means the steel is composed of a specific ratio of metals that provides strength, durability and rust resistance, so the sink will last for a lifetime. Not-so-reputable manufacturers will say they’re using 304 stainless steel, or will make claims about the steel’s thickness, but it doesn’t mean it’s true.

Unfortunately, sink shoppers aren’t in a position to analyze a sink’s composition or even measure its gauge or thickness. You can, however, stick to manufacturers that adhere to the Uniform Plumbing Code—pretty much any sink you know by name. And recognize that while a quality sink may cost a bit more, it’s not the name you’re paying for. It’s knowing that you’re getting exactly what you’ve signed up for.

In the meantime, industry leaders are doing everything to keep the codes upheld and the quality unblemished, and to provide products that affirm your decision every time you rinse a spoon.

This last step in choosing a kitchen sink is the easy one, since it’s less about aesthetics and more about determining the right fit for your cabinets or countertops. If you’re simply replacing a sink, you’ll want to choose one that fits your existing cutout. There’s no need to make this harder than it has to be.

However, if you’re starting from scratch, you’re only limited by the size and placement of your cabinets.  Typically, cabinet manufacturers offer special sink base cabinets that are 27, 30, 33, 36, 39 and 42 inches wide. Or, if you’re going custom, you can choose your sink first and pass on the dimensions to the fabricator. Needless to say, your sink will need to fit within the width of the finished base unit. Don’t worry, though. You’ll find scores of sink options to fit cabinets from 21 inches to six feet wide.

And because countertops tend to be 24 inches from front to back, most sinks are in the 18- to 22-inch range.

Of course, keep in mind that even if you have a large cabinet to put it in, a giant, multi-bowl sink may overpower a compact kitchen. A good rule of thumb—if your kitchen is 150 square feet or smaller, a 24-inch-wide sink will be a nice fit. If you’ve got an expansive kitchen, well, get an expansive sink to go with it. Better yet? Get two and save a few steps when you’re working.

We’ve touched on this before. Forget about what’s trendy and what the neighbors have and reflect on your own cooking and clean-up style.

Single-bowl sinks = flexibility

• Accommodate even the largest pots, baking sheets and roasting pans
• Help in cleaning large quantities of food, such as fruits and vegetables for canning or freezing
• Hide stacks of dirty dishes (relatively) out of sight

Double-bowl sinks = sharing

• Allow two people to work at the same time (although you may also want to think about adding a second sink)
• Designed for simultaneous prep and clean-up, or side-by-side soaking and washing

When it comes to sinks, the deeper the better—to a point. Any more than ten inches may be uncomfortable, especially if you can’t reach the bottom easily.

The best way to choose a depth you can live with is to go into a sink showroom, stand in front of a few sinks and reach to the bottom. The sinks on display will be mounted in standard 36-inch high countertop height. Doing this will help you find a balance between what’s comfortable and what will accommodate your cooking and clean-up needs.

Of course, a deeper sink requires more steel to make it, so a bargain sink (or the free sinks offered by counter fabricators) will probably be about six to seven inches deep. It makes sense—the manufacturer saves four inches of material, it weighs less for shipping and the box takes up less room in the warehouse. Everybody wins—except the homeowner who can’t wash a pasta pot without spraying the whole kitchen.

Sink depth is personal. Maybe not as personal as how you adjust your rearview mirrors or how soft you like your pillow, but it’s important just the same. Try not to commit to a sink without giving some alternatives a try.