If there is one thing that you don’t want from a kitchen sink it is to have one that won’t get scratched or damaged over the years. Kitchen sinks are really put through their paces at home, with dish washing, food preparation and a fair amount of banging and scraping, so they have to be tough. There are some materials which scratch easier than others and so today we are going to take a deeper look into which are the best materials to look for, in order to avoid investing in a material which can be easily scratched.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel sinks are great for durability and they can offer great protection against scratching. It is important to recognise there is more than 1 grade of stainless steel and getting it right is important. What you should be looking for when it comes to buying your stainless steel kitchen sink, is a gauge of between 16 and 18 -this is a measure of the thickness of the steel. With this grade, you can be sure to have a great looking and scratch resistant kitchen sink.

Copper

There are so many benefits to owning a copper sink and being scratch resistant is certainly one of them. Not only is the upper super tough against robust materials, it is also great for killing bacteria and it looks incredible. There are some drawbacks of the copper kitchen sink, such as the fact that it is very expensive and you are usually restricted to a single bowl kitchen sink. In terms of toughness however, copper kitchen sinks are a great option.

Enamel

An enamel sink works perfectly in a country-style kitchen setup and it is a material which is seriously durable, especially when it comes to not getting scratched. Thanks to the solid material which sits on the cast iron base, enamel kitchen sinks are very tough to scratch. The biggest negative that can be said about this sink option is that when it does get scratched, it can quickly lead to a crack in the sink, making the cast iron below visible.

Fireclay

This beautiful option is made using moulded white clay that is then fired at a high temperature to leave an enamel-like substance. Thanks to this intense heating process, the result is an ultra strong material which has a great lifespan and which is incredibly durable against scratches. The fireclay kitchen sink material is far from cheap and does require professionals to install, but for that cost you will get a great looking kitchen sink, which will last you a lifetime. If you are looking for a double bowl kitchen sink, you may find it tough to find in fireclay, those wanting single bowl options will find a range of options.

These are the four most durable and scratch resistant materials that you are going to find on the market for your kitchen sink. Make sure that you always check to see what thickness the material is before you buy, in order to make the best choice.