You probably see a kitchen sink at least once a day. You may not wash dishes, or use it to wash your hands or cook, but the fact is, it is indeed everywhere. Has it ever occurred to you how these sinks came to be and how they found their way into our homes? Read on to find out more about the history of this rather indispensable part of our kitchen.
A sink is defined in plumbing as a bowl-shaped fixture found in the kitchen made of stainless steel, porcelain, or other materials that is used for washing hands, dishes, pans, and other small items. The idea for the sink dates back to the prehistoric era when Neanderthals made basins of water out of large rocks that were eroded into concave shapes by many centuries of rain. The idea of inventing sinks for kitchen use came much later, probably during the time when civilization finally started to happen: the time when animal skins were made into clothing and open hearths were turned into indoor fireplaces.
Kitchen sinks have always come in various materials, largely depending on what was available. Thus, sinks varied from region to region. For example, prior to 1940, heavy stone and stainless steel were too expensive to ship, so sinks based on these materials were not available at the time. During this time, soapstone was mined only in Vermont and slate was widespread in the northeastern regions of the US. During the mid-19th century, running water began to be pumped from supply tanks and collected in bowls or buckets that have been placed in dry sinks. These sinks were usually made of metal channels and built into wooden cabinets. Nickel silver (consisting of an alloy of zinc, copper, and nickel) and copper were among the first two materials used for butler sinks found only in wealthy homes.
In the latter part of the 19th century until the beginning of the 20th century, the sink did not develop much. However, in the 1920s, the Monel company entered the kitchen sink market. They produced lightweight, corrosion-resistant sinks made of copper and nickel, manganese, silicon, carbon, and iron. Twenty years later, the need for copper and metals increased due to the war, so stainless steel sinks came on the scene and became very popular not only as sinks, but also as countertops.
Earthenware sinks were first introduced in the 1920s and became popular for their solid ceramic (rather than cast iron) bases, white enamel interior, and brown glaze exterior. They were mainly used in commercial kitchens as they were relatively heavy. Refractory clay is a ceramic material widely used today.
Sinks have also come a long way from what it originally was. It has its own long history. Today, sinks come in all shapes, sizes, and materials; it will certainly go through further developments in the future.
