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What to buy

Double Bowl Stainless Steel Sinks: What to Buy and What to Measure

For a solid counter, take the Ruvati RVM4350: two equal bowls with a low divider, in 16-gauge steel, for a 36-inch cabinet. For laminate on a budget, the Elkay Dayton D233193 is the plain option. Check your biggest pan first.

by the editorial teamupdated November 3, 20264 min read

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AI-generated image: a stainless steel double-bowl sink with a soaking pot and a colander of vegetables.
Image: AI-generated (OpenAI)

In short

Our double bowl pick is the Ruvati RVM4350, an undermount with two bowls of 14-1/2 by 16-7/8 inches, 8-1/2 inches deep, and a low divider for long pans. It needs a 36-inch cabinet and a solid counter. On laminate, the Elkay Dayton D233193 is a budget drop-in, listed at 33 by 19 inches; we could only read its listing.

On this page
Our pick: double bowlAd

Ruvati

Ruvati RVM4350

Two equal bowls with a low divider, so long pans can still lie across.

Why here: Two equal bowls in thick steel, and the low divider softens the usual problem with long pans.

Best for: Anyone who soaks on one side and rinses on the other, on a solid counter.

  • Low divider gives room for large pots and pans
  • 16-gauge T304 steel
  • Two rinse grids and two strainers included
  • Sound guard padding and undercoating
  • Each bowl is only 14-1/2 inches wide
  • Bowls are 8-1/2 inches deep, shallower than our single-bowl pick
  • Not for standard laminate counters
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Mounting
Undermount
Minimum cabinet
36 in
Outside size
32-1/4 × 18-7/8 in
Bowl
Two, each 14-1/2 × 16-7/8 in
Bowl depth
8-1/2 in
Material
16-gauge T304 stainless steel
In the box
2 rinse grids, 2 strainers, template, clips
Price class
Mid-range

Before you buy two bowls

Two bowls split the width. In a 36-inch cabinet, you trade one bowl of about 30 inches for two of about 14. If that doesn't sound right, read single or double bowl first. If you already know you want two, carry on.

Which double bowl?

Which one?

Comparison: Ruvati RVM4350, Elkay Dayton D233193
ComparisonOur pick: double bowlRuvati RVM4350Seller data onlyElkay Dayton D233193
MountingUndermountDrop-in, per listing
Minimum cabinet36 in–
Outside size32-1/4 × 18-7/8 in33 × 19 in, per listing
BowlTwo, each 14-1/2 × 16-7/8 inTwo equal bowls, per listing
Bowl depth8-1/2 inAbout 6-1/2 in, per listing
Material16-gauge T304 stainless steel–
In the box2 rinse grids, 2 strainers, template, clips–
Price classMid-rangeBudget
Best forAnyone who soaks on one side and rinses on the other, on a solid counter.A rental or a tight budget, once you've checked the listing against your old sink.
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Specs as stated by the makers or the named sources. No prices here: they move daily, so check the listing. Swipe sideways on a phone.

Ruvati RVM4350

Ruvati lists two bowls of 14-1/2 by 16-7/8 inches at 8-1/2 inches deep, in true 16-gauge T304 steel with a brushed finish. It has curved inside corners and a rounded bottom, and comes with sound guard padding and undercoating. In the box you get two rinse grids, two basket strainers, a template and mounting clips.

Buy it if you soak and rinse separately and your counter is solid. Skip it if you need depth more than anything: 8-1/2 inches is less than the 10 inches of our single-bowl pick. Deep sinks covers those.

Elkay Dayton D233193

This is a drop-in with two equal bowls in the budget class, listed at 33 by 19 inches and about 6-1/2 inches deep. We could only read the Amazon listing for this exact model, so it isn't a pick. Elkay's sheet for a 33-by-22 Dayton double lists #22-gauge steel and undercoating on the bottom of the bowl.

Buy it if it's a straight, cheap swap for a rental, and you've checked it against the old hole. Skip it if this is your main sink for years of heavy use.

The trade you're making

In a 36-inch cabinet, the sink can be about 32 inches wide, and two bowls have to share that width. The RVM4350's bowls are each 14-1/2 inches wide, while our single-bowl pick gets a bowl of 30 inches into almost the same outside size. The depth changes too: 8-1/2 inches here against 10 there.

That's fine if your habits fit. Two bowls let you keep hot soapy water on one side and rinse on the other. You can also leave a pan to soak and still use the sink. The trouble starts with long pans and sheet pans. That's what the low divider is for: it stops below the rim, so long items can lie across it, even if they can't sink fully into the water.

Noise and care

Ruvati lists sound guard padding and undercoating on the RVM4350, and it says the rubber padding also reduces condensation. Elkay's sheet for its Dayton double lists undercoating on the bottom of the bowl to dampen sound. Thin steel will still ring more than thick, as 16 or 18 gauge explains.

Care is the same as for any stainless sink: mild soap, a rinse and a dry, along the grain. Two bowls mean two drains and two grids to lift out, and a divider to wipe around. The curved inside corners on the Ruvati make that easier than sharp ones would. Our cleaning guide has the routine.

Laminate and double bowl

If your counter is laminate, the mounting decides first, as undermount or drop-in explains. We have no thick-steel double drop-in with a maker's sheet to point to yet. The Elkay is the budget route, and we'd check its listing carefully. If you'd rather have thick steel on laminate, the single-bowl Delta Lorelai 33 is the one we'd look at, with its ledge standing in for the second bowl.

What to measure

  • Your biggest pan. Will it fit a 14-inch-wide bowl? Will it lie across a low divider?
  • Your cabinet. See what size fits.
  • Under the sink. Two bowls mean two drains to connect, and you need room for a disposal if you have one.

Our pick stays the Ruvati RVM4350*. For more from the same maker, see Ruvati. If your counter is laminate, start from the drop-in guide, and if it's solid, undermount sinks shows you the single-bowl route too.

Asked before buying

What size double bowl sink fits a 36-inch cabinet?

About 33 inches or less. The Ruvati RVM4350 is 32-1/4 inches wide and Ruvati lists a 36-inch minimum cabinet. The rule of thumb, from Yale Appliance, is cabinet width minus 3 inches. Check the spec sheet of the exact model.

Is 50/50 or offset better?

A 50/50 sink has two equal bowls, like the Ruvati RVM4350. An offset has one bigger and one smaller, which gets you closer to a large bowl. We don't have an offset pick with a full spec sheet yet. If you want one, compare the size of the bigger bowl with your largest pan.

Can a double bowl sink have a disposal?

Yes. Ruvati gives a 3-1/2-inch drain opening on the RVM4350, and says on its product page that the disposal flange isn't included. You'd use the flange that came with your disposal, in one of the two bowls.

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stainlesssteelkitchensink.com Editorial Team

Kitchen sinks & fit

We are the editorial team at stainlesssteelkitchensink.com. We read makers' spec sheets, install manuals and care guides and turn them into plain-English buying advice, with sources on every page. We do not run lab tests, and we say so openly.

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