Comparison

Single or Double Bowl? Think About Your Biggest Pan

Measure your biggest pan. If it wouldn't lie flat in a 14-inch bowl and you wash up by hand, take one big bowl. If you like to soak on one side and rinse on the other, take two, and consider a low divider.

by the editorial teamupdated November 3, 20262 min read

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AI-generated image: a stainless steel double-bowl sink with a soaking pot on one side and a colander of vegetables on the other. — Image: AI-generated (OpenAI)

In short

A single bowl gives you one wide space for big pans: the KRAUS KHU100-32 bowl is 30 inches wide. A double splits the same cabinet in two: each bowl of the Ruvati RVM4350 is 14-1/2 inches wide. Take a single for sheet pans and stockpots, and a double if you soak and rinse separately. A low divider lets long pans lie across.

On this page

Both of these need a 36-inch cabinet. The difference is what they do with the space.

The same cabinet, two ways

	One bowl: KRAUS KHU100-32	Two bowls: Ruvati RVM4350
Outside	32 × 19 in	32-1/4 × 18-7/8 in
Bowl	30 × 17 in	Two, each 14-1/2 × 16-7/8 in
Depth	10 in	8-1/2 in
Grids	One	Two
Strainers	One	Two
Minimum cabinet	36 in wide, 24 in front to back	36 in

Look at the bowl width: 30 inches against 14-1/2. That's the whole decision. Measure your biggest pan and see which it fits.

Where a single wins

Sheet pans, roasting pans and big stockpots. One wide bowl takes them flat, and you have space to work around them. The KRAUS also goes deeper here, at 10 inches. If you've ever washed a big pan one end at a time, you know the problem.

Where a double wins

Soaking and rinsing at the same time. One side can hold hot water and a pan while the other stays free. That's useful if you wash by hand or prep food alongside dirty dishes, which Signature Hardware names as the reason for a double. The trade is that neither side will take a big pan flat.

Take one if, take two if

Take a single bowl if your big pans come out most nights, or a dishwasher does the daily plates. Start with the KRAUS KHU100-32^*.

Take a double bowl if you soak and rinse separately, and your biggest pan fits a 14-inch bowl or can lie across a low divider. Start with the Ruvati RVM4350^*, or see all double bowl sinks.

If you want depth more than anything, see deep sinks. For the cabinet numbers, go to what size fits, and to see every pick together, the best sinks.

Asked before buying

Do most people prefer single or double bowl sinks?

We have no solid figures for homes in general, so we won't quote any. Signature Hardware says single bowls are more common among farmhouse sinks. In your own kitchen, your pans and your habits are the better guide than what most people do.

What is a low divider?

It's a wall between the two bowls that stops below the rim. Ruvati says the low divide on its RVM4350 gives extra clearance for large pots and pans. You keep two separate bowls, and long items can still lie across them.

Which is better with a dishwasher?

If a dishwasher does most of your dishes, the sink mostly handles big pans and rinsing, which favors one wide bowl. If you wash delicate things by hand or soak a lot, two bowls still help. This is our reasoning and not a maker's rule.