Small Stainless Steel Sinks for Bars, Prep Spots and Tight Cabinets

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Ruvati

Ruvati RVM4136

A small second sink for a bar, an island or a tight spot.

Why here: It really does fit a 15-inch cabinet, and it uses the same thick steel as Ruvati's full-size sinks.

Best for: A prep or bar spot in a cabinet as narrow as 15 inches.

• +Fits a 15-inch cabinet, per Ruvati
• +16-gauge T304 steel
• +Rinse grid, strainer and clips included

• –Too small to be your main kitchen sink
• –6-3/4 inches deep
• –Undermount only, so it needs a solid counter

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Mounting

Undermount

Minimum cabinet

15 in

Outside size

12-3/4 × 15 in

Bowl

10-3/4 × 13 in, single

Bowl depth

6-3/4 in

Material

16-gauge T304 stainless steel

In the box

Rinse grid, strainer, template, clips

A second sink or your main one?

These are two different questions. A bar or prep sink handles glasses, rinsing and washing vegetables. A main sink has to take your biggest pan. If you're buying the only sink in the kitchen, don't go small until you've read what size sink fits your cabinet.

Ruvati RVM4136

Ruvati lists true 16-gauge T304 steel, an outside size of 12-3/4 by 15 inches, and a bowl of 10-3/4 by 13 inches at 6-3/4 inches deep. It has curved inside corners, a center drain, and sound guard padding and undercoating. A rinse grid, a basket strainer, a template and mounting clips are in the box.

Comparison: Ruvati RVM4136, Elkay Dayton D125221

Comparison	Our pick: small sinkRuvati RVM4136	Seller data onlyElkay Dayton D125221
Mounting	Undermount	Drop-in, per listing
Minimum cabinet	15 in	–
Outside size	12-3/4 × 15 in	25 × 22 in, per listing
Bowl	10-3/4 × 13 in, single	Single, per listing
Bowl depth	6-3/4 in	6.5625 in, per listing
Material	16-gauge T304 stainless steel	–
In the box	Rinse grid, strainer, template, clips	–
Price class	–	Budget
Best for	A prep or bar spot in a cabinet as narrow as 15 inches.	A plain budget swap in a smaller kitchen, once you've checked the old cutout.
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Buy it if you're adding a prep spot to an island or a wet bar with a solid counter. Skip it if your counter is laminate, or you need to wash a stockpot in it.

On laminate or a budget

Undermounts want a solid counter, as our comparison explains, so a laminate kitchen needs a drop-in. The Elkay Dayton D125221^* is a budget single bowl, listed at 25 by 22 inches. It's not small by bar-sink standards, but it's narrower than most main sinks. We could only read the listing, so it isn't a pick. See the drop-in guide for what to measure.

Where a small sink makes sense

A second sink on an island. You can wash vegetables without getting in the way of whoever's at the main sink. A wet bar. It's about glasses and ice, not pans. A very tight kitchen. Here you should think twice, because a bar sink won't take your dinner plates comfortably.

The RVM4136's bowl is 10-3/4 by 13 inches. Before you buy, lay your largest everyday plate and pan on the counter and draw that rectangle around them. That quick check will tell you more than any description.

A narrow main sink instead

If it's your only sink and the cabinet is small, look at the widths Yale Appliance names as common: a 24-inch sink needs at least a 27-inch base, and a 30-inch sink at least a 33-inch base. We don't have a verified 24-inch pick yet. So compare any candidate's outside size and minimum cabinet. Yale's other tip is that depth wins back capacity when width is short, and deep sinks shows the difference depth makes.

On the Elkay D125221, check two things first: the 22-inch front-to-back size against your old hole, and the depth of about 6-1/2 inches against what you wash.

Noise and thickness

Being small doesn't mean it has to be thin. Ruvati lists the RVM4136 in the same 16-gauge T304 steel as its full-size sinks, with sound guard padding and undercoating. See 16 or 18 gauge if you're comparing it with something thinner.

What to check

• The cabinet width. Ruvati gives 15 inches as the minimum for the RVM4136.
• The drain and supply lines. A narrow cabinet has little room for them.
• The faucet. A small bowl and a tall faucet can splash, so keep the spout in proportion to the bowl.
• The depth. Under 7 inches is fine for glasses, but less so for prep with a lot of water.

More from the same maker is on our Ruvati page. For bigger bowls, see undermount sinks. If this is the spot you need, the Ruvati RVM4136^* is the one to check.