Thread: Kitchen Sink Height

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hello All,

Remember this is the General Chat section... what is the ideal height for a kitchen sink? I am 185 cm tall

While numerous Australian kitchen design sites identify that 900 mm is the height floor to top of kitchen bench, few identify how high the sink should be. The 900 mm represents working on a solid flat plane while a sink is recessed so that the bottom of the sink - where your hands work while washing is lower down than 900 mm.

Over the years the person I share my house with complains about how low the kitchen sink is in our house. We have an old Queenslander and the kitchen sink unit is probably not far off from being an original vintage - when people might have been a bit shorter in statue.

If 140 mm of the 900 mm recommended height (suggested tolerance is + 20 mm still being acceptable as 'standard') is lost because of the depth of 140 of the sink establishing the operational height of the hands - is 900 mm high enough?

No - buying a dishwasher - or hiring someone less vocal while washing the dishes is not an option. I do the cooking by the way and the system is those who cook do not wash the dishes!

So, what do you consider is the ideal height of a kitchen sink top that will allow for complaint free operation of the washing process. Said dishwasher person's height is 170 cm by the way.

Kind regards
Lionel

Lionel, we had a kitchen renovation recently and the new sink bench is 900mm high, with a sink depth of 200mm. (Square with flat bottom).
I'm 185cm in height and have no trouble washing dishes in it, although I do have to stoop a tad, to reach the bottom of the sink. Only a couple of cms in it. I reckon minus 150mm in height would be advantageous.

Originally Posted by Saitch

Lionel, we had a kitchen renovation recently and the new sink bench is 900mm high, with a sink depth of 200mm. (Square with flat bottom).
I'm 185cm in height and have no trouble washing dishes in it, although I do have to stoop a tad, to reach the bottom of the sink. Only a couple of cms in it. I reckon minus 150mm in height would be advantageous.

Hello Saitch,

Just to confirm - you mentioned minus 150 mm in height would be advantageous... does this mean that you would reduce the 900 mm kitchen sink top down to 750 mm?

My initial thoughts were to boosting the 'standard' height to about 920 mm so that the bottom of the sink - close to where hand washing occurs - prevents the need to stoop - even a tad.

Otherwise, you could be talking about reducing your own height down 150 mm :0) It is one way of not needing to stoop a tad into the sink I suppose. SHIRLEY! AIRPLANE! - YouTube ... 'surely, you can't be serious' accessed 22nd July 2023...

Kind regards
Lionel

Well, I'm 6'2" (approx 187cm) and the significantly better half is 5'8" and when we remodeled our kitchen we set the bench height at 920mm as we found 900 made us both stoop a bit.
The base of the sink is a bit irrelevant as you hold the items to be washed at or above the water line. It wouldn't really matter if the sink was a metre deep, you still need to retrieve the item and hold it to wash it. Well, alright, at a metre deep you may fall in and drown, but you see what I mean.
I would recommend you set the bench height at 920mm as it will also suit virtually anyone in the future who may wish to buy your house.

Hi,
When we had our kitchen built I insisted on a 60h x 100deep set back on the base, as the bench top was only 880h for SWMBO. It makes it easier to bend over if I can stand closer.
Cheers

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

Hell Saitch,

Just to confirm - you mentioned minus 150 mm in height would be advantageous... does this mean that you would reduce the 900 mm kitchen sink top down to 750 mm?

My initial thoughts were to boosting the 'standard' height to about 920 mm so that the bottom of the sink - close to where hand washing occurs - prevents the need to stoop - even a tad.

Otherwise, you could be talking about reducing your own height down 150 mm :0) It is one way of not needing to stoop a tad into the sink I suppose. SHIRLEY! AIRPLANE! - YouTube ... 'surely, you can't be serious' accessed 22nd July 2023...

Kind regards
Lionel

Lionel, I meant being 170cm tall would be easier. Sorry, I was a bit vague there!

Originally Posted by DieselLSE

It wouldn't really matter if the sink was a metre deep, you still need to retrieve the item and hold it to wash it. Well, alright, at a metre deep you may fall in and drown, but you see what I mean.
I would recommend you set the bench height at 920mm as it will also suit virtually anyone in the future who may wish to buy your house.

Hello Diesel LSE,

Umm ... as per the directions I was given as a brief ... one does hold items to be cleaned under the water while washing them. As I was told. So therefore I must listen and of course comply.

Yes, at my height of 185 cm I do hold the objects to be cleaned out of the water and scrub them. The scrubbed items are then dunked under the water a couple of times before putting them on the drying rack.

Kind regards
Lionel

Originally Posted by Lionelgee

....................... As I was told. So therefore I must listen and of course comply..................l

Make it any height you want Lionel.

I've done quite few custom bench tops, benches, dressers out fold timber, some with sinks and they were all at the height the client wanted.

900 is too low for me and I'm kinda stooping. My sister's bench tops, including the sinks are more like 1000 cause she doesn't like 900 either and hers passed a certificate of occupancy inspection no probs.

DL

Another one for 920.

Yes, sometimes one holds things underwater to scrub, but then they have to be brought out to see whether they are clean, or even scrub while out to see if where the scrubbing is needed.

Mock a benchtop up at 930 and see if it is too high for other work - peeling, spreading, mixing.
Then drop it to 920 and try the same.

910 then.

Somewhere your shoulders will ease, but then your back will ache if lower for the washing.