The best choice for a 3 compartment sink starts with a NSF-certified sink. The National Sanitization Foundation provides certification on the stainless steel 3 compartment sinks that meet its exacting standards. The purpose of the standards is to ensure compartment sinks meets the sanitization requirements for food safety equipment and don’t attract or store bacteria in the sink’s corners or other areas of the sink. Though some businesses may advertise their sink is the best, look for the NSF-certification so that your business will comply with your local government’s health and safety requirements.
Compartment sinks certified by NSF means the interior corners of the sink’s bowls are rounded. Square corners allow for the growth of bacteria that can contaminate the dishware washed in your restaurant’s sinks. When that happens, your local health department could downgrade your food service’s health standards. You will also note that an NSF-certified sink has a tapering at the bottom of the sink towards the drain. High-quality NSF-certified compartment sinks also come with sink strainer baskets.
Non-NSF sinks have square corners and flat bottoms. You might also note weld-beads in the corner that will attract and hold bacteria. While a NSF-sink looks similar to a certified 3 compartment sink, if you purchase the wrong sink for your food service business, you may get tagged by your local health department. Square-cornered flat bottomed sinks are typically not certified by the National Sanitization foundation and are not used by food-services business washing dishes. These sinks are typically used in utility or laundry settings.
A 3-compartment sink can only use the NSF-certification if the sink model has been reviewed by the National Sanitization Foundation and the sink meets the NSF consensus standards or protocols. NSF periodically conducts reviews on product lines it has certified to ensure the models listed as certified by a particular manufacturer continue to meet the certification standards. When a company lists the NSF Mark, this conveys that the product has been reviewed by the NSF itself.
High Quality Commercial Sink Models
All food services businesses need high-quality commercial 3-compartment sinks to clean glasses and dishes. A standard part of any food-service business, most of these compartment sinks come in stainless steel standalone models, some even come equipped with one or more drain boards. The best compartment sinks are made using 16 gauge stainless steel and have deep sinks of 14 inches.
These compartment kitchen sinks typically come with an attached backsplash and predrilled faucet holes. Most sinks have fully-welded gussets that provide the sink support underneath. Legs, typically made of 16-gauge stainless steel might also include adjustable impact-resistant feet. A compartment sink restaurant-style may have more than three compartments; some even come with four sink compartments.
Having multiple compartments allows more than one worker to use the compartment kitchen sink at a time. There might be one worker washing, one rinsing and even one drying the dishes or glasses. Having a 3 compartment sink allows an extra rinse that contains anti-bacterial ingredients to make glasses and dishes especially clean. When purchasing food-service equipment, quality is an important feature to ensure you get the most and best use out of your equipment.
When thinking about purchasing a 3-compartment sink, some of the more popular NSF-certified manufacturers include:
•Advance Tabco
•Regency
•Elkay
Models come in a variety of lengths and widths. Some sinks offer drain boards on the right, the left or on both sides. The better sinks will have rounded exterior corners for safety and adjustable legs. Most sinks can be ordered in a variety of widths and lengths for the individual sinks from 18 to 30 inches wide, depending on the width you need and 14 to 24 inches long. The entire 3-compartment sink unit’s length can reach up to 72 inches or more depending upon on the added optional drain boards. Some may even come in longer models.
Busy restaurants need good equipment and nothing is more important than ensuring the quality of washed service ware. The sinks need to be wide and deep enough to accommodate a variety of cooking gear such as deep stock pots, broiler grilles and more.
Any equipment purchased for use in a food-service business gives the business a tax write-off, but besides that, the small business person wants to ensure that they get the best bang out of their business dollar. Always look for the NSF-certification to ensure that you get a high-quality product and that your compartment sink meets safety requirements.
Comparison Shopping
Always make a point to compare prices and sinks so that you get the best deal possible. Many different configurations of compartment sinks may seem similar but vary slightly in design. Some compartment sinks are made to sit in corners and more accessible for use by one person.
Some companies may offer a lower price on the sink, but when you are doing a compartment sink comparison, you want to confirm that you are comparing the same products. Make sure that your comparison only includes stainless steel sinks of the same gauge, that all meet NSF standards and that all compartment sinks have the same exact features and same measurements, such as the same amount of drain boards or that the specifications of the sinks for comparison are the same.
Important Features
Stainless steel sinks made of 16-gauge stainless will provide long-lasting use if you purchase the right product. While some manufacturer’s advertise compartment sinks at lower prices, it’s important to check that the compartment sink has all of the following:
•Interior rounded corners, no welds
•Slightly sloping sink bottoms toward the drain
•Drain baskets
•Backsplash
•Rounded exterior corners to prevent injuries
While you may look at auction sites for deals on stainless steel sinks, oftentimes these are priced higher than purchasing a brand new 3 compartment sink and there is no way to ensure you get a fully functional piece of equipment. Because your purchase of a 3 compartment sink is a tax deduction on your businesses’ taxes, it makes sense to purchase the best and highest 3 compartment sink you can.