First of all, you need some background. I am 5'8" tall and do not have any significant back problems. Secondly, I have to tell you that I just spent Thanksgiving at my parents' home and offered to do most of the kitchen clean up after dinner. That is where my rant begins...

For years now, I have been speaking about kitchen sink ergonomics. This past Thanksgiving pushed me over the top!!!!! By the end of the clean-up, I had such a backache that I could hardly breathe. I was also so frustrated that smoke must have been billowing out of my ears. It was all about STUPID SINK DESIGN. Yes, I said it. Most of the sinks on the market are stupidly designed! My mom has a single bowl sink that is wide enough, but it is too deep and the drain is in the rear center (stupid design)

Let's talk about stupid design for a moment. The rear center drain idea was a design change (an attempt at improvement) from the even more stupid center drain. Well, I have to tell you, there is little difference between a rear center drain and a center drain. I was washing platters, pans, pots and roasting pans for quite some time. Every single item, when placed in the sink, covered the drain. As soon as I began to rinse each item, the food began floating around inside the sink because the drain was completely covered by the item I was washing. I was constantly holding up each item with my left hand, while I attempted to swish the food down the drain. It was quite the juggling act and I found myself getting more and more frustrated.

One of the main purposes for a kitchen sink is to clean dirty pots, pans and platters. I tried holding a roasting pan (to scrub it) partially inside the sink, so that I would not cover the drain. I did not have enough leverage to clean the bottom. I was forced to place it at the bottom of the sink, covering the drain. While I was scrubbing, the water was running and the sink began to fill with water. Every few moments, I had to lift the pan to let the water flow out. Then, the depth issue kicked in. The darn sink was too deep! Working at the bottom of a 9" deep sink was giving me a back ache that added to my frustration. Yes, a 9" deep is too deep!!! My mom's sink is undermounted under granite, which effectively makes the sink 10 1/4" deep. That is just too deep if you are going to be working at the bottom of the sink. Think about this... the countertop (36" tall) is designed to be a comfortable work surface. Now subtract 10 1/4" from that comfortable height. You are effectively working at a 25 3/4" height. Take this test and then tell me if I am not correct. Make a work surface that is 25 3/4" tall. Get a paper and pen. Try writing a letter while standing and using the surface height you have just made. One more thing, make sure you are standing several inches back from your work surface (just like you would at a sink). Go ahead, write a long letter. I can assure you will have a back ache.

So... who am I ranting about? Well, I have to admit, the person I am most irritated at is myself. I have been talking about kitchen sink ergonomics for a decade. I have failed to realize that sinks over 8" deep are just too deep until recently. I have also failed to illustrate just how crazy it is to have a center or rear center drain. There is no logical reason to have a center or rear center drain - none whatsoever. So why are most sinks on the market designed with center or rear center drains? The answer is simple - cost! If a manufacturer offers rear corner drains, they will have to offer right and left handed versions. That will force retailers to stock twice as much inventory. We all know that there are far more right handed people than left, so the stock would have to be skewed to represent the ratio of the population. Consider what these additional costs would do. The average sink would increase in cost quite significantly. There is no cost effective solution, so the manufacturers continue on with stupid designs because the market has no alternative and continues to purchase these ridiculous sinks.

I feel better now, thank you for letting me rant!

My best,

Dino