15 Kitchen Sink Industry Firsts by Rachiele® | Inventor of the Workstation Sink

Rachiele® accomplishments through the years

Industry-First Kitchen Sink Innovations by Rachiele®

Rachiele® is entering its 27th year of designing and fabricating custom kitchen sinks in the USA. Over nearly three decades, we have introduced a series of industry-first kitchen sink designs that reshaped how sinks function, perform, and integrate into real kitchens.

What follows is a concise timeline highlighting some of the most significant kitchen sink innovations pioneered by Rachiele®, many of which later became industry standards.

1. Kitchen sinks with rear corner drains. Rachiele® introduced rear corner drain kitchen sinks in the late 1990s and early 2000s, long before they were adopted by other custom kitchen sink manufacturers. At the time, center and rear-center drains dominated the market, despite their inefficiency and interference with workspace.

2. Single bowl corner sinks. Single-bowl corner sinks were near the top of my list to design. We have since come up with quite a few novel and functional corner sink designs.  Having a single-bowl corner kitchen sink Greatly improves the workflow and allows large items to fit in the sink It also allows the faucet to stay on when going from one side of the bowl to the other.

3. Retrofit farmhouse sinks. The retrofit farmhouse sink design was my first patent. I received three patents on the design that offers a channel behind the apron to slip over the existing cabinet frame. Replacing a regular sink with a farm sink became possible without cutting up the cabinetry. 

4. The workstation sink. Rachiele® introduced the first workstation sink in the early 2010s, creating a new category of kitchen sink design that integrates functional ledges for food prep, cleaning, and workflow directly into the sink itself. Trying to solve an issue for a client, I came up with the very first workstation sink design in early 2010. There were none on the market at that time. We called the design "Smarter Sink," which later on became our Signature Series.  It didn't take long for companies like Kohler and the Galley sink to hop on the workstation bandwagon. I already had several patents at this time; however, I felt this idea was so helpful that I did not patent the idea. We were, and still are, a small company, and to restrict this wonderful design idea to a handful of families was not appropriate in my opinion. 

5. NexGen, the first workstation sink with a ledge design instead of a step. The NexGen™ workstation sink ledge system offers no decrease in bowl width, unlike all step designs. 

6. The dual tier workstation sink. Back in 2013 I received three patents on any sink with two steps within the bowl. We called the design "Evolution." For almost a decade, we were the only company allowed to build a dual-step full-width dual-tier workstation sink. Several years ago I was approached by the owner of Ruvati, and they licensed my patents and recently purchased them. The patents became less valuable to me as we came up with a more evolved design. 

7. Paragon, dual-tier workstation sink. The Paragon design offers dual tiers without the loss of width below the tiers. The dual-tier sinks on the market today are narrower below the step(s). Most have a bottom width of 16" compared to our 18".

8. ADA-compliant kitchen sinks designed for real usability. A decade and a half ago, I was awarded a patent on my ADA sink design. It featured a rear corner drain and a shallow depth. The drain area was partially outside of the rectangular shape of the sink. My idea was to move the drain as far away from the legs of the user in a wheelchair as possible. All other ADA sinks on the market were simply shorter versions of existing designs  - with either center or rear-center drains. 

9. The first and only 100% custom sink manufacturer. We have been, and continue to be, the only custom sink manufacturer where every sink is designed with the end user(s). We do not sell to resellers. We are a direct-to-consumer custom sink manufacturer. This allows us to truly tailor the sink design to the height, handedness, lifestyle, cooking methods, etc. of each family. 

10. 8" deep sinks. Back in the late 90's and early 2000's almost all of the high-end sinks were 12" deep. Deeper meant better back then. As a student of ergonomic studies, I found that 12" deep sinks were uncomfortable, and moreover, single-bowl sinks with rear corner drains needed to be around 8" deep. The ergonomic kitchen sink depth happens to be ergonomically comfortable for the vast majority of users. That being said, we do alter the depth of our sinks based on the height of the users. 

11. Early innovation in modern copper kitchen sinks: Back in 1999, there was only one national manufacturer of copper sinks. My company was the second (to the best of my knowledge). The apron thickness on the other sink was over 2 1/2". I felt that was defeating the value of a farm sink. My initial design featured a 1 1/2" thick apron to allow the users to be closer to the bowl. My standard for the last 10 years has been 1 1/4", and I have also offered some at 3/4" for those who might be under 5'3" tall. I call it my EZ reach farm sink. 

12. Copper farm sinks with unique hand-applied copper patina options. To this day, no other company has such an array of patina options. There is a fairly funny story behind how I developed the technique. If we have a chat in the future, ask me about it. 

13. A sink design that accomodates full-size double trash bins under the sink. This is likely one of the most valuable design offerings we have come up with. Traditionally, there is a dishwasher on one side of the sink and a trash cabinet on the other. Now, the trash cabinet is part of the sink base, and what was to be a trash cabinet can now be a valuable storage cabinet right next to the most used appliance in the kitchen!

14. MicroWelding Our corner weld option, MicroWelding corner welds, has baffled the best welders in the country. Applauded by NASA employees as well as Blue Origin. The MicroWelding is so tiny, it can barely be detected.  Best yet, it is polished to a glassy smooth finish - no food will stick in our corners.

15. Zoom meetings with every potential customer. Zoom meetings have become extremely valuable for me to be able to share ideas, designs, and photos. Often, I will take a copy of a customer floor plan and point out issues or potential changes that would enhance the design. Just recently, one of my potential customers thanked me for pointing out the fact that there was not nearly enough room between the island and the surrounding cabinetry. He went back to the designer and addressed the issue, and corrections were made. I am also able to share photos that might be on my computer and not on our website. Zoom has truly opened the door to valuable exchanges. I now offer the option for opting to share your screen and camera if requested. Zoom has been a game changer.  Consider a private Zoom consultation—no salesy talk, no pressure, just an educational conversation.

Why These Kitchen Sink Innovations Matter

Most kitchen sinks are designed around manufacturing convenience rather than real-world use. Many of the features now considered standard were not driven by research, ergonomics, or cooking workflow. They were driven by cost reduction.

Rachiele® approached sink design differently. Each innovation listed above was developed to solve a specific problem encountered in real kitchens, often through direct conversations with homeowners, designers, and builders. These designs were not theoretical. They were built, tested, refined, and used.

That approach is why many of these ideas later became industry standards.

Frequently Asked Questions About Kitchen Sink Innovation

Who invented the workstation sink? Rachiele® introduced the first workstation sink design in the early 2010s, creating an entirely new category of kitchen sink that integrates functional ledges for food preparation, cleaning, and workflow directly into the sink.

What is the advantage of rear corner drains in kitchen sinks? Rear corner drains keep the drain out of the primary workspace, improving usability, allowing full-size accessories, and making cleanup more efficient.

What makes a sink truly custom? A truly custom sink is designed around the end user. Height, handedness, cabinet size, cooking habits, and workflow are all considered. Rachiele® designs every sink from scratch rather than modifying standard templates.

Are ADA kitchen sinks just shallower versions of standard sinks? Most are. Rachiele® ADA-compliant sinks reposition the drain and redesign the basin geometry to improve reach and comfort rather than simply reducing depth.

Why does sink depth matter ergonomically? Excessively deep sinks force users to lean forward, causing strain. Through ergonomic study, Rachiele® determined that approximately 8 inches of depth is more comfortable for most users, with adjustments made based on user height.

What is MicroWelding™ in kitchen sinks? MicroWelding™ is a precision corner-weld technique that creates extremely small, nearly invisible welds, improving durability and aesthetics while maintaining structural integrity.