S I N K S and ACCESSORIES
 

In grandmother's day, a sink was a single bowl. These days, sinks can have one, two, or even three bowls. The combination of large and small sinks has the advantage of two sinks as well as having the feature of one large sink which allows space for cleaning big pots yet these still provide a second smaller sink. There is the small bar or hospitality sink as well. There is even a two bowl corner sink. This is particularly convenient for the L-shaped counter. For most sink configurations you can put cutting boards that fit over the basins to extend counter space. You can even have swiveling spouts and spray-hose attachments.
The most popular materials for sinks are stainless steel and porcelain enameled cast iron. There are also elegant brass or copper finishes, although these require extra maintenance. One of the newer products available is quartz composite, the colour goes all the way through; they have a wide colour range as well as the granite look also being available.
Solid surface material such as Corian is available in molded sinks which eliminate dirt, grease, and germs from accumulating around the sides or rims of the bowl. These combine the time honoured elegance of marble and the permanence of stone with the superior performance made possible by the state of the art technology.
Beware the bargain sink. It may look like its more costly cousins in terms of shape, material and finish, but could be lacking in one important regard: depth. Inexpensive sinks are often shallow, with bowls only 6 or 7 inches deep. The standard is 8 inches. For those who frequently use large stockpots, pasta pots and roaster, a 10 inch deep bowl is even better.

To most of us, the end products of cooking are delicious meals. To a pollution-control expert, however, heat, steam, grease, and odours come to mind. If pollutants aren't vented outside, they are absorbed into furnishings, carpeting, even walls. As a result, frequent cleaning is necessary, paint may peel, and condensation may damage walls and woodwork. The solution is to collect, remove, and vent these airborne impurities.
HOW TO VENTILATE
Opening a window is the obvious but perhaps not the best method to ventilate a kitchen. The most efficient way to dispose of unwanted fumes is at the source, usually above the stove or cooktop.
Collect cooking vapours with a hood mounted above the cooking surface or a downdraft ventilator built into the range top. A hood should be the same width or greater than the cooking surface and mounted at a height of 18 to 30 inches from the burners.
Remove pollution with a fan or blower. A centrifugal blower moves air more effectively than a fan, but it must be installed in a ceiling or soffit (bulkhead). The best duct route is the shortest and straightest.
Vent to the outdoors. This is preferable to using vent less hoods - which are equipped with fans, and charcoal and aluminum filters that must be cleaned regularly. Vent less hoods recirculate air rather than expel it. Some of the newer models of vent less hoods are quite efficient in their operation.
UPDRAFT VENTILATION
The traditional range hood, which draws contaminated air straight up from the range top, can effectively collect and remove pollutants. A blower inside the hood draws fumes in, passes them through a filter, and exhausts them outdoors through ducts. Most hoods also include a light to aid in cooking or to be used as a night light. Range hoods are necessary for use with commercial style cooking equipment.
DOWNDRAFT VENTILATION
Downdraft systems operate right on the range top to pull fumes down into an air grille installed either between or to the rear of the burners. There, the fumes pass through a filter and out the ducts to the outside. The blower is mounted either within the base cabinet housing the unit or on the exterior of the house, pulling the fumes out versus pushing the fumes out. Downdraft systems captures pollutants before they have a chance to disperse and eliminate the need to design around a hood. Downdraft systems are no harder to install than updraft systems, unless the kitchen has a concrete floor.
DUCT DESIGN AND INSTALLATION
Allowable duct diameters and length of run depend on the number of bends and the size of the blower. The manufacturer's guidelines should always be followed. The best rule of thumb is to keep runs as short and straight as possible. Vent only to the outdoors. Installation of updraft systems requires ductwork through the roof or up to a ceiling and then through an outside wall. Downdraft ranges are ducted floor joists or directly through a wall.
SIZING
A useful standard of comparison among blowers is air movement measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm). For a 36 inch range top mounted against a wall, the Home Ventilating Institute recommends a range hood with a 120-cfm rating. An island or peninsula range would require a 150-cfm rating. Downdraft ranges are sized by the manufacturer and depend on duct length and configuration. Another useful measure is the sone rating; the lower this number, the quieter the blower.