<p>Another avid composter here! I have not had a garbage disposal for 13 years and do not miss it at all. The sink looks sleek and cool, but is it really that functional? Can you wash a big watermelon or put a large Le Creuset Dutch oven in it?</p>
<p>I want to add an obvious comment - that my take on this sink is just a personal opinion. I’m sure most people love it and find it looks very nice. After all, they wouldn’t make it if it weren’t popular. If everyone liked all the same things, we wouldn’t have much variety in this world, would we. And if I saw it in person, I might like it a lot.</p>
<p>The biggest concern I have about all disposals is the amount of water needed to run them. Not many people are concerned about water conservation, but those days may soon be over.</p>
<p>artlovers, are you thinking about installing it in your own house or in one of your high end “flips”? If it is the latter, not every buyer, even on the higher end will be thrilled to have it I their kitchen island. A wide range of opinions expressed in this thread is an indicator of that. That said, I know that you are a very savvy real estate dealer and probably know better what would work and what would not in your market.</p>
<p>Our house was built in 1992 and we bought it in 2002, so I don’t know how old the disposal is. I put all kinds of things in my disposal and have never had a bit of trouble with it but, after reading comments here, perhaps I should take it easy. Once, when we were preparing to leave for vacation, I put half a cake down the disposal because we’d already taken the trash out and I didn’t want to waste another trash bag or make another trip to the outdoor trash can. OTOH, my parents don’t even use theirs because my mom says she’s afraid it will break and they’ll have to repair it. I don’t understand that logic, but it’s their disposal, not mine.</p>
<p>Besides possibly leading to more clogs, disposals are bad because the waste water cannot be treated well enough to prevent the ground up nutrients from adding to the algae bloom problem in whatever body of water the waste water ends up in. I first read about this in the Kid’s Post section of the Washington Post (some article about what you can do to protect the Chesapeake Bay), but here’s an excerpt from a NC paper about why the city of Raleigh banned disposals.</p>
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<p>Do you wash a watermelon? Do I look unsanitary if I ask what is there to wash? I think it is a sink exclusively for food prep and a garbage dosposal. Although it is wide, it is narrow. One can use the same space with a cutting board. </p>
<p>I compost and also use a garbage disposal. I have to run water anyway to get it hot enough to run the dishwasher. That’s when I turn it on.</p>
<p>“What would be more convenient is a hole in the counter to drop garbage into directly.”</p>
<p>Yes! That one. Brilliant!!</p>
<p>I hardly ever use my garbage disposal, also after having been told by a plumber not to use it “too much”. I haven’t run my dishwasher in 6 years. It just sits there. The other day I wondered about having it removed and turning it into another cabinet for larger pots and pans (wok, dutch oven, etc.).</p>
<p>I grew up in the 50’s and 60’s in a house with a batch disposal that took everything but bones. It never broke, never jammed, the plumber never came. I don’t think my mother was a disposal genius, but I do think stuff was just made better back then.</p>
<p>That sink has now been added to the “things I don’t need in my life” file. What I’ve really been lusting after lately is a foot pedal to operate my kitchen sink faucet. (Saw this at a friends.) Perfect for all those times when your hands are covered with crud–raw chicken goop, for example–and you don’t want to get it on the faucet handle.</p>
<p>The hole in the counter is not a new idea and actually exists as an option. It’s absolutely wonderful and I’d have one presently if not for my granite counter tops. I’ve worked with it before. Garbage goes directly into the garbage can directly beneath the counter (just sweep it in). There is no smell because there is a cover which lays into the counter top when not actively being used.</p>
<p>Momma–get a “touch free” faucet–the water turns on without having to touch levers etc.</p>
<p>the Kohler sink with the link is 36" long and 6" wide–not 4 or 5 feet long. It’s basically the same length as most sinks, just not as wide.</p>
<p>I wash my watermelons and other melons and citrus fruits too. There can be crud on the outside which would get into the eating surface if you didn’t wash them.</p>
<p>Is this the sink–see link below? I like the look, but I wonder how useful it is. Certainly isn’t your main sink and it seems a little small to be a prep sink. I do think the look is pretty cool.</p>
<p>[Bar</a> Sinks and Prep Sinks - Kitchen Entertainment Trend | Design Trends](<a href=“http://www.trendir.com/archives/000264.html]Bar”>http://www.trendir.com/archives/000264.html)</p>
<p>Personally don’t see the practicality of a prep or accessory sink where you can’t at least fit a colander. And yes, I wash the outside of anything before cutting into it.</p>
<p>Love the copy on the Bar Sinks link! “These sinks are now gathering places for guests”<br>
I hope not! Pretty but hopefully not a “gathering place” unless they’re doing dishes or helping prep food.</p>
<p>Pricey sink! I don’t think most would need one that is 4-5’ wide. Wouldn’t one that is about 2-3 feet wide do just a good of a job? In my first home, I had a “veggie sink” in my island (similar to a bar sink, but it did have a disposal). It essentially served the same purpose.</p>
<p>My mom taught us to use the disposal minimally, and yes, run it for a bit with water. It will last much longer if you don’t overuse it…and if you have at least 3/4 HP.</p>
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<p>I can’t wait to attend a party where we’re all gathered around staring at a sink.</p>
<p>As an FYI, we use our disposal because our town’s sewage goes to a huge waste treatment facility. If we threw the stuff in the garbage, the town has to pay for solid waste disposal. If we lived in a town on the South Shore, we might use the garbage because their sewage treatment plant is a disaster. So the environmentally responsible thing varies by circumstance.</p>
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<p>I’m not paranoid about bacteria, but… Since watermelons grow on the ground, they quite often come dirt clumps on the skin. I wash my melons to minimize the possibility that E. coli from the manure that was used to make the fertilizer for the watermelon field enters my fruit salad. :)</p>
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<p>Ditto. :)</p>