In most households, the kitchen is a high-traffic area. Family members come in and out of the kitchen several times a day, cooking, cleaning, grabbing snacks, eating meals and socialising. The kitchen sink is the centre point for many of these activities, particularly cleaning and cooking. Because it's such an important area of your home, you should choose your kitchen sink carefully. Two companies that offer kitchen sink options are Franke and Blanco.

  • In most households, the kitchen is a high-traffic area.
  • The kitchen sink is the centre point for many of these activities, particularly cleaning and cooking.

Decide which type of sink you want to compare. Kitchen sinks come with a single hole, two holes or even three holes. They can also have multiple numbers of holes for fixtures.

Check out the different options for sink materials offered by Franke and Blanco. The material you choose should match your kitchen's decor and your maintenance preferences. Franke kitchen sinks can be titanium or fireclay, while Blanco sinks can be stainless steel or a material called Silgranit that is 80 per cent granite, according to the Blanco website. If you already have granite countertops, for example, Silgranit might make more sense than fireclay because you would need only a cleaning product designed for granite as opposed to multiple products to clean both granite and fireclay.

  • Check out the different options for sink materials offered by Franke and Blanco.
  • Franke kitchen sinks can be titanium or fireclay, while Blanco sinks can be stainless steel or a material called Silgranit that is 80 per cent granite, according to the Blanco website.

Look closely at the rims of the Franke and Blanco sinks you're comparing. The rim is the area where the sink meets the countertop. Self-rimming models, which have an edge that rests on the countertop, are easier to install but can be more difficult to keep clean than rimless or under-mounted sink options, reports HomeTips.com.

Pay close attention to the shape of the Franke and Blanco sinks. Generally, Blanco kitchen sinks are a standard square or rectangular shape, while Franke offers more asymmetric and interesting shapes for its sinks.

Visit multiple stores that carry both brands of sinks or shop online to compare prices. Costs are based more on material and size than on differences between the brand names. Always factor in the cost of installation as part of the overall cost, since some stores will lower the installation costs if you purchase a sink there.