Kitchen Sinks
The best kitchen sinks for laminate countertops
A laminate counter is a wood-based core with a thin surface on top. Cut into it and the edge is bare board, which is why the sink rim has to cover it.
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How we assessed these: we compared published manufacturer specifications for the named model numbers, read from each maker's own product page and linked at every figure. We have not installed or tested these sinks and we do not own them. No independent laboratory publishes comparable wear, chip or noise testing for domestic kitchen sinks, so no such figure appears anywhere on this page.
Short answer
Laminate needs a drop-in sink, not an undermount: cutting laminate exposes a particleboard core that swells when it gets wet, and only a top-mounted rim covers that edge. The Kraus Premier KTM100-33 is the one we would fit — 33 by 22 inches with a 7-1/2 inch bowl, which is the size and depth most existing laminate cutouts were built around.
This is the clearest either-or in the whole category, and the reason is structural rather than aesthetic. A laminate countertop is a wood-based core — usually particleboard or MDF — with a thin decorative laminate bonded to the top and front edge. The laminate is waterproof. The core is not. Make a cutout and every millimeter of that opening is raw board, and the only thing standing between it and a lifetime of splash is whatever sits on top of it.
Quick picks
Tap any row to jump to the full write-up. There are no scores here because we run no test lab — how picks are chosen is published in full on our methodology page.
| # | Product | Best for | Our read | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Kraus Premier KTM100-33 Best overall | A like-for-like swap in an existing cutout | 33 x 22, a 7-1/2" bowl and a cut-out template in the box | |
| 2 |  Kraus KHT300-33 drop-in sink Best upgrade | Replacing a sink without touching the counter | 16-gauge dual mount with a 10" bowl and a rear-set drain | $544.98 · View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 17, 2026 |
| 3 |  Kraus KHT302-33 double-bowl drop-in sink Best double bowl | Washing on one side, draining on the other | Two equal 10" bowls in the same 33 x 22 footprint | $489.95 · View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 17, 2026 |
| 4 |  Kraus KWT310-33/5.5 ADA workstation drop-in sink Best for tight plumbing | Shallow cabinets and accessible kitchens | A 5.5" bowl that clears a high trap arm, with a ledge | $564.95 · View on Amazon #ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 17, 2026 |
Why an undermount is the wrong sink here
An undermount sink hangs below the counter, so the counter's cut edge is the visible inside face of the opening and water runs straight across it on its way into the bowl. On stone or solid surface that is fine — the material is the same all the way through. On laminate it means a permanently wet particleboard edge, and particleboard that gets repeatedly wet swells, delaminates and lifts the laminate above it. No amount of silicone makes that a good idea, because the failure starts under the sealant where you cannot see it.
A drop-in — also called a top-mount or self-rimming sink — reverses the relationship. The rim sits on the counter surface and overlaps the cut edge by a half-inch or so all round, bedded in silicone. Water never touches the core. That is the entire argument, and it is the same argument as the best sinks for butcher block countertops, where a wood core has the same objection for the same reason.
The measurement that decides which sink
If you are replacing a sink in an existing laminate counter, the cutout is already there and you are not going to make it smaller. A drop-in rim can cover an opening slightly smaller than its own footprint; it cannot cover one that is larger. So the governing number is the existing cutout, and the standard it almost always matches is 33 by 22 inches in a 36-inch base cabinet.
The second number is bowl depth, and it catches people out. Older laminate kitchens were built around shallow bowls — seven to eight inches — and the drain plumbing was set to suit. Fit a modern ten-inch bowl and the sink outlet drops three inches, which can put it below the trap arm and leave you re-plumbing the waste. The Kraus Premier KTM100-33's 7-1/2 inch bowl is on this page precisely because it is getting hard to buy that depth now, and it is the depth a like-for-like swap wants. Sink sizes and cabinet fit works through the cabinet arithmetic.
| Model | Overall size | Bowl | Gauge | Minimum cabinet |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kraus Premier KTM100-33 | 33" x 22" x 8" | 27-4/5" x 16" x 7-1/2" deep | 18 gauge T-304 | 36" |
| Kraus KHT300-33 | 33" x 22" x 10-5/8" | 31" x 18" x 10" deep | TRU16 gauge T304 | 36" |
| Kraus KHT302-33 | 33" x 22" x 10-5/8" | Two equal, 15-1/2" x 18" x 10" deep | TRU16 gauge | 36" |
| Kraus KWT310-33/5.5 | 33" x 22" x 6" | 31" x 16" x 5.5" deep | TRU16 gauge | 36" |
Read from Kraus's own product pages, linked below. All four share a 33 x 22 footprint, which is why they suit an existing laminate cutout; what differs is bowl depth, and depth is what decides whether your existing waste plumbing still lines up. Always cut to the template supplied with the sink you actually received.
Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.
1. Best overall
Kraus Premier KTM100-33
Kraus · Best for a like-for-like swap in an existing cutout
The plain, serviceable drop-in, and the one most likely to be a direct swap for what is already in your counter: 33 by 22 inches, a bowl 7-1/2 inches deep, 18-gauge Type 304 steel. The shallow bowl is the point — it is the depth older cabinets and high trap arms were built around, and it is getting hard to buy now that every new sink is ten inches deep.
Published specifications
- Overall size
- 33" x 22" x 8" source
- Bowl size
- 27-4/5" x 16" x 7-1/2" deep source
- Gauge
- 18 gauge, T-304 stainless steel source
- Faucet holes
- Pre-drilled for a faucet; Kraus does not publish a hole count for this model source
- Mounting
- Drop-in / top mount, with a cut-out template in the box source
- Drain
- Rear-set source
- Minimum cabinet
- 36" source
- Sound damping
- NoiseDefend pads on all sides plus anti-condensation undercoating source
- Certification
- cUPC to ASME A112.19.3 / CSA B45.4, and MASS source
- Included
- Drain assembly with removable strainer, mounting hardware, cut-out template source
- Warranty
- Kraus limited lifetime source
What works
- A 7-1/2 inch bowl, which is the depth most older cabinets and shallow trap arms were built around
- A rear-set drain, so the trap sits at the back of the cabinet and leaves the front usable
- NoiseDefend pads on all sides rather than bottom pads only, which is unusual on an 18-gauge sink
- Drain assembly, strainer, hardware and a cut-out template are in the box, so the only extra part is the sealant
What does not
- 18-gauge flexes more than 16-gauge under a dropped pan, and the pads damp drumming rather than remove it
- Kraus does not publish a faucet-hole count for this model, so confirm the drilling matches your counter before ordering
- A 33-inch sink still needs a 36-inch cabinet, so it is not a swap for a 30-inch base unit
Skip it if
Skip it if you want a deep modern basin. At 7-1/2 inches the bowl will not take a sheet pan laid flat.
Raw specifications: Kraus’s own page for the Kraus Premier KTM100-33.
Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.
2. Best upgrade
Kraus KHT300-33 drop-in sink
Kraus · Best for replacing a sink without touching the counter
The drop-in we would fit in most kitchens, because it is a 16-gauge sink sold as a dual-mount: the rim is finished to sit on the counter, and the same sink can be undermounted later if you ever replace the countertop. At 10 inches deep with a rear-set drain it behaves like a modern undermount while asking nothing of your existing counter.
Published specifications
- Overall size
- 33" x 22" x 10-5/8" deep source
- Bowl size
- 31" x 18" x 10" deep source
- Gauge
- TRU16 gauge T304 stainless steel source
- Mounting
- Dual mount — drop-in or undermount source
- Faucet holes
- Two pre-drilled, for a faucet and a soap dispenser source
- Drain
- Rear-set source
- Minimum cabinet
- 36" source
- Sound damping
- NoiseDefend pads on all sides plus anti-condensation undercoating source
- Certification
- cUPC to ASME A112.19.3 / CSA B45.4 source
- Included
- Bottom grid, drain assembly with removable strainer, decorative drain cover source
- Warranty
- Kraus limited lifetime source
What works
- 16-gauge steel in a drop-in, which is unusual — most top-mount sinks at this size are 18-gauge or thinner
- Dual mount means the sink survives a future countertop replacement instead of being thrown away with it
- A 10-inch bowl with a rear-set drain leaves usable cabinet space under the front of the sink
- Grid, drain and strainer are in the box, so the only extra part is the sealant
What does not
- A 33-inch sink still needs a 36-inch cabinet, so it is not a drop-in replacement for a 30-inch base unit
- A 10-inch bowl is a long reach for a shorter person, and a drop-in rim sits slightly higher than an undermount one
- Kraus publishes no unit weight for this model, so plan the lift by the shipping box rather than a figure
Skip it if
Skip it if your existing cutout is for a 30-inch sink. A drop-in can cover a slightly smaller hole, never a smaller cabinet.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 17, 2026
Raw specifications: Kraus’s own page for the Kraus KHT300-33 drop-in sink.
Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.
3. Best double bowl
Kraus KHT302-33 double-bowl drop-in sink
Kraus · Best for washing on one side, draining on the other
The double bowl for people who genuinely use two bowls — two equal 15-1/2 inch basins, both 10 inches deep, in the same 16-gauge dual-mount body as the single-bowl KHT300. Equal bowls are the right split if one side lives full of soaking dishes; a 60/40 split is the better choice if what you really want is one usable bowl.
Published specifications
- Overall size
- 33" x 22" x 10-5/8" deep source
- Bowl size
- Two equal bowls, 15-1/2" x 18" x 10" deep source
- Gauge
- TRU16 gauge stainless steel, 10:18 chromium-to-nickel source
- Mounting
- Dual mount — drop-in or undermount source
- Faucet holes
- Two pre-drilled, for a faucet and a soap dispenser source
- Minimum cabinet
- 36" source
- Sound damping
- NoiseDefend pads covering over 80% of the sink, plus undercoating source
- Certification
- cUPC to ASME A112.19.3 / CSA B45.4 source
- Included
- Two bottom grids, two drain assemblies with strainers, cut-out template, mounting hardware source
- Warranty
- Kraus limited lifetime source
What works
- Two 10-inch-deep bowls rather than one deep bowl and one token shallow one
- Pads over 80% of the body — the most complete damping of any sink on this page
- Both drains come with grids and strainers, which on a double bowl is normally two extra purchases
- Dual mount, so the same sink works on your existing counter now and an undermount counter later
What does not
- Each bowl is 15-1/2 inches wide, which will not take a large roasting pan flat — that is the cost of two bowls at 33 inches
- A center divider means the disposal lives under one side only, so decide which before you plumb it
- Two drain assemblies means two more joints under the sink that can weep
Skip it if
Skip it if you wash big sheet pans and roasting trays. One wide bowl beats two narrow ones for that, every time.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 17, 2026
Raw specifications: Kraus’s own page for the Kraus KHT302-33 double-bowl drop-in sink.
Product photograph supplied by Amazon for this listing, used under the Associates program.
4. Best for tight plumbing
Kraus KWT310-33/5.5 ADA workstation drop-in sink
Kraus · Best for shallow cabinets and accessible kitchens
The drop-in to buy when depth is the problem rather than the goal. The bowl is 5.5 inches deep, which is what makes it ADA-compliant and also what makes it fit over a shallow trap arm — and it still carries a workstation ledge, so the cutting board and the drying rack recover the working space the shallow bowl costs.
Published specifications
- Overall size
- 33" x 22" x 6" deep source
- Bowl size
- 31" x 16" x 5.5" deep source
- Gauge
- TRU16 gauge stainless steel source
- Mounting
- Dual mount — drop-in or undermount source
- Faucet holes
- One pre-drilled, plus a soap-dispenser hole source
- Drain
- Rear offset source
- Minimum cabinet
- 36" source
- Compliance
- ADA; cUPC to ASME A112.19.3 / CSA B45.4 source
- Included
- Bottom grid, bamboo cutting board, roll-up drying rack, drain assembly, cut-out template source
- Warranty
- Kraus limited lifetime source
What works
- A 5.5-inch bowl clears plumbing that a 10-inch bowl simply will not — the commonest reason a sink upgrade stalls
- ADA-compliant depth, which matters if the kitchen has to be usable seated
- The integrated ledge and included accessories give back the working space the shallow bowl gives up
- Rear-offset drain, so the trap sits at the back of the cabinet rather than the middle
What does not
- 5.5 inches is genuinely shallow: a running faucet splashes more, and tall pots have to be filled at an angle
- The accessories are part of the price, and most households will not use all of them
- A shallow wide bowl shows standing water more obviously than a deep one, so the grid earns its place here
Skip it if
Skip it if you have the clearance for a deep bowl and nobody in the house needs an ADA-height basin. Buy depth instead.
#ad Affiliate link · Price as of October 17, 2026
Raw specifications: Kraus’s own page for the Kraus KWT310-33/5.5 ADA workstation drop-in sink.
Dual-mount sinks, and why they are worth knowing about
Two of these sinks — the KHT300-33 and the KHT302-33 — are specified by Kraus as dual mount: the rim is finished to sit on a counter as a drop-in, and the same sink can be undermounted later. On a laminate counter you will use it as a drop-in. The reason it matters is what happens when you eventually replace the countertop. A drop-in-only sink gets thrown away with the laminate; a dual-mount sink goes under the new stone. That is a genuine argument for spending more now if a counter replacement is anywhere in your plans.
It is also why 16-gauge is worth considering here even though laminate is the cheaper countertop. Kraus specifies TRU16 gauge T304 for the KHT300-33 with NoiseDefend pads on all sides plus an anti-condensation undercoating; the 18-gauge Premier carries the same all-sides damping with half the thickness of metal. 16 gauge vs 18 gauge explains what each actually buys you.
Post-formed counters and the integral backsplash
Many laminate tops are post-formed: one continuous sheet curving up into an integral coved backsplash and over a rolled front edge. That shape is the thing to check before you buy a wider or deeper sink, because the usable flat area between the front edge roll and the base of the cove is less than the counter's full depth. A 22-inch-deep sink in a 25-inch post-formed top is a tight fit, and a template is the only safe way to find out.
If you are cutting a new opening rather than reusing one, cut it with a jigsaw from the finished face with a fine down-cutting blade and masking tape along the line, so the laminate chips as little as possible. A chipped edge under the rim is cosmetic; a chipped edge outside the rim line is permanent.
A disposal on a laminate counter is the same as anywhere else
The countertop material has no bearing on whether you can fit a garbage disposal — the disposal bolts to the sink, not the counter. What does matter is the bowl depth you chose, because a deep bowl plus a tall disposal is where cabinet clearance runs out. Can you install a garbage disposal in any sink covers the flange question, and the best garbage disposals for deep sinks covers the clearance arithmetic if you go for a ten-inch bowl.
Which one to buy
- Buy the Kraus Premier KTM100-33 for a like-for-like swap. A 7-1/2 inch bowl in a 33 x 22 footprint is what an older laminate kitchen was plumbed for, and a template is in the box.
- Buy the Kraus KHT300-33 if you want a deep modern bowl and you are prepared to check the trap height. 16-gauge, dual mount, and it survives a future countertop replacement.
- Buy the Kraus KHT302-33 if you genuinely use two bowls — two equal 10-inch basins rather than one deep and one token.
- Buy the Kraus KWT310-33/5.5 if the plumbing under the sink is tight or the kitchen needs an accessible bowl height. The ledge gives back the space the shallow bowl costs.
- Do not undermount any of them into laminate. The rim is doing a job no sealant can do on its own.
What to take away
- Laminate has a wood-based core, so a cut edge must be covered by a rim rather than exposed to splash.
- That makes a drop-in the only sensible configuration, whatever the sink is made of.
- The existing cutout is the governing dimension - a rim covers a smaller opening, never a larger one.
- Bowl depth decides whether your existing waste plumbing still lines up; shallow bowls are getting hard to buy.
- Seal the raw cut edge before fitting, as a second line of defense behind the rim.
- A dual-mount sink can be undermounted into a future stone top instead of being thrown away with the laminate.
How we sourced this page
Every figure on this page came from one of the following. Where a manufacturer or an independent lab does not publish a number, we say so rather than estimate it.
- Kraus Premier KTM100-33 drop-in / top-mount sink product page (published specifications)
- Kraus KHT300-33 drop-in / undermount single-bowl sink product page (published specifications)
- Kraus KHT302-33 drop-in / undermount double-bowl sink product page (published specifications)
- Kraus KWT310-33/5.5 ADA workstation drop-in sink product page (published specifications)
Common questions
- Can you put an undermount sink in a laminate countertop?
- It is not advisable. Cutting laminate exposes a particleboard or MDF core, and an undermount leaves that cut edge wet every time you use the sink. The core swells and lifts the laminate from underneath, where you cannot see it happening. Use a drop-in, whose rim covers the edge.
- What size sink fits a laminate countertop?
- Almost always 33 by 22 inches in a 36-inch base cabinet - the standard most existing laminate cutouts were made to. A drop-in rim can cover an opening slightly smaller than its footprint but never a larger one, so measure the cutout you have before ordering.
- How deep a sink can you fit in a laminate kitchen?
- As deep as your waste plumbing allows. Older laminate kitchens were plumbed around seven- to eight-inch bowls; fitting a ten-inch bowl drops the outlet by around three inches and may put it below the trap arm. Check the trap height before choosing depth.
- Do you need to seal the cutout in a laminate countertop?
- Yes. Paint the raw cut edge with silicone or a clear sealer and let it cure before fitting the sink. The rim keeps water off the edge in normal use; the edge coating is what protects you when a rim seal eventually fails.
More in Kitchen Sinks
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Found something out of date, or a figure you can source better than we did? Tell us — corrections get read first. Our methodology explains how picks are made, and contact is one click away.