If you're replacing your sink, either as a small change to spruce up your kitchen or as one change of a larger overhaul, you may wonder what's available. Stainless steel sinks are one of the more popular types of kitchen sinks today. The variety may be a bit overwhelming, but when boiled down there are really only a few basic options. Before you shop, take a look at the break down below of what you can expect to find at your local kitchen showroom.

Stainless Steel Sink Basics

Top Mount or Undermount sinks. Top mount sinks have an exposed lip that prevents water from running off onto the countertop. These are used frequently with tile and laminate countertops but can work with any. Undermount sinks are mounted under the countertop. They're commonly seen with granite countertops. This look is seamless and classy. Undermounts are available in all sink types, including double and bar size.

Single bowl sinks. These sinks are one large, stainless steel bowl. They may be rectangular or round, small or large. Single bowls can be good for cleaning up dishes and work well for smaller sinks, including bar size. If you don't have much counter space to spare, or don't need a lot of room for doing dishes, a single bowl may be just right.

Double bowl sinks. These come in equal and offset variations. Equal double bowls are two bowls of the same size, side-by-side. Offset double bowls include one large bowl and one smaller bowl connected to it. Double bowls can be good for separating dishes or work spaces. In the case of an offset double, for instance, the smaller bowl could be used for food preparation while the larger bowl could be used for cleanup.

Triple bowl sinks. Triple bowl stainless sinks may include three bowls of varying sizes - one large, one medium, and one small. They're all connected to each other and feature separate drains. You'll need a fair amount of counter space for this size of sink. You'll want to consider that two of the bowls are relatively small and may not function the way you need. If you're desperate for sink space, you may want to consider adding a separate, smaller sink in another part of the kitchen.

Bar sinks. Bar sinks are typically smaller, single bowl sinks. As the name implies, they're good for bars but will work well as a secondary sink in the kitchen too. Bar sinks make a nice addition to a kitchen island, for instance, functioning as a separate work area.

Round sinks. Though you'll mostly come across rectangular or square sinks, round sinks do exist, especially in smaller ones. If you want something that isn't quite rectangular or round, horseshoe shape sinks are also available.

These are just a few of the basic sink types you'll come across. Again, your basic choices include top mount or undermount sinks, single bowl, double bowl, triple bowl, bar size, and round (or other shapes). Choose the style you need according to your counter space and what you'll generally be using it for. Whatever you choose, you'll no doubt benefit from the style and function of stainless steel.