Pivotal element of the kitchen: the sink

Modern technology has always been quickly taken up as a key part of the kitchen. As early as the 1950s, the electric cooker and refrigerator were widely finding their way into private homes. They were followed in the 1970s by the dishwasher, then the extractor hood and, finally, it was the turn of the induction hob and the steamer to conquer the modern kitchen.

Today, they have been joined by other innovative inventions that make all kitchen chores and the preparation of meals easier: height-adjustable island units, optimally lit working zones or sparkling or boiling water from the kitchen tap. Manufacturers of kitchen taps have now given further thought to optimising the wide range of demands placed on kitchen sinks.

Two new operating concepts for taps are now available that facilitate the daily kitchen routine by separating the tap and controls and moving the latter to the front rim of the sink. This makes operation significantly easier and more intuitive and offers added value to all users regardless of age, height or any physical disability. The second variant involves kitchen taps that can be operated at the touch of a button directly on the spout. A large button on the front of the fittings starts and stops the flow of water from the multi-jet kitchen tap. With both operating variants, the water controls also work using the back of the hand or the elbow – if the user is holding a pan in both hands or has dirty fingers, for example. There is no need for electrical connections or additional devices under the sink, because the operation of the new tap technology is purely mechanical.

But there are also new accessories for underneath the kitchen sink that provide greater comfort. Taps with a pull-out spout make work in the kitchen much more flexible. Hansgrohe is launching innovative accessories with the new sBox for pull-out taps. It stores the hose for the pull-out tap in a flat box that fits inside standard base units. This is designed to exclude the risk of colliding with drawers or waste systems, but it also ensures that work at the sink is comfortable, easy and quiet. What’s more, the pull-out hose integrated in the sBox extends further. It has an operating radius that is up to 26 centimetres larger than non-sBox pull-out models. This makes it easy to fill pots and other large containers without having to place them in the sink.