More homeowners are opting for stainless steel kitchen sinks because of their functionality, it has been observed.Joan De Merell, a sales associate in the bath department of US home design store Klaffs, claimed there has been a shift away from traditional enamelled cast iron sinks towards stainless steel options which offer easier maintenance and installation.Writing for newstimes.com, she also noted that undermount kitchen sinks are now a popular installation choice given that most new countertops are stone, granite or other solid surface materials.Ms De Merell said that today, most people prefer a large single bowl to the old equal-size double bowl sink, which pre-dated the dishwasher and was used for washing and rinsing.New shapes are being introduced such as the trough sink and river sink and the popular bowl and a half. The location of the smaller bowl can be reversed as needed, she added.The comments come after the Guardian reported that researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) are developing rubber kitchen sinks aimed at putting an end to worries about broken glasses and crockery.