KRAUS KHU100-32 vs KWU110-32: Plain Bowl or Workstation?

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Choose the KHU100-32 if you want an open washing bowl and will prepare food on the counter. Choose the KWU110-32 if you will regularly use a cutting board or drying rack over the sink. Both have a 32 × 19-inch outside footprint, a 10-inch-deep bowl and a specified 36-inch minimum cabinet width. The workstation does not buy you a larger bowl: its specified front-to-back bowl dimension is one inch smaller.

This is a comparison of US model documents and current buying variants, checked September 15, 2026. We have not installed or tested either sink. Our recommendation rests on fit and workflow, not a claimed difference in measured durability or noise.

The differences that change the decision

Detail	KHU100-32	KWU110-32
Installation	Undermount	Undermount workstation
Outside size	32 × 19 in	32 × 19 in
Specified bowl	30 × 17 × 10 in	30 × 16 × 10 in
Steel thickness	16 gauge	16 gauge
Minimum cabinet	36 in wide; 24 in front to back	36 in wide; 24 in front to back
Drain location	Rear center	Rear offset
Workstation equipment	No integrated workstation kit	Board and rolling mat included

When the KHU100-32 makes more sense

The KHU is the simpler choice for someone who washes large cookware, already owns a counter drying rack, and does not want to store sink-specific prep accessories. Its listed bowl is 30 × 17 inches, versus 30 × 16 inches for the KWU. That extra inch is front to back, not left to right.

A useful check is to measure your largest baking sheet, including its rim and handles, then compare it with the bowl dimensions. A rectangular dimension alone does not guarantee a flat fit: rounded corners, sloped walls and the bottom grid also matter. Neither sink should be selected solely because it is called “32 inch.”

The KHU specification lists a bottom grid, basket strainer, towel, template and mounting hardware. You are not starting with a bare bowl, but you are also not receiving the KWU’s ledge-supported board and rolling mat. If you will buy a separate over-sink accessory, verify its support points; an accessory spanning the countertop is a different fit problem from one riding on a workstation ledge.

Main limitation: the KHU does not provide the KWU’s integrated prep surface. If your countertop is cramped and you would use that surface every day, a lower purchase price by itself would be a weak reason to choose it.

When the KWU110-32 earns its place

The KWU bundles a cutting board, rolling mat, bottom grid, strainer and drain cover. The point is to move some prep and drying work over the bowl. That is useful beside a small counter, or when rinsing produce and chopping it in the same work area.

It also creates a tradeoff: a board covering part of the bowl occupies space you might otherwise use for a tall pot. Before paying for the system, picture one complete meal cleanup. Where will the board go while you wash the cookware? Where will the mat dry afterward? If the answer is “on the counter anyway,” read our workstation sink decision guide before buying.

Main installation limitation: KRAUS specifically warns against a negative reveal on this model, because the countertop overhang can prevent workstation accessories from fitting. Show the actual sink and accessories to your fabricator before approving the opening. A familiar undermount edge treatment is not automatically suitable.

Compare the selected 32-inch single-bowl package, not a larger width or a double-bowl variant on the same retail page.

Same footprint does not mean a direct replacement

The drains occupy different positions, and the rim, corner geometry and mounting details must match your countertop plan. An existing opening that worked for one model is not proof that the other drops into the same installation.

Ask the installer to check cabinet rails, actual internal clearance, faucet and backsplash space, mounting access, and the path from the drain to the wall connection. A rear offset drain may move equipment out of one storage area while creating a conflict elsewhere. It does not promise more total cabinet storage.

Both specifications call the bowl 10 inches deep. That is not the whole under-counter installation height. Add the actual strainer or disposal assembly and verify the drain connection geometry. Our sink depth and disposal clearance guide explains the measurements to collect.

Compare the complete installed cost

Use the current sink price, necessary accessories and the installer’s quote. Do not count the workstation board as savings unless you actually need it; do not assume a reused countertop needs no work. The two sinks share the same listed gauge, so the KWU premium should be justified by workflow and the included equipment, not an unsupported claim that it uses thicker steel.

Our choice rule: start with the KHU for an unobstructed washing setup. Move to the KWU when the ledge accessories solve a specific counter-space problem and the fabricator can preserve their fit. If your project requires a drop-in sink, neither is the right installation type; see the KHT640-33 drop-in fit checks instead.

Documents behind this comparison

KRAUS KHU100-32 specification sheet, revision April 30, 2019; KRAUS KWU110-32 specification sheet, revision January 2021; US Amazon variants B0032C5YGI and B07S2DX7J9. Reviewed September 15, 2026. Use the template supplied with the actual sink before cutting. This article does not claim comparative scratch, sound or long-term failure testing.

Before choosing the workstation bundle, check which KWU110-32 accessories can go in the dishwasher. Its bamboo board, rolling rack and stainless bottom grid have different care requirements.

If a magnet reacts to part of a delivered sink, do not use that observation alone to reject its material. Our stainless sink magnet-test guide explains the difference between a local response, a separate fitting and a documented model mismatch.