I have a well laid out kitchen. The sink is at right angles to the stove and the island is right across from the sink. I just remodeled and did not put a sink in the island. Like PABerard, we use ours to serve buffets and the sink would be in the way. Also, it would entail a lot of extra expense to put the piping in for a sink in the island (one of the reasons that contractors recommend them). I have no problem taking scrap the 2 steps to the sink or trash compactor and enjoy having more island space and a good place to serve buffets from.