Kitchen Quality: What You Need To Know
With so many styles of kitchen available in seemingly endless materials and finishes, distinguishing between several very similar kitchens can be a tough task. Cost is always a top factor to consider but quality is equally as important. At Kitchen-Compare we carry out a number of quality checks on the kitchens we feature, scoring each out of 10. There are a few key things to consider when determining the standard of a kitchen. (Hint: it’s all in the details)
Practicality - your kitchen can come either pre-constructed or flat pack. Which is preferable, depends on what is easier for you, there's no difference when it comes to the quality. If you're having a lot of cabinets fitted, a flat-pack option may be preferred - think of the practicalities of delivering and maneuvering 9 or 10 pre-constructed cabinets. If you don't have confidence in your DIY abilities, then it may be best to opt for pre-constructed.
Cabinet construction - your cabinets form the foundation of your kitchen so pay close attention to how they’re constructed. Look for solid wood frames over less-resilient MDF.
Thickness – most cabinet walls, floors and tops measure from 15mm to 18mm in thickness. While it doesn’t seem like a big difference, an 18mm cabinet will be far more robust.
Guarantee – the guarantee attached to your kitchen cabinets can be anything from 1 – 25 years so it’s a good idea to pay close attention to this as it shows how confident the retailer is in the quality.
Drawer functionality – how far can you pull the drawers out? You should be able to extend them at least three quarters of the way out, with no signs of wobbling.
Shelves – how many pre-drilled holes are there to reposition your shelves? The more there are, the more you can customise your cabinets to accommodate your storage. Also check for anti-tilt fixings to stop shelves from tipping.
Check the FSC rating – the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) sets standards for, certifies and labels products to encourage responsible management of forests. If it's important to you that your kitchen has come from a renewable source, then make sure you look out for the FSC rating.
At Kitchen-compare we independently review the kitchens available from all major retailers, making it easy for you to compare what’s on offer and find your perfect kitchen. Use our comparison tool now to start your search.
4th Jul 2017The Compare Network
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