What Does a Quality Kitchen Look Like?
To the untrained eye, spotting the differences between a low, mid and high-end kitchen can be challenging. They can all seem like rectangular boxes of varying sizes and shapes, finished in a variety of surface materials.
However, not all kitchens are created equal, and the standard of furniture construction, appliances, design and installation all play an integral part in the final quality of the finished space.
In this in-depth 10-minute read, we will highlight some key elements that will help you identify ‘quality’ at all levels of the market and in all aspects of kitchen design.
Quality KITCHEN FURNITURE
Materials – The strength and longevity of a kitchen are aligned with the design of the furniture and the quality of the materials used to manufacture the components. This covers everything, from how dense the internal carcase material is, to the strength of the hinges and the final finish of the exterior surfaces.
Carcasses – A bulthaup kitchen, which we consider the very best example of kitchen furniture, uses a high-density triple-layered chipboard board as the basis for its carcasses. The material has been manufactured to offer the optimum ratio of structural rigidity, resistance to warping, weight and construction capabilities.
A lesser chipboard material may be ‘less dense’ and therefore not as robust and resistant to usage over time. This could result in the movement of door hinges, the movement of covering surfaces and the loss of rigidity due to the ingression of moisture.
The top of a bulthaup carcass is closed as standard to ensure structural stability for the worktop.
Drawers – As hard-working kitchen components, drawers need to be built to last and withstand the rigours of everyday life. Like carcasses, the materials and fittings used to build and allow smooth movements need to be strong and resistant to knocks if they are to be classed as ‘quality’.
Marks of ‘quality’ could be deemed as visible dovetail joints, (if well-made), or the inclusion of soft-close mechanisms that prevent drawers from slamming.
The load capacity of a drawer will give you a good indication as to the strength of the component. Bulthaup focuses on engineering drawers that are capable of holding heavy loads and moving smoothly. A ‘lesser kitchen’ drawer may be unable to withstand similar weight without the stresses having an unwanted effect on the drawer construction or runner mechanism.
Doors and Panels - Bulthaup’s medium-density fibreboard (MDF) allows them to create thin, lightweight doors and panels that are as strong and resistant to homeowner usage as thicker panels produced by other kitchen manufacturers.
Solid wood is a popular material choice, especially with handmade painted kitchens. The correct choice of wood, shaped by a skilled craftsman, can produce outstanding results. The challenge with using solid wood can arise when the material begins to age and is exposed to a changing environment of light, heat and moisture. This combination can lead to distortion and warping as the wood reacts to the different kitchen cycles.
Bulthaup offers a solid wood option and has engineered the panels to prevent the natural ‘twist’ of the timber that can occur over time. Two layers of aluminium are sandwiched between the solid wooden panels, ensuring everything stays aligned. The metallic detail can be seen along the edges of the panels, highlighting the ingenuity of the construction.
Click here to see some of our most popular finishes.
Surface Materials – The finish of the kitchen surfaces is a useful ‘tell’ as to the quality of the manufacture. Popular choices for door fronts include laminate, lacquer (paint), veneer, glass and metal.
Laminate – The name doesn’t always do justice to the quality of the hard-wearing surface that can provide a cost-effective solution to door fronts and panel surfaces.
If made well, laminate fronts can be extremely hard-wearing and available in a range of colours suitable for any kitchen. The ‘quality’ of laminate can be appreciated in the depth of the resin coating, the uniformity of the colour, and the glue used to seal edges and prevent moisture from getting into the panel.
A bulthaup laminate is simply amazing. The evenly through-dyed material is exceptionally resilient and very durable, made up of 5 coloured layers which ensure that knicks and scratches do not penetrate through. Edges are sealed to create almost seamless panels that stop water ingress and give the visual appearance of solid moulding. Perfect for fronts and worktops.
In a ‘lesser quality’ kitchen, laminate surfaces can succumb to peeling edges, discolouration and scratches that penetrate the surface. When visiting a kitchen showroom, careful examination of displays with laminate fronts may indicate how the material performs over time.
Lacquer (paint) – With an almost unlimited choice of colours, and the option of gloss, matt or soft-touch surface finishes, a truly personalised style can be achieved in your living space using lacquered panel fronts. In a similar fashion to cars, the ‘quality’ can be found in the finish, the depth of colour and the uniformity of the surface.
Bulthaup worked in collaboration with DuPont to develop water-based paints and more environmentally-friendly processes. The kitchen panels are sprayed using accurate, modern machine techniques and given multiple layers of lacquer. After each lacquering the surfaces are hand finished, ensuring a flawless edge-to-edge uniformity of colour and feel.
In a lesser kitchen, a lacquered panel may be treated to a thin coating of paint which would mean scratches would more easily penetrate the surface. The painting process could have caused runs in the paint or areas may not be evenly coated.
Veneer – Using millimetre-thick pieces of wood, peeled or sliced from a tree trunk, and glued to a panel or door front, beautiful veneer surfaces can be crafted. The finished surfaces convey the natural beauty of wood without the potential challenges of warping and distortion.
The natural beauty of the wood grain can be emphasised further through the careful alignment of the meticulously selected veneer panels. Veneers can be arranged to carry the wood grain across the entire length of the cabinets, horizontally or vertically, which can produce a stunning effect.
A ‘quality’ veneer panel or front can be identified by the consistency of the grain pattern and the detailing around the edges. Does the grain carry through across the panels? Is the pattern consistent? A Bulthaup veneer panel is covered on all sides, not just the front. The edges are also veneered and tightly sealed to prevent water from penetrating the panel.
Metal – In a commercial kitchen, stainless steel is the material of choice. It is selected because of its hard-wearing properties and easy-to-keep-clean surface. In a domestic kitchen stainless steel is more likely to be used as a worktop material, rather than a door front.
If you desired a metallic door front finish, aluminium can be used similarly to veneer. A thin layer of the material is glued to all sides of the core material. Bulthaup provides the option to anodise the natural aluminium surface with a selection of four colours, allowing the homeowner to tailor the finish to the style of their room.
Glass – In recent years glass, or more accurately ‘Polymer Glass’, has become a suitable material for the outer surfaces of doors and panels. Next125/Schuller utilises the material to create a subtle, matte appearance that is durable and shock resistant without being a fingerprint magnet.
If you are considering a glass front finish then understanding the quality of the material is important. How resistant is it to knocks and scratches? Will it chip? How is it attached to the door front?
Quality Kitchen Systems
To fully exploit every kitchen design opportunity, accurately designed and precisely produced bespoke cabinetry is required. This enables storage to be maximised and layouts to be refined, not held back by predetermined sizing that might not quite fit, work ergonomically for you, or leave unnecessary gaps. The kitchen systems may also feature adaptable functionality that can enhance storage or improve workflows.
In a Bulthaup kitchen, these solutions include function boxes, pocket doors, shutter doors and internal drawer organisational systems, like Prism. Next125/Schuller also boasts a range of creative kitchen systems that extend usability and functionality including electronic closing mechanisms and wall-hanging accessories.
Handles - How you access kitchen drawers, cupboards and integrated appliances is, more often than not, by means of a handle. They can come in lots of different styles and be made from a variety of materials including metal, leather, wood and plastic.
In a modern-style, minimalist kitchen, it could be designed to be completely handle-less. With the removal of handles, a clean, monolithic look can be achieved. In kitchens designed this way, touch-to-open drawer and cupboard mechanisms ensure easy access. Integrated appliances, such as dishwashers and fridges, can also include a ‘knock’ or ‘touch’ opening feature.
A third way is to include a ‘grip-rail’ along the uppermost edge of the top drawer or cupboard door. This system is typically paired with touch-opening for storage spaces below.
In a Bulthaup kitchen, handle design is taken to an even greater degree of thought and consideration. The narrow, wide, minimalistic design conveys the overall kitchen style, whilst being securely mounted to the front with multiple fixings, dependent on the door width.
Looking down from above at the handle reveals the finger-grip cut-out position is purposely aligned to indicate the direction of door movement. In the centre, directly towards you. To the left, swinging to the right. On the right, swinging open to the left.
In a lesser kitchen, the handles may not have received such user-related consideration to build quality, mounting security or ergonomics.
Seals and Sealant - Kitchens, by the very nature of the activities that take place in them, can get messy and wet. Water, flour, sugar, coffee, milk, you name it, at some point one or more of these items will likely spill across a worksurface.
It is the job of seals and sealants to prevent these rogue elements from potentially damaging your kitchen furniture by plugging the gaps between sink and worktop, worktop and wall, or hob and worktop - to name a few examples.
Often the use of silicone, squirted into a gap and allowed to set, will adequately protect your kitchen. The flexible material is available in a variety of colours to complement your kitchen decor and is cost-effective and easy to apply.
However, over time, a silicone seal can degrade as the material loses some of its elasticity and bonds to furniture edges. When this happens, you have the unenviable task of removing all of the old silicone and re-sealing the gaps.
In a Bulthaup kitchen, the need for silicone is kept to an absolute minimum through clever design and manufacturing techniques. A sink, for example, can be welded and sealed into a laminate or stainless steel worktop, removing the need for it to receive any additional sealant.
Similarly, the Bulthaup wall panel system features an innovative, invisible rubber seal that meets the worktop edge to form a watertight barrier.
In a lesser kitchen, the integration between surfaces might not be so thought-through and well designed, relying on silicone to save the day and giving you a job to look forward to in the future.
Quality Kitchen Appliances
The choice of appliances can enhance or dimmish your enjoyment and perceived quality of the kitchen. Does the oven evenly bake cakes? Is the cooktop easy to clean and operate? Can the extractor efficiently relieve the room of unwanted smells?
What makes an appliance high-quality isn’t solely based on cost. It could be the specific feature set that provides you with exactly what you desire. Brand recognition and build-quality reputation may influence your choice, or you may like a particular finish that complements your kitchen design.
At Hobson’s Choice, we recommend appliances from Gaggenau, BORA, Miele, Siemens, Sub-Zero Wolf and Quooker. We believe the brands offer the latest cooking technologies, product reliability and excellent customer aftercare. We trust that the products and customer service meet the same level of quality as our own.
Quality Kitchen Design
A quality kitchen doesn’t design itself. Regardless of how good the furniture, fittings and appliances are, it needs a skilful human to carefully design a plan that considers user workflows, their lifestyle, cooking habits, usage, individual style, the interior architecture, infrastructure and ergonomics.
It isn’t about throwing in as many cupboards as possible to fill every available space. Nor is it about selecting the most expensive finishes or appliances. The space needs balance and, primarily, it must work for the user.
Therefore, a quality kitchen needs the expertise of a quality designer. Without this, it is just a kitchen.
To find out more about how a Hobson’s Choice Kitchen Designer approaches a new project and works with a client to create the perfect kitchen space for them, click here.
Quality Kitchen Installation
How your kitchen is installed into your home can be the difference between ‘Amazing!’ and ‘Ok’. We believe there is no excuse for a poorly installed kitchen, especially after you have spent time designing a plan that reflects all of your individual wishes and functional needs.
What makes a ‘quality’ kitchen installation? Many kitchen design companies hand over a finished kitchen design to a 3rd party to complete the installation part of the project. Some may prefer to handle a ‘dry-fit’ installation but still require the client to organise plumbing, electrics, decoration, etc.
A Bulthaup kitchen requires a bulthaup-trained and accredited installer to install it, otherwise, a warranty cannot be issued. This isn’t true for many other kitchen brands. Of course, many skilled kitchen installers will carefully build your kitchen and do a fantastic job.
So what makes a ‘quality’ kitchen installation? At Hobson’s Choice, we believe it comes down to control and trust in our own installation team. We don’t hand over the project to another person after you have spent so long building a relationship with your designer. The designer manages the installation, is your key contact and is the person who knows your project inside-out. This continuity reduces client stress and, we believe, improves the final result.
Every kitchen installer trusted to work for us is trained by Bulthaup and their work is assessed by our in-house team. New installers will work alongside more experienced members for several years to gain a full understanding of our expectations and demands for the highest standards.
Your finished kitchen install will be ‘snagged’ by your designer, a truly critical eye that will want the very best outcome for you. Any adjustments required will be completed to their satisfaction before sign-off.
This is what we believe makes a ‘quality’ installation.
Conclusion - The term ‘quality’ is subjective and will differ from person to person, dependent on their personal outlook, circumstance, and values. The priority and value you place on the points we have raised will also vary from person to person. There is no correct answer.
A ‘quality’ kitchen is undeniably an investment that will add value to your home, make your day-to-day life easier and allow basic tasks to feel enjoyable. Whether you are in the process of building an entirely new home, renovating your current place, or just looking to upgrade your existing kitchen, Hobsons Choice can assist you.
To view high-quality kitchens and get inspired click here to go to our projects page. Or get in touch. We can’t wait to hear from you!