Choosing a kitchen furniture supplier

The following comments are intended to be an unbiased overview to some of the UK's largest kitchen suppliers.  As far as we are aware these details are correct as of May 2007.

Choosing the supplier of the kitchen is more than just deciding on a door style you like and agreeing a price with them. True, customer service, product guarantees and speed of delivery are also factors, but also it's important to select a quality cabinet and accessories.

To demonstrate the wide variety of different cabinet designs from the various high street kitchen chain stores, lets start by looking one feature that has a big impact on ease of installation - the service void.

Ikea cabinets do not have a built in service void (a gap between the back of the cabinet and the wall it's mounted on). This means that when the door of the cabinet is open any wires and pipes that pass through are visible.  This is not only unsightly but also makes it harder to install the units.  MFI cabinets on the other hand have a very generous 68mm. The average depth for most suppliers is around 45mm - large enough for a 40mm (1½”) waste pipe to pass through.

Size matters

Both the depth of the cabinet and the internal usable depth are important. The average base cabinet depth is 560mm. This means that an industry standard 600mm worktop fits, with plenty of overhang over the door. Ikea units are 570mm and MFI is 575mm. To get around the overhang issue both companies use non standard worktop depths (606mm for Ikea and 616mm for MFI) which may mean you will be limited to that company’s choice and quality of worktops. Depth is especially an important consideration for wall cabinets. Wickes depth is 285mm and MFIs' is 290mm.  The UK standard cabinet depth is 300mm which means that large 12" dinner plates won't fit.  In contrast Ikea's is a very generous 350mm.

Width and height of units also vary. Most manufacturers supply cabinets in 300, 400, 500, 600mm with single doors and double door cabinets in 800 and 1000mm widths. Specialist companies also supply 450mm width doors which allow single and double cabinet variations and the integration of slim line dishwashers. The standard height of base and medium wall cabinets is 720mm (although Ikeas' is 700mm and Wickes is 735mm). Some suppliers like Magnet also make a 900mm high wall cabinet for kitchens with ceilings higher than about 2.4m.  Some also make a 560mm and smaller wall units that can be used various situations such as over a sink which is not located on a window wall, or to create a design feature.

Even the number and size of shelves can vary between suppliers, with one shelf for base cabinets and two shelves for wall cabinets of around 700mm or higher being the standard.  Exceptions though are Wickes who only supply one shelf for wall cabinets and MFI's Hygena range which only has one shelf for 800 and 1000 wide wall cabinets.

Strength and colour

Cabinet colour and thickness of material varies between suppliers. The standard UK carcase thickness is 18mm MFC (Melamine Faced Chipboard) however; Focus and Magnet (for some ranges) still use the older (and cheaper) 15mm thickness. Continental companies such as Alno tend to use 16mm board. While the thickness of the board does not matter too much if the kitchen is installed well, using a standard 18mm product will mean that shelves are stronger and overall the impression is of a substantial product that will last.

Probably the most important aspect to board thickness is the back panel of the cabinet. Most 'budget' product uses a 3mm panel that is held in place in grooves on three sides of the panel. MFI differs in this respect because while the left and right edges are held in a groove, the bottom edge is pinned or stapled to the back edge of the base panel. This makes it very easy to push the panel out by overloading the cabinet. Most quality products use at least 7mm rigid board to avoid this issue.

Until recently most of the high street multiples had one or two standard cabinet colours with either clad on or replacement end panels to match the cabinets to the door style. Some suppliers have started to increase the choice available, and at the same time offer alternatives to white for the internal cabinet colour. The benefit is that if you choose a door colour that is the same as the cabinet you will save money on not having to buy matching end panels.

Construction matters

Cabinet construction and fixings are yet more points of consideration. Will the units come flat packed or pre-made (rigid)? While flat-pack units will take an experienced fitter few minutes to build, it gives them the option to easily alter the construction to take account of sinks, hobs and obstacles such as a soil pipe. It’s also easier to store flat-pack until the job is ready to be started – especially in a small space such as a flat. On the other hand, rigid units will save a little construction time but can take longer to adjust - especially if they are of glued and doweled construction (such as MFIs’ Schreiber range).  Check also how much of the unit is pre-built - MFIs’ Schreiber range for example is fairly basic as to what is done for you.  Doors are not hinged and mounted, legs are not fitted and in some cases drawers are also left for site assembly and installation.  Completed size of a pre-built unit will also affect it's ability to be transported (and damaged!) to it's final location - this is especially true of L shaped corner base units and appliance / larder tower units which for this reason may be supplied flat-packed.

Fixings play a role in other areas. Most suppliers’ cabinets (apart from Focus) have adjustable legs. This makes the units easier to install, but also protects the cabinet from accidents such as the washing machine leaking on the floor. Wall cabinet hangers (the mechanism that holds the unit on the call and allows adjustment during installation) vary in type and quality. Ikea for example has a very basic system that requires a perfectly vertical of wall and perfect placement of screw fixings. MFI, B&Q and others have a basic hanger that is visible inside the unit when the door is open. The best system we have seen is where the hanger is totally hidden behind the back panel of the unit with just a small silver disk that covers a hole for adjustment of the cabinet.

Fixings such as the hinges and drawers will be the most used items in the kitchen, and here, quality really matters. Features such as drawers that have full extension with soft close and hinges that clip on with soft close are now becoming the standard. Blum is one of the most recognised names and one of the leading innovators in design and features for these components.

Finally, edging. Often the most overlooked feature of a cabinet, edging as its name implies covers the cut edges of the cabinet. Apart from its decretive properties, it will provide some protection against moisture ingress such as if something gets spilt or leaks in a cabinet. Even in areas where the edging is not usually visible (and so an area that may be cost reduced by the manufacturer) such as the bottom edge of the plinth, it plays a part in protecting the cabinets. Edging also provides impact protection against the bumps and scrapes of life, so the thicker it is, the better the protection.

Hopefully this review, gained from many years of experience, has given you enough information to select cabinets that not only will look good, but also last. As usual the old adage that the cheapest is not necessarily the best applies as much here as elsewhere in life.