Should you buy a Handleless kitchen?
Reasons to buy a handleless kitchen:
It looks more stylish than a kitchen with handles
The main reason for choosing a Handleless kitchen is style. Lots of people think they look a lot more stylish than a kitchen with handles.
It promotes flow
Handleless kitchens offer a much smoother transition from dining room to kitchen than a kitchen with handles. Handles can often interfere with the composition of having both rooms next to each other. Therefore, Handleless kitchens are perfect for open plan living.
They are more hygienic than a kitchen with handles
The absence of handles means there are no awkward places for dirt & grime to hide.
They are safer than a kitchen with handles
Without handles, there are no handles to catch clothes on or for children to run into.
Makes choosing your kitchen easier
One of the most difficult things to decide on when buying a kitchen is which handles to choose. Therefore, by choosing a Handleless kitchen, there is one less thing to worry about!
Reasons not to buy one:
Cost
Handleless kitchens usually cost about 10% more than an equivalent kitchen with handles. Therefore, if you are working to a tight budget, you will always be better off buying a kitchen with handles.
Can be less durable
The most common type of handleless kitchen is the Integrated handle type which is pictured below. This is sometimes also called a j profile or j pull type door. This has a groove at the top of the door that enables opening.
The problem with this type is because the top edge of the door is so thin, it’s prone to chipping or splitting, as pictured below.
You do not get this problem with true handleless kitchens. True handleless kitchens have a rail that runs behind the doors.
Can be impractical to use
The other problem with the integrated handle/ j profile type is that the doors can be difficult to open. The reason for this is because the groove at the top of the door is very shallow. This makes it hard to get the grip required to pull open the door.
This is especially a problem with doors attached to integrated dishwashers, fridges, freezers and fridge freezers. These can be almost impossible to open with the integrated handle/ j profile type.
Can peel
Another problem with the integrated handle/ j profile type is that the doors can be prone to peeling, as pictured below. Peeling is where the surface peels away from the MDF base. The first signs of peeling is bubbling around the edges of the doors.
True handleless kitchens
If you are put off by the disadvantages of the integrated handle type handleless kitchen, you may want to consider a true handleless kitchen instead.
True handleless kitchens features a rail that runs behind the doors. The rail allows your hand to glide over the top of the door and open the door from behind with ease.
Many suppliers offer the rail in a wide choice of colours including stainless steel, bronze, black, white, blue, green and grey.
True handleless kitchens are easier to open than the integrated handle/ j profile type. Plus, there is no risk of the top of the door splitting like there is with the integrated handle/ j profile type.
May go out of fashion
A kitchen with handles is timeless. However, handleless kitchens have only become popular in the last 5 years. Therefore, there is no guarantee they will still be popular in 5 years time.
How do you find the best value handleless kitchen suppliers in your area?
Simple, contact us and we will tell you who they are.
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Our free service recommends the best value kitchen suppliers in your area.
Their kitchens cost similar to the chains and trade only suppliers, but are higher quality and will last longer.
Showrooms offer free, no-obligation quotes and are within 30 minutes drive.
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