ᐅ IKEA Kitchen Quality and User Experiences?

Simon_SH schrieb:
And if I order a “normal” looking kitchen from IKEA or someone else, the price should be comparable.

Not really, the choice of surface finish, for example, is already a deciding factor.

Simon_SH schrieb:
According to the expert, there are no quality differences.

Well, I don’t want to make assumptions, but there are plenty of quality differences (see above).

Simon_SH schrieb:
So it can only be due to the range of features or the brand name.

That certainly plays a role, but for me it is a criterion that again depends on the quality of the materials used.

Simon_SH schrieb:
And if you had to have everything identical to compare, you couldn’t really compare a single kitchen, could you?

In theory yes. But you would have to know very precisely what and how you want to compare. The customer usually cannot do this because, for example, they do not know under what conditions manufacturers source which materials from where and at what quality.

Furthermore, as already mentioned, it depends on how the dealer calculates their prices and what they have to factor in.

A small example:
You want a quote for a simple cabinet, 80cm (31.5 inches) high, 60cm (23.6 inches) wide, and 40cm (15.7 inches) deep. It should be painted white high-gloss, have one drawer and two doors. The doors should be lockable. That is your requirement.

Now, you receive three different price quotes. Why is that?
One uses ready-made high-gloss painted panels and simply adds edging, another uses MDF panels, fillers, primers, and paints them 2 to 3 times, while another uses pre-veneered panels with one coat of paint on top.
One designs the drawer in solid beech wood with dovetailed sides and a recessed bottom, another uses veneered particleboard with doweled sides and simply inserts the bottom.
One chooses a full-extension drawer slide, another a partial extension, then under-mount or side-mount; one uses plastic rollers, the other ball bearing slides.
For the back panel, one uses a 3mm (0.12 inch) hardboard, another a 6mm (0.24 inch) white-coated panel; one rebates it, the other creates a rabbet.
For the lock, one chooses a simple lock, the other a cam lock with a cylinder…

For the customer, it’s simply a cabinet, 80x60x40, white high gloss, with one drawer and doors as requested—and they see the final price. Puzzled, they wonder why Carpenter X is so expensive while Carpenter Y is much cheaper.

And now tell me again there are no quality differences. Admittedly, it is not easy for the end customer…

So why do we compare house prices when we can't even compare kitchens?

Neige schrieb:
MDF panels, filled, primed, and painted 2-3 times

Neige schrieb:
Solid beech drawer, the sides are dovetailed, with a grooved bottom planned

Neige schrieb:
White coated panel 6mm (1/4 inch)

But in terms of price, we are definitely far from an IKEA kitchen, aren’t we?

I just want to point out that there are definitely differences in quality, both in workmanship and in the materials used.
IKEA delivers kitchens almost like an assembly line, with a limited selection of kitchen cabinets available to the customer. If you want to realize special requests here, it usually involves some DIY work.
Many kitchen manufacturers have the advantage of being able to produce custom kitchens according to the customer's wishes, and a kitchen carpenter is even more flexible. However, this comes at a higher cost.
So, if you are satisfied with what IKEA offers, you are certainly not making a wrong choice.


Sent from my mobile device

BeHaElJa schrieb:
Because you only had *one* quote – what exactly was it for, which brand? Carpenter? – you can’t really say anything definitive about prices... we had demolition companies quoting €20,000 (about $22,000) and others for €5,000 (about $5,500). I think that’s well put. The quality of a kitchen is not defined by the color or number of doors.

Starting over. I initially planned an Ikea kitchen because I thought it wouldn’t be too expensive and the quality met my requirements. Above all, I immediately had a fixed price without having to spend two hours negotiating VAT and “mother-in-law” discounts beforehand.

After receiving advice from several sources that a kitchen planned by a specialist kitchen studio wouldn’t necessarily be more expensive and could offer better quality, I visited several providers.

Once a large furniture store, once a kitchen studio chain, and two smaller, privately owned companies. None of the offers were directly comparable, but in my view, that’s almost impossible. The fact is, everyone knew my budget, and all were well above it.

The quality of the kitchens I was shown was good, even noticeably better than Ikea’s. At times I found it frustrating when they tried to sell me expensive glass fronts even though I clearly stated I preferred matte fronts.

By giving up some features (such as interior drawer lighting, simpler appliances, worktop in laminated material) I was able to get closer to my budget, but it was still more expensive.

Therefore, I can say that Ikea was the most affordable option for me. However, I never said the higher prices of the other providers were unjustified.

At our Mömax store next week, there is a 50% discount on planned Nobilia and Nolte kitchens, plus free delivery and installation. Is this just another gimmick?