ᐅ Kitchen consultation: which brand for kitchen and appliances?
Created on: 19 Nov 2021 09:27
P
Pacc666
Hello,
We are currently planning our kitchen.
Since it’s a big and unclear jungle and it’s hard to compare everything, I wanted to ask for your help.
We believe that when you go to a showroom and don’t exactly know what you want or need, you might end up paying too much.
I wanted to ask which kitchen brands are good in terms of quality and durability, without being excessively overpriced.
We basically want a mid-range kitchen for our house.
Kitchen cabinets: Nobilia or Nolte kitchens (please suggest other good brands that meet our criteria).
Kitchen appliances: Neff, Bosch, Siemens, or which appliance brands would you recommend? The appliances should have good functions and offer comfort.
Sink: no idea.
I hope you can recommend good brands for cabinets, appliances, and sinks based on your own positive experiences.
Maybe there are also kitchen builders among you who can provide advice as well.
We are currently planning our kitchen.
Since it’s a big and unclear jungle and it’s hard to compare everything, I wanted to ask for your help.
We believe that when you go to a showroom and don’t exactly know what you want or need, you might end up paying too much.
I wanted to ask which kitchen brands are good in terms of quality and durability, without being excessively overpriced.
We basically want a mid-range kitchen for our house.
Kitchen cabinets: Nobilia or Nolte kitchens (please suggest other good brands that meet our criteria).
Kitchen appliances: Neff, Bosch, Siemens, or which appliance brands would you recommend? The appliances should have good functions and offer comfort.
Sink: no idea.
I hope you can recommend good brands for cabinets, appliances, and sinks based on your own positive experiences.
Maybe there are also kitchen builders among you who can provide advice as well.
Here is a tip:
First, you should write down and also sketch your cabinet requirements.
For example: groceries without a pantry and a supermarket nearby – one tall cabinet, 60cm (24 inches) wide; cups, mugs, and glasses – one wall cabinet, 2 shelves each 60cm (24 inches) wide; dishes – 3 shelves of 60cm (24 inches), fewer if it’s a display cabinet; 90cm (36 inches) drawer for cutlery and cooking utensils; 60cm (24 inches) drawer for bags/foil; 60cm (24 inches) base cabinet for waste; 60cm (24 inches) base cabinet for pots; 60cm (24 inches) base cabinet for Tupperware and cans; 60cm (24 inches) for various small appliances... spices, oil, and vinegar...
All of these are commonly needed but vary individually in terms of quantity. A 60cm (24 inches) wall + base or tall cabinet remains as a reserve.
Then I would suggest trying a kitchen planner like IKEA’s or Nolte’s, as there are several available, to play around with your intended floor plan and see if your needs plus fridge, oven/stove, dishwasher, etc. fit. You could then ask for a plan in a specialized forum or also visit a kitchen showroom at the same time.
If your budget is €15,000, I would tell them to plan with €13,000 as the limit. They should design accordingly.
You can get kitchens of the same size and visually identical from the same manufacturer at different price points. The kitchen planner might choose to have pull-outs behind only half the doors, with the other half having regular shelves. Or if the budget is tight, there might be a panel above the stove instead of an expensive drawer. Instead of a costly 120cm (48 inches) pull-out drawer, they might propose two cheaper 60cm (24 inches) pull-outs, and so on. This doesn’t reduce the kitchen’s quality but better fits the budget. If it also suits your space, that would be fine. You won’t be overcharged that way.
Our kitchen planner told us back then: allocate 50% of the budget to the furniture and 50% to the appliances. Hidden appliances like the cooktop, fridge, or dishwasher don’t need to look fancy, though it’s nicer if the oven looks good. At least pay attention to a good energy rating on the fridge. Devices you only use every two weeks can consume a bit more energy.
I highly recommend the corresponding kitchen forum!
One problem, in my opinion, is those showrooms where you name a budget and they start planning for twice that amount. I don’t consider those very trustworthy, although some people don’t mind haggling.
...
This question puzzles me a bit because many well-known brands offer products with various features. Besides, the individual user should know what they actually need.
There are individual solutions from Neff, Bosch, and Siemens respectively.
By the way... are you the one who asked where to buy furniture? Actually, you need someone familiar with all of this to guide you. Maybe you should post a request here... I’m sure someone would enjoy helping out 😀
What about your wife? Does she have ideas and handy skills?
First, you should write down and also sketch your cabinet requirements.
For example: groceries without a pantry and a supermarket nearby – one tall cabinet, 60cm (24 inches) wide; cups, mugs, and glasses – one wall cabinet, 2 shelves each 60cm (24 inches) wide; dishes – 3 shelves of 60cm (24 inches), fewer if it’s a display cabinet; 90cm (36 inches) drawer for cutlery and cooking utensils; 60cm (24 inches) drawer for bags/foil; 60cm (24 inches) base cabinet for waste; 60cm (24 inches) base cabinet for pots; 60cm (24 inches) base cabinet for Tupperware and cans; 60cm (24 inches) for various small appliances... spices, oil, and vinegar...
All of these are commonly needed but vary individually in terms of quantity. A 60cm (24 inches) wall + base or tall cabinet remains as a reserve.
Then I would suggest trying a kitchen planner like IKEA’s or Nolte’s, as there are several available, to play around with your intended floor plan and see if your needs plus fridge, oven/stove, dishwasher, etc. fit. You could then ask for a plan in a specialized forum or also visit a kitchen showroom at the same time.
If your budget is €15,000, I would tell them to plan with €13,000 as the limit. They should design accordingly.
You can get kitchens of the same size and visually identical from the same manufacturer at different price points. The kitchen planner might choose to have pull-outs behind only half the doors, with the other half having regular shelves. Or if the budget is tight, there might be a panel above the stove instead of an expensive drawer. Instead of a costly 120cm (48 inches) pull-out drawer, they might propose two cheaper 60cm (24 inches) pull-outs, and so on. This doesn’t reduce the kitchen’s quality but better fits the budget. If it also suits your space, that would be fine. You won’t be overcharged that way.
Our kitchen planner told us back then: allocate 50% of the budget to the furniture and 50% to the appliances. Hidden appliances like the cooktop, fridge, or dishwasher don’t need to look fancy, though it’s nicer if the oven looks good. At least pay attention to a good energy rating on the fridge. Devices you only use every two weeks can consume a bit more energy.
I highly recommend the corresponding kitchen forum!
One problem, in my opinion, is those showrooms where you name a budget and they start planning for twice that amount. I don’t consider those very trustworthy, although some people don’t mind haggling.
...
Pwnage619 schrieb:
Which do you think is better in terms of features: Bosch or Neff?
This question puzzles me a bit because many well-known brands offer products with various features. Besides, the individual user should know what they actually need.
Pwnage619 schrieb:
Bosch, Neff, and Siemens all have their strengths in certain areas and appeal to different target groups.
There are individual solutions from Neff, Bosch, and Siemens respectively.
By the way... are you the one who asked where to buy furniture? Actually, you need someone familiar with all of this to guide you. Maybe you should post a request here... I’m sure someone would enjoy helping out 😀
What about your wife? Does she have ideas and handy skills?
W
Wassermann19 Nov 2021 18:33My story:
Our design was already 90% finalized. It will now actually be implemented as planned. We received very good ideas for the remaining 10% from the different studios.
1. Studio: Schüller for about 15,000
2. Studio: Nolte for 14,500
3. Studio: Häcker for about 17,000
4. Studio: Nobilia for about 13,000
5. Obi: Nobilia for 11,200
In the end, the purchase was made at Obi.
Our design was already 90% finalized. It will now actually be implemented as planned. We received very good ideas for the remaining 10% from the different studios.
1. Studio: Schüller for about 15,000
2. Studio: Nolte for 14,500
3. Studio: Häcker for about 17,000
4. Studio: Nobilia for about 13,000
5. Obi: Nobilia for 11,200
In the end, the purchase was made at Obi.
W
Wassermann19 Nov 2021 18:38And regarding negotiation:
Stick to the common purchasing rules:
- Never reveal your limit; start significantly lower.
- Play good cop, bad cop—one partner is enthusiastic, the other is not.
- Never sign immediately.
- Don’t settle too easily and feel free to negotiate downward multiple times.
The kitchen market is actually extremely opaque.
Stick to the common purchasing rules:
- Never reveal your limit; start significantly lower.
- Play good cop, bad cop—one partner is enthusiastic, the other is not.
- Never sign immediately.
- Don’t settle too easily and feel free to negotiate downward multiple times.
The kitchen market is actually extremely opaque.
S
Strahleman19 Nov 2021 22:37By now, I would no longer buy mid-range appliances from the BSH group. We had them in our old apartment, and after a maximum of 6 years, 3 out of 4 appliances developed various defects (circulation pump of the dishwasher broke after 3 years, oven light failed after 4 years, refrigerator door no longer sealed properly and had a broken display...). Therefore, we have now chosen premium appliances from BSH or from market leaders like Liebherr (refrigerator) and Miele (dishwasher). We are especially impressed with the latter, as it is a huge improvement compared to our old one.
Otherwise, the kitchen brand itself is rather secondary. In my opinion, you can hardly go wrong with Häcker, Nobilia, Nolte, IKEA, etc. What is more important is a consultant who deserves the title and doesn’t deliver a practically unusable kitchen. We were very grateful for our consultant, who gave really good advice and tips, and also showed us alternatives to improve the kitchen’s functionality instead of just rigidly implementing our ideas.
Otherwise, the kitchen brand itself is rather secondary. In my opinion, you can hardly go wrong with Häcker, Nobilia, Nolte, IKEA, etc. What is more important is a consultant who deserves the title and doesn’t deliver a practically unusable kitchen. We were very grateful for our consultant, who gave really good advice and tips, and also showed us alternatives to improve the kitchen’s functionality instead of just rigidly implementing our ideas.
tomtom79 schrieb:
You can buy Nolte kitchens for 8,000 euros or for 25,000 euros. What matters more is what you can afford and want.
If you want something affordable and good, you might also want to check out Ikea. The Metod kitchens are very competitively priced. There is assembly and planning help available on Facebook. Some skilled installers have emerged there who are cheaper than Ikea’s own installers and can support you.I no longer agree with that. I just finished assembling my Metod kitchen and was mostly frustrated by the corners where Ikea cuts costs and quality drops. The assembly itself is fine if you take your time. The potential for savings is rather limited, though. There are no proper solutions for narrow crown moldings, islands, etc.
Examples:
- The front edges (edging) of the cabinet carcass are consistently uneven (this was better with “Faktum”)
- Poor cabinet material (particle board not sufficiently compressed, noticeable with every screw you tighten)
- Front panels (in my case high-gloss white): uneven, with a “bump,” as if the MDF boards weren’t properly sanded and cleaned before coating
- Poor quality/finish of the top and bottom edges of the fronts
- Underside of the wall cabinets looks “rough”
- Feet are awful (you can’t get cheaper than that)
With a Nolte kitchen at a similar price, none of this would be visible. Had I known all this, including the difficulties of fitting appliances from other manufacturers, I wouldn’t have chosen it at all. The appliance quality/price ratio is mediocre... (Bauknecht / Whirlpool)
i_b_n_a_n schrieb:
Cabinet material is poor (particleboard not sufficiently compressed, you can feel it with every screw you drive in)The cabinets are not made of particleboard but MDF, unless they have changed it.In which country were the cabinets manufactured? I cannot confirm this..
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