Most house builds also include purchasing a new kitchen, as was the case for us. Here are our experiences.
The kitchen should be planned by the time of the topping-out ceremony so that the locations for the installations and connections are set.
Choice of Brand
The most difficult task is gathering information about the various brands. Useful sources are different websites (kitchen directories, kitchen portals, and the disq study on kitchen brands).
Different kitchen brands vary not only in price, quality, and customer satisfaction but also in an important feature: cabinet height, which ranges between 70-80 cm (28-31 inches). If you plan an elevated countertop height of around 92 cm (36 inches), you should avoid brands with 72 cm (28 inches) cabinets, as the baseboard would have to be too high, resulting in wasted space. Ideally, for example: a 10 cm (4 inches) baseboard plus a 78 cm (31 inches) cabinet plus a 4 cm (1.5 inches) countertop add up to a countertop height of 92 cm (36 inches).
Basics of Planning
Kitchen studio planning works best when you already have some clear ideas. Common questions include:
Our favorite kitchen element: the sink BLANCO AXIS II 6 S-IF Edition
Choosing the Kitchen Studio
The level of advice varies greatly depending on the consultant, and prices differ even more. The price for the same kitchen fluctuated by 30-40% or up to 5,000 €. We visited Küchen Keie (Mainz), Möbel Martin (Mainz), Meda Küchen (Wiesbaden), Möbel Schwaab (Ingelheim), and Möbel Preiss (Kastellaun). The best advice was from Ms. Ackermann at Meda Küchen, while Möbel Martin and Möbel Preiss offered the best prices.
Price Comparison
Prices can only be compared if the offers are identical: same brand, same design, and the same equipment.
The kitchen should be planned by the time of the topping-out ceremony so that the locations for the installations and connections are set.
Choice of Brand
The most difficult task is gathering information about the various brands. Useful sources are different websites (kitchen directories, kitchen portals, and the disq study on kitchen brands).
Different kitchen brands vary not only in price, quality, and customer satisfaction but also in an important feature: cabinet height, which ranges between 70-80 cm (28-31 inches). If you plan an elevated countertop height of around 92 cm (36 inches), you should avoid brands with 72 cm (28 inches) cabinets, as the baseboard would have to be too high, resulting in wasted space. Ideally, for example: a 10 cm (4 inches) baseboard plus a 78 cm (31 inches) cabinet plus a 4 cm (1.5 inches) countertop add up to a countertop height of 92 cm (36 inches).
Basics of Planning
Kitchen studio planning works best when you already have some clear ideas. Common questions include:
- Cabinet surfaces: melamine resin, foil and laminate, lacquer laminate, UV lacquer, lacquer, glass, real wood,...
- Countertop: laminate, synthetic or natural stone (very expensive!), solid wood/real wood,...
- Cabinet types: pull-out cabinets, pantry cabinets, corner carousel, LeMans corner solution, wall cabinets,...
- Appliance brands: e.g., Bosch/Siemens (which are essentially identical)
- Which appliances should be eye-level (oven? dishwasher?), which can be placed below (dishwasher? freezer compartment)?
- Appliance features: refrigerator (Vitafresh, Hydrofresh, NoFrost, energy rating A++/A+++), oven (integrated microwave, pyrolysis cleaning, telescopic rails), dishwasher (A++/A+++, noise level dB, cutlery drawer/tray), stove (60 cm / 90 cm width, steel/ceramic/induction/gas/flex induction)
- Additional equipment: extractor hood, sink, faucet, lighting elements,...
Our favorite kitchen element: the sink BLANCO AXIS II 6 S-IF Edition
Choosing the Kitchen Studio
The level of advice varies greatly depending on the consultant, and prices differ even more. The price for the same kitchen fluctuated by 30-40% or up to 5,000 €. We visited Küchen Keie (Mainz), Möbel Martin (Mainz), Meda Küchen (Wiesbaden), Möbel Schwaab (Ingelheim), and Möbel Preiss (Kastellaun). The best advice was from Ms. Ackermann at Meda Küchen, while Möbel Martin and Möbel Preiss offered the best prices.
Price Comparison
Prices can only be compared if the offers are identical: same brand, same design, and the same equipment.
Bautraum201526 Nov 2015 13:06We first visited a kitchen showroom, but it really spoiled our mood. They pressured us to sign a contract even before any planning had been done. When we said we couldn’t commit before seeing a design, the staff became unfriendly and persistent. The next day, we received a call offering a free granite countertop if we signed. We declined again and made it clear that we wanted to see the kitchen design first. Another call followed the day after, this time offering a free 80cm (31.5 inches) induction cooktop if we signed today. Hello? Didn’t he get the message? I told the gentleman on the phone not to bother with any further planning because we definitely won’t be buying from that showroom!
Oh, it always depends on who you're dealing with...
We have now purchased our third kitchen in our lives and are satisfied... however, we always advise against kitchen showrooms... through these three kitchens, we have visited numerous showrooms, furniture stores, or other sales locations... in the end, we always bought at different furniture stores, as they consistently offered the best prices for the same kitchens...
We have now purchased our third kitchen in our lives and are satisfied... however, we always advise against kitchen showrooms... through these three kitchens, we have visited numerous showrooms, furniture stores, or other sales locations... in the end, we always bought at different furniture stores, as they consistently offered the best prices for the same kitchens...
We visited a small (two-person) kitchen studio where we received good prices and excellent service, partly due to their local proximity. Additionally, we were allowed to purchase some of the electrical appliances ourselves (for example, a very specific flush-mounted induction cooktop), which were, of course, installed by them. Overall, we ended up paying less than at the furniture stores where we requested almost identical kitchen quotes (even after discounts). Furthermore, not all suppliers (for whatever reason) were able to deliver the countertop for the cooking island in one piece (2.10 m x 1.25 m (7 ft x 4 ft)).
I don’t understand the issues some of you have with kitchen showrooms. We visited two of these stores:
Kitchen showroom A (where my father-in-law bought): Good quality kitchen within our target price range; unfortunately, a poor consultant, so we decided not to proceed there.
Kitchen showroom B (where my parents bought): Very good quality kitchen within our target price range. Additionally, a very good consultant who took a lot of time for us and shared his experience as a passionate cook and master carpenter. => purchased
Kitchen showroom A (where my father-in-law bought): Good quality kitchen within our target price range; unfortunately, a poor consultant, so we decided not to proceed there.
Kitchen showroom B (where my parents bought): Very good quality kitchen within our target price range. Additionally, a very good consultant who took a lot of time for us and shared his experience as a passionate cook and master carpenter. => purchased
Please share which kitchen manufacturer you went with and how much of a discount you received. Most immediately offered a 15 percent discount. The next 15 percent was a negotiation. The final 5 percent was a real challenge. Even when salespeople appeared very professional, the initial price was always unreasonably high.
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