New kitchens

[sweetheart]

Yes, OK, I was asking about hinges last week, so having got one cabinet h inge fixed it seems the rest of the kitchen is slowly falling apart. .....

Much as I do not want the disruption, I may need to get a new kitchen.

I dont want to change the design. It was w3ell done all those years ago by RAM. I have looked up lots of kitchens and consulted Which? but I am not co nvinced. Surely these kitchens are nearly all made by one company really a nd sold by different brands? So, who makes them?

Can anyone suggest good quality for money here? I have a B&Q replacement s et of drawers that started to fall apart withing months of my getting them.

Which? are suggesting IKEA but thats out as there isnt one within 100 miles of me. My choices are : Wicks, Howdens ( apparently they have a place near by I found out yesterday - saw the big lorry pulling in), Magnet, Homebase , .... and B&Q.

Or an online company?

Thanks for relevant suggestions (AWR appears be too busy running over cycl ists to make a useful suggestion, so thanks to all others).

[Andy Burns]

No problems with my B&Q units here after 10 years so far

they deliver, or you could use a man&van type service, either to collect, or collect and assemble.

seem ok whenever I've glanced at them

They're trade only (and quite serious about turning away DIY customers)

[Brian Gaff]

Magnet seem to have a good reputation. I think half the issue is the way the contractors put them together and of course if they actually arrive undamaged in the first place.

Talking of kitchens, is there any company who can source ovens and hobs that can be used by blind people? All the things one sees in showrooms seem to be flat touch screens or with buttons that operate menu systems so no way to use them without sight. The world has suddenly gone bonkers for this new tech, completely forgetting the older and blind person in the process. Brian

[Andy Burns]

I'm sure if you avoid halogen/induction type hobs you'll find plenty with traditional controls.

My gas hob just has a knob per burner, which presses to ignite (or are gas hobs considered less safe for,or by, the blind?) sitting here I couldn't tell you which knob is front/rear though left/right is obvious, but that would be easy to learn.

Electric oven rotary knob, I generally use only fan mode (not top/bottom grill with without fan etc) but it would be easy to remember how many clicks for each mode, and to remember a "clock" position e.g. 5 o'clock for 180 degrees, 6'o'clock for 200 degrees etc.

[newshound]

Last time I looked, B&Q carcases were reasonable quality and price although I otherwise avoid them unless forced to. Have used Wickes carcases too, generally my first shed of choice. Other hardware, check TS and SF first.

It always looks to me as though these people make their money out of the doors.

Don't try to economise on hinges, get "wide opening" ones too.

[David]

I would recommend Howdens. Kit all comes pre-assembled and they hold it locally, so if there is a problem you don't have to wait 6-8 weeks for the replacement bits to turn up. As allegedly happens with B&Q, HomeBase and the like. Depending on the branch you can allegedly get them to supply if you ask nicely. However we dealt through our builders. Good quality and good prices.

A good many years ago (10 perhaps?) we used a Reading supplier called Kitchen George and a local kitchen fitter. Together we were very impressed. A quick search suggests that there are now more branches South and West of London. No idea if they are still any good, but like Howdens all the carcases are pre-built and the fittings held in the local depot.

Cheers

Dave R

[sweetheart]

Lucky you. Wish mine had lasted. Every time I open it the middle drawer fal ls off its rollers. Oh tried to fix but told me it was plain naff.

I would like to see and feel the kitchens and I dont really want to drive 1

00 miles + 100 miles back to do that. Ok, I am lazy, but at least I am now reducing the number of possibles. Thanks.

aw the big lorry pulling in)

Oh well scratch them then. Good job I hadnt bothered to drive up there. I was planning on getting OH (jack of all trades and master of none) a fully indentured plumber who has seen and fitted tons of kitchens in his nearly fifty working years, now retired, to do it for me.

Would I be better off with any cheap and cheerful of the internet? Any name s that anyone has tried there?

PS - what I need is not a kitchen designer..... I need 2x 1000 kitchen wall units ( standard, not tall), 1 x 1000 corner unit, 1 x 500 drawer unit, 1 x 500 cupboard unit ( floor), 1 x 300 base cupboard and 1 x 600 base unit ( floor). Kick Boards for all round and a worktop - the thicker laminate t ype,. I fancy a wooden look in that. I may well need a new inset kitchen si nk ( stainless steel but cheap and cheerful is good there) .

I dont need appliances. I have those and they work quite well , thanks.

Units likely to be white and plain ( found with the B&Q one that having mou lded panels and ridges etc just made for more difficult cleaning - its a w oman thing with me.

oh how I wish for the old days of MFI when they did decent stuff at a decen t price , before they went belly up! One of the nicest kitchens I ever has was MFI..... and it did rival this very expensive thing in my current kitc hen which probably cost an arm and a leg when someone put it in 25 years or more ago.

Suggestions for a "modern " kitchen still welcomed.

[GB]

We have a Bosch oven. The basic controls are rotary - mode select and temperature. The clock is digital, but I shouldn't think that's a big issue for Brian?

[GB]

I like Ikea units, but I avoid their worktops.

[sweetheart]

One of the reasons I looked at Howdens website was that they were ready built. I consider the extra money worth time saved - and the swearing from my OH as he tries to put flat packs together.

I noticed there they said you had to get your own builder. They didnt supply one. Hence the reason I thought I could get OH to do it. So, I dont quite know how they work that on trade only.

( oh and I need 3 x 1000 wall units, not two as I claimed earlier. I forgot one on a different wall).

[Huge]

I looked in vain for an induction hob with "traditional" controls when we refurbished our kitchen. We ended up with a Neff with touch controls, but I don't like the UX much.

[Dave Plowman (News)]

In what way? Hinges will obviously wear with use and time - but if still available can be replaced.

Are the bodies of the units falling apart? Chipboard got wet etc and swelling?

[Tim Streater]

And Wren. Which is where we went. We'd prolly not go there again, but only because they no longer make the kitchen we bought. They've gone all "modern".

[Iggy]

replying to sweetheart, Iggy wrote: I'd say go for taking your kitchen apart to glue and screw everything and anything you can. That's, by far, the easiest, cheapest and cleanest option. Otherwise, I actually prefer Ready To Assemble (RTA)/Flat Pack/Knock-Down to pre-assembled.

Screw and Glue-up RTA and you'll be incredibly solid for decades. Pre-assembled means you're stuck with their anemic and laughable use of staples. Cabinets are nothing but plain boxes with fancy fronts, don't trash what you've got if at all possible.

[Muddymike]

I've nothing bad to say about Howden's but you will need a friendly tradesman to order them.

Mike

[Malcolm Race]

We had a Howdens kitchen installed about 3 months ago and employd a fitter who installed it. Howdens included a designer who had little to do as the layout was the same (ish). The qualiy nis good and as a bonus the fitter acted as a buffer between us and Howdens. They have own brand white goods (Lamona) but we sourced our own - the only problem eas that we said no white goods not realising that we would not have an extractor but the fitter soon sorted this out

Do you have a builder who coul;d buy the units on your behalf?

Malcolm

[harry]

hinge fixed it seems the rest of the kitchen is slowly falling apart. .....

y RAM. I have looked up lots of kitchens and consulted Which? but I am not convinced. Surely these kitchens are nearly all made by one company really and sold by different brands? So, who makes them?

set of drawers that started to fall apart withing months of my getting the m.

es of me. My choices are : Wicks, Howdens ( apparently they have a place ne arby I found out yesterday - saw the big lorry pulling in), Magnet, Homeba se, .... and B&Q.

clists to make a useful suggestion, so thanks to all others).

You can revamp it by fitting new doors, drawer fronts and worktop. Much cheaper.

[ARW]

I always have the time to make a suggestion for you sweetcheeks.

Today's suggestion is a granite worktop.

[Robert]

I had no problem getting a Howdens account for the purpose of doing up a new house. Send OH down to sign up for some "part time handyman work he is going to do" . I got persuaded to have a credit account rather than just pay cash/card and get my free radio . Probably each branch has targets to hit re new accounts.

[ARW]

:-)

I could send my cat along to set up an account with them.