German handleless kitchen

[Ntinyn]

I know they're not everyone's taste, but we're after one. Has anyone got any recent experience of buying one? I'm bamboozled by the all the brands and price tags... Any trusted brands that are value for money for what you're getting? Currently looked at Rotpunkt and Schuller but don't have the guts to go to Siematic showroom as I know I will cry at the quote.
Also not sure if I've been too taken in by all the German is superior marketing. So have decided to go and see a Crown Imperial dealer tomorrow to see what the UK made ones are like and priced at. Has anyone got a Crown handleless kitchen?
Thanks

How are you getting on? I had a handleless kitchen installed last year and I love it. It is from Mereway so not a German brand - but it is pretty much exactly the same handless kitchen as Alno. Much cheaper than the German brands - but still not exactly cheap!

We had an amazing fitter which has really made the kitchen. It is w pretty complicated fit with the grip rails etc!

Hi, we still haven't decided!!!

Ooooh! The Meraway kitchens are beautiful, in the area I live, only John Lewis stock it (under their own badge name) and an independent. we had a rough quote which was so so so expensive for furniture only. It just didn't seem worth paying for a proper design visit, both charge £75.

We really need to decide by the end of the week, my heart is with Rotpunkt but I've read that they're poor value for money.

Did you go for a matt or gloss finish? Any issues with finger marks?

Yes I know, the fitter makes all the difference. Our builder says he can install, he's a carpenter by trade, but I'm tempted to pay for a proper kitchen installer.

Hi Ntinyn, I'm also looking at German handleless. So far, price wise it's Schuller C, Hacker then cheapest is Crown Imperial. Upside to Crown is much shorter lead times. There's also Tomba (I think Second Nature) which has the rail in the door, not the carcase. Jewsons also do a similar range (mainly gloss finish) but it came out more expensive on my kitchen then the German brands. That said, it may be worth looking. I didn't get a quote from Rotpunkt but agree they look great. I think one of the issues with Crown is the lack of luxe showrooms so you're trying to decide on a huge purchase from a tiny sample. Where in the country are you?

Meant to add that Supplyonly kitchens also do a true handleless - I can't vouch for their quality/service as I haven't used them, but the spec sounds good.

We have a poggenpohl. I love it so much! They sometimes have ex-display kitchens available in their show room (listed online via the official website too).

Hi
I went for a gloss finish for base and an Matt oak finish for wall units - marking/finger prints hasn't been a problem but I guess having the Matt finish closer to eye level helps.

We got Mereway through an independent wife and husband kitchen design team so much cheaper than direct from JL I'm guessing -to give you an idea we got about 10 base units, 2 tall units and 6 wall units for about 7.5K. Let me know if you are based anywhere near London/Surrey and are interested in their details. Also if you order mereways catalog they send a list of stockists all over the country. The only thing that was annoying was the wait after ordering - 6 weeks! But we knew it was going to be that long when we put the order in.

I have never heard of Rotpunkt - kitchens look lovely from a quick Google though.

Good luck deciding - it can be so hard to choose!

We have had quotes from Schuller (next 125) and hacker systemat. I think next 125 was better quality and no particularly more expensive.

I wasn't impressed by rotpunkt quality when I had a nosey in their showroom at the recent grand designs show

We looked at lots of German handleless brands but in the end went with UK firm Higham after being really impressed with their quality and enthusiasm. Our kitchen is matt with corian drawer and cupboard fronts. Their fitters were excellent, as was customer service the whole way through

Dustoff's comment has reminded me that I heard that Alno and Rokpunkt are considered the 'worst' (for want of a better word) for value/quality. frenchielala, would you mind PMing me the name of your dealer for Mereway please?

How do you actually open the drawers or doors?

I have Hacker Systemat in Kristall. I'm very pleased with it. Been installed for 3 years and had no problems. I'm very pleased with the quality. It was less expensive than JohnnLewis mid range.

I got mine from an independent.

Llljk, there's a recessed channel running through the cabinets. It gives you space to hook your fingers over the flat panel door fronts. If you look at photos, it's the dark line running above the drawers/doors.

Thanks @sarahsea will checkout Jewsons and supplyonly, hadn't even considered them. Good point about the lead times

I haven't found any Hacker / Poggenpohl near us and keen to buy as local as possible as have a toddler and pregnant and DH works long hours so the initial stages he wants input so can only do during precious weekends. Both brands look lovely though! Have done a lot of online swooning.

We do have a Crown Imperial showroom near us. My Crown and Schuller quotes for furniture only were £9k, and Rotpunkt ranged from £12-14k.

I'm based in the London/Surrey area so would love the name of the husband and wife frenchielala, we're the KT area.

That's interesting dustoff. I vaguely remember reading that RP wasn't great value for money, there just seem to be two independents locally selling them here so we've been a bit sucked in by their lovely looking showrooms.

Just checked, and my Schuller quote was just for their Nova range, think that is v v basic vs Next 125

Thanks all! Looking up Hingham now too and ordering Mereway catalog!

Schmidt is a French brand which is good quality.

Hi... We installed a gloss, handleless kitchen last year and we absolutely love it (and so does everyone else who has seen it). The units actually came from two different manufacturers. The base ones from a UK company called Daval and the wall units from a German company called Leicht. Daval didn't do the exact size of wall unit I wanted so the kitchen supplier suggested using Leicht ones in their equivalent colour and it has worked brilliantly. You would never know that they are different without being told.

Both are really good quality units. Almost all of the base units are deep drawers and I am so glad they are, they are so much more user-friendly than cupboards. We also added three cutlery drawers (which are completely hidden) and again, it was a really good decision.

Fingerprints are noticeable, they seem to have been worse during the summer with much more sunlight in the room, but a quick wipe over gets rid of them.

We went for a cashmere colour and I love it. I really don't think it will date, it's actually quite a classic colour.

I hope that helps! Good luck!

I have a Schuller kitchen- nova matt handless. The white doesn't show finger prints but i find the dark colours do. It included Seimens appliances (induction hob, 2 ovens - one a combi, sink, tap and silestone worktop. It is a run of base units with a wall of units for ovens and 2.5m central pan drawer island. Was £11k all in. I love it. Very good value i think.

@Ntinyn: I think Brayer Design are Hacker - KT6. Is SW6 too far for you? If not, Laurence Pidgeon. I'm sure there's another one - when I remember I'll ping you.

Your kitchen seems good value @whiteagle. My Schuller quote comes in at 9.5K - units only, lowest price point doors, x4 tall housings, pan drawers on island, and 4 metre run of base units + couple of wall cupboards. Once they'd whacked on quartz and appliances it was 20K ish.

On that note i would look where all the dealers are for the brand you want. The schuller dealer we went to was in a trendy area and would only show us pictures on screen - nothing to take home to show DH and ££- made you feel awkward to ask prices for things like different worktops. Second place was in a normal area and were so transparent about prices that every time you added a unit the price on the bottom right of the screen changed! Was very refreshing and a nice experience. We are in Scotland though. From experience larder units are very expensive!

I think my units came to £5k silestone worktops £2.5 and appliances £3.5k.

Wow whiteangle that's amazing value!! I couldn't get a Silestone quote less than 4k around here. Yes I agree some places are quite pretentious!