Can anyone recommend (or not) glossy/shiny kitchen cabinets?

[Todayissunny]

We are planning a new kitchen and I would like to have shiny white cabinets.
Dh thinks they will always look smeary and it will be difficult to keep them looking clean. I've been told the are very simple, just needs quick wipe over and they shine.
What are your experiences/advice?

I've got a gloss kitchen and yes, you can see finger prints but it's not hard work to give them a very quick wipe over with a damp cloth!

Thanks. Just with a wet cloth is really fine? It doesn't end up with smears?

We used forevermark in most properties we renovate. You don’t get the problems with gloss cabinets you do with the cheaper ones.

Thanks....no negatives then? I'm keen because I dont think bacteria can stick so easily to shiny surfaces.

I had a kitchen with black gloss doors a few years ago. I loved it and keeping the doors clean was not a problem. Doesn't take much effort to wipe them over. I suppose I did that every 2-3 weeks but just me using the kitchen.

I lived in a student house with gloss kitchen doors. I loved them! Never smeary or had fingerprints. I've got gloss in my new kitchen now. Hope to have the same experience.

I've had an ikea white gloss kitchen and had no problem with smears on the doors. Not that sticks in my memory anyway. You can order a sample door from DIY kitchens and see for yourself, or go to wickes and look at theirs. I highly recommend DIY kitchens having just bought one from them, and my very discerning fitter/mate is impressed too.

I have white gloss cabinets, they look fantastic and are easy to clean, never look smeared.

Glad to hear that about ikea (not in the uk and it is the only 'cheaper' option here) . We have some structural work to do as well and not sure how far our budget will stretch.

@Todayissunny

Thanks. Just with a wet cloth is really fine? It doesn't end up with smears?

Yep, just a damp cloth works just fine, if I'm being super picky in the days when we were allowed visitors I might go wild and buff them with a tea-towel but it's a 2 minute job at most.

My previous gloss kitchen was an Ikea one too.

I've had cream gloss and now white, never seen finger prints on them. Never noticed them be overly smeary, when food gets on them it's easy to clean.

I’ve never worried about bacteria on cupboard doors! I don’t get them near the food. I just wipe mine with a warm damp cloth when I need to. Your work surfaces and chopping boards are far more likely to harbour bacteria which come into contact with food.

We have a cream gloss kitchen (Howdens) and I've never noticed smears but then we have handles on the doors so wouldn't be touching the gloss anyway. I can see if you had handleless or dark gloss units it may be more of an issue.

I think it probably depends on the particular doors. We have gloss handleless cabinets and I hate them. With three small children they always look smeary, and the gloss with the ledge instead of handles means your hands slip. I’ve broken so many nails (and mine are very short anyway!) trying to open the cupboard doors with slightly wet hands.
They’ve also chipped quite badly. We are very careful with things and haven’t treated them badly at all, yet less than three years in they are chipped in quite a few places.
But all that may just be the quality of the kitchen - it was a new build so likely the developer went for something cheap!

DD has gloss with handles. I would recommend handles.

I have white gloss handle less, with just a deep indent, the indent is very deep and I have no problem with opening them. The cheaper doors tend to have shallower indents.
I love my kitchen, rarely shows smears and is lovely and Bright.