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Best kitchen brands 2025
To help you find the best kitchen, we've meticulously tested and researched leading brands, including Howdens, Ikea and Magnet.
Our experts evaluated 19 kitchen ranges in the lab and surveyed 4,253 Which? members about their experiences.
Only the best kitchens from the top-rated brands were named Which? Best Buys.
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Best kitchens overall
We gave all the kitchens we assessed an overall score based on their performance in the lab and customer ratings from our survey.
Members can log in to unlock the scores in the tables below. If you're not already a member, join Which? for instant access.
| Brand and range | Visit retailer | Overall score | Lab score | Customer score | Customer service | Durability |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B&Q GoodHome Caraway | B&Q | |||||
| B&Q GoodHome Caraway Innovo | B&Q | |||||
| Benchmarx Grey Kitchen Cabinet | Benchmarx | |||||
| Benchmarx Essence Flat Pack | Benchmarx | |||||
| DIY Kitchens Innova | DIY Kitchens | |||||
| Howdens Ready Assembled | Howdens Ready Assembled | |||||
| Howdens Handleless | Howdens Handleless |
Table notes: The overall score is based on the lab assessment of the units (60% weighting) and feedback from our customer survey (40% weighting), which incorporates the customer score, plus ratings for customer service and durability. In our customer survey, conducted online in February 2023, we polled 4,253 Which? Connect members who have bought a new kitchen in the past 10 years. Survey sample sizes: B&Q (133), Benchmarx (86), DIY Kitchens (96), Howdens (983), Ikea (186), John Lewis (110), Magnet (248), Wickes (297), Wren (342).
Since our last round of testing, Homebase has gone into administration and is not taking any further orders on kitchens. For further information, visit the administration FAQs section of the Homebase website.
John Lewis relaunched its kitchen service in summer 2024 with a new supplier and a new range. Our results are for an old range that is no longer available. We hope to test their new kitchens in spring 2025.
Which is the best kitchen brand?
The best quality kitchen brand achieved an overall score of 81%. Our five best kitchen suppliers all scored over 75%.
At the bottom end of the table, our lowest-scoring kitchen earned 59%. In fact, eight kitchens from four brands all got scores of less than 70%.
As the Which? kitchens expert, I was impressed by the quality of the majority kitchens that we tested. It's clear that you don't need to spend vast sums of money to get a functional, durable kitchen. Don't rely on brand name alone when judging the quality of a product.
Homebase and Symphony kitchens
We couldn't give Homebase or Symphony kitchens an overall rating or a lab assessment score because we weren't able to test these kitchens in the lab.
When we approached Symphony with a test request, the company opted not to participate. Homebase didn’t respond to our request within the deadline.
We still collected customer survey data on these kitchens – you can read more below.
How we choose Best Buy kitchens
Five kitchens were good enough to get our coveted Best Buy recommendation.
Best Buy kitchens need to achieve an overall score greater than 75%, a customer score of at least 70% and a minimum of three stars in every customer survey category.
Which? members can use our data, sourced in collaboration with the Building Cost Information Service, to find out how much a new kitchen costs in 2025
Best kitchen units
Which? is completely independent, so we buy all of the kitchens we test in our lab. That means our tests are unbiased, accurate and thorough.
Members can log in to unlock the scores in the tables below. If you're not already a member, join Which? for instant access.
Table notes: Lab assessment scores are calculated based on a kitchen's performance in 19 tests across four areas – quality of units, loading shelves, drawers and runners, and hinges. Ratings are combined to create an overall assessment score.
The best kitchen range achieved 89% – over 30 percentage points more than the lowest-scoring model.
In fact, the lowest-scoring model failed one of our tests. Another model was damaged on delivery.
Shelving systems
We also carefully examine the stability of the shelving systems in all of the units.
In most kitchens, the shelves rest on top of support pegs – they are not held in place. That means they can tip if weight is applied to the front or back of the shelf. Some of our top-rated kitchens had more stable supports, which prevent this from happening.
When buying a new kitchen, always consider your specific needs. For example, if you have kids or mobility issues then it's more important to choose a kitchen rated highly for the stability of its shelving.
Hinges
We test the strength of kitchens' hinges by applying weight. One of the kitchens failed this test – the hinges ripped off both cabinets during the first round of testing.
Other kitchen problems
We identified dangerously sharp drawer runners on one of our kitchens, which comes from a very popular brand.
Find out more about our testing and scoring process in how we test kitchens
Best kitchen suppliers
We survey real kitchen owners to see how satisfied they are with the kitchen they bought. They volunteer to report on their experiences for free, so we can provide the most accurate and realistic insights into kitchen brands.
Members can log in to unlock the scores in the tables below. If you're not already a member, join Which? for instant access.
| Kitchen brand | Customer score | Customer service | Quality of build | Quality of finish | Durability | Value for money |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| B&Q | ||||||
| Benchmarx | ||||||
| DIY Kitchens | ||||||
| Homebase | ||||||
| Howdens | ||||||
| Ikea | ||||||
| John Lewis |
Table notes: Based on the responses of 4,253 Which? Connect members in an online survey conducted in January and February 2023. Customer score is a combined score based on customer ratings of satisfaction with their kitchen and likelihood of recommending to a friend. Survey sample sizes: B&Q (133), Benchmarx (86), DIY Kitchens (96), Homebase (47), Howdens (983), Ikea (186), John Lewis (110), Magnet (248), Symphony (57), Wickes (297), Wren (342).
Customer scores ranged from 86% to 64%.
The top brand shone in our customer survey, scoring six percentage points higher than our second place brand.
Victoria Purcell, Which? Home content editor
'Our survey respondents have owned their kitchen for up to 10 years, so they know the product inside-out – who better to review a kitchen than its owners? Check out our individual brand reviews for more quotes and insight from owners.'
Discover the 7 most common kitchen design regrets – so you don't make the same mistakes
Which brand is best for kitchen installation?
In our consumer survey, we also asked members who used their kitchen brand's in-house installation service to rate the quality of the installation.
A total of 442 kitchen owners responded, allowing us to rate three leading kitchen brands for installation: Magnet, Wickes and Wren.
To discover which company came top, visit our guide to the best kitchen fitters, which also reveals which of the flatpack kitchens we tested are easiest to install yourself, plus advice on hiring a kitchen fitter.
Remember that installation will impact the quality and performance of your kitchen. During testing, we install all our kitchens ourselves to mimic real-life conditions. If you want to ensure the best quality build, hire a professional kitchen fitter.
See our guide on working with your trader for more information on building an effective relationship with your kitchen fitter
How to choose the best fitted kitchen for you
We've not only surveyed thousands of Which? members for their experiences with retailer customer service, but we've also put these kitchens to the test in our labs.
In addition, we've collated pricing information for some of the most popular brands (where available, this information is included on our brand review pages).
We compiled this information to make our expert recommendations, including 'Best for value for money' and 'Best for end-to-end service' – log in or join Which? to access this information.
You can see and buy the brands and ranges we've tested below:
- B&Q – we tested the Goodhome Caraway and Goodhome Caraway Innovo cabinet lines. Read our B&Q kitchens review to find out which was best, or browse all kitchens from B&Q.
- Benchmarx – we tested the Grey Kitchen cabinets and Essence flat pack lines from Benchmarx. Read our Benchmarx kitchens review to find out which range was best, or view all kitchens from Benchmarx.
- DIY Kitchens – the Innova range comes in a variety of styles, but how well did they perform in our testing? Read our DIY Kitchens review to find out, or view all DIY Kitchens.
- Howdens – we tested the ready-assembled, handleless, and flatpack kitchens to see whether they're worth your money. Read our Howdens kitchens review, or view all kitchens from Howdens.
- Ikea – we put the Enhet, Knoxhult and Metod kitchens through our rigorous testing to see which one is the best. Read our Ikea kitchens review, or browse all ranges from Ikea.
- John Lewis – we put the fully assembled Glue & Dowel range through our rigorous lab tests. Read our John Lewis kitchens review, or view styles from John Lewis.
- Magnet – we tested both Magnet's pre-built and ready to assemble units in our labs. Find out which scores best in our Magnet kitchens review, or view the full range from Magnet.
- Wickes – we tested the Bespoke and Lifestyle ranges in our lab for quality and stability. Read our Wickes kitchens review to compare them, or view all kitchens from Wickes.
- Wren – we lab-tested Wren's Infinity ready-assembled units, Infinity Plus bespoke kitchens, and the flat-packed Vogue range. Read our full Wren kitchens review to see the results, or visit Wren to view all their kitchens.
Check out our guide to the best kitchen appliances for our expert recommendations on kitchen ovens, fridges and more
Next steps towards your new kitchen
Alongside deciding where to buy your kitchen, consider the following to help design your kitchen, find a good installation service and keep your kitchen renovation on track:
- Look for inspiration with our kitchen design ideas.
- Read our tips on kitchen planning and how to measure your kitchen.
- Get advice on how to choose the best kitchen worktops and cabinets.
- Find the best kitchen appliances, including fridges, ovens, washing machines and kettles.
- Discover how much a new kitchen costs.
This article uses insights from the Which? Connect panel, collected from research activities with our members. Find out how to get involved