Kitchen doors and drawers- handles or streamlined?

[Red Car]

So, planning new kitchen. Need inspiration please re handles.
I’m trying to find the kitchen doors/drawers which gives me the least work re crumbs and grease. Over past 25 years I have realised a smooth flat surface with no embellishments is the easiest but what to do re handles or handleless? I don’t want to spend the life of the kitchen staring at sticky finger marks but getting a bit bored of stainless steel bar handles. Holes in the doors rip your fingernails off if you miss time it when rushing and over time leave a grime mark.

Doors and drawers which have a groove along the top horizontal edge from experience in the 1970s of such design (yes I’m that old!) are a headache to keep clear of crumbs and can break your fingernails too.

Had thought of push doors but after a recent American fridge freezer purchase which has no handle (just a gap you put your hand into to open it) all my 1970’s memories of those type of openings resurfaced. I have not spent so much time wiping it’s doors of fingermarks because it’s not the opening it’s the closing that makes the marks. The whole family just take the easiest route and put their hand on the door exterior to push it shut. Even me! And as for the mess when I’m in a hurry to get something out and my hands are covered in say raw pastry (in the gap where the handle is to open it) is horrible. So push doors on kitchen cabinets would be the same.
Anyone got a kitchen that has an easy to keep clean of crumbs and fingerprints? If there was one that opened and closed to an elbow that would be wonderful! 🤣

[Risotto]

We used Ikea Blankett handles.

They simply hook over the top of the unit doors and the fixing screws go through the back of the door, so if you ever want to change (or remove) the handles, you aren't left with any visible holes. They're very slim and you can typically fit a pair into the natural gap between two doors if you have one door above another, e.g. on a tall unit. The brushed finish doesn't show fingerprints either. They're available in lengths from 50mm up to 2.2m. They cost pennies too, which is handy.

Couple of pics to give you a better idea of how they attach:

[Red Car]

Ah, neat idea but they would have even more horizontal surface to collect crumbs and grease than my bar handles. I am beginning to think I will need to stick with them for the new kitchen. So many new designs are for the sleek look but salesmen think I’m mad if I mention crumb gatherers! 🤣

[Red Car]

I’m actually now thinking of a pantry, hide all the stuff that goes in all those cupboards behind one door and have the bare minimum of units.

[GJB]

I have sold kitchens for 38 years. Handless are known as nail breakers in the business. Try to open an integrated fridge, integ. freezer or dishwasher and the majority all need a good tug to open. If your hands are wet or greasy this could be an issue. There are thousands of proper handles to choose from so have a look at those first. Even when we get a customer who wants handless they will often have handles fitted to the integrated fridge/freezer and dishwasher.

[PositronicRay]

Red Car said:

I’m actually now thinking of a pantry, hide all the stuff that goes in all those cupboards behind one door and have the bare minimum of units.

This sounds a sensible idea, you can also view everything at a glance.

[dickymint]

You need.........................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1HFyAs9ayg



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmwY83RsSwM

[Red Car]

Thanks for the tip. I recall my Mother cursing in the 70s with her new ‘Hygena’ handless kitchen let alone the drawers of her GPlan wall unit in the dining room that was packed far too heavy full of stuff!
I’m still leaning towards putting as much as possible in an open plan pantry all hidden away from view behind one door with just a few units. That way I can have the food mixer plugged in there, all the packets of stuff, items that only get used once in a while and I won’t have to get a ladder to reach to the roof to find them as the latest designs tend to lean towards.

[anonymous-user]

handles are much better imho, as you dont then makes the doors dirty by pawing at them with dirty hands

we also have a full height pull out larder cupboard, and a clever corner unti system which gives much more flexible storage

[hornmeister]

Small Stainless steel curved handles on smooth silk or gloss cabinets.

Timeless & easy to clean.

Something like this
https://www.wrenkitchens.com/160x194mm-kelly-steel...

Minimal projection and no edges to catch clothing on. Also useful to temporarily hang a towel or oven glove on.

[PositronicRay]

Red Car said:

I’m still leaning towards putting as much as possible in an open plan pantry all hidden away from view behind one door with just a few units. That way I can have the food mixer plugged in there, all the packets of stuff, items that only get used once in a while and I won’t have to get a ladder to reach to the roof to find them as the latest designs tend to lean towards.

Do you have a decent size utility (or space for one near the kitchen) Shelve it out and Bobs your uncle

[Red Car]

dickymint said:

You need.........................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1HFyAs9ayg



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmwY83RsSwM

I like the Servo option but would have three worries:
1. Teaching my boys to do a karate high kick to avoid using their fingers to open the high drawers! (first video)
2. Teaching them to open everything with the back of their hand as even in the second video the actor still is seen using his fingers.
3. If it has electrics it will breakdown (and I should know I own an old RangeRover!!).

[dickymint]

Red Car said:

dickymint said:

You need.........................

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1HFyAs9ayg



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wmwY83RsSwM

I like the Servo option but would have three worries:
1. Teaching my boys to do a karate high kick to avoid using their fingers to open the high drawers! (first video)
2. Teaching them to open everything with the back of their hand as even in the second video the actor still is seen using his fingers.
3. If it has electrics it will breakdown (and I should know I own an old RangeRover!!).

So you now want something that doesn't allow you or your boys to use their fingers at all

I dare say a Siri based app would do it for you soon............meanwhile wear gloves or get some treatment for OCD

[Red Car]

hornmeister said:

Small Stainless steel curved handles on smooth silk or gloss cabinets.

Timeless & easy to clean.

Something like this
https://www.wrenkitchens.com/160x194mm-kelly-steel...

Minimal projection and no edges to catch clothing on. Also useful to temporarily hang a towel or oven glove on.

Not keen on those but maybe just a simple plain round stainless steel knob and I could hang a towel or oven gloves on it easily too. Cheers.

[Red Car]

keirik said:

handles are much better imho, as you dont then makes the doors dirty by pawing at them with dirty hands

we also have a full height pull out larder cupboard, and a clever corner unti system which gives much more flexible storage

Yes, agree. If I can’t have a pantry I might have a larder unit and a decent corner unit.

[Red Car]

dickymint said:

So you now want something that doesn't allow you or your boys to use their fingers at all

I dare say a Siri based app would do it for you soon............meanwhile wear gloves or get some treatment for OCD

Lol, you haven’t seen their hands plus the other half is always working on cars.... might have to borrow some of those vinyl gloves mechanics wear but his hands are too big to fit them!

[Red Car]

PositronicRay said:

Do you have a decent size utility (or space for one near the kitchen) Shelve it out and Bobs your uncle

Designing new build and got space so sort of know what will be practical and won’t mean falling off my ladder in my dotage. Or off my ladder trying to change down lighters! Future proofing it!

[V8RX7]

I looked at hundreds of handles before choosing ours, I started with the usual suspects: Screwfix, Toolstation, Ironmongery Direct, Howdens and then moved on to Ebay and the Hafele catalogue...

After many hours I decided simple Hafele bow handles rule

https://www.screwfix.com/p/hafele-melbury-bow-hand...

[Red Car]

V8RX7 said:

I looked at hundreds of handles before choosing ours, I started with the usual suspects: Screwfix, Toolstation, Ironmongery Direct, Howdens and then moved on to Ebay and the Hafele catalogue...

After many hours I decided simple Hafele bow handles rule

https://www.screwfix.com/p/hafele-melbury-bow-hand...

Might have to do what Gaudi did and design my own. Shouldn’t have visited his Casa Battlia house, it had far too many ideas! Cheers tho.

[MellowshipSlinky]

GJB said:

I have sold kitchens for 38 years. Handless are known as nail breakers in the business. Try to open an integrated fridge, integ. freezer or dishwasher and the majority all need a good tug to open. If your hands are wet or greasy this could be an issue. There are thousands of proper handles to choose from so have a look at those first. Even when we get a customer who wants handless they will often have handles fitted to the integrated fridge/freezer and dishwasher.

We have an integrated handless dishwasher - no tugging needed.
Only have to give the lightest touch to the top of the door and it opens automatically