Guide · Deciding
Doors: melamine, laminate, lacquer, timber or glass
The KÜINA team · Updated October 11, 2026
The short answer
Melamine is the cheapest and holds up well if the edge is properly done. Laminate takes more knocks and more moisture. Lacquer gives the cleanest colour and shows the most marks if it is gloss. Timber ages with character and asks for more care. Glass is the easiest to clean and the most fragile at the edges.
The five, in one table
| Finish | Premium | Knocks | Moisture | Fingerprints |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Melamine | Baseline | Fair | Good with an ABS edge | Few |
| Laminate (HPL) | +10 – 20 % | Good | Very good | Few |
| Matt lacquer | +20 – 35 % | Fair | Good | Few if anti-fingerprint |
| Gloss lacquer | +25 – 40 % | Fair | Good | Many |
| Natural timber | +30 – 60 % | Good | Fair | Few |
| Glass | +40 – 70 % | Fragile at the edges | Excellent | Many |
The edge matters more than the face
On a door, what fails first is almost never the face: it is the edge. That is where moisture gets in, where it gets knocked on closing, and where it lifts.
- ABS edge with standard adhesive: the standard. Over the years, and above all over the dishwasher, a line can open up.
- Laser or hot-air edging: no visible glue and the joint is all but invisible. It is what copes best with steam.
- Edge in the same material as the face, in laminate or timber: ages best, because a scratch does not reveal a different colour underneath.
- Lacquer with the edge lacquered too: the piece is continuous, with no joint. It is what makes a lacquer look expensive.
Matt or gloss, plainly
Gloss reflects light and makes the kitchen brighter, and it shows fingerprints in a way you do not see in the showroom and do see at home. Matt does not mark, but cheap matt scratches if you clean it with the wrong scourer.
What changed this is anti-fingerprint matt: a coating that does not take finger grease and is also more scratch resistant. It costs a little more than plain matt and is, by some distance, the finish that causes the fewest problems.
Test it in the showroom: take the sample in your hand, press it and hold it up to the light. It is a two-second test and it saves you from a kitchen that needs wiping every day.
Handleless: rail, routed grip or push-to-open
| System | How it works | What to bear in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Rail or profile | A continuous horizontal profile you reach into | It is visible and chosen as a finish; collects crumbs and wipes clean easily |
| Routed grip | The door itself has a rebate along the edge | Nothing is visible; on matt the area can mark with use |
| Push-to-open | You press and the door springs out | Elegant with nothing on show; awkward with full hands, and heavily loaded drawers wear the mechanism |
Push-to-open on base drawers loaded with pans is where the complaints concentrate. If you want it, ask for the large drawers at least to have a handle or a rail.
What to choose for your situation
- A rental flat, or a kitchen you will change in a few years: good melamine with an ABS edge. There is no point paying more.
- A house with children: anti-fingerprint matt or laminate. No gloss and no glass on the base units.
- A kitchen open to the living room: here the finish is visible from the sofa all day. Anti-fingerprint matt or timber, and the edge in the same material.
- A small, dark kitchen: a light gloss gains brightness, but accept the trade: it needs cleaning more.
- You want twenty years without thinking about it: laminate in matt, with the edge in the same material.
Questions we get asked
What is the difference between melamine and laminate?
Melamine is a decorative paper sheet pressed onto the board. Laminate (HPL) is several layers pressed at high pressure, so it is thicker and takes knocks and water better. Laminate costs 10 to 20 % more.
Do lacquered doors go yellow?
Poor-quality white lacquers do, especially in direct sunlight. A good lacquer with UV protection does not. Ask about the type of lacquer and ask to see a sample that has been in the showroom a while, not a fresh one.
Can I change only the doors?
Yes, if the carcases are sound and the sizes are standard. It is the cheapest change that transforms a kitchen, €2,500 to €6,000. It is worth a visit to check the carcases before deciding.
Does matt scratch more than gloss?
Plain matt does. Anti-fingerprint matt does not: the same coating that prevents fingerprints makes it more scratch resistant. It is the finish that causes the fewest problems of all.
Shall we look at it with your kitchen on screen?
An hour in the showroom, your kitchen on screen and the price fixed the same day. No commitment, and no follow-up calls unless you want them.
