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Kitchen Cabinet Buying Guides

Providing valuable insight on what units are available, including handleless, flat-pack, and ready-made options, these kitchen cabinets buying guides can help you decide what cupboards are right for your home. From making the most of available space and achieving accessible storage, to ensuring you have selected the right carcasses, these guides to kitchen units are the best place to start when embarking on a new kitchen update and will explain the benefits of choosing each type. Explore our kitchen buying guides for even more advice on how to maximise cabinets and transform every aspect of a space.

What are the different types of kitchen cabinets?

Ready-assembled

Our ready-made units come pre-assembled to make fitting faster. They are strong and and built to last. This cabinetry offers the widest selection of colours and sizes for a custom look. Curved and handleless designs are available as well as pre-fitted accessories.

Read our Ready Assembled Kitchen Cabinets Buying Guide

Handleless

Handleless, croft-grey cupboards come pre-notched to make it simple to transform slab or shaker design. Various sizes and colours are available to create a bespoke layout – all of which can accommodate a trim that can be used to create a linear decor.

Read our Handleless Kitchen Cabinets Buying Guide

Flat-pack

Constructed from the same robust materials as our ready-made options, our flat-pack cupboards are high-quality and built to last. They come in separate parts to build on-site, so they are a practical option for compact spaces or properties that are hard to access.

Read our Flat Pack Kitchen Cabinets Buying Guide

Which? Best Buy 2025

Our ready-assembled, handleless, and flat-pack cabinets were awarded a Which? Best Buy in June 2025. We also achieved a joint top score of best kitchen supplier in Which?'s customer survey.

What are the benefits of kitchen cabinets from Howdens?

UK Made

All of our cabinetry is made from sustainably sourced wood from UK forests, and is manufactured at our factories in East Yorkshire.

25-year Guarantee

Crafted using high-quality materials and rigorously tested, our cabinetry is built to last. We offer a 25 year guarantee for total peace of mind.

Antibacterial Properties

Our cabinets are made from MFC, which has natural antibacterial properties. Bacteria is prevented from multiplying and is proven to be reduced over 24 hours,.

Custom cabinetry

As the foundation of every cooking space, we know it's important to get your cabinetry right. That's why we have included a wide choice of colours, sizes, and styles to suit any space within our collection. Featuring large service voids and adjustable legs, our units are easy for trade professionals to fit too, so you can get your new layout up and running faster.

Base

Handy for storing everyday items nearby, base cupboards are an essential part of any kitchen design. Deep and shallow options are available, as well as a variety of sizes to match any interior.

Wall

Excellent for maximising vertical space, wall units increase storage in compact layouts or small rooms. Extra-tall and deep styles are available, alongside a selection of widths to match any layout.

Tower

Spanning the full length of a wall, towers stack appliances vertically to save floor space. They come in standard, extra tall, and midi heights. Many configurations are available to suit any setup.

Drawer

Made of pull-out compartments, drawers make items easier to reach. There are 2, 3, and 4 drawer configurations available, while deep, standard, and shallow-depth options create a custom fit.

Corner

The space where two walls meet is often underused, making corner cabinets great for maximising storage. Many of our designs come pre-fitted with accessories for faster installation.

Halesworth Linen Plate Rack & Open Cabinet with LED Light

Dedicated cabinetry

Our decorative cabinetry makes it easy to add a personal touch to a design. From plate and wine racks to custom sink cabinets, there are many styles to create a customised look in an interior.