Handleless Kitchens in NYC

The German Kitchen Center’s Guide to Handleless Kitchens

Most homeowners who are interested in a modern style European kitchen purchase a handleless kitchen.

While that may seem like a simple idea, there are a surprising number of different ways to build and use cabinets without handles.

Below is our quick guide to understand your handleless kitchen options.

First things first:

What are Handleless Kitchens?

For a European kitchen designer, including German brands like Leicht and Nobilia, handleless isn’t simply the absence of a handle, but an entire quality of engineering. In a European-style handleless kitchen, cabinets are designed as smaller parts of a larger whole, built out from a long, continuous aluminum grip. That means that in a true European handleless kitchen, a grouping of two, five and even ten cabinets look of-a-piece with smooth, unbroken surfaces.

These sleek, fluid surfaces can easily include panels that seamlessly integrate appliances like refrigerators and dishwashers into your kitchen’s design. This consistency of design makes it possible for perfect color and style matches, leaving a clean and uniform appearance through every part of your kitchen.

Most European manufacturers build their handleless kitchens with a J-channel aluminum grip rail. As mentioned above, the entire set of cabinets is built simultaneously along this rail allowing for total consistency in form and style. To open a basic the door or drawer, all one needs to do is reach their fingertips into the channel and pull the door open.

Varieties

Leicht, Nobilia and other modern European kitchen manufacturers offer a wide variety of handleless kitchens that differ not only in how they open but in their appearance. Cabinetry is available in different designs, materials and colors with literally thousands of color, function and layout variations available. European Kitchens are famous for their clean lines and handleless kitchens do nothing but accentuate that strength.

Leicht Avance

The Avance and Avance Pro series feature what is called a C-Channel grip. Unlike the J-Channel grips, the C-Channel has a symmetrical shape that many find appealing. Finally, C-Channel design includes a lacquered aluminum grip rail that can be matched flawlessly with the colors of the cabinets themselves. They can even be fitted with non-intrusive LED strip lighting.

Leicht Contino

The Contino series is deliberately minimalist and includes sleek matt or high-gloss finished with handleless fronts. Grips in Contino series are virtually invisible, with cabinets that have flat, unblemished surfaces. 

Nobilia Line N

Nobilia’s Line N is a popular recent line of handleless kitchens available in a wide range of prices, colors and finishes.  These ultra-smooth cabinets feature a seamless design that runs continuously across the kitchen. The J-channel grips in this series can run horizontally or vertically making for easy use for any layout and makes for seamless built-in appliance integration. Line-N kitchens feature strongly articulated, laser-cut corners and edges, giving the kitchen a laser-sharp level of precision in both form and function. These sleek-yet-sharp designs also help to keep Line-N kitchens hygienic and easy to keep clean.

Lacquer Ergonomic Grip Handle Kitchens

Leicht’s Pur series and Nobilia’s similarly named Pura series both feature a creative variation on the handleless theme with molded lacquered cabinet fronts that include recessed ergonomic grip handles that are literally sculpted into the drawer and cabinet faces. Kitchens in this style benefit from having an articulated, handle-like design without the negatives associated with protruding handles like the risk of getting caught on clothing, obstructing passage, or causing scrapes and bruises.

Handleless Opening Systems

Some kitchens feature cabinetry without any kind of grip whatsoever and use innovative, cleverly engineered mechanisms to open drawers and cabinets.

Touch Latch -  Kitchens with touch latches, operate with springs and magnets. A simple press opens the door or drawer, with spring pressure causing the drawer to pop open. When closed, the drawer is sealed by magnets, staying in place until pressed open again. This system is particularly common in overheard and swinging cabinet doors. Both purely mechanical and electric versions are available.

SensoMatic – Featured in models from both Leicht and Nobilia, SenoMatic cabinets open electronically with a gentle push. One of the nicest benefits of this technology is that it makes it easy to open draws without the use of your hands.

Leicht SensoMechanik – Featuring spring loaded handles and electric mechanisms, Leicht’s SensoMechanik system blends the best of both electronic and pure mechanical designs, carefully tested for maximal ease of use.

Seeing is Believing

While we could describe the choices all day, the best way to truly understand what a handleless kitchen is all about is to see it in person. We invite you to take a tour of one of the German Kitchen Center’s many showrooms to experience the ease and style of handleless kitchens in nyc for yourself and to speak with an expert kitchen designer to determine what is right for you.

For more information about handleless kitchens in nyc, or to schedule a free kitchen design consultation call the German Kitchen Center at  (888)209-5240.