Best Doors For Kitchens

The best doors for kitchens combine high-durability materials with safety features – laminated doors for busy family homes, composite doors for energy efficiency, and solid wood for traditional spaces. When exploring kitchen door ideas, the key is matching your internal door to specific challenges: heat and moisture resistance near cooking areas, light control between rooms, and fire safety throughout.

Your kitchen door needs to stand up to daily cooking, resist moisture, and stay looking fresh despite constant use. Modern kitchens now feature fire-rated doors that protect while complementing your design, glazed panels that brighten dark spaces, and space-saving sliding doors for smaller layouts.

Let’s examine each option closely so you can choose the perfect door for your kitchen’s specific needs.

Key Takeaways

• Match your door material to your kitchen’s conditions – choose laminate near heavy cooking areas, composite for exterior-facing walls, and pre-finished wood only in well-ventilated spaces.
• Consider door maintenance needs before buying – grey finishes hide marks better than white, while pre-finished doors save time but limit colour choices compared to primed options.
• Always check local building regulations – fire-rated doors may be required in specific situations, depending on your property type and layout.

Kitchen Door Ideas and Types

Internal Glazed Doors for Kitchens

Glazed doors dramatically boost natural light in your kitchen while maintaining the barrier you need between rooms.

Clear glazed doors like XL Joinery Pattern 10 Oak Clear Internal Glazed Door create an open, spacious feeling that connects your kitchen to adjacent rooms. They’re especially effective in darker kitchens or when you want to maintain a visual connection to dining or living areas.

Frosted and reeded glazed doors balance light flow with privacy. The textured glass patterns diffuse light throughout your space while preventing clear views into your kitchen – ideal when your kitchen connects to an entrance hall or busy area of your home.

Laminated Doors

Laminated doors combine a robust core with a protective outer layer that resists the daily challenges of kitchen life. The surface withstands:

• Cooking splashes and spills
• Steam and temperature changes
• The impact of busy family life
• Regular cleaning without fading

These features make laminated doors like LPD Medium Grey Laminated Vancouver Internal Door or JB Kind Aria Oak Laminated Internal Glazed Door particularly popular in family homes and rental properties, where durability can’t come at the expense of style. We see them chosen regularly in grey tones and walnut finishes that maintain their appearance even in the busiest kitchens.

Functional Kitchen Doors for Practicality

Flush and Panel Doors

Flush doors feature a smooth, flat surface that’s become increasingly popular in modern kitchens. Their streamlined design repels grease and cooking residue, making them remarkably easy to clean.

While they’re available in simple primed finishes for painting, we find most homeowners choose pre-finished oak or walnut for their natural warmth and durability.

Panel doors add character through raised or recessed sections that catch the light and create shadows. The panels can be arranged in various patterns – from simple single-panel designs to elaborate six-panel configurations.

They excel in period properties where authentic details matter but also work surprisingly well in contemporary kitchens when paired with modern handles and finishes.

Fire-Rated Doors for Safety

Kitchens contain multiple fire hazards – from gas hobs and ovens to electrical appliances. Building regulations, specifically Approved Document B (Fire Safety), may require fire doors in certain situations, depending on your property type and layout, especially in multi-story homes or buildings with shared access. FD30 fire doors provide 30 minutes of protection through their solid core construction and intumescent seals – special strips that expand when heated to block smoke and flames.

For situations requiring additional protection, FD60 doors offer 60 minutes of fire resistance. Check your local building regulations or consult a building inspector to confirm which rating you need.

Fire-rated glazed doors are also available, combining safety with style. They let you maintain a visual connection between spaces while still providing fire protection – ideal for open-plan layouts where safety can't compromise design.

Stylish Materials and Finishes for Kitchen Doors

Modern Grey and Dark Tones

Grey laminate doors like JB Kind Tigris Dark Grey Laminated Internal Door solve the biggest problem in busy kitchens – they hide dirt and marks while looking sophisticated. They’ve become our most requested finish because they suit both modern and traditional spaces.

JB Kind Colorado Grey Laminated Internal Door and XL Joinery White Grey Laminate Forli Internal Door in light pewter tones brighten smaller kitchens and conceal fingerprints effectively. Deep charcoal finishes mask cooking splashes and complement modern appliances like fridges and ovens.

Pre-finished grey laminate also outperforms painted doors in durability. The surface resists high temperatures, stands up to harsh cleaning products, and won’t absorb cooking odours – making it perfect for areas near cookers.

Traditional Wood Finishes

Solid oak doors offer the best balance of durability and traditional appeal in kitchens. Unlike cheaper materials, oak gets more character with age while standing up to moisture, heat, and daily bumps.

Pre-finished oak doors arrive ready for kitchen conditions, with sealing that protects against steam and sunlight. If you need to match existing woodwork exactly, unfinished options are available, though they’ll need proper sealing for kitchen use.

Walnut doors excel near cooking areas where other woods might struggle. Their natural dark tones hide stains without looking artificial, and the dense grain prevents cooking grease from seeping in – crucial for long-term appearance.

Customisable Features for Your Kitchen Doors

Pre-finished, Primed, and Unfinished Options

Pre-finished doors save you both time and money. They arrive with hardwearing sealants already applied, meaning you can install them immediately without risking moisture damage or needing specialist finishing tools.

Primed doors give you colour flexibility while cutting out the intensive preparation work. The surface comes ready for painting, letting you match your kitchen’s colour scheme precisely without the hassle of stripping and priming.

Unfinished doors cost less initially but need proper preparation for kitchen use. They’re ideal when matching heritage colours or creating specific effects, though you’ll need to factor in time and costs for proper sealing against moisture.

Made-to-Measure Kitchen Doors

Made-to-measure doors solve the headaches of unusual kitchen layouts and period properties where standard sizes won’t work. With our bespoke quote, we’ll help you eliminate expensive frame modifications and ensure perfect operation.

Most older properties, especially Victorian and Edwardian homes, need made-to-measure doors because their openings rarely match modern standard sizes. We measure to the millimetre and account for uneven walls to ensure your door fits perfectly.

Non-standard heights and widths become increasingly common in kitchen extensions and modern open-plan layouts. Custom doors let you maximise your space without compromising on style or function.

Doors for Space Efficiency and Energy Savings

Composite Doors for Insulation

Composite kitchen doors cut energy costs immediately. Their multi-layer construction offers significant benefits over traditional doors:

• Reduces heating bills by keeping warm air inside
• Prevents cold drafts from entering the kitchen
• Maintains consistent temperature year-round
• Blocks outside noise more effectively than wood
• Resists warping from temperature changes

The outer skin stands up to kitchen conditions while the insulating core combines high-density foam and timber to create an effective thermal barrier. This construction method offers better long-term performance than any single-material door.

Space-Saving Sliding Doors

Sliding doors free up to 8 square feet of space compared to standard swing doors. They’re perfect for busy kitchens where every inch matters, especially in open-plan layouts or smaller homes.

Modern sliding systems operate smoothly and quietly, with soft-close mechanisms preventing slams. The tracks mount either on the wall surface or hide within the wall cavity, depending on your space and preference.

Pocket doors, which slide completely into the wall, offer the ultimate space-saving solution. While they need special installation, they effectively make your door disappear when open – ideal for creating flexible spaces that can be open-plan or separated as needed.

Choosing the Right Door for Your Kitchen

The best kitchen door depends on your kitchen’s specific challenges. A door that works perfectly in a large, modern kitchen might be completely wrong for a period property or compact space.

Consider these key factors before making your choice:

• Location of your cooker relative to the door
• Amount of natural light your kitchen receives
• Available space for door swing or sliding mechanisms
• Your kitchen’s moisture and temperature levels
• Local building regulations for fire safety
• Your budget for both purchase and installation

For high-traffic kitchens near living spaces, fire-rated glazed doors offer the perfect balance of safety and style. In smaller kitchens, space-saving bi-fold doors might be your best option, while period properties often benefit from traditional panel doors that match existing features.

Find Your Perfect Kitchen Door at Online Door Store

At Online Door Store, we stock every door type mentioned in this guide, with full technical specifications and fitting advice. Our most popular kitchen doors are available for next-day delivery, but we also offer standard delivery options, which could take 3-5 working days.

Each kitchen door comes with free delivery when you spend over £750, plus professional installation advice and ongoing support. We offer flexible payment plans to help manage costs, and our technical team is available Monday to Saturday, 8am-6pm, to answer any questions.

Contact our team today for personalised advice on choosing the perfect kitchen door for your space. We’ll help you balance style, practicality, and budget while ensuring you meet all necessary building regulations.

FAQs

What can I use instead of a kitchen door?

Alternatives to traditional kitchen doors include archways for open spaces, sliding barn doors for rustic appeal, and partial-height walls with pass-throughs. Consider your kitchen's layout and ventilation needs when choosing alternatives.

Which type of door is best for a kitchen?

Laminated doors offer the best balance of durability and style for busy family kitchens, while composite doors excel in energy efficiency. Pre-finished grey doors remain our most popular choice as they hide marks while complementing modern appliances. For added safety, consider fire-rated doors, especially in larger properties.

How can I cover my kitchen without a door?

While you can use room dividers or curtains, proper doors provide better heat retention, odour control, and noise reduction. If space is tight, consider space-saving options like pocket doors or slimline sliding systems instead of removing the door entirely.

Are kitchen doors easy to replace?

Replacing standard-sized kitchen doors is straightforward, typically taking 2-3 hours for a professional or experienced DIYer. However, older properties often need made-to-measure doors due to non-standard openings. For fire-rated doors, we recommend professional installation to ensure proper fitting.