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Ikea kitchens review - by owners and experts
Hannah has almost three years of experience overseeing surveys, product testing and investigations around home improvements and pet care.
Ikea has three main kitchen ranges – the Metod, Enhet and Knoxhult – which are all flat-pack.
Metod is the most customisable, Enhet is the most flexible (it can be assembled and disassembled easily) and Knoxhult is the most affordable.
Read on to find out how Ikea kitchens performed in our lab tests, and how satisfied owners are with their purchase.
See how Ikea compares with other leading brands in our analysis of the best kitchen brands.
How we test our kitchens
In the lab
We buy all of our kitchens at market price and send them to a specialist laboratory, where expert assessors run 19 tests across four key areas.
Our surveys
We survey Which? Connect members and the UK public who've bought a kitchen in the past 10 years. We never ask people to test kitchens for us.
Editorial independence
The writer and editor have no contact with the brands, laboratory, or survey respondents during the testing process.
More than just reviews
Which? members can also access our expert kitchen planning, budgeting, and money-saving tips.
Ikea kitchens overall scores
If you're considering buying an Ikea kitchen, discover how the brand performed in our assessments.
Log in or join Which? to reveal the results for Ikea.
| Range | Overall score | Lab score | Customer score |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhet | Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableDigital £8.99 per month, cancel any time. Already a member? Log in | ||
| Metod | |||
| Knoxhult | |||
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Table notes: Overall score is based on a lab assessment of units and a customer survey of 4,580 Which? Connect members and members of the UK public, conducted online in February and March 2025. Ikea sample size: 413.
We tested 21 kitchen ranges from various brands, and the best achieved an overall score of 82%. The top nine all scored higher than 75%.
At the bottom end of the table, our lowest scorer got 59%. Eight kitchens from four brands all got scores of less than 70%.
Two of Ikea's kitchens got identical scores, while the other performed better in our lab assessment.
Ikea kitchens lab test scores
Will an Ikea kitchen stand up to everyday use? Our expert lab tests are specially designed to test this.
Which? is fully independent, and we buy every kitchen we test, so you can be confident that you're getting an honest and unbiased review.
Log in or join Which? to reveal the results.
| Range | Lab score | Quality of units | Loading shelves | Drawers and runners | Hinges |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Enhet | Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableDigital £8.99 per month, cancel any time. Already a member? Log in | ||||
| Knoxhult | |||||
| Metod | |||||
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Table notes: Lab assessment scores are calculated based on a kitchen’s performance in 19 tests across four key areas: quality of units, loading shelves, drawers and runners, and hinges. Ratings are combined to create an overall assessment score.
Our lab scores for all the kitchens we tested ranged from 89% to just 54%.
Two kitchen ranges from different brands failed our hinges test.
Find out how we test kitchens in our lab
Ikea kitchens customer score
Want to be confident that Ikea is a reliable kitchen supplier? We spoke to people with an Ikea kitchen to find out how owners rate them.
Log in or join Which? to find out what Ikea customers told us.
| Customer survey category | Score and ratings |
|---|---|
| Customer score | Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableDigital £8.99 per month, cancel any time. Already a member? Log in |
| Quality of build | |
| Quality of finish | |
| Durability | |
| Value for money | |
| Customer service |
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Table notes: Customer score and star ratings based on an online survey of 4,580 people Which? Connect members and members of the UK public in February and March 2025. Customer score is a combined score based on customer ratings of satisfaction with their sofa and likelihood of recommending to a friend. Ikea sample size: 413.
Our top two scorers achieved outstanding overall scores of 80% in our customer survey.
At the other end of the table, two brands scored less than 70% overall, and three were rated just two stars out of five for customer service.
Revealed: The top kitchen brands falling short on customer service
How well do Ikea kitchens last?
We asked Ikea customers whether their kitchen showed any signs of damage or wear and tear.
We only asked people who reported buying their kitchen between 2015 and 2021, to get a sense of how they hold up in the long term.
Log in or join Which? to find out what Ikea customers told us.
| % of kitchens showing signs of damage or wear and tear | % of kitchens that required repairs | |
|---|---|---|
| Ikea | Sign up to reveal Get instant access to this and all our scores and recommendations Unlock tableDigital £8.99 per month, cancel any time. Already a member? Log in | |
| Average | ||
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Table notes: Damage and repairs based on an online survey of 2,496 people Which? Connect members and members of the UK public who reported buying a kitchen between 2015 and 2021, conducted in February and March 2025. Ikea sample size: 194.
On average, 44% of our survey respondents reported that their kitchen was showing signs of damage or wear and tear after at least five years of ownership.
The most common issues were scratches on the cabinets' finish (15%) and soft-close mechanisms failing (12%).
Just 34% of owners from the most reliable brand reported damage to their kitchen.
Ikea kitchen case studies - meet the owners
To find out in more depth about what it's like to buy and own an Ikea kitchen, we interviewed four survey respondents to find out more about their experiences.
They've all owned their kitchens for at least five years, so you can also see how they hold up long-term.
Find out what they said in this free-to-access news story: Homeowners tell us what it's really like to own an Ikea kitchen.
Ikea kitchen costs
To find out how much you can expect to spend, we set up mystery shopping appointments to source prices for all the kitchens we test.
| Kitchen | Range | Price | Discount applied |
|---|---|---|---|
| Enhet | Grey-green | £1,357 | 0% |
| Metod | Nickebo matt grey-green | £2,416 | 0% |
Table notes: Price data is for a 12 unit kitchen, including handles, cornices, plinths, pelmets and end panels. Prices include VAT and sales discounts. Installation is not included. Prices were collected in May 2025, and are subject to change.
Mystery shopping methodology: We found the middle-priced range for each kitchen carcass we test (based on the median average), then attended design appointments with every brand, posing as a customer looking to buy a new kitchen. We asked brands to provide us with prices for the selected ranges in a 12 unit kitchen, without any additional accessories (such as worktop, sink, taps or appliances).
We were quoted between around £1,500 and £2,500 for the Ikea kitchens we designed.
We didn't get prices for the Knoxhult range, as it's designed for use in small spaces and comes in pre-configured designs, but you can see the cost of these designs on the Ikea website.
The Metod quote didn't include handles, so we added this element to the price ourself.
Note that the Enhet kitchen doesn't come with decor panels, or cornices or pelmets (the decorative strips along the top and bottom of wall cabinets). The pelmet only comes in white.
Bear in mind that this is based on one design appointment and should only be used as an indicator of how much you can expect to pay. You may be quoted a different price.
Installation is not included.
What's the cheapest Ikea kitchen?
The Knoxhult is the cheapest range.
It's not the most flexible option, but if you're looking for a small, white kitchen then it could suit your needs.
Find out how much the whole project will cost – including installation, appliances, flooring tiling and decoration – in our guide to how much a new kitchen costs
Ikea kitchen design service
Ikea offers free design appointments either in person or online (book at ikea.com).
It also offers an at-home service, which includes measuring your space. However, this is currently available only in selected postcodes in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester and Warrington.
In our survey, 161 Ikea customers reported having used its design service.
We asked them to rate their experience and tell us whether they have any issues with their kitchen as a result of poor planning.
Log in or join Which? to see what they said.
Read our guide to kitchen planning and layout ideas and discover 7 things people regret most about their kitchen design
Ikea kitchen installation
There are three ways to install your Ikea kitchen: doing it yourself, using a service organised by Ikea, or finding your own fitter.
Fitting it yourself
Ikea's Enhet and Metod units come flat-packed, while Knoxhult kitchens come fully assembled. You can install any of the ranges yourself.
Our labs tried assembling and installing these kitchens to assess how easy it is.
Log in or join Which? to reveal the results.
Does Ikea fit kitchens?
Not itself, no. Ikea offers an optional fitting service at extra cost, but it's not carried out by Ikea installers.
In our survey, 107 Ikea customers reported using the brand's installation service.
We asked them to rate their experience, including whether or not they had any issues.
Log in or join Which? to find out about their experience.
Compare the services of Magnet, Wren and more in our assessment of the best kitchen fitters.
If you'd prefer to find your own installer, use Which? Trusted Traders to find a reliable kitchen fitter near you:
The Which? verdict
Log in to or join Which? to see the pros and cons of Ikea kitchens.
Find out more about each kitchen range on the Ikea website:
Ikea kitchen guarantees
Metod has a 25-year guarantee that covers defects in the material and workmanship of the kitchen system.
Enhet has a 10-year guarantee for the kitchen system, whereas appliances have a five-year guarantee (except Lagan and Tillreda, which get two years).
There's no extended guarantee for the Knoxhult kitchen system – it comes with a standard one-year guarantee.
See the other kitchens we review in our round-up of the best and worst kitchen brands.
This article uses insights from the Which? Connect panel, collected from research activities with our members. Find out how to get involved