Many of you have asked me for a ‘top 10 list’ of European kitchen companies. Being that in my mind ‘Top 10’ is not just about company size and/or sales volume (especially in today’s economy…) I’m still working on that list for you and sooner or later it will be posted.
In the mean time, with the help of a good friend (thank you, A.S.), I was able to come up with the list of the largest companies in the European kitchen brands for you.
The difficult part about coming up with such a list is how do you measure size, or I should say – by what parameters. I see, some European companies are actually part of a Group – they own several kitchen brands/factories, not necessarily all in the same country (!). Some manufacture kitchens but also sell retail, through a chain of factory owned stored. They may produce less kitchens, then another company, but if you add their retail sales, to their wholesale figures and then add appliances (manufactured by appliance companies, counters and even labor, the comparison is simply not easy.
So with the above in mind, the only way to create the list (without going nuts) is really just by total sales figures (Europeans like to use the term – ‘Turnover’). So here is the list:
1. Nobia Group (Sweden) – There are many companies in this group, like Poggenpohl and Pronorm (Germany), HTH (Denmark), Marbodal (Sweden), Sigdal (Norway), EWE (Austria), plus, they also have a retail-network in the group – Magnet (UK).
2. Nobilia (Germany) – one company.
3. Alno Group – Alno, Wellmann, Pino and Impuls (Germany).
4. Cuisine Schmidt (France) – including a retail-network.
5. Häcker (Germany) – one company.
6. Nolte (Germany) – one company.
7. Mobalpa (France) – including a retail-network.
8. Schüller (Germany) – one company.
9. Bauformat Group – Bauformat and Burger (Germany).
10. Snaidero Group – Snaidero (Italy), Rational (Germany and including retail-networks like Ixina and Cuisine-Plus.
Some intresting facts:
- The majority of the companies, in the above list, are from Germany and the Scandinavian countries. In that part of Europe, the groups (or concerns) are very typical and have been around since before Columbus discovered America… (no joke!).
- The only Italian company is in the tenth spot – unlike the northern Europeans, in the southern part of Europe, the opposite is more common – smaller companies, privately owned and operated. Even inside Italy, the more south you go, the smaller and more family owned and operated the companies are. With that said, there are a lot more Italian kitchen companies operating and selling kitchens, then there are German and Scandinavian combined…
- If we only consider single factory sales, without retail sales and/or other companies in the Group, the largest one is Nobilia, from Germany, then Häcker, Nolte and Schüller, from Germany.
- This list is not guaranteed, as many companies do not publish their sales figures but is fairly close to reality. Also, the list can change in one day, if one of the groups decides to sell off a factory or two, or in return, to acquire a couple of brands.
Morning KitchenGuy,
I’m looking for a High Gloss Kitchen with a matching horizontal wood grain for a new house we are building.
Its a large area and I need lots of help with the design, but so far I have been unable to find a company that can help.
ANy suggestiosn please?
Regards Tracey.
Tracey – in the OK…?
kitchenguy
Thanks kitchenguy. I’ve been loooking really closely at the contstruction details for the kitchens, in particularly the doors which tend to be the most used/abused part of the kitchen. I’ve noted that there are various manufacturing techniques such as:
– solid timber doors
– laminated doors using melamine material with abs/plastic edging
– laminated doors using melamine material with part wrap around material and part abs edging
– doors with complete wrap around material, normally gloss abs
– doors with wrap around on all sides and back
There must be a difference in quality for all these types, however I’m no expert and have no idea which option would be best.
We’ve narrowed down our decision to two brands, the Bernloni or the Mobila. Mobilia offers any of the above options, whilst Berloni has the material wrapped around on two side and abs on the other two sides. In terms of the service you mention, both shops/agents are well established in my area, however Berloni offers a 10 year warranty whilst Mobilia offers a 5 year warranty.
Any advice?
Brian – they are very similar. Go with your gut feeling.
kitchenguy
hi kitchenguy,
can u tell me some important fact about hacker & bauformat and which is better and how you rate bauformat products with hacker.
thanks
Anurag Saxena – not sure what you mean by “importent information”, but Haecker is a better product.
Thanks,
kitchenguy
hi kitchen guy can u also guide me the difference between haecker and cucine lube and also how u rate lube as we compare to haecker, pls let me know it means a lottt.
thanks
anurag
Anurag – Haecker is a step above, in every aspect.
Good luck,
kitchenguy
Hi Kitchenguy, decided on hacker kitchen, thanks to your advice. Now trying to decide between apollo quartz worktop vs the more expensive silestone. Any advice?
many thanks
Fiona
Fiona – not familiar with Apollo. I personally like Caesarstone colors… 🙂
kitchenguy
Hai Kitchenguy,
Will you please let me know the top 10 kitchen refrigeration equipment manufacturers in China?
Regards
MAno Krishnamoorthy
Mano – I can’t even tell you one refrigerator made in China…
kitchenguy
How about do your own research
Sam – what research…?
kitchenguy
can you advise on worktops please. Want composite, should we so for silestone or apollo quartz… which is less expensive,
Many thanks
Fiona
Fiona – I’m not really familiar with Apollo, but from what I understand it is less expensive than Silestone.
Good luck,
kitchenguy
Can you advise on quartz worktops. undecided as to Silestone or a cheaper alternative from company called Apollo. Have you heard of these?
Many thanks
Fiona
Fiona – not familiar with Apollo. Sorry.
kitchenguy
Thanks, just read all your helpful comments. Not sure what to go for…. we feel that £3000 seems quite expensive for approx.
6 mtrs worktop…. one cut out polished for undermount sink, one taphole and one hob cut out. what do you think?
Fiona
That does seem high…
kitchenguy
we r looking for kitchen manufacturer from plywood we would like to represnt u in India
Smit – I need more info, to respond.
kitchenguy
Hi,
In the market for a decent german ktichen, but don’t want to pay too much….any ideas who I should go to? I am based in North West of England, UK….I would go to the extent of going to a company based abroad if it means me getting a quality kitchen are a much cheaper price!
mubs
Mubarak – I seriously doubt that you’ll get much cheaper price from an import, unless you’re going with a Chinese product…
kitchenguy
Hi Kitchen guy, thank you for providing such useful information.
we have a $35k budget for the entire kitchen including floors. We went to Leicht today and it was out of our budget. They have a step-down brand Nobilia, which you have mentioned on your blogs. We are concerned about the quality of this brand compared with that of Leicht. Can you please let tell us about Nobilia versus Leicht (we know one is custom and one is not, but we live in a Manhattan co-op and they are pretty standard so no need for custom. we are more concerned about the quality and durability)
Is it possible to replicate the quality with an IKEA kitchen? Is it worth paying more than 3x more for Nobilia?
THANKS!
DEREK
Derek – you get what you pay for… Nobilia is not as nice as Leicht and Ikea will not enable you to duplicate Nobilia’s kitchen…
Sorry,
kitchenguy
Would love to hear what you decided and if you are happy. We are thinking of doing a nobilla/leitch kitchen in brooklyn. Half and half. Would love your input.
Tamara – I’m assuming you are referring to Nobilia and Leicht. Why mix them…?
kitchenguy
Yes, apologies for the misspellings, I posted a more in depth question further down where I think I misspelled again…. And double posted. Please forgive my transgressions. : ). We are thinking of mixing because we are planning on using two cabinet door styles, and don’t need much custom, so using a mixture, allows us the flexibility, but would reduce the costs a bit. Do you find the idea problematic?
Hi! Great info here! I have a budget of €4000-€5000 (max) for a 4m kitchen. I have some offers from nobilia , nolte, venetta, stosa and one more Italian firm I cannot recall right now. Stosa and nolte are the most pricey. I think I like nolte most ,though nobilia has a kitchen that looks almost the same (grey colour) at around €4000. Which one of those firms do you suggest? Thank you in advance!
Steve – at this price, they are all very similar – just pay atrtention to the specs you’re getting (type of drawer, material of door, etc.) and make sure you are comparing apples to apples.
Good luck,
kitchenguy
Hi, we have been shopping for a kitchen and are down to a choice between hacker and snaidero. We have installed hacker before but the specifications for carcasses, doors, inner linings and overall quality form snaidero look much better. If price was not a constraint, which do you think is a better quality product.
roopa
Roopa – they are both fine products. If you like one over the other, than go with it!
Good luck!
kitchenguy
Superb blog! Do you have any tips and hints for aspiring writers?
I’m planning to start my own site soon but I’m a little lost on everything.
Would you suggest starting with a free platform like WordPress or go for a paid option?
There are so many choices out there that I’m totally overwhelmed .. Any suggestions? Thanks!
More to follow on my website page Things To Do In Cape Town
Brittany – Thanks for the kind words. Find something you’re passionate about and start clicking the keyboard…
Go with WordPress! It’s easy.
kitchenguy
Very great post. I simply stumbled upon your weblog and wanted to say that I have truly loved
browsing your weblog posts. In any case I will be subscribing to your feed and I’m hoping you write again soon!
Do any of these brands have showrooms in Shanghai China, and if so would you know the address?
I’m attending a trade show and would like to visit.
Cheers
MMD – you need to look up their web sites…
kitchenguy
Hi kitchen guy! I’ve seen a mobalpa kitchen I like but know nothing about the quality. How can I tell if it is a good quality kitchen or not? What questions should I ask? Another kitchen I have looked at boasts having 18 mm carcases. Is this a good sign of quality of build?
Jocelyn – Mobalpa is a good company – not very high end, but a good value. 18mm is pretty much a standard thickness.
kitchenguy
Dear Kitchen Guy, Im considering Nolte, Schmidt and Beckerman.Which one would you go with? ( considering quality and value for money)
PS I have a budget of 25000US
Thank you
g – This is a hard question, without a lot more info… Price all 3 and evaluate based on price and the designer/dealer you’ll be purchasing from.
kitchenguy
Hi,
Presently I am working with cucine lube italian modular kitchens.But now i wanted to join a new kitchen company in India.Can you suggest me where can i apply?
Neil – look at the right of the screen – most of these brands are not in India…
kitchenguy
Hi kitchenguy. I am looking at Nobilia here in Australia.
I want a polyurethane white handleless gloss kitchen with mostly drawers and hettich soft close. Got a quote from 4 different companies and Nobilia was the cheapest, price wise. Service and design was great. Their show room had nice looking kitchens. I have read your comments about Nobilia and is now unsure. Do they use cheap material? Would you say they are the same quality as Ikea?
the reason I a m leaning towards them is that they and RWK are the only German kitchen company here in AUS and I thought that a German buil kitchen is better quality then one made in Australia.
Slee – Nobilia is fine and is much better than IKEA… Not sure which of my comments you are referring to, but it is probably comparing them to a higher end product.
Good luck!
kitchenguy
Have you heard of, or was there once a, German kitchen company or range called starbeike? Thanks.
Linda – there was a company, called Star-Beka, in Melle, Germany. In 2007, the company was sold to the Wellmann Group, who turned it into a parts factory for their other brands. The Wellmann Group is today part of the Alno Group… 🙂
kitchenguy
Hi Kitchen Guy,
Please advise – SieMatic, Hacker, Alno or Leicht?
Thanks,
Slim
Sylvia – in this order: SieMatic, Haecker, Leicht, Alno.
Good luck,
kitchenguy
Hi Kitchenguy,
I live in Mexico and have been informed that German kitchens are much better than Italian kitchens. Is it true? We have a quote from Poggenpohl and Allmilmo which were twice as expensive as the quotes from Comprex and Rational. Which do you suggest between these last two, Comprex or Rational?? Does quality differ a lot?
Thank you very much for your help!!
Karla – many German kitchens, have Italian doors on them and many Italian kitchens have German hardware on them. There are several levels of quality German and Italian kitchens. The top brands, in both Italian and German are pretty similar in quality and so are the mid and lower level. Poggenpohl and Allmilmo are both German and are more expensive then Rational, which also German… Between Comprex and rational – they are more or less the same.
Good luck!
kitchenguy
Hi,
Since the guy above is from Mexico and I am in Thailand could you tell me do these manufactures export their products in a knock down fashion so it can just be assembled?
Richard – many brands offer that option – you need to contcat them individually.
kitchenguy
Hi Kitchen Guy,
We have a new kitchen of 15 m2 to furnish with for a Max budget of 35,000 Euro. We currently have 3 offers which we are unable to decide.
1. Next Line (handless kitchen) with Miele High End appliances for 31,000 Euro
2. Leicht Kitchen (handless kitchen) with Siemens (models from 2011) appliances for 34,000 Euro
3. Siematic S3 Kitchen (Display Kitchen) with Gaggenau Applicances for 25,000 Euro
I would appreciate your help as we need to decide soon.
Thanks
Subbu – the Next Line, sounds like a better choice, based on the price and quality.
Good luck,
kitchenguy
I am in the process of selecting my Kitchen. We are looking for a minimalist design probably with white matt glass and adding some veneer to add some warmth. I already designed a kitchen with Rational and I really like their Neos model. My kitchen is pretty large and the quote I got is approx $45K.
Since I still have some time, I would like to look at some other kitchens from Zeyko and SCIC (italy), Berloni.
Could you please advise how do you consider the quality of Rational and how do you compare them with the other makers which I mentioned.
Best regards
Elias – Rational (Germany) is a medium quality product, owned by the Snaidero Group (Italy). Zeyko is a step up. SCIC and Berloni are both, two steps down (from Rational).
kitchenguy
Hi,
Good day!
I’m an Interior / Kitchen Designer. Can you recommend one company to apply with.Thanks n more power.
PY – apply for what…? Where are you located…?
kitchenguy
Hi
I live I’m Bangalore. Pls let me know how you would compare nolte with hacker. With one is better in terms of quality and durability. Pogeenpohl has a showroom here but it is too expensive for us. If you know of any more good brands in Bangalore also pls let me know. Thank you. Your blogs a very informative.
Kavitha – haecker is better than Nolte – go for it!
kitchenguy
Hi Kitchen Guy,
Please advise – Alno,Schuller or Nolte?
Thank you
Maria
Schuller
kitchenguy
Unfortunately, we have kitchens Schmidt. It is badly designed, the dealer /at Poland/ does not have any contact. Not recommended.
Bartek – sorry to hear that – did you try contacting the factory?
kitchenguy
Dear sir,
What the first kitchen company in German ?
( nobilia or beckermann )
And what of the hard worker from ( nobilia or beckermann ) .
Thanks
Ayman Saeid
Ayman – I have no idea what your question is… – please rephrase
kitchenguy
Hi. We can seem to make our mind as to where to buy our kitchen from. Our budget is around £30,000. My wife would prefer a glossy finish doors. could you recommend a good quality kitchen manufacturer
sri hinduja – where (in the UK, I’m guessing) are you…?
kitchenguy
Hi Kitchen Guy,
Very Nice Blog. Stumbled on it why searching for comparison between Poggenpohl, Nolte and Venita Cucine.
We were shopping for a kitchen and got a Quote from all the above. My Kitchen is a combination of mostly pullouts and doors (50% each)
We would like to go with Veneer and all three have the correct color I need.
If I ask, the following questions about the above three companies, and your answers can help me decide on what to go with
1. Which of Poggenpohl, Nolte and Venita Cucine have the best quality for the cost.
2. Which of the these have best reputation for post-installation service
3. What are the main weekness of each of the companies.
Thanks
Venkatesh
Venkatesh – thanks for the kind words.
1. Being that Poggenpohl is much higher (both in terms of price and quality), it will not be a fair comperison… – if you can afford Poggenpohl – go for it!
2. Not sure where in the world you are located and can’t promise I will know the answer, as it is up to the local distributor, not just the company.
3. Poggenpohl – price. Nolte – lack of exciting features. Veneta – poor quality.
kitchenguy
Hello KitchenGuy,
Thanks for your response.
We are based out of Bangalore, India.
After reading the blog, We went to Haecker also.
Poggenpohl’s quote is atleast 40%-50% higher compared to Nolte and Haecker. We dropped Veneta.
In my Budget, I will get the following Can you please help me picking the right one.
1. Poggenpohl – A basic laminate (level 0 – Price group) and with no pull outs and no glass on the wall units.
2. Haecker – Veneer or Matted Lacker (Level 5/6 – Price group) with pull outs and no glass on the wall units.
3. Nolte – Veneer or Matted Lacket (Level 6/7 – Price Group) with pull outs and glass on the wall units.
The only problem with Nolte is that we may have to compromise on the color as they dont have the one we like.
If you want I can send you the design of the kitchen if that helps you give me more information.
Thanks a lot.
Venkatesh
Venkatesh – go with Haecker! Same quality as Poggenpohl and you’re getting more for your money.
kitchenguy
Thanks a Lot KitchenGuy. You responses helped us a lot in guiding us.
FYI, The Nolte Showroom(Homestudio) in Bangalore is much better compared to Haecker Showroom(Trisha). The staff in Poggenpohl are very professional compared to Nolte & Haecker.
Please send me your email-id and I will send you my detailed experience with
Poggenpohl, Nolte, Veneta Cucine, Haecker, Alno and Cucine Lube (all in Bangalore). If you think you readers will be benefited from that.
Keep up the good work.
Thanks
Venkatesh
Venkatesh – Thanks. you can contact me at kitchenguy@european-kitchen-design.com
kitchenguy
Dear kitchenguy,
You have no idea how you blog was helpful to me. So, thank you for doing this.
I’m from middle east and I have a question about German kitchen companies. I already know Häcker,I want to know which German kitchen companies is expert in export and which one of them has same quality with cheaper price?
It will be great if you can guide me in this.
Regards
H.R.
H.R. – thanks but there’s no simple answer to your question. It is realy a research you are asking for…
Sorry – no can do…
kitchenguy
Kitchenguy – Ok, I can understand this. Can you tell me how is Schueller to compare with Haecker in export, price and quality!
Rehgards
H.R.
HR – similar, but Haecker offers a better selection.
kitchenguy
Do you really think hacker is the same quality as poggenpohl?
Yes
Have had quotes for a Pronorm, Rot Punkt and Rational kitchen in London, UK. Are these of a similar quality, or would you rank them in a particular order? Also, the first is supply only, whereas the other two are offered with a preference to having them fitted by the supplying kitchen company. That is my main worry about Pronorm, which otherwise is looking the best option. Would love to hear your views
Anchel – Rational is better than the other two.
kitchenguy
Thank you so much for this. As a result I have now decided to get a more finalised Rational quote. But I have also arranged to get a quote from a company supplying Schmidt kitchens. Out of Rational and Schmidt, do you have any views or a preference?
Anchal – the two are similar – go with the one that you like better. either the product, the design, the designer or the showroom.
Good luck!
kitchenguy
Hi kicthenguy, we have been given two offers and wanted your input.
1) leicht handless kitchen with Siemens appliances and silestone 12mm worktops for £18500
2) beckermann handless kitchen with neff appliances and 30mm silestone Eco worktop
Which would you recommend?
Thanks
Offer 2) was for £17700 – forgot that info oops
Linzi – you really need to compare applaes and apples – not apples and oranges… even the tops are different… Try matching the tops and the appliances, then compare the cabinets.
kitchenguy
Hi kitchenguy, from all the posts I understood that licht, hackers, Siematic are at the top
But ,How would you rate nobilia vs beckerman and where do they rank in terms of quality? medium rank or at the bottom
The reason of my question is that both have dealers in Egypt & quite expensive compared to local made kitchens, however I’m willing to pay more for quality & durability,which one do you recommend? or both are similar? noting that my budget will never afford the top ones
Irini – I don’t agree that these 3 “are at the top”…
Nobilia vs Beckerman are both ‘price driven’ products – price is more importent than unique design, or quality.
kitchenguy
Hi there
stumbled across your blog (helpful and well-written). We’ve just come across a german kitchen manufacturer called Stormer – how do they compare with other german kitchen manufacturers in terms of quality and value for money?
gratefully
mainoo
mainoo – Stormer has a nice product and a good quality-to-prioce ratio.
kitchenguy
Hi kitchen guy,
How would you compare snaidero to Cesar?
How would you rank the Kuhlmann Kitchen ? Is it price driven, mid market etc ? How does it compare to Schuller ?
Many thanks
RL
RL – the two are similar – go with the one that you like better. either the product, the design, the designer or the showroom.
Good luck!
kitchenguy
Hi Kitchenguy, first of all thank you so much for taking the time to answer these questions. Learning a lot just browsing the comments, which i will continue to do.
How would you compare Allmilmo and Hacker?
For a similar product, how much of a markup would you expect between Allmilmo and Stormer?
Albert – Haecker. Price should also be better.
kitchenguy
Thanks for the prompt reply!
I appreciate your blog, as someone who is working with Leicht in nyc. They are telling me that nobilla is the same quality and has almost all the same internal bells and whistles. They tell me the difference is that Leicht is easier to custom, so if you don’t need a lot of custom sizing, just go with nobilla. You seem to differentiate between the two. We are paying a lot of money and I want a kitchen that is beautiful functional and with quality that will last. I know it is hard to quantify, but does nobilla fulfill that role, and if so, what am I getting for the extra money I am spending for Leicht?
She quoted us the same kitchen design all in Leicht for $45k and all in nobilla for “around $30k”. This is just cabinets. I am sorry if this is something you have addressed further I your blog. Thank you for your time.
Also, would you recommend another brand while we are in the looking mode instead of either of these two? I don’t know if haecker is in the us yet. Or if that’s the same price range….. But we would value any recommendation.
Thank you
Tamara – yes, the idea of mixing two brands in one kitchen doesn’t make much sense… Did they/you address the difference in box size, the difference in interior cabinet color, the different drawer box, etc…?
Haecker is not sold in the US, but there are several other brands that are, especially in NYC, very close to the showroom you’re dealing with – try Poggenpohl or Pedini – better quality and for the same price or less.
kitchenguy
Hi – we’re looking at a handleless German kitchen and have so far considered Rationale and Hacker. Is one better than the other as the products seems fairly similar to the un-trained eye! Any guidance you can give to point me in the right direction to what I should be looking out for gratefully appreciated – it’s a big outlay and I don’t want to regret my decision. Thanks.
Debbie – I like Haecker, better than Rational, but if you feel thaey are similar in terms of specs, etc., go with the designer/showroom you like better.
kitchenguy
Which brand do you suggest between Arrital, Scavolini and Veneta Cucine, in terms of quality and price.
Prashant – it is too hard to answer, because they are similar, but different models, different prices, etc.
kitchenguy
Any comments on rotpunkt kitchens? Having difficulty getting info on them. How do they compare to other German kitchens?
Paul – Good product. Some German brands are bertter, some not.
kitchenguy
hi kitchenguy
superb blog for kitchen enthusiasts and buyers!
im looking at franchising a brand in India…could you suggest at few options who have good quality and a robust company overall..
ajay – thanks for the kind words. Indi ais big, full of European kitchen companies alreday and to give you a real answer, we’ll have to do a study… 🙂
kitchenguy
kitchenguy you are right.could you guide me in this study
…?
ajay – if you’re serious about doing it, we can discuss being hired, to create that study for you.
Please advise if interested.
Thanks,
kitchenguy
i i have a showroom in London and looking at selling branded German, Italian or alternative mid to high end kitchens any suggestions
Mahesh – look at my previous posts (especially My Top 20) and pick one that works for you.
good luck,
kitchenguy
Can anybody give me some feedback or a review site for Mobalpa kitchens please.I can’t find any evidence as to their quality and price.
Thanks
RH
RH – Mobalpa is the largest french manufacturer of kitchens, It is up to par with some of the other larger European brands. Not sure what else you’d like to find out.
kitchenguy
Please tell me how would you rate stormer, Rempp and kuhlmann based on quality and design
Kumar – Stormer, Rempp and Kuhlmann, in that order, but very similar…
kitchenguy
Thanks designed for sharing such a fastidious thought, article is fastidious, thats
why i have read it entirely
Hello from brussels!
Thanks for your blog kitchenguy. Could you tell why you are praising so much (only) Hacker?
What is their specificity? I do not know which one to choose between : Hacker, nobilia and pronorm. Need advice. Thx.
Jules – I don’t ONLY praise Haecker, but being one of the largest companies in the world, MANY people ask about them and I convey my personal opinion – I think it is a very good product, with a great value. Maybe that is the rreason they are so big… 🙂 Nobilia is just as big, if not bigger, but are producing lower-end products. If you’re looking for a lower price, that may be the one for you. Pronorm, is part of the Nobia Group, which as a group, is also a giant, that falls between the other two, in terms of quality.
Hope this clears things.
kitchenguy