The John Lewis Savina kitchen. (Image credit: John Lewis)
John Lewis has been selling kitchens since the early 1930s. The company has a good reputation for quality and sturdiness, and won a Which? Best Buy endorsement four years in a row for its fitted kitchens.
You can choose from four door styles – slab, in-frame, shaker or slim shaker – to create a modern or more traditional feel, depending on your preferred aesthetic. You also have several colour options to choose from, ranging from dramatic darks or cosy neutrals.
Because John Lewis kitchens are bespoke, you can really get creative with your choice of worktop, tap, lighting and appliances to create your dream kitchen.
In addition, you can choose between a basic installation service (including removal, fitting, delivery and connection), a full room solution that includes installation, plastering, decorating and flooring (as well as electric or gas work), or a supply-only solution where you use your own installer and receive working drawings, delivery and all the necessary parts.
Kitchens can be bought on monthly credit, spread over 12 to 60 months in 12-month increments with a 20% minimum deposit at a 3.6% representative APR.
You will have complete peace of mind with John Lewis. The brand offers a generous 25-year guarantee for cabinetry, a 10-year guarantee on doors, fixtures and fittings, and a two-year warranty for workmanship.
Our recommended fitted kitchen suppliers
Technical information
Award-winning John Lewis crafts high-quality fitted cabinetry from a range of materials, including wood and MDF, with in-frame designs and doors made from solid ash which are hand-painted to order.
- Kitchen ranges: 14
- Styles available: 4
- Finance available: Yes
- Installation service: Yes
The John Lewis Modena kitchen. (Image credit: John Lewis)
Key features
Highlights: Hand-built kitchens made exactly to your specifications, available with flexible finance options.
Warranty: 25 years for cabinetry and 10 years for doors and fittings.
Cost: From £4,491 for the Merano kitchen with handled doors to £9,581 for the Highgrove kitchen (not including basic installation).
Payment options: Finance for fitted furniture is available with a minimum deposit of 20% and a 3.6% representative APR over 12 to 60 months.
Key benefit: Highly customisable fitted kitchens with several colours, handle styles, finishes and accents to choose from.
Pros and cons
John Lewis impresses with the quality and variety of its kitchens, with something to suit almost every pocket and taste. However, it’s a good idea to consider any advantages and disadvantages before committing to buying a kitchen from this (or any) supplier.
Starting with the pros, you can expect to enjoy the following benefits when buying your new kitchen from John Lewis:
- Endorsement and reputation: John Lewis was awarded a Which? Best Buy endorsement for its kitchen units. They also hold a four-star rating on Trustpilot.
- Variety: There is a huge choice of cabinetry, styles, handles, doors, fittings, colours and appliances to choose from, so you can order nearly everything you need from the same supplier in one go.
- Fast installation: Kitchens arrive fully assembled for fast, easy installation. John Lewis installers can also offer plastering or tiling services.
- Generous guarantee: John Lewis offers a 25-year guarantee on cabinetry and 10 years on all doors and fittings, which is better than many of the other companies we’ve reviewed.
- Price transparency: John Lewis is highly transparent about its pricing. They publish a catalogue with detailed pricing for various kitchen installations, so you can get an idea of costs before speaking to the team.
You should also consider the following disadvantages when deciding to buy a kitchen from John Lewis:
- Aftercare issues: A few recent reviews (including an incident covered by the Guardian) mention a lack of aftercare and the brand’s failure to honour guarantees.
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How John Lewis kitchens work
Start the process by looking for ideas online and visiting a John Lewis showroom to view kitchens in person. You can also use the online visualiser tool to experiment with different styles.
Next, arrange a one-hour appointment (in-person or virtually) to discuss your style and budget. A planner will visit your home or assist you virtually with measuring your kitchen.
Once you are satisfied with your kitchen design and price quote, it’s time to place an order. A dedicated case manager will oversee the entire project.
John Lewis will deliver your kitchen within four to six weeks of ordering. Kitchens are delivered fully assembled for rapid installation, and installers can offer additional services, including plastering or tiling.
Your installation manager will see that your old kitchen units are removed and disposed of. They will also oversee the fitting of the new kitchen to make sure everything goes to plan. Installers will disconnect and reconnect your appliances and provide the necessary paperwork.
The dark blue Astbury kitchen. (Image credit: John Lewis)
How John Lewis kitchens compare to others
Some other British kitchen suppliers are comparable to John Lewis’ services and range of products.
With its wide range of designs and finishes, Magnet is a good option. This brand offers high-quality products, dedicated support and installation. Your new Magnet kitchen cabinets will come with a 15–20-year warranty depending on the range you select, and you can pay using monthly financing. Costs start at £1,879 for the cheapest ready-to-assemble kitchen range. For the most expensive Magnet kitchen, which arrives factory-assembled, expect to pay £6,918.
If you are willing to spend a little bit more, you might want to look at Neptune. The company uses solid timber for all its cabinetry and offers a choice of quality worktops. Choose from three traditional styles and one modern style, all made from tulipwood or oak. Prices start from £8,000 for a standard kitchen excluding installation, accessories and appliances.
The John Lewis Alessa kitchen. (Image credit: John Lewis)
How much do John Lewis kitchens cost?
John Lewis kitchens vary in cost depending on the style and finishes you choose. You can look at their detailed pricing guide with images to get a better idea of what you can expect to pay for a standard kitchen with installation.
Here is how the brand’s pricing compares to other kitchen suppliers:
| Kitchen supplier | Cost (excluding installation) |
|---|---|
| Neptune | From £8,000 to £50,000 |
| John Lewis | From £4,491 to £9,581 |
| British Standard | From £8,000 |
How to maintain your John Lewis kitchen
John Lewis doesn’t provide care instructions online, but the type of maintenance required may vary depending on your worktop. Wood worktops, for example, require oiling.
There are a few general guidelines you should always follow when it comes to kitchen cabinets, however. Try to avoid water exposure and clean food spills immediately. It’s also a good idea to wax your cabinets every month or so to keep them looking their best.
The John Lewis Modena kitchen with dark and white kitchen cabinets. (Image credit: John Lewis)
What the professionals say
“John Lewis’s range of 10 kitchen styles includes traditional and modern designs, many of which are available in a number of paint colours. John Lewis has been selling kitchens since 1932 and says it’s proud of their quality. Its kitchens are made bespoke to meet your requirements, so no two John Lewis kitchens are the same. All of its kitchens come fully assembled with soft-close hinges. Premium John Lewis kitchens have solid timber doors and some handmade features.”
“John Lewis has been selling kitchens for nearly 90 years and has won best-buy awards for its units, so it’s no surprise that many head to the high street for their kitchen. It offers a broad range of designs, from classic to contemporary, as well as flooring and lighting, and all John Lewis kitchens are hand-built in the UK. There are kitchen showrooms in 25 of its stores, or you can book a virtual appointment that includes a showroom tour. The company also offers a flexible way to buy – with monthly payment plans from 12 to 60 months – and a transparent pricing structure, with estimated costs for different designs and worktop options.”
The John Lewis Carradale kitchen. (Image credit: John Lewis)
What customers say
“What can I say? Amazing customer service and courteous and skilled delivery and installation staff. They were there when they said they would be, installed my new integrated dishwasher without a fuss, sorted out the quirks in my kitchen units, gave me a lesson in how to use a new machine, took away all the packaging……all before 9 am on a Saturday. Top-notch!”
- Elaine, Trustpilot
“Worst fitted kitchen supplier. The case manager ordered our kitchen in the wrong colour. Reorder and reinstall took over three months. Even then they ordered the wrong-sized plinths and took further weeks to arrive. We had to take extra days off work for deliveries, pay to have damaged floor tiles replaced, they left rubbish on our drive and in our house and caused a puncture to our car tyre. Awful unsympathetic customer service. Offered £300 compensation which doesn’t even cover the cost of replacing damaged items, let alone our time off work, trips to tip etc. Not to mention the stress and damage to appliances having to be uninstalled and reinstalled for change over.”
- Lucasta D, Trustpilot
Final recommendation
John Lewis offers a wonderful variety of bespoke kitchens and endless customisation options. Whether you prefer contemporary or traditional or colourful or muted, you could certainly find your dream kitchen at John Lewis. Products are manufactured to a high standard, and the company’s footprint across the UK is large enough to serve virtually all areas.
While John Lewis kitchens aren’t the cheapest on the market, they’re not nearly as expensive as other bespoke brands like Harvey Jones and Plain English. Plus, you can sit back and relax while professionals handle the design and installation for you. We like the addition of a case manager to oversee and project manage the entire installation to ensure you get exactly what you paid for.
If you are looking for good quality and variety at a fair price, John Lewis should be at the top of your list.
Our methodology
To compile this John Lewis kitchens review and help our readers decide which supplier to choose for their new kitchen project, we read hundreds of customer and professional reviews, technical documentation, brochures and media articles to form an objective opinion about the brand.
We then compiled the 100-point scoring system below to provide you with a useful rating.
- The quality of the units (loading shelves, drawers, runners, hinges and worktops for three points each), for a total of 15 points;
- The availability of an in-house designer, for a total of five points;
- The availability of an in-house installer, for a total of five points;
- The number of ranges, colours and designs, for a maximum of five points each and a total of 15 points;
- The availability and length of warranty, for a total of 15 points;
- The cost, for a total of 10 points;
- Customer reviews and star ratings (Trustpilot, Google and Reviews.io), for a total of 15 points;
- Payment options, for a total of 10 points; and
- The number of local showrooms, shops and installers, for a total of 10 points.