As homeowners, we’re familiar with just about any piece of flat-pack furniture, from tables to chairs and even kitchen units. 

In a household, they can work wonders as a quick and inexpensive way to furnish your space, and the best of them can even be quite long-lasting if you’re careful with them. 

However, if you need to fit a kitchen that will get plenty of use on a regular basis – such as one in a community centre or a church hall – then a flat-pack option won’t do the trick: even if it is advertised as a ‘semi-commercial’ kitchen. 

If you’re looking for a semi-commercial kitchen, here are 5 reasons why you need to avoid the flat-pack options on the market – and why a real semi-commercial kitchen will be a far better investment in the long term. 

1. They aren’t really semi-commercial kitchens 

If it looks too good to be true, it probably is – and that’s the case with flat-pack ‘semi-commercial’ kitchens. 

If it comes in a flat-pack, it’s not semi-commercial: it’s a domestic kitchen with a ‘semi-commercial’ or ‘industrial’ label, which is simply used for marketing purposes. 

If you’re looking to install a kitchen at home, it’s perfectly serviceable, but don’t be fooled: it’s not appropriate for a real semi-commercial environment. Keep reading to see why. 

2. They’re not very durable 

Who hasn’t dented, nicked or snapped a sheet of wood or metal from a flat-pack kit? 

Flat-pack kitchens (just like any other piece of flat-pack furniture) have a reputation for being flimsy. This is because, for the convenience of storing pieces in an easy-to-transport package, there’s a compromise in durability. 

The reputation isn’t unwarranted, and in a kitchen environment where cupboards and surfaces will get a lot of use, don’t expect them to survive many busy Sundays of cooking for your community. 

3. They don’t always survive the journey 

Flat-pack furniture items, including kitchens, are produced by the hundreds of thousands. It’s an impressive feat, but the cost of this, again, is durability. 

If they’re easy to damage during a day of cooking, then it’s no wonder that they can also arrive damaged in transit in a lorry or from overseas. 

Even if they do survive the trip, with so many parts to assemble, often, they arrive with a hitch – a missing connector or a faulty screw. 

In many cases, it means a call to customer service and another unwanted delay or cost. 

4. They’re not quick or easy to set up 

One of the key draws of any flat-pack furniture is that it’s quick to set up, and you can do it yourself. 

Whilst this is true for some flat-pack furniture (such as a chest of drawers) when dealing with an entire kitchen, it’s no small task, and it’s certainly not a one-person job. 

You will need experienced hands to install a kitchen, and if – as we’ve already discussed – parts are missing or pieces are damaged, it will be a waste of time, effort and money to install a kitchen that simply won’t suit you. 

5. Kitchen fitters simply don’t like them 

Seeing as you’ll probably need to hire professionals to install your kitchen, it’s also good to know that people who fit kitchens simply don’t like the flat-pack variety. 

This is for all the same reasons that we’ve already described, but also because they’re time-consuming to set up and awkward to install because they’re not made to measure. 

Bear in mind that, the longer it takes them to install, the more installation will cost you. 

Despite all of that, we know that flat-pack furniture has its place – but it’s not in your community’s kitchen.  

This is where a real semi-commercial kitchen fits the bill.  

Semi-commercial kitchens are cheaper to install, longer-lasting, and less prone to wear-and-tear than flat-pack kitchens, thanks to their durable, powder-coated Zintec Mild steel design. 

They’re also far easier to install because they are made to measure – once the steel carcass is delivered, all your installers need to do is slot each unit into each space and secure it. It fits your space perfectly, and with a whole range of finishes available, they don’t have to look like an industrial kitchen to perform as efficiently as one. 

If you need a kitchen for a community hub, such as a village hall or a church, then get in contact today with our friendly team today by calling 0844 809 9186 or sending an email to [email protected]