A domestic-style kitchen might seem like the best choice for your church or community group. It’s an easy mistake to make, but a good one to avoid. Here are three common reasons why groups choose MDF in their kitchen, and why a mild-steel cabinet and stainless steel worktop semi-commercial kitchen is a better choice.

Mistake 1: “MDF kitchens are versatile and easy to design”

An MDF kitchen design can indeed be simple, and you can even buy them in ‘flat-pack’ form. That simplicity seems appealing, especially if you plan to install them or know someone who can. However, installers don’t tend to like working with MDF, because it’s brittle and fiddly, and if you install it, you will probably find it frustrating and time-consuming.

Add to that, an MDF kitchen is likely to wear heavily with the level of use that it is likely to experience in your community or church kitchen. That means replacing it before too long, and having to install a kitchen all over again.

A mild-steel Semi-Commercial Kitchen from Steelplan is a far better choice. We have design experts on hand to plan the kitchen you want, and trusted installers ready to make it a reality.

Plus, a Semi-Commercial kitchen is durable and hygienic by design, which means that you won’t have to worry about replacing it.

Mistake 2: “MDF is a sustainable material”

MDF is mostly made of residual wood, so unwanted material from wood and industrial processes, and it doesn’t create extra demand for wood and prevents waste. From that point of view, it’s ‘sustainable’, however, when you use it in a community kitchen environment, that can undermine the environmental case for MDF.

The MDF will have a wrap on the surface, which will definitely not be a renewable material. It will most likely be vinyl, which is a plastic, so it’s not a good choice for the environment. That’s especially true when the wear and tear of the kitchen takes its toll, and the surfaces need disposal and replacement.

A Semi-Commercial Kitchen removes that problem. The stainless steel worktop and mild steel carcass will stand decades of heavy use, so won’t result in frequent disposal and installation of plastics.

Mistake 3: “MDF is inexpensive”

Budgets are tight in a church hall or a community centre, so the option with the lowest up-front cost often seems the most attractive.

However, an MDF kitchen offers false economy, because, as we’ve discussed, the material doesn’t last. When groups make frequent use of a kitchen, it will deteriorate quickly if the materials are designed for a domestic setting. That means replacing the kitchen relatively soon, and ultimately spending more money than if you had chosen a more durable material in the first place.

A semi-commercial kitchen means the best value for money, not only because the installation will last for many years, but also because its build quality means fewer repairs over the course of its life. If you’re curious about how a Semi-Commercial kitchen would look in your space, why not try our free design and consultation service? Our experts will bring your ideas to life, so you can see exactly how your new kitchen would look, and how to incorporate the features that you need, whatever the size and shape of your kitchen area. Email [email protected] to get started.