Talking Kitchens, Bathrooms & Renovations: Why Are “Push To Open” Cupboards So Popular?

Touch to open, or push to open, cupboards and drawers aren’t as popular as most people think however, they are certainly a feature that’s growing in strength, more so with younger people. Maybe this is because they like the cleanliness of the face as there are no handles sticking out. 

With this in mind, let’s take a look now at the various touch to open and push to open options for your cupboards and drawers.

What Is The Difference Between Push To Open And Touch To Open Cupboards?

Essentially, push to open, and touch to open cupboards and drawers, are very similar in appearance. There are no handles in your way, and all you have to do is push or touch the drawer or cupboard and it opens and closes with minimal effort. 

The touch to open option is electric and although very convenient and easy to use, they do have one shortcoming. If you lean against the kitchen bench for example, sometimes your backside will trigger the door and it will open on you!

However, the push to open option doesn’t have that issue as they are mechanical. This means that you have to firmly push on them for them to open and close. However, don’t worry as it doesn’t take long to learn how hard to push them to open them.

The other benefit of both these mechanisms is that you can’t slam them if you’ve got a fit of temper anymore. You won’t be able to say “Arrggh, I’ve had enough of you!” and slam it. It won’t slam! We’ve all seen movies where someone in a fit of temper slams the drawer or cupboard, but with these, it just won’t happen. They are very, very efficient. 

Alternatives For Push To Open And Touch To Open Options

Another type of drawer which is pretty useful is what’s called a finger box, where there is no handle. Instead, there’s a little structure built beneath the bench which, when the drawer closes, you can see. That little cavity is where you can put your fingers to pull it open. That’s one of the more popular ways of opening up a door or drawer.

The other method we could use when you don’t want to have a handle is what’s called a J-grip.  With this type of drawer, the drawer front itself is machined up there so it’s nice and clean and you don’t see anything. This makes it nice and easy to put your fingers into and open it up. 

So the J-grip, together with the finger box and the touch to open, or the push to open, are the three main ways we access a cupboard when it doesn’t have a visible handle.

With all of these modern drawers, there’s something that you might notice too. Because these drawers are soft closing, there is a little bit of a compression on the runner which makes it a bit hard to open for the first, say, 50-60 mm.

This means it is a little bit hard when you first pull on the drawer, but then it releases. This happens so the drawer cannot be accidentally opened. So once you get it past that point, they open very simply and very easily. This is a common feature that is consistent with all modern runners.

Why Should You Choose Traditional Handles?

There is also an argument to be put forward for why you should use handles, because after all, there are zillions of handles on the market and they’ve been around forever. That is why there are a couple of good reasons why you should consider handles as well as no handles. 

One of the main reasons for choosing handles might be where an older person is concerned. For example, you might get an elderly lady who might have an arthritic hand or arm. With a handle, the arm and the shoulder do all the work when they grasp the handle. For an older person, that’s often a very big help. 

If they are arthritic or there’s not a lot of strength in their fingers, finger box or j-grip handles doesn’t help them. When an elderly person holds this type of handle with their fingers, their fingers are doing all of the work, not their arm. 

A lot of older people, typically elderly ladies, have difficulty opening up a door like that. That’s where a handle can be more practical or more useful for a person, than one of these handleless designs.

Final Thoughts

If you are looking for some expert advice and some design inspiration for your kitchen renovation, then speak to our qualified designers at Let’s Talk Kitchens & Interiors.

Let’s Talk Kitchens & Interiors have been designing and building bespoke bathrooms in Melbourne and greater Victoria since 1972. Over those 48 years, we’ve made every mistake known to man, so why not take advantage of our hard-won, learning experiences and call us today!

If you would like further help designing your new kitchen call Let’s Talk Kitchens & Interiors today on (03) 9068 5496 to speak with one of our qualified Interior Designers or book a consultation.