Drawers or doors in base cabinets?
When drawers are worth it, when a door is better, typical drawer heights, and the limits on how wide each can be.
Last changed October 20, 2026
Why drawers
A drawer brings what's at the back to you: you see everything from above, without kneeling to reach behind the front row. It suits pots, pans, plates and cutlery, which is why the catalog's cooktop cabinet comes with drawers.
Why doors
- They cost less: a door needs hinges, a drawer needs runners and a box.
- Shelves can be moved to fit tall things.
- Under the sink, where the pipes are, a door leaves the space free; a U-shaped drawer that goes round the siphon is the alternative.
Typical drawer heights
| Layout | Fronts |
|---|---|
| 2 drawers | 38, 39.4 |
| 3 drawers | 16, 28, 33 |
| 4 drawers | 14, 16, 19, 27.8 |
| A drawer over a door | 16, 61.4 |
The deepest front goes at the bottom, for pots. With three, the top one suits cutlery and the bottom one the pots.
How wide
- A drawer can be up to 120 cm wide.
- A single door is at most 60 cm wide, or 65 cm with an extra hinge; a wider cabinet gets two doors.
- A heavier door needs more hinges: two up to about 6 kg and three up to about 12 kg, one more when it's wider than 60 cm, at least three when it's taller than 100 cm and four above 160 cm.
Where each works best
- Under the cooktop: wide drawers, for pots and pans.
- Beside the dishwasher: shallow drawers for cutlery, plates below.
- Under the sink: a door, or a U-shaped drawer.
- A narrow gap of 15 to 30 cm: a pull-out for bottles and spices.
- 30 to 60 cm next to the sink: a pull-out for sorting the rubbish.
- In the corner: a corner fitting (see corner cabinet solutions).
In TruePlinth a cabinet's fronts are a choice in its panel: switch a door for drawers and the heights, the hardware and the parts list follow.
Plan it with TruePlinth
Draw your room, drag in cabinets in standard sizes, and the checks in this guide run as you design.