The crank number, which nobody explains
Concealed hinges come in three cranks and the wrong one will not fit. A zero-crank (full overlay) hinge lets the door cover the side panel entirely — the standard for a modern flush-fronted kitchen. A half-crank is used where two doors share a single side panel. A full-crank (inset) sets the door inside the carcass opening. Getting this wrong at ordering stage is the most common hardware error on a site-built kitchen.
| Type | Price per piece | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Unbranded soft-close, 0-crank | ₹90–170 | Budget work; damper fails early |
| Hettich Sensys / Intermat | ₹280–520 | Residential standard |
| Hafele Metalla | ₹250–480 | Residential standard |
| Blum Clip-top Blumotion | ₹420–650 | Premium, tool-free clip-off |
| Heavy-duty, 170° opening | ₹550–900 | Tall wardrobe shutters, corner access |
How many per door
- Up to 900 mm tall: two hinges.
- 900–1,600 mm: three hinges.
- 1,600–2,000 mm: four hinges.
- Above 2,000 mm or on a heavy acrylic or glass shutter: five, and check the door-weight chart rather than guessing.
Overlay, gap and adjustment
A concealed hinge adjusts in three planes with two screws: side to side for the gap between doors, in and out for the overlay, and up and down at the mounting plate. That is why a well-fitted kitchen has a consistent 3 mm shadow line between every shutter. It is also why a fitter who leaves without walking the kitchen and adjusting every door has not finished the job.
Soft-close versus push-to-open
Push-to-open uses a sprung latch so a handle-less door opens at a touch. It is the natural partner to a handle-less scheme, and it is not the same mechanism as soft-close — indeed a basic push-to-open latch actively fights a damper, which is why the two are combined only in purpose-made systems at ₹700–1,400 per door. On a family kitchen, push-to-open also means greasy fingerprints on the shutter face where a handle would have been.
Hardware is where joinery genuinely fails. A ₹500 kitchen carcass panel outlives a ₹90 hinge by a decade. Our standard is Hettich or Hafele throughout with Blum where the client wants it. See choosing kitchen hardware and modular kitchen design.
Frequently asked questions
How long do soft-close hinges last?+
Branded hinges are tested to 80,000–100,000 cycles, which is fifteen to twenty years of domestic use. Unbranded dampers typically go soft within two to four years, after which the door bangs again and the hinge body wears.
Can soft-close be added to existing cabinets?+
Yes, two ways: replace the hinges with soft-close versions of the same crank and cup size, or clip on soft-close adapters at ₹120–220 per door. The adapters are a genuinely good retrofit for an otherwise sound kitchen.
Why has my soft-close stopped working?+
Usually the damper has failed or the hinge has drifted out of adjustment. Most branded hinges have a damper on/off switch that can be knocked during cleaning. Check that first before assuming the hinge needs replacing.
Are expensive hinges worth it?+
Across a kitchen, the difference between unbranded and Hettich-grade hinges is ₹6,000–12,000. It is the cheapest upgrade in the whole project and the one you touch fifty times a day.