When you’re buying a new kitchen, you’ll hear the term ‘carcass’ used a lot. But what does it actually mean? In this article, I’ll explain what a kitchen carcass is, what it’s made from, and why the quality of the carcass is arguably the most important factor in your kitchen’s longevity.

The carcass is the main structure of the kitchen cabinet. It’s the box itself, without the doors, drawers, or fronts. It includes the side panels, top and bottom panels, back panel, and legs. Think of it as the skeleton of your kitchen. While the doors and worktops get all the attention, the carcasses are the foundation holding everything together. If your carcasses are poor quality, your kitchen simply won’t last.

You’ll find kitchen carcasses made from a few core materials, but the industry standard for quality and value is Melamine Faced Chipboard (MFC). Let’s look at the options:

• Chipboard: This is an engineered wood product made by pressing wood chips and resin together. On its own, it’s not very durable or water-resistant.
• MDF (Medium-Density Fibreboard): MDF is made from wood fibres, wax, and resin, bonded under high temperature and pressure. It’s denser and smoother than chipboard, but can be prone to swelling if it gets wet.
• MFC (Melamine-Faced Chipboard): This is the most common material for kitchen carcasses in the UK. It’s a chipboard core with a decorative melamine layer thermally fused to both sides. This melamine face is what gives the board its colour or woodgrain finish and provides a durable, wipe-clean, and water-resistant surface.
• Plywood/Solid Wood: While sometimes used for bespoke, high-end kitchens, plywood and solid wood are much more expensive and can be prone to warping in the temperature and humidity fluctuations of a kitchen environment. For most applications, high-quality MFC is a superior and more stable choice.

At SJB, we exclusively use high-density 18mm MFC for all our carcasses. It provides the perfect balance of strength, stability, and value for money.

Not all MFC is created equal. The density of the chipboard core and the quality of the melamine finish can vary massively between manufacturers. Cheaper boards from mass-market suppliers often use low-density chipboard that can crumble or bow under the weight of worktops and appliances. The melamine finish can also be paper-thin, offering little protection.

That’s why we only use boards from the two industry-leading manufacturers in Europe: Egger and Kronospan. Their boards are renowned for their high-density core, superior construction, and durable, flawless finishes. It’s a difference you can feel, and it’s crucial for a kitchen that’s built to last.

When you see a kitchen described as ’18mm’, it refers to the thickness of the board used for the carcass panels. This is the standard for a quality kitchen. Anything less, like 15mm, is a sign of a cheaper, weaker cabinet.

However, the most critical component is the back panel. Many big-shed suppliers cut costs by using a flimsy 3-6mm hardboard back panel, which is often just tacked on. This creates a weak, flexible cabinet that can easily go out of square, leading to dropped doors and sticking drawers. It’s a major weak point in flat-pack kitchens.

All our carcasses are built with solid 18mm MFC back panels as standard. This creates a completely rigid, robust cabinet that stays perfectly square, can support heavy worktops, and ensures your doors and drawers function flawlessly for years. It’s a non-negotiable part of our commitment to quality and a key reason we are a leading trade kitchen cabinet manufacturer.

Our rigid-built 18mm carcasses with solid 18mm backs. No hardboard here!

Because we use high-quality MFC from Egger and Kronospan, we can offer a huge range of over 300 different carcass finishes. This means you can choose to have the inside of your cabinets perfectly match your external doors, or opt for a contrasting woodgrain effect. It’s a level of customisation you won’t find with off-the-shelf kitchens.

Just a small selection of the hundreds of Egger MFC finishes available.

To sum up, a quality carcass is the secret to a long-lasting kitchen. Here’s what makes ours stand out:

• Rigid Construction: Built by skilled technicians in our Oldham workshop, not flat-pack.
• 18mm Throughout: All panels, including the back panel, are 18mm Egger or Kronospan board.
• Made to Order: We can create custom-sized cabinets to fit your space perfectly.
• Premium Hardware: We use Blum soft-close hinges and drawers as standard.

If you have any more questions about kitchen carcass materials or any other aspect of kitchen design, check out our main kitchen advice page or get in touch.