The Top 5 Most Asked Appliance Pull Questions

Seeing an uptick in popularity in recent years, appliance pulls are dominating the custom kitchen designs. An added option to add a touch of style to your everyday appliances, these pulls are heavy-duty, trendy, and here to stay.

Farmhouse kitchen with paneled fridge with black traditional appliance pulls

Source: Lemon Grove Lane

What Are Appliance Pulls? 

Appliance pulls are heavy-duty handles designed to be installed on wood-paneled appliances and offer a custom option to seamlessly match your cabinetry. Gaining popularity in recent years, these pulls are an extra way to add some customization to your kitchen design. 

Ranging in size from 12” to 30”, these pulls are crafted to make a statement. Built to withstand the weight of appliance doors, these pulls are sturdy, however, this does not mean they sacrifice style. Available in a variety of styles, textures, and colours to match any kitchen design, these pulls can blend in with your cabinet pulls, or stand out to make your custom appliances pop.    

Can I Use A Longer Cabinet Pull?  

While a longer cabinet pull may fit on your appliance, an appliance pull is designed to withstand the weight of the doors and the use over time. The type of screw used in an appliance pull is larger as well, to help bear the force of opening the appliance, in addition to the panels often being slightly thicker than a standard cabinet door. That’s not to say that a longer cabinet pull couldn’t be used, however.  

If an appliance pull isn’t quite in the budget, there are 12” – 14” pulls that we have seen used on appliances, like the Denman Pull or even longer standard cabinet pulls, such as the Amwell 30” pull that could be substituted to save some money. Something to consider if choosing this route, while the handle can hold up from the weight of the appliance, the difference comes down to the thicker screws that appliance pulls are designed for.  

With a regular cabinet pull, you will be installing with standard screws, and that will be the aspect that may not experience some wear and tear due to the weight of the appliance. However, concerning the cost difference, if you had to replace the standard pull, there would still be some cost savings when replacing it one time.  

White kitchen with bright gold handles

Source: Decor Pad

While this is a budget-friendly option, we do still recommend using an appliance pull for your panel-ready appliances. This ensures that the correct hardware is being installed and won’t break while you’re pulling out the turkey on Thanksgiving.   

How Long Should My Appliance Pulls Be?  

You may be asking what size appliance pulls for the refrigerator, or dishwasher. Your pulls do not need to be the same size across all your appliances as well.  

White kitchen with black square modern handles

Source: Kitchens by Design

Consider the individual size of each appliance you intend to change, and what length would be complimentary to its size. As we have discussed in our Comprehensive Guide to Cabinet Hardware: Size & Placement, the same rules are applied to appliances.  

 

Typically, you will want to work with the rule of thirds and choose a pull that is roughly 1/3 the length of the panel. Many appliance pulls come in a variety of sizes of the same style so that you can choose each length to suit the individual appliance.   

  

Should My Appliance Pulls Match My Cabinet Hardware?  

There are a few options when it comes to selecting appliance pull hardware, and it mainly comes down to what your style is for the rest of the kitchen.  

Bright white kitchen with black pulls and appliance pulls

Source: Top Knobs

Perhaps you have a traditional style kitchen, in which you may want to directly match your appliance pulls with your cabinet hardware, or if you want a more contemporary feel, you could mix the finishes, such as mixed metallics with brushed satin nickel cabinet pulls and gold appliance pulls, or change up the textures, and designs. There are lots of different ways that these pulls can be used to complement different kitchen styles.  

Keep in mind that not every one of the appliances needs to have matching appliance pulls either. If your fridge is not a panel-ready appliance, but your other appliances are, we can help find a close match to your fridge's existing pulls to complement them as well. Top Knobs and Emtek both have fantastic options for appliance pulls that match their collections.   

What Styles Are Currently Trending for Appliance Pulls? 

Emtek Trinity Appliance Pull – This modern option is sleek and refined. The minimal detailing makes it complementary to a wide variety of styles. Emtek appliance pulls come in 6 rich finishes to perfectly match your Emtek cabinet pulls.   

Emtek Trinity Pull

Emtek Warwick Appliance Pull – Available in 12” and 18”, the Warwick is a trendy spin on the modern rectangular pull. With sleek, smooth edges, the Warwick is a modern classic. 

  Emtek Warwick pulls

Top Knobs Square Appliance Pull – The Square appliance pull is the perfect match for Top Knobs Square Bar collection. Clean lines and crisp corners make this a stunning feature in your modern kitchen.  

Top Knobs Square Bar Pull 

Schaub Pub House Appliance Pull – Ranging in three sizes, the Pub House is a modern take on the classic bar pull. Available in knurled or smooth, these Schaub appliance pulls are here to make a statement.

Schaub Pub House

Belwith Keeler Avenue Appliance Pull - The Avenue collection applies a minimalist approach to the deliberate, function-focused designs found in urban engineering; the resulting shapes are simple and elegant — the perfect accent to your cabinetry.

Belwith Keeler Avenue

Customizing your appliances to suit your exact style is a great way to ensure that your design flows through each aspect of your kitchen. However, it can seem like a bigger expense than perhaps you may be ready for. Whether you’re ready to change all your appliances to have appliance pulls, or you’re just curious about exploring some of our longer cabinet pulls, we’re here to help you find the perfect cabinet and appliance hardware for your kitchen.   

Explore Appliance Pulls online at Handles & More!  

Comments

  1. Jesse Fehr Jesse Fehr

    Hi Mahrokh,

    That's a great question! There is one other style to consider that would come in 30 in and the same finish as the Brookline or Edgewater and that is the Amwell Collection: https://www.handlesandmore.ca/amwell-appliance-pull-brushed-satin-nickel-30-9-16.html

    It depends on your preference, whether they all match or not. Since appliance pulls are significantly larger and thicker, it wouldn't be bad to have two different types of cabinet pulls. However, consistency is essential for your kitchen to feel the way you want it to. There's a balance to be found.

    Jesse Fehr
    Customer Service Team
    Handles & More

  2. Mahrokh Mahrokh

    All my appliances are panel ready, my refrigerator is 84”H, so 1/3 rule is 30” appliance pull. There are not too many 30”, I found topknot Hopewell, for all cabinets pull I am going with either top knob Brooklin or Edgewater. Is it okay the design is different between refrigerator pull and other cabinets, I will keep finish the same. For the design should I make all the other appliances to math refrigerator or cabinets.

    Thx for great article
    Regards

  3. Jesse Fehr Jesse Fehr

    Thanks for the feedback, we're glad it could help! Do you have a favourite appliance pull?

  4. Jason Moffat Jason Moffat

    This helps so much. I've always wondered about the difference between longer pulls and appliance pulls. Thanks!

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