They are rarely "needed". Most often, I leave mine off. In hindsight, it's an easy place to cut costs if the general lighting in your kitchen is sufficient.

Just one opinion - others I'm sure will call them essential.

I wasn't going to as in my current kitchen I don't have or need any and I'm not changing much...then I decided to do a few deep uppers so I'll do it under them. I've had them in the past and they're nice but not essential. As long as you have a good well-lit spot for your main work area I don't think you'll regret it.

If you haven't had them, you won't miss them. But I hadn't had them and put them in the remodel and I really like them. They are pretty and functional. They give good task lighting so many times you can use them instead of your overhead lights. I'm glad we did them but, obviously, you can't call them essential!

In my kitchen they're going to be essential but this is a rare case. I have concrete ceilings and no way to do proper overhead lighting (currently have indirect fluorescents on top of short upper cabs, but I'm going to the ceiling with the cabs next time). That's about the only kind of situation where you'd really *have* to have them.

If you don't do it, I know a lot of people who get the stick on battery pucks and are happy with those for occasional use, so you could always get some of those later on.

No. There are very few things that are truly "essential" in a kitchen! While some kind of lighting obviously is, I would not put undercab lights into that category. And, like you, Sayde, I'm also older than I care to contemplate and I've never had undercab lights installed in my kitchens before. At least not until now. For this reno, the ID pushed for a rather complex lighting plan which includes cab lights (under, over and in), pendant lighting, range hood lights, and recessed cans. And I'm so glad he did! Everything is dimmable and the recessed cans are wired in zones. Plus, keep in mind that all this got installed in my rather small (11" x 14") galley-style, new "period" kitchen in a century old house. Well, I guess the ID knew something that I didn't: that after all these years of being truly satisfied with a single large ceiling fan light in the middle of my "authentic period" kitchen, I'd be simply overjoyed with having all these newfangled, "unnecessary" and "nonessential" lighting options! :-)

As a matter of fact, unlike Smarge who hardly ever uses her undercabs, I find I now use mine most of the time. OTOH, I rarely put on the recessed cans! In a kitchen as small as mine, I'm digging the effect of "task" and/or "mood" lighting that comes from the smaller light sources. It's just not that often that I feel I need, or want, the effect of the recessed cans which tend to wash the entire room in light. What can I say? Different strokes . . . . On this one, there are no hard and fast rules.

In my last kitchen, when we put in the undercabinet lights, the GC also threw in a light under the deep corner sink cabinet. Now, THAT was nice!

What type of lighting do you have? Will it cast shadows on the counter when you're standing at the counter? I.e., will all your lighting be in the middle of the kitchen?

I did not have it in my old kitchen and always needed it...yes, needed it. With the exception of the light over the sink, all my lighting was in the middle of the kitchen. When I stood at the counter, my body cast a shadow on the counter, making my work area a dark area.

Now that I have under cabinet lights (and plenty of other lighting) I find I use it all the time. It does a great job of lighting up the area I'm work at with no shadows!

I think you might be surprised how much better the lighting is. When you're not used to something, yes, you don't necessarily know what you're missing, but once you have it you realize how bad it was before and would not do w/o it again!

I didn't get them and I don't find myself needing them. But I have a very bright south-facing kitchen with lots of windows.

If you have a windlow-less, darker kitchen I would imagine they would be handy.

This question comes up a lot.

No. They are not essential.

Though some people love them a lot.

If you have never had them and don't miss them, and are spending money and using resources for something you do not value to please or accomodate someone else, that's not a great reason to do something.

If you think YOU might want them, that's a better reason.

Personally, I think older houses look more natural without them. But I am a naivist.

If I want light on a counter, I plug in a small lamp. And there is light, exactly where I want it. Then I put it away. Or if I like it, I leave it there awhile.

It's really up to you.

Although I currently have one ceiling fan fixture with 4 lights which face down upon my counter tops, I am always so happy with the lots of light that comes from my range hood. I'm another in the shadows at night with that ceiling fan fixture on.
So, even though I'm trying to cut all sorts of things out of the budget, I'm keeping the under cabinet lighting. The thing is to get the kind that shows your counters to be the color you want! That cool vs warm thing.

I put them in and rarely use them! Not essential unless you have poor overall lighting.

Well, for me they were essential. Mind you, I am in my early 50's and can't see as well as I could 20 years ago.

I have pendants, recessed cans all in a sorta smallish space but I added the undercab lites later on in the remodel because with my black granite, I couldn't see that well. They make a huge difference.

I had ivory laminate before and could see just fine though without the undercab lites. SO I think it really depends on the color of your countertops too. If they are dark, you might want to consider it. I love them! The lighting is great, but they add a nice element to the "pretty" factor of the kitchen too.

I don't know if I'll want them in my smallish bright kitchen. Is it possible to do later or a PITA?

I went back & forth on this - like marthavila and others here, I had never had them before. But because my only light fixture was going to be a single overhead light in the center of my galley kitchen, I became convinced I should have them.

I was also intrigued by the idea of using them without the overhead for "mood lighting" for parties. Uh, clearly not "essential". ;-)

Well, haven't had the chance to test the party theory yet (still have to paint and redecorate the rest of the apt), but in terms of task lighting? I almost never use them. Find them helpful *sometimes*, but really could'a lived without 'em. I was used to a single overhead fixture before, and that's what I use now.

I would think they'd be a total PIA to do later, hardwired that is. I'm thinking of getting a couple of pucks and putting them on my old cabinets right now just to see if it makes a big difference.

Yes, I would think they'd be total pain to hardwire after the fact. Especially if you have a backsplash.

>Yes, I would think they'd be total pain to hardwire after the fact.

I would have thought so, too, but one of my neighbors who just finished tiling her splash said the electrician said it would be no big deal, FWIW.

Had them in my old kitchen and adding them to the new one. We used thes mostly for soft lighting while watching tv in the family room. Nice also it you need to go in the kitchen to fix a snack etc. New ones will be on a dimmer.

Fori said "the GC also threw in a light under the deep corner sink cabinet. Now, THAT was nice!"

I am putting them in under the two 27" cabinets on either side of my range. Never had them in 3 kitchens but I do think they will be useful for my aging eyes. I'm not putting them on my desk wall that includes a 72" hutch area. Remember it isn't always day in your kitchen...my skylights won't help for dinner prep during the winter months 'up north'.

I'm learning it's okay to pick and choose based on your kitchen and your budget. I even bend the rules based on years of lousy kitchens.

UC lights are the only lights i use for cooking.

So it is a MUST for my kitchen.

In the overall scheme of things, 'essential' is probably subjective when it comes to under cab lights, but I think they're one of the most useful, pleasant surprises in my new kitchen - & they don't show. Mine is a 150 year old house & while I like dimmable recessed lights, I didn't want them spaced too tightly so the undercab lights give instant lumination where I need it. I tend to use these anytime I'm at the counter & use the recessed lights only at night.

Thanks so much! My first response had been no no no I cannot add any more cost! But I am rethinking. I was struck by the poster who said the GC kind of pushed it and now she's glad. May-be I have to let someone tell me something once in a while . . . .

I think they are essential. Even good ceiling lights cast lots of shadows on the counter and can make for some very dark areas.

I just can't work at the counter without them. There was no question that I would have them, the only thing I insisted on was that they not be halogen. I have low voltage linear xenon lights and I love them.

If you have enough other lighting, natural or otherwise, you probably would never miss them. My current kitchen is about the same size as yours, but even though we have a large sliding door on the eat-in side, the work space is very poorly lit and the dark counters do little to help that. Without the undercab lighting I would be sunk. I use them ALL THE TIME, even during the day to spotlight the counters and work space. The kitchen faces north and our back yard is thickly wooded, so we get little light after mid morning.

Didn't get them and don't miss them. I do have a row of recessed lights over my counters, though, as well as some pendants and other recessed cans so I can pick and choose. I rarely have all the lights on at the same time (3 separate dimmers).

I went from a very dimly poorly lit kitchen prior to renovating to a well lit kitchen with recessed cans where they should be, undercabinet lighting and really nice strong light on the ventilation hood. It has made an enormous difference - not only is it a brighter and cheerier place to be, it reals helps functionally as well. I would highly recommend the Kichler linear lighting (also made by Seagull) that I went with for under the cabinets.

I took a kitchen lighting class and we had a field trip to Osram Sylvania to their lighting lab... there is so much more to lighting than I could have imagined and I just got lucky that my electrician was so good and knew how much and where my lighting should go.

There are SO many expenses when doing a kitchen, but I personally wouldn't skimp on the lighting.

I did not have them at my old house and builder talked me into them at the new house, and I love them. I use them whenever I do dishes and bake. I have canned lights and seldom use those and I always use my pendants over the island. I am in my 50's and need that extra light to read recipes, etc.

For those who keep talking about all the "natural light" you have in your kitchen...keep in mind that natural light is all well & good in the day time, but at night it means nothing. Depending on where you live, "night time" comes as early as 5:00pm in the winter!

Also, if that natural light is behind you, it also can cast shadows when you block it w/your body while standing in front of the counter.

Wow, I never would have seriously considered it if it hadn't been for the responses I've gotten here. OK. Next: what kind. I will check out the Kichler. But will probably come back with a request for help -- again. Some day I hope I can "pass it forward" and start answering questions, not just asking them . . .

That's exactly right, Buehl! LOL! I've been wondering the same thing about the natural light comments. Although my kitchen is a small galley,the whole rear wall of it is windowed from nearly floor to ceiling. So I get plenty of light during the day. But after dark? Well, thank goodness for Mr. Edison!

Sayde, my undercab lights (as well as over and in cab) are line voltage xenon light bars that do not require transformers. These lamps provide a warm white.

Here is a link that might be useful: Xenon Light Bars

I agree that they are not needed, but they do add a substantial Wow! factor in most kitchens. I've had them in my last two kitchens--my current kitchen has undermount halogens's and I love them. I have them on a dimmer switch and they are fantastic! If you are doing a kitchen remodel I highly recommend them.

We didn't have them in our old kitchen, but we decided to install them in our new kitchen. They are lovely and I'm glad we have them, but our remodel was a DIY so the only cost was the lighting itself (so it was very reasonable for us).

Honestly, though, I rarely use them when I cook or clean up... the rest of the lighting in the kitchen is quite sufficient. I actually tend to forget that I have them.

So "essential"? Not in my humble opinion. "Nice to have"? Absolutely!

No they aren't essential, but they are sure nice. We installed ours ''after the fact'' and it was difficult. There is no way I'd have another kitchen without undercabinet lighting!

I'd never had them, didn't really think about them -- my carpenter insisted and I'm so glad. They add very useful workspace illumination as well as a really warm welcome glow in the evening. Mine are xenon and have two strengths. We use them almost exclusively to light the kitchen after meals in the evenings until bedtime.

Kitchen lighting has two purposes, the ergonomic one of seeing what one is doing for comfort and safety, and the mood-establishing one, where light can enhance some feature or characteristic of the room. I enjoy my undercabinet lighting in how it serves both of these purposes. It is xenon lamps set at the front of the cabinet edges, not on a dimmer. It is placed in the somewhat dark corner, and also over an adjoining area to the side of the sink (over DW).
Since I have nearly-black soapstone counters, the supplementary light is much-needed. While cooking I use these lights, the two pairs of over-sink 4" cans, and the vent hood's four halogen lamps. I also have six 5" cans, but do not need them to cook. They can turn night into day in the room if desired. The least-used light in the kitchen is the 100w halogen in the ceiling fan; and to think, _that_ was more light than I had in the previous incarnation of this kitchen; pre-remodel I only had kitchen fan lights, and some under-cabinet fluorescents which I had added.
Casey