Ask for a standard kitchen hinge in the UK and you'll almost always be handed a concealed hinge with a 35mm cup. That's reassuring, because it means most hinges physically fit most kitchen doors. The size problems start with everything else: the thickness of the door, the overlay, the opening angle and whether the mounting plate matches. This guide walks through each measurement in the order you should check it, with the exact specifications for our DTC hinges so you can compare like with like. For what the three overlay types actually are, see our guide to cabinet hinges explained.
What "hinge size" actually means
A concealed hinge has three parts. The cup sits in a round hole in the back of the door, the arm connects it to the cabinet, and the mounting plate fixes to the cabinet side. So there isn't one "hinge size". There are six things to match: cup diameter, cup depth, door thickness, overlay, opening angle and plate.
If you're replacing a hinge on a door that already has its cup hole drilled, three of those are already fixed by the hole, and you only need to match the rest. If you're drilling new doors, you'll be setting all of them yourself.
Step 1: Measure the cup diameter
In almost every UK kitchen the cup is 35mm across. Measure the hole in the door, or the cup of the old hinge. Smaller 26mm cups exist, mostly on thin doors and vanity cabinets, but they're the exception. Every hinge in our DTC range uses a 35mm cup, so if your hole measures 35mm, the cup will seat.
Step 2: Check the cup depth
Hinge cups usually sit between 11.5mm and 13mm deep. Ours are 11.5mm. The practical point is how much door is left behind the cup. On a 16mm door, an 11.5mm cup leaves about 4.5mm of material. That's why thin doors need a hinge rated for them, and why you should never assume a hinge suits every thickness.
Step 3: Measure the door thickness
Measure across the edge of the door with callipers or a tape, then compare it with the thickness range on the hinge you're buying. This is where people go wrong, because the range changes from hinge to hinge. Here is our DTC range, all with a 35mm cup and 11.5mm cup depth:
| Hinge | Opening angle | Door thickness | Soft close | Code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| DTC 110° Hinge | 110° | 16 to 26mm | Soft close or standard | ACL04 |
| DTC 110° Full Overlay Hinge | 110° | 19 to 35mm | Soft close | ACL13 |
| DTC 110° Half Overlay Hinge | 110° | 16 to 26mm | Soft close | AC11 |
| DTC 110° Inset Hinge (Cranked) | 110° | 16 to 26mm | Soft close | SYH06N |
| DTC 45° Small Overlay Hinge | 45° | 16 to 26mm | Soft close | AC10H |
| DTC 135° Pie Hinge | 135° | 14 to 26mm | Standard | AC06 |
Notice that the Full Overlay hinge starts at 19mm, so it isn't suited to a thin door, but it goes up to 35mm for a chunky one. For reference, our Woodgrain Shaker doors are 22mm thick and our Traditional Painted Shaker doors are 20mm, so both sit comfortably within the standard 110° range.
Step 4: Position the cup on the door (new doors only)
If you're reusing existing holes, skip this step. If you're drilling new doors, two measurements matter.
Distance from the edge. The drilling distance, from the door edge to the nearest edge of the cup, is typically 3mm to 7mm depending on the hinge, with 3mm to 6mm the most common. A 5mm drilling distance puts the centre of the cup 22.5mm from the edge, because you add half the cup's 35mm diameter. Check the manufacturer's chart, since the drilling distance affects the overlay you end up with.
Position along the door. Hinges usually sit around 85mm to 100mm in from the top and bottom edges. Taller or heavier doors need an extra hinge between them, and our guide to fixing a cabinet door that won't close properly covers what to check when a door starts to sag.
Step 5: Work out the overlay
Overlay is how much of the cabinet side the closed door covers. To measure it, close the door, run a strip of masking tape along the edge of the door on the cabinet side, then open the door and measure from the tape to the inside edge of the cabinet opening.
If you'd rather not measure, look at the old hinge's arm. A straight arm means full overlay, a bent arm means half overlay, and a deeply cranked arm means inset. Our inset hinge is cranked by 17mm.
Two doors in one opening don't automatically mean half overlay. If each door is hinged on an outer side of the opening, both can use full overlay hinges. Half overlay is for doors that share a central partition. Treat the overlay type as the category, then fine-tune with the adjustment screws, since the hinge, the plate height and the drilling distance all shift the final overlay by a few millimetres.
Step 6: Choose the opening angle
110° is the standard and suits most doors. A smaller angle helps where a door would hit something when it opens, and our 45° Small Overlay hinge is designed for that kind of tight spot. Corner cabinets with two doors joined together need a wider angle, and our 135° Pie Hinge is built for exactly that. The range also includes wider 155° options. If an angle number on a listing puzzles you, it simply means how far the door swings open.
Step 7: Match the plate
The plate fixes to the cabinet side and the hinge clips onto it, so treat the two as a pair rather than separate parts. Most of our DTC hinges are sold without a plate, and the inset hinge needs specific plates (SYP30 or SYP31). Plates come in different styles, including versions with and without Euro screws, and plate height changes the overlay slightly, so always check the plate against the hinge you're buying. You'll find the full range in our Hinges, Hinge Plates & Fittings collection.
A quick measuring checklist
- Measure the cup hole: 35mm in almost every kitchen.
- Measure the door thickness and check it against the hinge's stated range.
- Identify the overlay type, using the tape method or the shape of the old arm.
- Choose the opening angle for the position of the door.
- Add the right plates, since they're usually sold separately.
- Order one hinge to test on a single door before buying for the whole kitchen.
Common sizing mistakes
Choosing by cup size alone. A 35mm cup tells you the hinge will fit the hole, not that it suits the door's thickness or overlay.
Ignoring the thickness range. It varies between hinges, and a hinge used outside its range may not sit or close properly.
Forgetting the plates. Most hinges don't include them, so a basket of hinges alone won't finish the job.
Assuming two doors means half overlay. Check where each door is hinged before deciding.
Drilling too close to the edge. A 35mm cup plus a drilling distance already takes up around 38mm of the door's width from the hinge edge, so check the door has room, especially on narrow fronts.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Will any 35mm hinge fit my existing cup hole?
The cup will seat in a 35mm hole, but the hinge also has to suit the door's thickness, the overlay type and your mounting plate. Match all four, not just the cup size, and treat the hinge and plate as a pair.
2. How do I measure the overlay on my cabinet door?
Close the door, run masking tape along the door edge on the cabinet side, open the door, then measure from the tape to the inside edge of the cabinet opening. That distance is the overlay.
3. What door thickness does a concealed hinge fit?
It depends on the hinge. Our standard DTC 110° hinge suits doors from 16mm to 26mm, our Full Overlay hinge suits 19mm to 35mm, and our 135° Pie Hinge suits 14mm to 26mm, so always check the range on the specific listing.
4. How far from the door edge should the hinge cup be?
The drilling distance from the door edge to the cup is usually 3mm to 7mm, depending on the hinge. A 5mm drilling distance puts the centre of the 35mm cup 22.5mm from the edge, but check the manufacturer's chart for your hinge.
5. Do I need to buy hinge plates separately?
Usually, yes. Most of our DTC hinges are sold without a plate, so check each listing and add the right plate for your hinge and cabinet before ordering.
6. What do numbers like 110° and 135° mean on a hinge?
They show how far the door swings open. 110° is the standard for most kitchen doors, smaller angles suit tight spots where the door would otherwise hit something, and wider angles such as 135° suit corner cabinets with two joined doors.
