Base units and tall units are both "cabinets", but they do very different jobs, and most layout regrets come from asking one to do the other's job. A tall unit dropped into the middle of a worktop run breaks up your preparation space. A base unit asked to store everything leaves you bending for the things you use most. This guide explains what each type is for, how their sizes compare, and where each one belongs in a real kitchen.
The difference at a glance
| Base unit | Tall unit | |
|---|---|---|
| Height | 720mm (roughly 870 to 910mm once plinth and worktop are added) | 1970mm or 2150mm in our range |
| Depth | 560mm | 560mm |
| Widths in our range | 150mm to 1000mm | 300mm to 600mm at 1970mm, plus a 1000mm version; 300mm to 500mm at 2150mm |
| Carries the worktop | Yes | No |
| Main jobs | Preparation, sink, hob, pans, everyday storage | Larder storage, small appliances, built-in appliances at a comfortable height |
The depth is the useful detail. Our tall units and base units are both 560mm deep, so their fronts sit flush when a tall unit meets a base run. Wall units sit above the worktop at 720mm or 900mm high and only 300mm deep, so they're a different layer again. A tall unit effectively replaces a base unit and a wall unit at that position in the run.
What base units are best at
Base units are the working layer of the kitchen. They carry the worktop, so they're where you prepare food, and they sit around the sink, hob and dishwasher. Because they're at hip height, they suit heavy and frequently used items: pans, plates, bowls, bins and baking trays.
Drawers generally beat cupboards in the main preparation and cooking zone, because you can see everything at once instead of kneeling to reach the back of a shelf. A wide pan drawer under the hob is one of the most useful things you can plan. Our Single Base Kitchen Unit (150mm to 600mm) and Double Base Kitchen Unit (700mm to 1000mm) both come pre-drilled for drawer conversion, with the packs sold separately in our Drawer Packs, Runners & Accessories range. For a fuller look at choosing between them, see our guide to choosing base units.
What tall units are best at
A tall unit can't carry a worktop, so it's not for preparation. What it does well is gather a lot of storage into a small footprint. Dry food, breakfast items, small appliances and bulk buys can all live in one place instead of migrating across three cupboards. In a compact kitchen, one tall unit can outperform several wall units, a point we cover in kitchen storage solutions that actually work.
The right type depends on what you're storing:
- Fixed or adjustable shelves. Our Larder Unit (1970mm) comes in 300mm, 400mm, 500mm and 600mm widths with gable ends, a back, top and bottom panels, three fixed shelves and one floating shelf. It's the best value for pure capacity.
- Drawers. The Drawer Larder Unit is 1970mm high, supplied in two sections, and takes drawers across its 1000mm width, with drawer packs sold separately. Everything pulls out to you, which suits small, easily lost items.
- A pull-out mechanism. The 300mm Pull-Out Larder Unit is a steel frame with five baskets, soft-close runners and an 80kg capacity, adjustable to cabinets from 1659mm to 2059mm high. It costs more than fixed shelves but gives access to both sides of every basket.
- Extra height. The Extra Tall Larder Unit (2150mm) comes in 300mm, 400mm and 500mm widths.
- A corner. The Diagonal Corner Larder Unit is a D-shaped walk-in design with eight fixed shelves and a full-height wine rack. Its footprint is 1144mm by 1144mm, so measure the corner before you commit. Our guide to the best kitchen corner units covers the alternatives.
All of these assemble in around two minutes each, which matters more on a full-height cabinet than a base unit, since a tall flat-pack carcass is awkward to build alone.
Where to position tall units
The placement rules are what separate a layout that works from one that doesn't.
Keep the worktop continuous. Put tall units at the end of a run, or group them together in one bank, rather than in the middle. A tall unit mid-run splits your worktop and cuts the space between the sink, hob and fridge. In an in-line or L-shaped kitchen, the usual approach is to put the sink towards the centre of the longest run and the oven and fridge near the ends.
Leave landing space. Designers commonly recommend around 400mm of clear worktop beside the hob, the sink and the fridge. If your oven is in a tall unit, make sure there's worktop within reach for putting down hot trays.
Keep the hob away from tall units. There isn't one fixed rule, so always follow your hob manufacturer's installation guide first. As a common rule of thumb, designers leave around 300mm between a hob and a tall unit, which gives room for pan handles and somewhere to rest a hot pan.
Place the fridge early in the sequence. The fridge is the first stop before cooking starts, so it belongs near the start of the working route, where family members can reach it without crossing between the hob and the sink. Keep it away from the oven, since heat makes it work harder.
In a galley kitchen, go tall on one side only. Put the tall units and ovens on one side and keep the opposite run shallow. Aim for about 1200mm between the two runs so two people can pass and the dishwasher can open while someone stands at the hob.
The oven question: tall unit or under the worktop?
This is where tall and base units overlap, and we stock both options.
The Under Oven Housing Unit is a base-level cabinet, 600mm wide, 720mm high and 560mm deep, designed to suit most standard built-under single ovens, with a 110 x 596mm oven filler panel. It keeps your tall slots free for storage and sits in the base run, but the oven ends up low, so you bend to use it.
The alternative is a tall housing. The 1970mm Larder Unit range includes a 600mm Appliance Unit (code APPLIANCE600), 1970mm high and 560mm deep, supplied with gable ends, a back and a shelf pack. It brings an oven up to a more comfortable height. The trade-off is that it uses up a tall position, and you need to check the mounting height carefully. Plinth or leg height changes where the oven sits, and a stacked double oven can put the upper oven too high to use comfortably. Whichever you choose, check your appliance manufacturer's housing dimensions and ventilation requirements against the unit before ordering.
If a tall fridge freezer is part of a tall run, our Bridging Unit suits the gap above it. It is 360mm high and 300mm deep, in widths from 500mm to 1000mm.
1970mm or 2150mm?
Most kitchens suit 1970mm. It works with standard ceiling heights and gives you the widest choice, from 300mm up to a 1000mm larder. The 2150mm height suits a kitchen where you want the tall run to line up with a taller wall-unit run for a floor-to-ceiling look, but it comes in 300mm to 500mm widths only. If you need a wider cabinet than 500mm, 1970mm is the answer. Measure your ceiling height first, including any cornice, and check door sizes in our Doors Guide, since tall units take different door combinations from base units.
Lighting tall units
Tall larders and appliance housings can be surprisingly dark, even in a bright kitchen. A door-activated sensor is the practical choice, and it's easiest to plan before the cabinets go in. Our kitchen cabinet lighting ideas covers how to light larders and tall cabinets from the front edge.
Common mistakes
- A tall unit in the middle of the run. It splits the worktop and breaks the flow between the sink, hob and fridge.
- No landing space. A hob, sink, fridge or tall oven with nowhere to put things down is the detail most plans miss.
- A hob right beside a tall unit. Leave clearance and follow the manufacturer's guidance.
- Forgetting plinth height. It changes where an oven sits inside a tall housing.
- Mixing suppliers without checking depth. Our tall and base units are both 560mm deep, but not every brand matches, and a mismatch leaves the fronts uneven.
A simple way to decide
If it's something you work on, or something heavy you use daily, it belongs in a base unit. If it's something you store in bulk, stand at a comfortable height or need to reach without bending, it belongs in a tall unit. Most good kitchens use both, with base units doing the work and one or two well-placed tall units doing the storing. You can browse the full Base Cabinets and Larder Cabinets collections, or call us on 0161 465 4007 and we'll talk through your layout before you order.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is the difference between a tall unit and a base unit?
A base unit stands on the floor at around 720mm high and carries the worktop, so it's where you prepare food and where the sink and hob sit. A tall unit runs from the floor to 1970mm or 2150mm in our range and has no worktop, so it's used for larder storage or to house appliances at a comfortable height. Both are 560mm deep, so their fronts line up.
2. Can I put a tall unit in the middle of a run of base units?
You can, but it usually isn't a good idea. A tall unit splits the worktop in two, which cuts your preparation space and landing areas. They work best at the end of a run or grouped together in one bank, with the worktop kept continuous between the sink, hob and fridge.
3. How far should a hob be from a tall unit?
There's no single fixed rule, so follow your hob manufacturer's installation guide first. As a common rule of thumb, designers leave around 300mm between a hob and a tall unit, which also gives room for pan handles and somewhere to rest a hot pan.
4. Should I put my oven in a tall unit or under the worktop?
It depends on your priorities. A tall unit puts the oven at a comfortable height but uses up a tall slot, while an under-worktop housing keeps your tall units free for storage but means bending to use the oven. Either way, make sure there's worktop nearby to put hot trays down.
5. Do tall units line up with base units?
Within our range, yes. The Larder, Extra Tall Larder and Diagonal Corner Larder units, including the Appliance Unit option, are all 560mm deep, the same as our base units, so the fronts sit flush. If you're mixing cabinets from different suppliers, check the depths first.
6. How many tall units does a kitchen need?
Often fewer than people expect. In a compact kitchen, one well-planned larder can outperform several wall units. Larger kitchens often use a bank of two or three for larder storage plus appliances. Plan around what you actually store rather than a fixed number.
