Comparison
Thermofoil vs Polymer / lacquered MDF
Same look from two metres; polymer handles heat better and can be touched up, thermofoil costs less.
What settles it
Take thermofoil if…
Choose thermofoil if the budget is tight and the layout keeps doors away from the oven. It is the best appearance-to-price ratio in the range for a uniform finish.
Take polymer / lacquered mdf if…
Choose polymer if you are after a deep matte, particularly in dark tones. The finish is cured rather than thermoformed: it takes heat better, and a scuff can be touched up rather than forcing a door replacement.
Criterion by criterion
Rated 1–5, comparative within the category.
| Thermofoil | Polymer / lacquered MDF | |
|---|---|---|
| Durability | 3/5 Durability: 3 sur 5 | 4/5 Durability: 4 sur 5 |
| Heat | 2/5 Heat: 2 sur 5 | 3/5 Heat: 3 sur 5 |
| Staining | 4/5 Staining: 4 sur 5 | 4/5 Staining: 4 sur 5 |
| Scratches | 3/5 Scratches: 3 sur 5 | 3/5 Scratches: 3 sur 5 |
| Repairable | 1/5 Repairable: 1 sur 5 | 3/5 Repairable: 3 sur 5 |
Thermofoil
A PVC film thermoformed onto MDF, which allows continuous shapes with no joints and a perfectly uniform finish.
What they don't tell you Heat delaminates the film. A door immediately beside an oven with no side heat shield eventually blisters, and that is not covered by warranty.
Polymer / lacquered MDF
A finish applied and cured over MDF. It is the minimalist choice: it gives a deep, even matte that melamine cannot match.
What they don't tell you Dark matte finishes show fingerprints and micro-scratches dramatically. Ask for a handled sample and look at it in raking light before committing.
Worth knowing before you sign
In both cases, if you are going dark matte, ask for a sample that has already been handled and look at it in raking light. Fingerprints and micro-scratches are dramatic on it, and no catalogue photo shows that.
Other comparisons
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Melamine vs Thermofoil
Melamine fails at the edges, thermofoil fails from heat. The right choice depends on where your oven is.
-
Polymer / lacquered MDF vs Painted MDF
Polymer gives a factory finish impossible to reproduce on site; painted MDF repairs and repaints in ten years.
-
Wood veneer vs Polymer / lacquered MDF
Veneer has real grain that shifts with light; polymer has a stable colour that will not change.
Take the next step
Talk to a designer
You have settled the choice. A designer will tell you whether it is the right one for your kitchen specifically.
Reply within 24 to 48 hours. No obligation.