Kitchen & Bath Best in Class Survery Results

The 2008 Best in Class Kitchen & Bath Survey rated the highest brand awareness, use and preference of the top building industry manufacturers and their products. The respondents were randomly selected from the magazine's readership and completed our survey via e-mail between December 2007 and January 2008.

Our survey spans the gamut from cabinets to bathroom faucets. Merillat and Kraftmaid, for example, continue to be top companies custom builders look for to deck out their kitchens and bathrooms. In the past year, both companies have released upgrades such as roll-out trays, self-closing hinges and durable protective finishes. Despite a smaller share in awareness, American

Shown is Kohler's HiRise deck-mounted pot filler kitchen faucet. Kohler ranked especially high in the survey.

Woodmark, maker of Shenandoah Cabinetry and Timberlake brands, ranks just behind Aristokraft in use and preference.

Synthetic marble maker Corian and laminate producer Formica each share the same numbers in awareness and nearly the same in use within the past months. However, it seems installers prefer to work with Corian in the field. Engineered stone producer Silestone, though neck-and-neck with use, outranks acrylic solid surface makers Wilsonart in preference in the field.

In appliances, it better be stainless steel and rapier-sharp. GE carries the widest awareness. Whirlpool and KitchenAid are within hairs of each other in use and preference. SubZero, while ranking high in awareness, doesn't see as much love in the preference category, undoubtedly due to its higher price points.

Attachments, especially ones that are integrated into the faucet itself, are in. Moen, with its ChoiceFlow system, and Kohler, with its integrated pull-down options, hold the top spot. Delta's new Diamond water delivery system may help it move up a notch for next year's survey.

On the bathroom side of the faucet debate, Kohler carries awareness and use over its competitors, but not by much. Though Kohler ranks higher in use over the past 18 months, Moen ranks a few percentage points over the Kohler, Wis., faucet makers in product preference.

Though there is no overall winner in our survey, it is clear the big names like Kohler, Moen and GE are at a particular advantage over their competition.

	AWARE	USED (PAST 18 MOS.)	PREFER
Cabinets
Kraftmaid	89%	35%	21%
Merillat	82	25	19
Aristokraft	71	13	5
American Woodmark	53	9	3
Countertops & Surfaces
Corian	95%	56%	25%
Silestone	81	32	19
Formica	92	50	9
Wilsonart	84	33	9
Kitchen Appliances
GE	94%	63%	25%
KitchenAid	95	50	14
Whirlpool	93	43	12
SubZero	93	43	8
Kitchen Sinks
Kohler	97%	72%	50%
Moen	85	38	13
American Standard	93	40	4
Delta	83	30	7
Kitchen Faucets
Kohler	98%	64%	27%
Moen	96	58	31
Delta	95	51	18
American Standard	86	25	3
Bathroom Sinks
Kohler	97%	73%	65%
American Standard	89	39	12
Elkay	69	18	4
Sterling	49	11	3
Tubs/Whirlpools
Kohler	94%	59%	37%
Jacuzzi	94	50	31
American Standard	87	25	7
Lasco	44	16	5
Toilets
Kohler	98%	75%	51%
Toto	68	32	19
American Standard	91	44	16
Sterling	46	12	5
Bathroom Faucets
Moen	95%	56%	32%
Kohler	97	64	29
Delta	93	50	15
American Standard	91	30	4