The Best Plinth Heaters For A Warm Kitchen

The Winterwarm WWFH20E is an affordable electric plinth heater with the kind of control you'd normally only find on dearer units. You can run it from your phone over Bluetooth and set a seven-day timer so the kitchen's warm before breakfast, while the remote and on/off switch handle quick changes and the variable heat settings let you match it to the room.

It stands 12 cm tall including the grille, so check that against your plinth before ordering. There's no plug, as it's wired with a 3-core cable into a fused spur, and Winterwarm includes thorough instructions for anyone confident with that kind of job. If you aren't, an electrician will have it connected quickly.

The body is plastic and steel, with overload and overheat protection built in. The one disappointment is the grille, which only comes in one finish, so you'll need to paint it if it doesn't suit your units.

The Smiths SS7 is a premium hydronic heater for two-pipe central heating systems, and Smiths says it fits under all standard kitchen units, with its 100 mm height slipping under low plinths. The brand rates it for kitchens up to 46 cubic metres with no conventional radiator alongside it, so it can heat the room on its own.

There are two settings, one for heating and a fan-only setting that circulates cooler air through summer. Two flexible hoses come in the box to make the connection to the heating pipes easier, and Smiths gives a two-year parts and labour warranty.

The grille detaches and can be swapped for one of several colours, so it can match your kickboards. It's the most expensive heater in this roundup, and like any fan-assisted hydronic unit it needs an electrical supply for the fan as well as the plumbing.

Smiths also makes an electric version, the SS2EW, for kitchens where the heating pipes don't reach. It runs from a standard electrical supply and comes with a thermostatic controller, so it holds the kitchen at the temperature you choose.

When the kitchen's cold first thing, the boost function doubles the output from 3,410 to 6,820 BTU to warm it quickly. There's a summer setting that circulates cool air and a frost protection mode for an empty property in winter.

The grille is brushed stainless steel and 100 mm high, and Smiths offers covers in brown, chrome, brushed steel, gold, black and aluminium. It's made in the UK with a five-year parts and labour warranty, and it's the dearest of the electric heaters here.

The CDA APH01SS is an affordable electric plinth heater with a slimline stainless steel finish that sits well alongside steel appliances. It gives a 2,000W output across three settings, cool, warm and hot, so it can push air around the kitchen in summer as well as heat it in winter.

Control is as simple as it gets, with an on/off switch and a neon light to show when it's running. An automatic safety cut-out switches it off if it overheats.

CDA backs it with five years on parts and two on labour, which is generous at this price. It doesn't come with a plug fitted, so you'll need to add a 13A plug or have it wired in.

The Myson Kickspace 500 is a premium hydronic plinth heater that lies horizontally under most kitchen units and connects to the central heating. Myson says it connects easily, and the controls on the front panel make it simple to use day to day.

A large surface area heat exchanger gives out warmth quickly once hot water is flowing, and a built-in low-limit thermostat stops the fan blowing cold air before the water has warmed up. The grille is white as standard, with other finishes available, and Myson gives it a two-year warranty.

Myson also sells matching thermostats and wall switches, plus more powerful models if the 500 isn't enough for your kitchen. The fan needs its own electrical connection, so plan for a spur as well as the plumbing.

If the Smiths and Myson hydronic heaters are more than you want to spend, the Thermix KPH 1500 Classic is the affordable alternative. For colder mornings, a boost mode lifts it from its normal 1,260W to 1,450W.

It switches itself on and off with the central heating, so there's nothing to remember, and two WRAS-approved flexible hoses come in the box for the connection to the pipework. Thermix rates it at energy class A++, and it's designed and made in the UK with a two-year warranty.

You can choose a white, black, silver or stainless steel finish. Build quality isn't quite up to the Smiths or Myson, but for the price it's a sound hydronic heater.