IKEA Hällestad Worktop Thickness and Cooktop Installation

Hello,

I was in the middle of planning a new countertop (Hällestad) when Ikea changed their product range.
The black Hällestad is no longer available and the only countertop I would still like would be the new Gottskär. Unfortunately, it is very thin (under 2 cm) and for the induction cooktops from IKEA, it says the countertop must have a minimum thickness of 3.8 cm, and for the ceramic cooktops at least 2.8 cm.
Does anyone know if this is only due to the distance to the lower cabinets/oven or if there is another reason?

Many thanks,

Hello, IKEA has once again come up with a special cost-saving measure. To install the cooktop and sink, a FIXA strip must be placed at the back and a decorative strip at the front. On the cabinet sides, a FIXA support bracket must be mounted on each side. For 3 base cabinets, that means 4 supports = €30, one strip at the back = €10, and for example with Ringhult a decorative strip for €40, totaling €80. Of course, the sides then still need to be fitted with an end panel, which must be cut to the appropriate height. With RINGHULT, that’s another €68, unless you want to mount end panels anyway. The cheap thin countertop can ultimately become more expensive than a 3.8 cm thick custom-made Personlig countertop with a larger selection of decorative options.

Great, thank you very much for the quick response! But that also means that - as long as there is enough space below the oven or under the sink - you can skip the effort and just install it like that? That is then not a problem regarding stability?

That seems at least logically sound. Under the sink, there must be FIXA rods to secure the sink. Then you also have to pay attention to not using screws that are too long for fastening. Since the metal strips rest on the carcass, it might be better, with such a thin panel, to place something of the same thickness between the side wall and the panel. The cooktop must be ventilated. Whether there could be problems in this regard due to something like an aerodynamic short circuit should be clarified. With cooktops that use clamps attached to the countertop, you will not be able to fasten these. The current cooktops from IKEA only have clamps on the cooktop itself; this is not necessarily the case with other manufacturers.

Oh man, with a Hällestad countertop everything could have been so nice, simple and cheap. Bad timing!