The LED lights now appearing on the domestic lighting scene are just perfect for most kitchen lighting applications. They output bright, crisp white light, operate completely cool to the touch and having running costs one tenth that of regular incandescent lighting.

In fact the payback period can be under one year and is typically well within two years, and of course the cost of running your lighting will be a tenth what it was from the day you switch.

But that’s not all. LED kitchen lighting opens up new possibilities beyond the reach of conventional incandescent lighting. Because they give off no heat and are so small, miniature LED light fittings are perfect as display lighting and inside glass cabinets, or can be recessed into shelves to illuminate items above or positioned under cabinets to shine light onto surfaces below.

These types of miniature LED spots are designed for either recessed or surface mounting and are quite commonly packaged as flexible strips which are ideal for accenting plinths and coving’s. As is the case with all LED lights, they do not emit potentially harmful ultra-violet or infra-red radiation (unlike halogen lamps) and of course consume very a small amount of electricity; they also most commonly use a 12v power supply and are thus pose little in the way of hazard electrically.

Where LED strip lighting is concerned, it’s easy to imagine it might have been developed for the sole purpose of lighting in kitchens. It usually comes in 300mm lengths (the modern standard dimension of kitchen appliances and units) which have an integral connecting system. Each strip has a protective coating of semi-transparent plastic which renders it waterproof and helps disperse the light evenly.

LED strip lights are remarkably versatile and can be used to provide accent lighting pretty much anywhere. The most popular uses in the kitchen are along plinths and coving’s or set underneath cabinets and shelves to provide worktop lighting.

LED strip lighting can be bought as either rigid or flexible strips – both weigh very little and easy and quick to install. Plinth lighting using either LED strip lights or miniature spot lights looks especially effective set against any kind of reflective flooring and helps capture that contemporary feel in any kitchen.

Indeed, the range of effects available with LED kitchen lights is seemingly endless. Not only can you use it to accent features or create wall wash effects (particularly effective against reflective tiles), but you can embed them inside things and even install them to the insides of cupboards and drawers, using sensors that detect when the door is opened or closed.

But when you’re done experimenting with what’s possible, it’s usually best to settle on just a handful or fewer of those ideas that blend together effectively and which you particularly like rather than risk ending up looking like an explosion in a lighting store. LED kitchen lighting is highly effective and you really don’t need to use much in order to really give your kitchen that something extra.