Choose the Best Can Lights to Brighten Your Kitchen
The kitchen is often called the heart of the home. It's where families gather, meals are prepared, and people spend quality time together. That's why proper kitchen lighting is so important - it sets the mood and enables you to cook safely and easily.
Recessed can lights are an excellent option to provide both task and ambient lighting in your kitchen. With the right can lights, you can illuminate your countertops, highlight decorative accents, and create a bright, welcoming space.
Can Light Basics: Features and Benefits
Can lights, also known as downlights or recessed lighting, are cylindrical fixtures set into the ceiling. The term "can" refers to the metal housing that holds the lamp and wiring. Can lights provide direct, focused beams of light ideal for task purposes.
Here are some of the benefits of using can lights in your kitchen:
- Directed Light: Can lights shine light directly downward, perfect for illuminating tasks like food prep and cleaning.
- Flexible Placement: They can be installed anywhere in the ceiling, allowing you to focus light where you need it most.
- Compact Size: The flush design provides focused beams without overwhelming a space.
- Creates Ambiance: Adding can lights along with other fixtures provides a blend of task and ambient lighting.
Key Parts of a Can Light
There are several components that make up a basic can light:
- Housing (or "can"): Metal canister mounted into the ceiling.
- Trim: Decorative trim ring that covers the housing.
- Bulb: The lamp inside producing light. LED and halogen are common options.
- Lens: Optional diffuser or reflector controlling light distribution.
Choosing the Right Can Lights for Your Kitchen
With so many can light options on the market, here are the key factors to consider for your kitchen:
Lumens and Brightness
Lumens indicate the amount of light emitted from a bulb. For kitchen tasks like cooking, cleaning, and food prep, you'll want fixtures with higher lumen outputs.
Aim for at least 2000 to 5000 lumens per square foot. LED and halogen bulbs typically range from 600 to over 2000 lumens. Multiple can lights create ample brightness.
Also look for dimmable fixtures. These allow you to lower light levels for ambient lighting or when full brightness isn't needed.
Color Temperature
This refers to the color or warmness of the light. Kitchens benefit from warm white light in the 2700K-3000K range which provides inviting ambiance.
Cool white or daylight colors above 3000K can seem harsh and sterile in kitchens. Go for lower Kelvin ratings for a cozy feel.
Number of Fixtures
The kitchen's size and your lighting priorities determine how many cans to install. For abundant task lighting, plan for at least one can per 4-6 feet of counter space.
Add extras over key areas like above the sink, stove, and prep areas. Space 4-5 smaller cans evenly instead of 2-3 large ones.
Mix task can lighting with pendant lights, strips, or wall sconces for decorative ambient fill lighting.
Beam Angle and Dimmable Ability
Standard beam angles range from 20-60 degrees. Narrow, focused beams of 25-40 degrees are ideal for task lighting counters and workstations.
For ambient lighting, go wider at 45-60 degrees to cast light across larger areas. Combining beam widths creates a nice blend.
Make sure your cans are dimmable. This allows you to control the mood and adapt the lighting as needed for any task or activity.
Our Top Can Light Picks for the Kitchen
Here are some of our favorite can light options guaranteed to brighten up your kitchen:
Philips 6" LED Can Light
This affordable Philips model provides 1800 lumens from an energy-efficient 14W LED bulb. It has a sleek low profile and durable aluminum housing.
A 40-degree narrow beam angle puts light exactly where you need it. Works great over counters and sinks.
Kuzco LED Can Light with Color Changing Trim
This 4" slim can light has an integrated LED rated for 20,000 hours. The included remote lets you change the white from warm to cool as well as cycle through 12 colors.
It's dimmable and ideal for adding a pop of color or adjustable accent lighting.
Other Notable Choices
Halo offers an IC-rated can light perfect for direct contact with insulation. Hyperikon makes a stylish can with built-in junction box for easy wiring. For a budget choice, Sunco has a 6-pack of basic dimmable LED cans.
The right can lights can make all the difference in your kitchen's lighting. Consider lumens, color temperature, number of fixtures, dimming ability, and beam angle to pick the best options.
Aim for warm white light around 3000K and at least 2000 lumens per square foot. Dimmable LED cans placed strategically above counters and workstations will provide ideal task illumination.
Choosing fixtures with flexible placement, focused beams, and decorative trims will help create a bright and inviting kitchen space your family and guests will love.