Cup Handles Explained: Sizes, Finishes and Fitting

Cup handles are one of the most recognisable pieces of cabinet hardware in any British kitchen, and they carry a particular charm that flat bar handles and knobs cannot match. If you are planning a new kitchen, updating a bathroom cabinet, or bringing an old dresser back to life, this guide explains everything you need to know about cup handles before you buy.

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Cup handles, also called cup pulls, are a style of cabinet handle shaped like a half cup or crescent. You hook your fingers up into the recess underneath and pull, which is where the name comes from. The shape has been used on furniture for well over a century, and it remains a favourite today because it is both practical and timeless.

They are most often seen on drawers, where the open underside gives a comfortable, positive grip. They are a defining feature of Shaker style kitchens and traditional English interiors, but they also sit beautifully in modern schemes when paired with the right finish. Because they are fixed at two points rather than one, they feel solid and reassuring in use, which is part of the reason they have stayed popular for so long.

There is no real difference between the two terms. Cup handles and cup pulls describe exactly the same product, and you will also see them listed as cup pull handles, drawer cup pulls, or simply searched for as a cup with handles. In the UK, cup handles is the phrase most people search for and the one we use across our range, so if you have seen the same item under a slightly different name, rest assured you are looking at the same thing.

The vast majority of quality cup handles are made from solid brass, then plated and finished in a huge choice of colours. Brass is the material of choice because it is heavy, durable and takes plating beautifully, giving a smooth, hard wearing surface that lasts for years. You will also find cup handles cast in zinc alloy, pressed steel and iron at the more budget end of the market, along with genuine hand finished options from specialist British foundries.

Because they start life as brass, they can be finished to match almost any scheme in the home. That flexibility is a big part of their appeal.

Finish is often the first thing customers choose, because it sets the whole tone of a kitchen or piece of furniture. The most popular cup handle finishes include:

• Antique brass and aged brass, for a warm, traditional, lived in look
• Polished brass and satin (brushed) brass, from bright and bold to soft and contemporary
• Matt black, which has become one of the most requested finishes for both modern and country kitchens
• Polished chrome and satin chrome, for a clean, classic feel
• Satin nickel, which pairs well with satin stainless steel appliances
• Copper and aged copper, a warm rose toned finish that has grown in popularity
• Pewter and aged iron, for period, rustic and cottage interiors

If we had to name the finishes that customers ask for most, brass cup handles and antique brass cup handles would be at the top of the list. Warm metallic tones have come back strongly in recent years, and a brass cup handle brings instant character to a Shaker kitchen, a pantry, or a run of painted drawers. Antique brass in particular hides fingerprints well and develops a lovely mellow tone over time, which is why it remains a perennial favourite for traditional homes.

Cup handles come in different sizes, and the measurement that matters most is the fixing centres. This is the distance between the centres of the two screw holes on the back of the handle, and it is how they are sold and ordered. It is not the overall length of the handle, so always check the centres rather than measuring the outside edges.

The most popular cup handle sizes in the UK are 64mm and 76mm fixing centres, with some ranges also offering larger sizes such as 96mm for wide pan drawers. As a rough guide, 64mm suits smaller and standard drawers, while 76mm works well on larger drawer fronts and wider cabinet doors. If you are replacing existing cup handles, simply measure the centres of the holes already drilled and match them, and you can often avoid drilling new holes altogether.

Measuring for cup handles is straightforward:

1. Look at the back of the handle, or the fixings on your existing handle
2. Measure from the centre of one screw hole to the centre of the other
3. That figure, usually 64mm or 76mm, is your fixing centres
4. Order handles with matching centres to reuse the existing holes

You tend to see cup handles on drawers, and that is where they perform best, but they are far more versatile than many people realise. The open, cupped shape suits any drawer front, from a small bedside unit to a deep pan drawer in a kitchen.

Cup handles can absolutely be used on cabinet doors as well as drawers. On a Shaker kitchen it is common to mix cup pulls on the drawers with knobs on the doors, or to use them throughout for a consistent look. Most cup handles are designed to fit cabinet doors and drawer fronts around 18mm to 20mm thick, which covers the vast majority of kitchen and furniture units.

We would not usually recommend them on full size internal doors, as they are not designed for that kind of daily pulling load, but there is nothing to stop you using them on wardrobe doors in the right setting. On a run of fitted wardrobes with slim fronts, cup handles can look superb.

One of the best things about cup handles is that you are not limited to the kitchen. They are the classic handle for traditional furniture and have been used for generations on dressers, bureaus, chests of drawers and sideboards. They also suit bathroom cabinets, home office furniture and utility rooms. If you are upcycling an old piece or restoring an antique, a set of well chosen cup handles is one of the quickest ways to transform it and give it a new lease of life.

It is also worth remembering that when you buy a new kitchen, you do not have to take the cabinet hardware the kitchen supplier offers. Choosing your own handles is a simple, affordable way to make a standard kitchen feel unique and personal.

Cup handles are normally fixed in two locations, one screw at each end, which is what gives them their solid feel. The fixings come up from behind the drawer or door and thread into the back of the handle. Fitting is well within reach of a confident DIYer:

1. Mark and drill two holes at the correct fixing centres
2. Pass the machine screws through from the back of the drawer front
3. Thread them into the back of the cup handle and tighten evenly
4. Check the handle sits level before fully tightening

Some designs have the screws hidden from the front for a cleaner look, while others show a neat screw head as part of the design. The standard fixing behind a cup handle is an M4 threaded bolt. Most manufacturers supply these to suit an 18mm to 20mm door, and while some ranges include several bolt lengths, others include only one. If you are fitting to a thicker front, we can supply longer M4 threaded bolts so your handles fit properly first time.

If you are weighing up your options, it helps to know how cup handles compare with the other main styles of cabinet hardware.

• Cup handles vs knobs: a knob is fixed at a single point and gives a small pinch grip that suits doors and lighter drawers, whereas they are fixed at two points and give a fuller, more comfortable pull. That is why cup handles are the classic choice for drawers, and why many Shaker kitchens use knobs on the doors with cup handles on the drawers.
• Cup handles vs bar and bow handles: bar and bow handles run straight across the front and give a longer grip, better suited to large doors and tall pan drawers, while cup pulls have a more traditional, period feel and a neater footprint.
• Cup handles vs recessed and edge pulls: recessed and edge pulls sit flush for a handleless look, whereas cup pulls are proudly visible and decorative.

For most traditional and Shaker schemes, cup handles strike the best balance of comfort, looks and value, which is why they remain one of the most popular drawer handles in the UK.

This is one of the most common questions we are asked. In some designs you can get matching cabinet knobs and cup handles in the same style and finish, which is ideal if you want knobs on the doors and cup handles on the drawers. However, many ranges do not offer a full matching set, so if coordinating knobs and cup pulls matters to you, it is worth checking the specific range before you commit. Mixing a knob with a cup handle from the same finish family usually works well even when they are not an exact matched pair.

We stock and supply a large range of cup handles in various sizes, finishes and styles from some of the biggest names in the UK. You can browse the complete selection in our cabinet cup pulls collection, which sits within our wider kitchen and cabinet hardware range.

For contemporary and designer looks, the Finger Tip Design cup pulls range is well worth a look, as is the quality hardware from Alexander and Wilks. For hand forged and blacksmith style cup handles with real character, we also offer cup pulls made by From The Anvil. For a premium option, Hoxton cabinet hardware offers a refined range of knurled and reeded designs.

If you want to carry the same finish right through your home, we would strongly suggest Heritage Brass cabinet hardware. Everything Heritage Brass make is manufactured from brass and plated to a consistent finish, from window and door furniture to cabinet hardware, and even plug sockets and light switches, door stops and coat hooks. In every kitchen there are sockets, and near almost every door handle there is a light switch, so being able to match all of it is a genuine advantage that few suppliers can offer.