Aluminium kitchen windows need to do three jobs at once: let in light over the worktop, vent steam and cooking smells, and open easily when you are leaning over a sink. The right type, size and height make all three easy. This guide covers the best window types for a kitchen, typical kitchen window heights and sizes, and real prices for aluminium kitchen windows in South Africa.
Every price below is a real Coetz™ shop price, excluding VAT, in White with 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass. Coetz™ makes aluminium windows to order and supplies them nationwide; your builder or installer fits them.
Contents
The best types of aluminium kitchen windows
Top hung windows
A top hung window is hinged at the top and opens outwards from the bottom. It is the most popular choice for aluminium kitchen windows because it vents well, keeps light rain out while open and sits on a friction stay, so it stays where you leave it. Over a sink, choose a size you can reach comfortably: the handle is at the bottom of the sash, closest to you. See top hung aluminium windows.
Sliding windows
A sliding window opens sideways, so nothing projects outside – ideal where the kitchen window opens onto a walkway, patio or braai area. Sliding aluminium kitchen windows are easy to open with one hand while you stand at the sink. See aluminium sliding windows.
Folding windows
Folding aluminium kitchen windows open the whole width of the opening, which turns the window into a serving hatch to a patio or braai area. It costs more than a top hung or sliding window, but nothing else opens a kitchen to the outside like it. See aluminium folding windows.
Side hung and fixed windows
A side hung window opens like a door and lets in the most air from a small opening. A fixed pane is the cheapest way to add light; combine it with an opening window when the kitchen window is wide. See side hung aluminium windows and fixed vs opening windows.
Kitchen window height
There is no single legal kitchen window height, but most kitchens follow the same logic:
- Worktop: usually about 900 mm above the finished floor.
- Splashback: usually 150–250 mm of tiles or cladding above the worktop.
- Sill: set just above the splashback, typically about 1 050–1 150 mm above the floor, so the window clears taps and appliances.
- Head: in line with the other window and door heads in the room, often about 2 100 mm above the floor.
That makes most aluminium kitchen windows about 900 to 1 050 mm tall. Confirm the exact sill height with your builder or kitchen fitter before you order, because the worktop, tap and splashback all affect it. Your architect sizes the windows for light and ventilation on the plans, because the building regulations (SANS 10400-O, published by the South African Bureau of Standards) set minimums for habitable rooms.
The window above the kitchen sink
Of all your aluminium kitchen windows, the one above the sink is the one you open most, so it has to be easy to reach.
- Keep it reachable. A worktop is about 600 mm deep; a window you have to lean far over the sink to open will not get opened.
- Clear the tap. Check the height of the tap or mixer before you set the sill – an opening sash must not hit it.
- Choose the opening type for the space outside. If people walk past outside, a sliding window is safer than a sash that projects.
- Centre it on the sink for the classic look, or align it with the cabinets if the sink is off-centre.
Aluminium kitchen windows: sizes and prices
These are popular kitchen sizes (width × height) in the simplest configuration of each type, excluding VAT, in White, as at 19 October 2026:
| Size | Fixed | Top hung | Side hung | Sliding | Folding |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 200 × 900 mm | R1 572 | R2 796 | R2 797 | R4 318 | R10 779 |
| 1 500 × 900 mm | R1 821 | R3 046 | R3 060 | R4 862 | R11 697 |
| 1 800 × 900 mm | R2 090 | R3 563 | R3 458 | R5 412 | R12 656 |
| 1 200 × 1 200 mm | R1 858 | R3 475 | R3 468 | R4 952 | R11 911 |
| 1 800 × 1 200 mm | R2 605 | R3 849 | R4 060 | R6 108 | R13 997 |
Bronze and Charcoal cost the same as White; Black costs about 10% more and Natural Anodised about 20% more. The shop and the online estimator always show the current price, and the estimator prices every window in the house in one list. To check sizes, see how to measure aluminium windows and aluminium window sizes.
Glass, colours and cleaning
All Coetz™ aluminium kitchen windows are glazed with 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass. If the glass is ever broken, the interlayer holds it together, which matters in a room where people work close to the window. Aluminium does not rot or swell in kitchen steam, and the powder-coated frames wipe clean with mild soapy water – see how to clean aluminium windows. Choose a colour for your aluminium kitchen windows that matches the rest of the house; Charcoal and Black are popular with modern kitchens.
Before you order aluminium kitchen windows
- Decide what is outside the window – a walkway, patio or braai area changes the best opening type.
- Set the sill height with your kitchen fitter, after the worktop and tap are chosen.
- Measure the opening and order the next standard size that fits; units are made 10 mm smaller than the catalogue size for fitting.
- Check the drawing on the product page – it is shown as viewed from inside.
- Arrange your installer – see how to install aluminium windows.
Aluminium kitchen windows: frequently asked questions
What is the best window for a kitchen?
A top hung window is the most popular: it vents well, keeps light rain out while open and stays put on its stay. Choose a sliding window if people walk past outside, or a folding window to make a serving hatch.
How high should a kitchen window be from the floor?
Typically the sill sits about 1 050–1 150 mm above the floor, just above a 900 mm worktop and its splashback, with the head in line with the other windows. Confirm it with your kitchen fitter.
What size should a window above a kitchen sink be?
Popular sizes are 1 200 × 900 mm and 1 500 × 900 mm, centred on the sink. Make sure you can reach the handle comfortably over the worktop.
How much do aluminium kitchen windows cost?
At Coetz™, a 1 200 × 900 mm top hung kitchen window costs R2 796 excluding VAT in White, a sliding window of the same size R4 318 and a fixed window R1 572.
Does a kitchen window need safety glass?
It depends on the position and size, as set out in SANS 10400-N. Every Coetz™ window comes with 6.38 mm clear laminated safety glass as standard, so you do not have to choose.
Do you install kitchen windows?
No. Coetz™ supplies aluminium windows only, nationwide. Your builder or installer fits them – see aluminium window installers.
Choosing between types: see casement vs sliding windows.
