Pop-up socket kitchen worktop: plug, splash, kettle
Updated: 23 October 2026
The sockets are on the wall, and a kettle lead will not cross a 900 mm island without crossing the hob. A pop-up socket rises out of the worktop and closes when you are done. This page covers splash, a shared 13 A plug, and which of the three pop-ups on the [retractable socket comparison](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/retractable-socket) pass a kitchen check. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The drill sequence is on the [how to fit](/hub/sockets-and-extension-leads/retractable-socket/sub/retractable-socket-how-to-fit) page.
The sockets are on the wall, and a kettle lead will not cross a 900 mm island without crossing the hob. A pop-up socket rises out of the worktop and closes when you are done.
The sockets are on the wall, and a kettle lead will not cross a 900 mm island without crossing the hob. A pop-up socket rises out of the worktop and closes when you are done. This page covers splash, a shared 13 A plug, and which of the three pop-ups on the retractable socket comparison pass a kitchen check. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you. The drill sequence is on the how to fit page.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Cut-out | Plug | Kitchen fit | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Gxpjycfob Gxpjycfob pop-up | 100 mm | Type G, four UK plugs | Thin top, no IP code | 7.2 | about £61.99 | View offer |
 Brennenstuhl Brennenstuhl 9+2 m reel | No worktop cut | BS 1363 | Garage reel, not an island | 8.2 | about £57.62 | View offer | |
| Best value |  TERIUX-S TERIUX-S pop-up | 226 mm by 111 mm | Type G; test the kettle | Flush lid, shared 13 A | 7.3 | about £32.99 | View offer |
On this page
Why the island runs out of sockets
An island often has no socket of its own. A pop-up puts the outlets where the kettle sits, then closes flush so a board can land on the lid. A cable reel does not do that job. If the search has mixed the two, the pop-up versus cable reel page is the fork. The holes are not the same: Gxpjycfob 100 mm at £61.99, Normodic 120 mm at £54.49 with No Plug, TERIUX-S 226 mm by 111 mm at £32.99. That price is the best value among listings that still score 60 or above, not a promise about plug fit. None prints a cable length. One TERIUX-S buyer found no lead in the box.
Splash, the hob, and a missing IP rating
None of the eight products prints an IP code. Water proof on the Gxpjycfob bullets is a phrase, not a zone. A different unit, the Sensio Pod E, publishes IP20, and it is not in this set. IP20 is protection against fingers, not splash. One seller says at least 1 m from a sink. That metre is retail advice, not a figure in Approved Document P. Keep the open sockets out of water from the tap or a boil-over.
One plug for the kettle and the toaster
A typical UK kettle is around 3 kW. At 230 V that is about 13 A, the whole fuse in one BS 1363 plug. Every socket on the pop-up shares that plug. Four faces do not mean four kettles, and a 15 W Qi pad is not spare capacity. None of these listings prints a per-socket fuse. Electrical Safety First tells you not to plug one reel into another. If the kettle and the microwave already trip the circuit, a pop-up only moves the socket. It does not add capacity.
What our three pop-ups actually print
The Normodic fails a kitchen buy: no review line, and a universal socket is not BS 1363. The TERIUX-S names Type G, 3.9 from 13 reviews, and UK texts say a standard plug can fail to seat after the rectangle is cut. Test the kettle plug on the bench. The Gxpjycfob is the 100 mm option. One review could not clamp it through 50 mm of worktop and cupboard. In England, a plug-in unit on an existing kitchen circuit is not the Building Control notice in Approved Document P. A new circuit or a bath or shower zone is. If the plug, the cut-out, or the lead route fails, the kitchen fit fails. The buying guide separates a garage reel before you choose a hole.
Common questions
Can a pop-up go on a kitchen island?
Yes, when it is a plug-in unit with a BS 1363 plug, a cut-out you can actually make, and a lead that reaches a socket under the island without crossing the hob. The comparison's pop-ups are the TERIUX-S, the Gxpjycfob, and the Normodic. The Normodic's plug field says No Plug, so it is not a yes yet. A cable reel on the island is the wrong shape for a flush top.
How far from the sink is required?
There is no millimetre distance in Approved Document P for a plug-in pop-up. A retailer's at least 1 m is that seller's advice, not a regulation. Keep the open sockets out of splash, and close the unit when you wipe the top. No listing here prints an IP code.
Will it run a kettle?
A kettle at about 3 kW uses the whole 13 A fuse on its own. One kettle, on its own, is the load these pop-ups can be asked to carry if the plug is a real BS 1363 plug. A kettle plus a toaster on the same tower is how that fuse blows. Four sockets do not multiply the fuse. A 15 W charger does not change the arithmetic.
Are these waterproof?
No. None of the listings in this comparison prints an IP code. The Gxpjycfob line that says water proof does not add one. A different brand's IP20 bulletin is indoor finger protection, and that product is not in our set. Do not fit these in a bathroom, and do not site them where the sink splashes the outlets.
What if the lead is not long enough to reach under the counter?
Then this unit does not fit that island, even if the hole size is right. Cable length is not stated on the TERIUX-S, the Normodic, or the Gxpjycfob. One TERIUX-S buyer found no 1.5 m lead in the box. Do not run a short lead across the hob, and do not joint a longer cable into the circuit unless an electrician is doing that work.
Does a kitchen always need Building Control?
No. In England, a plug-in pop-up on an existing kitchen circuit is not the notifiable job. A new circuit, a new consumer unit, or work in a bath or shower zone is different. Scotland uses a building warrant. Northern Ireland does not follow the English list.
Related pages
Sources
Sources taken from the research digest. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in the stored listings. This page did not run a lab test.
- Electrical Safety First — extension leads, cable reels and block adaptors (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- Electrical Safety First — overloading sockets (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- Electrical Safety First — garden electrical safety (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- BSI — BS EN 61242 cable reels for household use (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- GOV.UK — Electrical safety: Approved Document P (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- Plugs and Sockets etc. (Safety) Regulations 1994 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- Electrical Equipment (Safety) Regulations 2016, regulation 35 (retrieved 21.10.2026)
- Brennenstuhl UK — 16+2 m automatic reel (a different model) (retrieved 21.10.2026)