Puck lights also operate at relatively higher temperatures, which may discolor the underside of your cabinet. Puck lights will operate cooler if equipped with xenon bulbs rather than halogen.
Also keep in mind that while fluorescent under-cabinet fixtures wash broad areas in light, puck lights produce a more concentrated beam. This means that you’ll want to arrange pucks in such a way to avoid creating shadows or dimly lit areas. Also keep in mind that the intense light produced by puck lights may cast a cone-shaped light pattern on your backsplash or wall. Puck lights are typically sold singly or in packages of up to five or six lights.
It’s helpful to keep in mind that regardless of any light’s specific primary function, it can serve as a source of ambient light to match the immediate need. For example, the soft glow of diffused under-cabinet fixtures provides a warm light that’s just right for late night conversation.
- Material Cost: $10 per puck light
- Material Cost: $40 to $50 per package of five puck lights
- Labor Cost: $25 to $50/hour
Light Bar
A relatively new 
addition to under-cabinet light sources is the light bar. Similar to a fluorescent fixture, the light bar is in the shape of a rectangular box, some of which come equipped with a light diffusing cover. Rather than using fluorescent tubes these fixtures are fitted with one, two or three individual puck lights. Light bars that are equipped with diffusing covers effectively soften the otherwise intense light produced by puck lights enabling them to illuminate broad work areas similar to fluorescent light sources.
Since under-cabinet light bars can be installed against the kitchen wall similar to fluorescent fixtures, you can avoid the problem of unsightly exposed cords.
Light bars are available in either xenon or halogen bulb designs. Keep in mind that while halogen bulbs provide light that is brighter than xenon, they also operate at hotter temperatures as noted above.
- Material Cost: $20 to $55 depending on the number of puck lights per fixture
- Labor Cost: $25 to $50/hour
Recessed Ceiling Lights
Work areas of the kitchen that are not situated beneath a cabinet, such as sinks and islands, can be illuminated by task lights that are installed directly in the ceiling. There are an interesting variety of task light sources that can be installed in the ceiling. These include recessed lights, hanging fixtures, and track lights. Recessed lighting has become the standard in kitchen lighting upgrades. They are available in a variety of diameters, from very small halogen fixtures that produce intense beams of light, to wider fixtures that use incandescent bulbs to produce somewhat softer illumination.