We hardwired the Xenon task undercabinet lights sold by Pegasus. We have them on a switched circuit and did not use a dimmer because they already have a built in hi/lo switch. The 16" units have two 20 watt bulbs and the 24" have three. We have found these to be very good both as task and mood lighting. Yes they do get hot, but not that bad, and certainly better than halogen bulbs. If heat is your concern, then you might want to consider fluorescent, but IMHO, Xenon light has a better color rendition. The fixtures come in several fiinshes, and you can get the specs, etc., on their web site. We have order several times from Pegasus with no problems. Here is a link that might be useful: Xenon Task lights

If you are worried about how they are going to appear, my first question is whether or not your counter top is a dark color (like black or dark brown) and shiny. If it is, whatever you put on the bottom of the cabinets is going to reflect in the counter. It's like looking into a mirror. I would suggest that you look at various companies online before purchasing -- those that make them -- to get more information on the product. You can check out Nora Lighting, WAC Lighting, Juno Lighting, Lightolier or Halo. I have usually placed these where they will be seen the least. If your cabinets have the 1" overhang, then you can even put them on the back of the overhang or close to it. The one thing that no one seems to think about with the xenon or halogen lamps is the ease with which you need to change the bulbs while leaning over the counter. Check out the manufacturers to see which would be better for your application. Once you have narrowed it down, I would contact their technical assistance department for information on placement of their product. We can all tell you different things to do and each of us will have our own preference. My only caution is not to see what you put under the cabinets in the counter top. I have seen too many of these situations where we have been called in to do something about it when there really is nothing to do.

I would not hesitate placing cabling compliant with your local building code inside existing cabinets. If your undersink cabinet is anything like mine you will find wiring going to your garbage disposal and dishwasher neatly installed for those purposes. Check out some of the latest LED and Xenon undercabinet lighting that is also dimable if you want even more control of your kitchen lighting.

"Is there a ingenious way to hide the little peice of wire that would show running from the cabinet to my backsplash tile's outlet. I will staple most of the wire under the cabinet, but still some wire shows while going down to the outlet." "wrong thread guys." Correct answer and correct thread. The OP is asking about how to hide the feed wire for under cabinet lighting that plugs into a kitchen counter outlet. Permanently installed lighting is NOT allowed to connect to the kitchen counter receptacles.