Kitchen laminate gets more water, more dropped pans and more foot traffic than any other room. We steer most kitchen customers to an AC4 board with sealed joints, usually a waterproof line.
The big question in a kitchen is whether the floor goes under the cabinets or stops at the toe kick. A floating floor should not be pinned down by a 300 pound cabinet run or a stone island, because it needs room to move. We stop the laminate at the cabinets, leave a 1/4 inch gap and cover it with a matching shoe molding.
The refrigerator and dishwasher need care. We check that the new floor height does not trap the dishwasher under the counter, and we lay the laminate far enough under the fridge space so it can roll out on the finished floor.
At the sink base and the dishwasher we seal the edge gap with a flexible caulk. A slow drip is what ruins kitchen laminate, and a sealed edge buys time to notice it. If you are doing the kitchen and the rooms next to it, ask about waterproof laminate installation for the whole main floor.
