2018 Kitchen Cabinet Rankings
Below are our kitchen cabinet rankings from 2018 for the top selling cabinet manufacturers in the United States. Cabinet brands are rated for construction quality and for value considering the price point of each cabinet line. Price point is rated from 1 to 6 with 6 being the most expensive cabinetry on the market.
If you are outside our service area, we are happy to answer any questions on this blog’s comment forum. But please do not contact us on our website’s contact page.
READ THE MOST RECENT 2024 RANKINGS HERE
Cabinet Reviews: Ratings for the top 100 cabinet brands.
All the designers that gave us input on the cabinet lines below have greater than 20 years’ experience in our industry. When possible, all construction specifics were double checked on the websites for each cabinet line.
Main Line kitchen design acknowledges that we are dealers for the following cabinet lines: Wellsford, Bishop, Brighton, Fabuwood, Legacy Presidential, and CNC. We could be prejudiced towards ranking these lines more favorably, but we have tried to be impartial. However, since the cabinet lines we carry were chosen specifically for their construction quality and value, our ranking them well should not be a surprise.
FOR PEOPLE OUTSIDE OUR SERVICE AREA OF WITHIN A TWO-HOUR DRIVE OF OUR BALA CYNWYD, PENNSYLVANIA OFFICE, BELOW IS A LINK TO RECOMMENDED DEALERS IN OTHER AREAS. GOOD DEALERS CLOSE TO YOU CAN BETTER ANSWER QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT’S AVAILABLE IN YOUR AREA:
Recommended Kitchen Designers and Cabinet Dealers Outside Our Service Area
OUR KITCHEN CABINET RANKINGS assume each line is upgraded to the top level of construction available. A grade of A for construction quality will not be equal across different price levels, as the more expensive price point cabinets will have far nicer finishes and construction options.
Note: The highest grade for Quality in any frameless European style cabinet line is a B. While frameless cabinetry is easier to access and is sleeker looking, it is also less durable than the best made framed cabinetry.
The value grade we give is not a rating about the quality of the cabinetry but a rating of how good an investment a cabinet line is considering its cost. For example, many of the most expensive well-made cabinet lines receive lower marks on value even though as designers we think the cabinetry is the best in its class. These lines receive lower grades on value simply because there are competitors offering the same quality at slightly lower prices.
Cabinet Lines
| Cabinet line | Price level 1-6 | Quality | Value |
| 21st Century | 1 | A | A- |
| 6 Square | 2 | B+ | B+ |
| Adelphia Kitchens | 3 | B | B |
| Adormus (frameless) | 3 | B | B |
| All Wood – framed | 2 | A | A |
| All Wood – frameless | 1 | C | C |
| American Woodmark | 3 | B | B |
| Aristocraft | 2 | C | C |
| Bertch | 4 | A | A- |
| Bishop | 4 | A | A- |
| Bishop Frameless | 5 | B | B+ |
| Bremtown | 6 | A+ | B |
| Brighton | 4 | A | A+ |
| Brookhaven | closed | A | B |
| Brubaker | 5 | A | A |
| Cabico | 4 | B | B |
| Candlelight | 4 | A | A |
| Canyon Creek | 3 | B | B |
| CNC | 1 | B+ | B |
| Collier | 5 | A | B- |
| Crystal | 5 | A | A |
| Decora | 4 | A | A |
| Desginers Choice | 4 | A | A |
| Design-Craft | 4 | B | B |
| Diamond | 4 | B | B |
| Durasupreme | 5 | B+ | B |
| Durasupreme frameless | 3 | C | C |
| Dynasty by Omega (frameless) | 4 | B | B |
| Dynasty Pinnacle (framed) | 5 | A | B |
| Echelon Cabinetry | 2 | B- | C |
| Executive (frameless) | 4 | B | B |
| Fabuwood | 2 | A | A |
| Fabuwood (frameless) | 3 | B | B |
| Fieldstone | 4 | A | B+ |
| Grabill | 6 | A+ | B |
| Haas | 3 | B | B |
| Hanssem framed | 1 | B+ | B+ |
| Holiday (frameless) | 3 | C | C |
| Holiday Kitchens | 4 | A | A |
| Homecrest | 3 | B+ | B+ |
| Homestead Custom | 4 | A | A- |
| Ideal Cabinetry | 2 | B | A- |
| IKEA (frameless) | 1 | D | C |
| Innovation | 2 | C | C |
| JSI Cabinetry | 1 | B+ | B+ |
| Kabinart | 3 | C+ | D |
| Kemper | 3 | B | C |
| Kitchencraft (frameless) | 3 | C | B |
| Kith | 3 | B+ | C+ |
| Kountry Kraft (framed) | 6 | A | B |
| Kountry Kraft (frameless) | 6 | B | B |
| Kountry Wood | 2 | C | C |
| Kraftmaid | 4 | A- | A |
| Legacy | 3 | B+ | B |
| LifeArt | 1 | C+ | A |
| Marsh | 2 | B | B |
| Marsh (frameless) | 2 | B- | B |
| Medallion | 5 | B+ | B |
| Merillat | 2 | C | D |
| Merit Kitchens | 4 | B+ | B |
| Mid Continent | 2 | C | C |
| Mouser | 5 | A | A- |
| Mouser (frameless) | 5 | B | A |
| Ovation | 4 | B | C |
| Plain and Fancy | 6 | A | B+ |
| Plato Woodwork | 4 | A | A |
| Poggenpohl (frameless) | 6 | B | C |
| QuakerMaid (frameless) | 4 | B | B |
| RD Henry | 4 | A | A |
| Rutt | 6 | A+ | A |
| Schrock | 3 | B | B |
| Schuler | 5 | B+ | B |
| Shenandoah | 3 | B | B |
| Shiloh | 4 | C | C |
| Showplace | 3 | B+ | B- |
| Siematic | 6 | B | C |
| Signature Custom | 5 | A+ | A+ |
| Solid Wood Cabinets | 1 | A- | A- |
| St. Martin (frameless) | 4 | B | B |
| Starmark | 4 | A | B+ |
| Stylecraft | 5 | A | A |
| Thomasville* | 4 | B | B |
| Timberlake | 3 | B | B |
| Ultracraft (frameless) | 2 | C | C |
| Village | 5 | A | A |
| Waypoint | 2 | B | B |
| Wellborn | 4 and 5 | A | A |
| Wellsford | 5 | A+ | A+ |
| Wolf | 2 | A | B+ |
| Woodharbor | 4 | B+ | C |
| Woodmode | closed | A | A- |
| Yorktowne Now an Elkay CO | 4 | B+ | B |
* Note: Home Depot can change who manufactures this line although Masterbrands has been manufacturing the line under the Thomasville name for over ten years.
Remember, that choosing the designer, the cabinet dealer, and the installer you are working with is just as important as the cabinet line.
Do you need a more general review of cabinetry from 2015 explaining types of cabinetry construction?
https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/2015-popular-kitchen-cabinetry-brand-comparison/
For those interested in Cabinet Off Gassing, VOC’s, and Carb2 Compliance, here is our take on the fumes your new cabinets can emit:
Cabinet Off Gassing, Carb2 Compliance, and VOC’s.
1 Replies to “Kitchen Cabinet Rankings for 2018. Updated Reviews for the Top Selling Cabinet Brands.”
Meredith
Hello Paul,
Do you know anything about Cliq Studios cabinets? I’m trying to decide between Cliq or Kraftmaid.
Thank you for your help
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Yes We sell Cliq Studios under their dealer name. They are less expensive but equally well made. They have fewer options and a limited selection of cabinets compared to Kraftmaid.
Be careful. Buying cabinets online means that there is no one that has seen your kitchen firsthand and that the designer is designing blind so to speak. Also all mistakes are always on you and Clique studio designs are usually not as creative or well thought out as you might get working with a better local designer.
I will remind people reading this that questions on our blog are usually about cabinet lines, but whenever we see the designs home owners are working on 9 times out of 10 the designs are poor and have mistakes in them. So the cabinet line is often LESS important that the kitchen designer you are working with. Especially if you are considering lines we give good ratings.
Paul McAlary
Hi Randy,
We give Haas mediocre reviews. Why not find a dealer near you that carries a brand we rate better or see if we have a recommended dealer near you. Here is our list of recommended dealers across the US.
https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/recommended-kitchen-designers-cabinet-dealers-outside-service-area/
Starting your kitchen renovation at Menards and then jumping to Haas tells me that you probably would be best served (like most people) by stopping to shop for cabinets and instead shopping for a good cabinet dealer and a designer. Hopefully we have a recommended dealer near you.
If not how about calling all the Lowes and Home Depots near you to find the most experienced kitchen designer working there. Both of those home centers carry some decent cabinet lines especially Lowes. While their designers are less experienced in general, they will have a few experienced ones that if you call around hopefully you can find.
Randy
Thank you so much for the info it’s really very helpful. Their lack of transparency is very concerning to me as well. I’m just starting to scratch the surface on looking. After reading some stuff here and on the post for last year(unless this is the same comment thread)I think maybe I’ll look towards Haas next and see how I feel about them.
Christina
Thank you so much. This is a great help!
Christina
This blog site is so helpful and generous on your part. Thank you.
We live in a small town in MD and have limited choices for kitchen designers. I have met with several though and received fairly similar suggestions for layout.
Waypoint (10k) Wolf (13k) and Centra by Mouser (16k) have been presented by different designers – each promoting their own brand. For a painted shaker cabinet, will I end up with a significantly better finish and/or cabinet with the Mouser line? Yes, they are more customizable, which provides a few better adjustments, but if the design doesn’t warrant a lot of measurement fine tuning, does it still make sense to spend more among these choices? I see you have given all of them fairly good grades (I’ve already ruled out Yorktowne based on your grades). Again, thank you. These feel like daunting choices.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
The choice here is between Wolf and Mouser. The Mouser finish won’t be more durable but it will have less tiny imperfections. The Mouser cabinetry will also probably be less likely to have shipping damage. And the cabinet construction while very similar in overall durability will have higher standards in Mouser. Such as dovetails having smoother joints. Look closely at the displays in the showrooms for each line. It does seem like you are getting a good price for the Mouser and the Wolf is usually only 15 or 20% more than Waypoint so your Wolf pricing seems a little high in Wolf for the same design.
Randy
Do you know anything about Cardell Cabinets? It appears they are exclusive to Menards but after doing some digging looks like that’s a newer thing. Is this the same company that looks to have gone out of business a not too long ago? I only stopped at Menards to get an idea, I’m not focused on buying there but I was told Cardell’s top of the line is the best that Menards carries and I just wonder if it’s even worth considering.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
After Cardell cabinetry went bankrupt in 2014 the Cardell name was acquired by US cabinet giant Masco in 2015. Masco’s existing plants are now manufacturing the Cardell cabinets sold at Menards. The Cardell web site doesn’t give enough information for us to be able to rate them. Certainly the only line that would possibly be acceptable would be their top line upgraded to all plywood construction if possible. This might possibly be rebranded Kraftmaid.
The two US cabinet giants are Masco and Masterbrands. When Masco bought Kraftmaid they promised to keep the Kraftmaid quality the same despite the less well made other cabinet lines under the Masco Roof. Much like the other cabinet giant Masterbrands kept Decora their top line untouched.
Since the cabinet worlds upheaval in 2009 -2010 Both cabinet giants seem to be heading in different directions. Masterbrands surprisingly seems to be becoming a better company and seems to be upgrading the construction on their lines. The vibe I get is that Masco is slipping. The fact that they aren’t transparent about how the Cardell line is made I find distressing.
Linda
Thanks so much for all your great information! Can you please help me with a comparison? We are building a new home and our builder uses Medalion, Eschelon and CNC cabinets. We do like the look of full overlay cabinets in a shaker style and want to select sturdy cabinets that are the best value within our options. What would you suggest?
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Linda,
We review all three of these lines here. Eschelon we do not recommend. Medallion and CNC are fine but they are both completely different type cabinet lines and Medallion is probably around double the price of CNC. So it depends on what your budget is. In general I would recommend at least a slightly more expensive cabinet line than CNC. If you can afford Medallion that’s great but there will be other cabinet lines that are less expensive that you might like equally well. If you do go with Medallion the line MUST be upgraded to all plywood construction to be as well constructed as even the far less expensive CNC.
Paul McAlary
While I don’t know Tedwood that well. They look like a well made custom cabinet line that will be better made and more beautiful than Schrock – but also at least 15% more. In a simple shaker white door it may not be worth it. But if you take advantage of the best reason to get custom cabinets namely inset and beaded inset cabinetry it will be cost even more than that but also be more worth it.
Michael Marston
Thanatos again for all the great info. I’d like your opinion of Tedwood vs Schrock? White painted shaker doors.
Ruth
Hi Paul,
I was just looking at Merillat and the information given was that they have improved and that their Majesty line is of good quality. What is your take on this?
Ruth
Lauren Shaw
This website is AWESOME. Thanks for sharing all this info. So sad I don’t live near Philly or I’d hire y’all in a heartbeat. I have two questions I’m hoping you can help with. 1) Is the “All Wood” cabinet manufacturer you rated here the same as the “All Wood” brand cabinets (allwoodfast dot com) that sells through Costco? 2) I’m in Austin, TX. I tried a link on your “find a local designer” listing and the one shown as being in Austin is actually in The Woodlands, north of Houston. If there isn’t a designer you feel comfortable with in Central TX, what tips can you offer to evaluate potential designers? I read the steps you go through to evaluate others, but I doubt I’d be able to spot a design error in their Houzz pages unless it were something really glaring, like a big intrusion into the work triangle. Even personal recommendations from neighbors can be dicey — few homeowners are informed enough to know how knowledgeable/talented their designer really is. Do you have a list of “common errors” or “great design” attributes to watch for? Grateful for any light you can shed. Thanks again for spending your time educating folks outside your sales range!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi lauren,
Yes the All Wood cabinets are sold at Cosco and are an inexpensive well made cabinet. HOWEVER Costco’s employees like IKEA’s are unqualified to design a kitchen, so getting a deal there could be opening a can of worms.
You should have knowledgeable design help all the way through a kitchen renovation. In general Home centers like Lowes and The Home Depot have designers far better than Costco and IKEA. The Costco cabinets I have never seen but they do have well constructed specifications. Costco also has knock off professional appliances that I have seen and are good buys and probably a safer way to save.
As far as a cabinet dealer is concerned Austin is a tough market. FBS Factory Builder Stores seems to be the only company without major mistakes in their Houzz photos that also sells cabinets to the public and carries some OK cabinet brands. Some very high end designers and custom cabinet makers look OK but not truely special and even they and others in Austin seem to be OK showcasing design mistakes. Even dangerous ones.
We ran into this in LA too. Sometimes cutting edge can also mean a little crazy and very overpriced. I am going to add FBS to our list of recomended suppliers even though they are not bowling me over. See information below:
Factory Builder Stores
8700 Fallbrook
Austin, TX 77064
281-709-6389
Ruth
Thank you for your quick response. It helps so much when making
When making this costly investment.
Paul McAlary
I would agree with that order. However there isn’t much difference in cabinet construction across these lines. The more expensive lines just offer more options and some really nice looking finishes.
Ruth
Hi Paul,
How is CWP? Another showroom rated it this way,
CWP, Legacy, then Fabuwoodin descending order. Do you agree?
Ruth
Paul McAlary
My guess is that the backs are a 3/8″ plywood hanging rail over 1/8″ back. It only says 1/8″ ply in their specbook though.
Ruth Carr
Hi again,
I just noticed that Waypoint says it has 5/8″ dovetailed doors with plywood bottoms and the website says it meets ANSI and KCMA standards and offers a lifetime limited warranty. Face frames are made with 3/4 ” by 1 5/8 inch solid hardwood. It is curious they don’t mention the backs. I had asked the salesman if the backs were 1/2 inch and he said yes. Could they possibly have a top line. I am skeptical since they also sell Kainart which you rated overall as a D.
Ruth Carr
Thank you very much for this information,Paul. It has been helpful.
Paul McAlary
Not a huge fan of any of these lines. Waypoint has 1/2 inch plywood sides when upgraded but a 1/8″ back and they tell us no more after that. Not encouraging. Cubitec also leaves mysteries as to how they make cabinets.
Ruth
Hi Paul,
I live in the Albany, New York area and visited a showroom that carried Cubitac, Kabinart and Waypoint cabinets. I see you rated Waypoint a B for quality and value. Could you explain the rating? Also, do you know of the quality of Cubitac out of New Jersey? Looking to do a white kitchen.
Mike
Hi,
Can you rank these manufacturers in terms of quality? Trying to determine which brand to go with:
Choices are:
JSI Cabinetry essex door style
Hanssem
Fabuwood Galaxy line
CNC Elegant white line
Or, are they so close in terms of quality i could go with any of them… I’m getting a similar price quote for all.
thanks
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Mike,
Fabuwood is a nicer line than CNC which we carry and JSI which we doo not. We are reviewing Hanssen and are considering carrying the line but I am still too unfamiliar with the line to say much more than that they are in the same ballpark as all these lines. At first glance I like them second to Fabuwood.
Paul McAlary
Thanks Michael,
It’s nice to be appreciated for doing it.
Michael Marston
Thanks for the detailed information, you are providing a great service to folks who aren’t even doing business with you.
Elise Perelman
Hi, I am considering fabuwood vs. Wolf and great northern. How does great northern compare to these other two? Thanks! This is invaluable.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Don’t know Great Northern sorry. If it is comparable price wise to the other two, play it safe and stick with them.
Kim Kauffman
Thank you for your help! I’ve recently moved here from San Diego to be close to my grandchildren. It sounds like the weather isn’t the only thing lacking in Cleveland. 😊
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Kim,
Actually we sometimes have a hard time in even big cities. It took two of our designers over an hour to find a dealer we were even OK with in Los Angeles.
Kimberly Kauffman
Thank you for this informative site. Can you recommend a dealer in Cleveland Ohio? You don’t offer one on your list.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
We had a tough time in Cleveland. The best I could find was:
Somrak Kitchens
26201 Richmond Road
Bedford Hts., Ohio 44146
(216) 785-2211
But they they specialize in more expensive lines. Wellborn would be the best line that might still be reasonably priced. I also did not love their designs. However everybody else in Cleveland seemed to be worse and many dealers had major design mistakes on their Houzz page and website. Not a ringing endorsement but the best I could find.
Velma
First, thank you for a wealth of information! My kitchen designer has recommended Wellborn Premier Bishop style cabinets. I’m thinking plywood vs mdf and I want white painted cabinets…maybe with a pewter glaze. $10,000 for a small galley kitchen seems high priced. In your opinion, is this money well spent and are painted cabinets easy to clean. Should I ask for a special finish?
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Painted cabinets are easy to clean but also more easily damaged by water than stained cabinets. So always dry off cabinets quickly after cleaning with a damp cloth. The pewter glaze could be costing you 15% so if you are on a budget I’d consider eliminating the glazing. The cabinets are a good brand and in general a good investment.
Michael Marston
I appreciate all this great info. Have you heard about Tedd Wood cabinets? We’re considering their frameless cabinets for a kitchen remodel. Our designer is suggesting them over KitchenCraft
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Michael,
Ted Wood would be a far better cabinet than KitchenCraft in a plywood framless box.
However if you are not getting a modern slab door style frameless cabinet construction makes little sense. You could get a Framed cabinet better made than any frameless line for less. In the very modern foil doors frameless will be the only sensible option but you are sacrificing cabinet strength and durability for style. If you like the modern styles make sure your designer designs with the cabinet construction taken into account. This means among other considerations:
No cabinet doors wider than 18″
No cabinet drawers wider than 30″
Limiting the use of stressful gadgetry like mixer bases and Magic Corners.
Kitchen designers that favor frameless lines worry me. Often these designers focus only on style and color. They ignore construction and function considerations. They also rarely consider moving walls doorways, windows, plumbing and other building changes, because they know very little about them. Moving these layout changers are the first considerations for the best kitchen designers.
Some of the best kitchen designers I know are women partly because they have great style and color sensibilities and they took the time to gain the construction expertise needed to be a good kitchen designer. For example the woman designer that works for our company Stacia Fischer has a lead carpenter certification from NARI (The National Association of Remodelers)and a college degree from The Art Institute. But some of the most dangerous kitchen designers I know are also women. They are often interior designers that focus exclusively on style and color. They will design dysfunctional sometimes even dangerous kitchens and to a person these worst of the worst designers almost all favor working in frameless cabinet construction.
If the cabinet line your kitchen designer prefers is a frameless line even when your kitchen style is traditional then watch out! You are probably working with one of these dangerous myopic style focused kitchen designers.
Emma
Thank you again for your quick response. It really helps on which one to go with. The dealer does have a good reputation with Fabuwood. If anything is wrong, they will deal with them and not me. Thanks again!
paul mcalary
Just saw the door style was Nexus. for the same design I would save money and get Fabuwood here. Make sure the dealer has a good reputation. Fabuwood does not screen dealers so their are some terrible Fabuwood dealers. Remember you are not buying cabinets from the cabinet company you are buying them from the dealer.
Paul McAlary
Hi Emma,
Landmark is a very good line. We would gove it an A for construction and the Teddwood custom framed line an A+. I don’t know pricing though so I can’t rate it for value beyond guessing that it can’t be bad. You don’t say what style door and what color you are picking so I can’t say whick line is a better buy of the three above. For a painted white shaker or recessed panel door I would pick Fabuwood. Stains would depend on the wood and color. Be careful with DuraSupreme the finishes are great but the cabinets MUST be upgraded and the company is not not trustworthy so the dealer you buy from is very important.
Emma
Have you heard of Landmark by Teddwood? How would you rate these cabinets? Homecrest over Fabuwood and DuraSupreme?
Emma
Thank you for replying so quickly. The two cabinet options are: Fabuwood Allure/Nexus/Frost and Duraspreme Meridien Linen White.
Tracey Gratch
In a white shaker would you recommend Waypoint or Diamond? Also in Waypoint what is the difference between 410F and
Tracey
In a white shaker would you recommend Waypoint or Diamond? Also in Waypoint what is the difference between 410F and 650F? Thanks!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Don’t know 410 vs 650. Ask the dealer.
Tracey
In white shaker cabinets would you recommend Waypoint or Diamond? I am considering Waypoint 410F. What is the difference between 410F and 650F ? Thanks.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
I would recommend Fabuwood for a white shaker style. They are less expensive, better constructed, and better looking than both these choices. Make sure you buy them from a reputable dealer. Fabuwood has some bad dealers as they do very little screening of who the sell to.
Angelo28
I’m in love with decora cabinets but it’s about 10,000 dollars above my price range. A cabinet supply I’ve been pricing with said I should look into waypoint. I’ve noticed they also have a lifetime warranty. Any other recommendations you have.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Angelo,
Since you say what style and color you are considering Just use the ratings here.
Emma
I am dealing with a contractor and designer. We are remodeling our kitchen and it’s between two cabinets Durasupreme and Fabuwood. We don’t want to break the bank, but want to have a great looking kitchen and functional that we can use for a long time without falling apart. Which one would you recommend and why? Thank you!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Emma,
You don’t say what color and style. For a painted finish I would recommend Fabuwood hands down. I would not recommend DuraSupreme as a good buy or as a responsible company unless you are dealing with a cabinet dealer with an impeccable reputation. DuraSupreme does have beautiful stained finishes but DuraSupreme did not honor their warranty with one of our customers when we carried their line and we had to compensate our customer when they would not. Their cabinets also must be upgraded to the highest construction level to equal the Fabuwood construction quality.
I had never heard of a manufacturer that had complaints listed from their own dealers with the Better Business Bureau until Durasupreme.
Nelda
I’m remodeling my small kitchen. My cabinet choices are Mid Continent mdf or Wellborn Premier mdf. I’m so confused. They both have many poor reviews. Which is the better of these poorly reviewed cabinet makers. Thanks! Of course my designers love them.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Wellborn makes a good cabinet but not the premier line. I’d either upgrade Wellborn to plywood construction or find a different line than these two poor selections. Cabinet reviews by consumers are pretty much worthless (see this link for the reasons)
I think our reviews here are far more reliable but good grades in any of the lines we list ASSUMES that they have been upgraded to all plywood construction.
Mark B
Hi: Are you familiar with Greenfield Cabinets? I would welcome your assessment, if you are. Thanks!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Sorry we don’t know the line and their web site offers no construction specifics. They may make decent cabinets but I will always like a company that is transparent over one that only offers spin.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Fabuwood has some nicer finishes and is a little more custom. It’s probably 10% more than the other two lines and worth the money. If you like a particular finish in the other two lines more stick with them.
Ruth
Paul,
Thank you so much for the wealth of information that you have shared here. I am down to these 3 cabinet lines between Fabuwood, J&K or Wolf. Can you rate them or what would be the best choice and why? Considering quality and price.
PatG
I am having a new house built and the contractor has proposed Schrock Entra Amira slab drawer for kitchen and Aristokraft Brellin slab drawer in PureStyle laminate for laundry and bathrooms. I am concerned about how laminate will look and hold up. What are your thoughts or recommended alternatives. I am ok spending a little more. Thanks.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Not really a fan of either line (see our ratings) and slab doors are more appropriate for high rises and condos than new homes. It may be your taste but it is less popular with the public and so if this is your final home don’t worry but if you want resale value a shaker style door would be a better choice.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Don’t expect Brookhaven quality for the 40% less Fabuwood prices. Fabuwood will be as close as you can get though for significantly less.
MKSmith
Thank you Paul! Any other line you recommend that will give me the quality of Brookhaven at a lower price point?
MKSmith
Hi Paul – This blog has been the best advice I have ever seen online. Thank you for taking the time to answer questions and review cabinet lines. My last two kitchens were Brookhaven – mainly because I really liked the Kitchen Designer and all she sold were Brookhaven and Woodmode. I am in the process of building again and was hoping to not spend quite so much on cabinetry. I loved my Brookhaven cabinets and my main fear is that I will be disappointed with another line. Do you think cabinets by Fabuwood or Wolf will give me the same “feel” as Brookhaven? Looking to do White Shaker again. Thanks so much!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Fabuwood will not look very different or wear much differently. However customization and the design catalogue will be more limited in Fabuwood. Wolf you might be disappointed in. And expect more shipping damages and replacement doors and drawers being needed. But good dealers will take care of any issues.
Lina
Thank you for all your time to post this invaluable information. I am in the beginning of planning a new kitchen. I plan to use a designer. You mention on this blog that framless cabinets are usually the only option for slab type doors. I am really attracted to a very modern, sleek look but understand from your recommendations why a framed cabinet is preferable. Is there a relatively inexpensive option as far as you know for a slab door with a framed cabinet that would look decent? Waterworks does a beautiful job in my opionion. But they are very expensive custom made. BTW you wouldn’t service NYC, would you? Thanks in advance
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Most cabinet lines that are framed and will do slab doors. However they won’t do the most modern styles in framed cabinets. This means that the will do slab wood and painted doors. Some lines like Bishop will even modern style Pillow Slab doors. However very few will do the most modern laminate, foil, acrylic, or exotic wood slab doors. This is because on a painted slab door or a natural wood slab door styles the look still comes out well (not “as well” though) as with frameless. But in the most modern styles the framed cabinets just can’t pull off the look and it would look silly IMO.
So if you want a painted or stained slab and the most durable option framed should be fine but if you want the modern laminate, foil, acrylic, or exotic wood slab doors get frameless and have the designer design for a frameless line. IE keeping door widths no wider than 18″, drawers no wider than 30″, and upgrading to plywood sides if available.
No NYC is outside our service area.
Tracy
Thank you for your amazing cabinet information! We are looking to purchase a 48” vanity with drawers in either white or light gray maple (MDF). We have liked Bertch, Shiloh, Diamond, and upgraded Diamond Vibe. Any thoughts? The other bathrooms have Homecrest. Thanks again!
Don Wamsley
Hi. I am trying to decide between Diamond, Starmark, and Wolf in a Shaker style. Do you have a recommendation as to what I should consider the best value?
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Big price swings between these lines Starmark is the most expensive and a completely a different animal. Upgraded I like both those lines but starmark will cost 80% more because it is more custom .
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Cindy,
I don’t know enough about Crysat to know the difference in the lines well enough to judge.
However NEVER use 39 or 42″ high wall cabinets in a 8′ room. Professionals use 36″ high wall cabinets with a stacked molding to allow the cabinets to be leveled. This is a big amateur mistake.
Cindy
Thanks for the info about Crystal and Brighton! I know that Crystal has another line, Current. Is it worth upgrading from Current to Crystal? We don’t need anything custom sized.
Also a design question… with 8 foot ceilings in a traditional colonial, would you choose 42″ wall cabinets with or 39″ with crown molding?