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.”
Geeta
Hi,
I’m comparing waypoint and design craft cabinets. The quotes are $3500 apart. Honestly I’m not sure which one to pick. Both are plywood construction. Could you kindly hellp me ? Which is a better product and value for money.
Thanks.
Geeta
Shana
Hi Paul!
We plan on purchasing cabinets with a paint finish. Our cabinet dealer is encouraging us to get Kraftmaid cabinets bc they have the “DuraKraft” finish where they bake on the top coat. Are these baked on finishes really that much more durable then regular paint finishes? Also, we wanted to buy Taj Mahal quartzite for our countertops, but we have heard mixed reviews about whether it etches or not. Do you have an opinion on quartzite(TajMahal specifically if your familiar with it)?
Marci A Roper
What do you think of Crystal’s Current Value
Line? Thanks in advance for your advice.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Sorry I don’t know the line and the Crystal Web site doesn’t say anything about it.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Todd,
As I said is the last post:
“Kraftmaid is the best selection for the lines you mention.”
“However if you are on a budget there are much less expensive lines that will be just as durable but maybe not have as nice stained finishes and as many style and color choices. They are rated right here on the blog you are posting on.”
Examples are:
Fabuwood, Wolf, 6Square, Waypoint, and many other that get B’s and A’s for construction and are only 1’s and 2’s for price point. They will be far better made that IKEA, they all come assembled, and they will cost only a little more than IKEA. But like IKEA they will all be at least 30% less than upgraded Kraftmaid.
todd
Hey pmcalary,
Thanks for the quick response! I guess I was really wondering what your experience/thoughts were for Kraftmaid vs. Diamond or Thomasville? These cabinets will be for our home. The rental we used IKEA and had a good experience so were considering them, but are very openminded to other options. If you were to spend 10K-15K on cabinets and hopefully countertops, where would you go for a 10×12 kitchen….?
Thanks so much!
Todd
Hi There!
Thanks for all the great info! This site has been incredibly helpful so far! We are in the midst of a DIY kitchen remodel for our home. We intend on being there for awhile, so are willing to invest a little more…that being said, the sky is not the limit as we have to work within a budget…We did a remodel on a kitchen last year in a rental in which we used IKEA. They turned out great and we had an overall great experience, so we are considering using IKEA again for this project. We have also been looking at Lowes and Home Depot for some direction and to see what else is out there, which led us to Kraftmaid, Diamond and Thomasville. Do you have any suggestions with these brands or insight as to which direction to lean? Is there something better out there you would suggest? We have been trying to find reviews for each but keep ending up in the same place! Any help you can offer will be much appreciated! Thanks so much!
Todd
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Todd,
There are much better lines to install in a rental property than IKEA. You want “durable” in a rental and that is the opposite of the IKEA product. There are many framed lines that will be only a tiny bit more expensive than IKEA and they will come assembled and will be made to last.
Kraftmaid is the best selection for the lines you mention. However if you are on a budget there are much less expensive lines that will be just as durable but maybe not have as nice stained finishes and as many style and color choices. They are rated right here on the blog you are posting on. We believe our reviews are more reliable than consumer reviews since homeowners don’t know anything about cabinetry and write reviews when they finish their kitchen not 15 years later when they are forced to replace IKEA or other poorly constructed cabinetry.
See our blog on this issue:
https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/ikea-effect-physiological-phenomenon-drives-kitchen-designers-crazy/
Southwestern Cabinet Researcher
Thanks Paul McAlary for your and your team’s amazing work to help clueless people like me learn the ins and outs of good cabinet construction and steer us toward prudent choices. I wanted to leave a note for anyone in the Dallas, Texas, area about 4 brands you have ranked well which are available through distributors here since – as others have noted – it is quite true that many of your ranked manufacturers are located in the North and Northeastern US and don’t have distributors in the Southwestern US. As of December 2018, Bertch is carried by Cedar Hill Design Center in Cedar Hill, Texas; Plato Woodwork is carried by Factory Builder Stores in Grapevine, Texas; Starmark is carried by Euro Design Build in Richardson, Texas; and Waypoint is carried by several different distributors in the Dallas/Fort Worth area as shown by a dealer search on Waypoint’s website. Please take care that Waypoint is a lower-tier brand and doesn’t offer the same quality of construction, finishes or smoothly-operating hardware as the first “price category 4” three brands mentioned, but Waypoint would be a step up in both quality and price from Ikea. You list Waypoint as a “2” on price. Thanks again for your fantastic help!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Thanks Valerie! You are an honorary member of the Main Line Kitchen Design Team. And thanks for getting the price point structure of our ratings with you observation on Waypoint. So many people misunderstand that important subtlety to the ratings.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Leslie,
Agreed. These same issue cross all professions. I have had many people in other industries tell me that Consumer Reports are ridiculously flawed in their industries too for similar reasons.
And people not valuing others time is also universal.
Two funny videos to make the point:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2a8TRSgzZY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxJgxCeeNTo&t=
Leslie King
Understood and appreciated. Everyone’s professional time is worth money. I find your scenario the same in my line of business – those potential clients draining me of multiple trips, phone calls, sales presentations, and time with no consideration (or thoughts of how much billable time I am losing to do this) often choose someone else (or worse, try to do it on their own) OR are nightmare clients with which to work. Again, your blog is invaluable and appreciated – what you do is such a great service to consumers seeking to buy cabinets.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Medallion does have some distinctive and beautiful stains. In fact were stains as popular as paints I would have more seriously considered carrying the Medallion line.
And yes, re-branding is not transparent on the part of the cabinet makers and dealers. But customers refusing to value and pay for designers time and experience is what drives the manufacturers desire to keep customers from excessive shopping and from stealing design work from one place to price at the next place.
Designers are acutely aware of this and so usually the people that try to take advantage the most eventually meet an unscrupulous designer that sells them downgraded cabinetry for less but at an inflated price. This is easy for an experienced dishonest designer to do because cabinetry is far more complicated then consumers understand.
Some people’s lack of respect for the value of our time is over the top. Two examples are:
We give people free help both on our blog and we answer questions free of charge for people outside our service area most Fridays 2-4 pm. Still people call us and email us knowingly wanting free advice when THEY want it and are MAD when we ask them to call 2-4 pm on Fridays or to ask their questions on the blog.
Or – We charge a $150 deposit that’s applied towards cabinetry for our first two appointments and eight hours of our time. People owning multi-million dollar homes and considering 100K kitchen renovations routinely are not only unwilling to pay a $150 deposit for experienced advice but are incensed that we won’t price out a terrible design they essentially stole from their last designer free of charge.
Because of our more modern and streamline business model we are actually about 10% less than home centers for semi custom cabinets and 20% less than most more expensive showrooms for custom cabinetry. So the people so obsessed with price that they won’t pay anything for our time usually end up paying more for cabinetry to work with less experienced designers. That’s the real point of the $150 deposit. It screens out the tougher customers who don’t value us and that we would prefer not working with.
And so we end up working with much nicer people that value both our time and our expertise. And because these customers are easier to work with, and are more honest, it allows us to help more people across all price points. Our customers save money and I believe get better designs, and we make more money doing it. In the kitchen business, the toughest 20% of your customers are 80% of your work and they are also more likely to give unwarranted bad reviews.This is also why I answer most of our blogs, emails and calls to our main number. Being the owner of the company I recognize the 20% more easily and try to keep our customer base nicer people that will respect us.
So when customers are interviewing me to decide if they would like to work with Main Line Kitchen Design I am also interviewing them. We do not care what a customer’s budget is because less expensive kitchens are less complicated and require less work on our part. We can make money on less expensive kitchens as well as incredibly expensive very detailed custom kitchens so long as the people we are working with are respectful of our time and nice.
Leslie King
By the way, like you, I really hate the rebranding. I had no idea Schuler and Medallion were the same line with different names.
Leslie King
Excellent, very fact driven answer. Thank you SO much for explaining this more. I love the Medallion smoke stain on maple; I cannot seem to find that exact true charcoal of that tint in another line in my area. The others are either way too dark or have more brown in them. Logic tells me it is ridiculous to make a decision based on a stain color, but I want what I want. I noticed you had mentioned the Medallion stains are very nice so I think you know what I mean. I will be checking out those other brands you mentioned. I checked out Wood-Mode today as I see it is a brand you often speak very positively about and you rate it very good – I have not seen the estimate but the store owner talked like it would be very high. You have the pricing similar to upgraded Medallion – I hope that is the case. Thanks again – I LOVE YOUR BLOG.
Leslie King
I have just spent three hours plus reading your blogs with great intensity. I am so grateful that you are willing to take the time and effort to share your abundance of well-researched knowledge with the community – this truly sets your credibility at the highest level. I was set to buy Medallion Premium cabinets from Menard’s, white painted maple for top and smoke stained maple for bottoms, when I came upon the many negative reviews from consumers about the Medallion line. Consistently, the themes were: (1) warped or flawed cabinets upon delivery and the lengthiness of getting replacements, (2) chipped paint at the 4-5 year mark or earlier (sometimes upon arrival) even in low use areas and in some cases significant wearing/fading of the stained cabinets near handles, and (3) rude and poor customer service when trying to get a problem resolved. I was crushed because I have not enjoyed the cabinet shopping experience – shopping is not my thing period. Now, I know you do not like consumer reviews and have read your article on why. But, I also have caught you mentioning a number of times your family is the rep for Medallion and you are “trying to be fair”. You have rated Medallion high marks on your list but what exactly does “trying to be fair” mean? You are generally really direct and I cannot figure out what you are trying to say here? Do you not like these cabinets and you are trying to stay in favor for holiday dinners or are you trying not to be too favorably biased about them because the family connection? Should I read into the fact that you do not carry these as one of your lines? (By the way, I wrote to Medallion to ask about these trends in the poor reviews and my inquiry was referred to “management” today…I am interested in their response too). Second, 8′ ceilings with a one foot soffit topped with standard crown molding – advice on cabinet height? THANK YOU.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Leslie,
Thanks for bringing up a couple of great topics to address:
First, Do I or Main Line Kitchen Design rate Medallion with a slightly weighted scale due to my extended family being the reps for Medallion in New England. The answer is most definitely no.
We give Medallion a B+ for construction when it is upgraded to 1/2″ plywood sides. It would get poor marks at it’s lower level particle board construction. But Medallion gets exactly the same marks as all the other lines that use the same construction when upgraded. We give Medallion a C+ rating for value which is not particularly great.This is because they are a pretty expensive line and other lines offer the same very nice type finishes and the ability to customize usually for a bit less. StarMark, Fieldstone, and Brighton would be three examples, but there are many others. All of Main Line Kitchen Design’s designers have sold all 4 of these lines in their careers, and I believe we all agree on our rating, and I will double check. This is also why I decided not to carry Medallion. Not because Medallion is inferior but because I believe Brighton is a better value. And the Wellsford line we sometimes sell is a true custom line with even nicer finishes for around the same price.
As far as bad reviews for Medallion: I never pay any attention to reviews consumers give any cabinet lines. Consumers have no idea how one line compares to another or what properties to expect from a finish. Consumer ratings are ridiculously flawed which is why I began our blogs on rating cabinets. Here is a link to our blog on the two biggest extremes in flawed consumer reviews namely Kraftmaid and IKEA.
https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/hard-compare-kitchen-cabinet-brands/
The bad reviews you brought up mentioning things such as paint chipping, finish wear, and shipping damage are prime examples of consumers not knowing anything beyond the fact that they paid a lot of money for cabinets and expect no issues. However all paint chips, all cabinet finishes are worn out by the acid on human fingertips over time, and Medallion has no more shipping damage to my knowledge than similar lines. Of course replacement parts take a long time BECAUSE the more expensive and higher end cabinet lines all are finishing and making many parts custom, and custom means extended lead times.
For example order lead times in the lines we carry vary from 2 weeks up to 14 weeks for the most expensive custom cabinetry. And rushed replacement parts can take between a few days and 6 weeks depending on the line and how custom the part. Buying very expensive cabinetry and then complaining that they take too long means that you just didn’t get it.
When you buy an expensive kitchen you are buying customized fine furniture. And like fine furniture the finish can be delicate for some finishes, the wood will have all the inconsistencies of the species you select, and complex kitchens will always come with needed follow ups, replacements, and possibly some in the field modifications requiring more sophisticated installers. To expect differently is to be ignorant of the properties of the product you spent so much to purchase.
Consumer ignorance can often be blamed on inexperienced kitchen designers that don’t explain to their customers what they are buying. The fact that Medallion is sold at Mennards and at Lowes (under the name Schuler) makes them more likely to have the review problems that Kraftmaid gets, See the previous link. Because the designers at these stores are less experienced and so consumers end up being less informed. And since Medallion is about 30% more than Kraftmaid they will receive even more complaints.
Missi Smith
Hi Paul – the cabinet company our builder suggested has the following lines: Marsh, Luxury Line, Designers Choice, Conestoga, Tedd Wood, and Landmark. Do you like any of these lines? I have always had Wood Mode cabinetry, but I would like to do something a little less expensive this time. What are your thoughts? Thanks so much!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Designers Choice is a good cabinet line and a little less than Wood Mode.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Unless there are upgrades to plywood construction that are not on the Merillat web site their cabinetry is poorly constructed.
We haven’t noticed a big difference in paint durability across different cabinet lines. Although some paints could actually be opaque stains that wear better. If you have tested the two paints then you would know better. Just make sure you are testing sample doors and not wood samples that won’t necessarily be indicative of anything. If the paint really is more durable then I guess you can choose between a more durable box or finish. If the paint gets chipped refinishers can touch up a kitchen usually for a few hundred dollars. If the cabinets fall off the wall and the exposed sides delaminate that will be a far bigger issue.
Shana
Hi Paul,
Our dealer is offering us either Wellborn or Merillat Masterpiece for around the same price. We were more impressed by Merillats small sample pieces then by wellborns. The paint finish seemed more durable when we tried scratching it and the stains had a richer look. How much can we judge the companies based on those samples? Based on your reviews it seems to be a no-brainer to buy the wellborn. Our dealer is saying the Merillat masterpiece has the most durable paint finish on the
market, sounds hard to believe. We are very interested to hear your opinion. Thanks!
Paul McAlary
You can call between 2 pm and 4 pm EST on a Friday and a designer can try fining one for you. This Friday I am on deck.
Susannah
Thanks very much, Paul. I’m not having luck finding Fabuwood dealers in Wisconsin; any leads?
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Saj,
Wellsford but you are giving us no information
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Ali,
I don’t know Greensfield and their web site doesn’t say how they are built as far as I can see. you can call on a Friday between 2-4pm and a designer could see if they could find another showroom near you.
Susannah
Hello! We’re buying a home with what looks like higher-end kitchen cabinetry from 1972. (Brandom, I think? The house was the builder’s own.) We’re trying to decide how to upgrade the look, but as much as we’d rather just replace the doors, it looks like we may need to do all new cabinets. So we went to the dealer who did a great job on our current house with well-designed Fieldstone.
Question: if we are trying to save money but still get a quality product, would you go with Fieldstone or KraftMaid? This dealer also sells Diamond/Diamond Vibe and Merillat, among others. We’re looking at Shaker style; we were originally thinking painted gray finish, but it looks like stains are less expensive than painted ones.
Otherwise, should we look for a reputable Fabuwood dealer?
Is there ANY reputable place or strategy for replacing just the doors? Our current style has a cathedral arch as well as a headboard center panel, and we really prefer a simpler look. We just found ourselves with less of a remodeling budget than anticipated.
This blog is amazing! Thanks!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Susannah,
Replacing the doors rarely makes sense. Add to that that the hinges, tracks and the drawer construction for a kitchen built in 1972 wouldn’t be as well made as Fabuwood or any quality lower cost line. Doors and drawer fronts account for about 70% of a cabinets cost. This is why refacing usually saves little or nothing on the cost of cabinetry.
Most importantly the layout of the kitchen should be changed. Of course when we tell this to customers nearly every customer would say that the present layout is fine and can’t really be changed that much. However 90% do make significate changes. Because the thing that costs almost nothing is changing the layout of the kitchen. Removing a wall, moving a doorway, gas line, plumbing, or even moving window locations cost next to nothing compared to the cabinet price difference between say Fabuwood and Fieldstone which is about 60% more. Often without knowledgeable help customers will foolishly get very expensive appliances like Subzero or Wolf and yet keep an outdated poor layout.
It makes no sense to spend all this money and not first change the layout to the best one possible. This is what makes your home renovation valuable! Not the colors, styles, makes, and models you choose. Find the best looking and functioning layout first and then buy the materials that are within your budget so long as they are of good quality. GE Profile appliances aren’t as nice looking as Meile, Wolf and SubZero but they are 1/3 the price. Fabuwood is as well constructed as Fieldstone. So while a beautiful Fieldstone stain would look nicer, in a paint you couldn’t tell the difference between cabinet lines.
Find a great kitchen designer first. They will change your kitchen in ways you couldn’t imagine.
For example:
We instruct our designers to intentionally not follow most of what a customer tells them about the design. Why should the least experienced person direct the process from it’s inception? We start by designing the best layout for the space – so at the very minimum a customer gets to see the best design. Then we make changes with customers from there.
The final kitchen is always what the customer chooses. But usually it will end up a compromise between what a good designer recommends and the trade offs the customer chooses. Customers make much different choices when they are forced to see in 3D how designs are effected by giving them their wish list.
Saj
Hi Paul, Signature or Wellsford. Which one is worth for its price?
Thanks, Saj
Alli
I am seeing a lot of designers in Florida going with Greenfield Cabinetry. What do you think of this brand?
Alli
Hi Paul, actually I contacted the dealer you suggested for South Tampa, and they don’t carry any of the top 10 brands that you recommend. They use to carry Fabuwood and Decora, but not anymore. Do you have any other designers in the St. Petersburg/Tampa area? Thanks so much for your help.
Paul McAlary
Not a fan of either line. Eudora by Kitch is a lesser quality frameless box and KCD is RTA. My suggestion here would to not take any more advice from the person that recommended these lines. Find a knowledgeable kitchen designe that carries some better quality inexpensive lines and work with them. If you are close to one of our recommended dealers that would be a good place to start.
Alli
Hi Paul, Thank you so much for an informative blog on cabinetry. I’m renovating my kitchen and I was recommended Eudora or KCD (Kitchen Cabinet Distributors) for my Kitchen cabinets. Have you heard of these and if so, what would you suggest. Thank you!
Elaine
Paul, thank you for giving me some direction and independent opinion. Omega has walnut, but I did not visit their showroom yet, and don’t know their pricing. You gave me a plan B idea – doing walnut stain on a different wood ( in any case I like it darker and with neutral undertones) I did contact Columbia and got their specs pdf – yes, frameless, plywood upgrade on box, although 1/4 on the back with plywood rails, they have full top on base and wall cabinets ( rep said it makes their boxes stronger than others) I will keep your list of rankings and see what I can find here. It seems that East Coast/Midwest have more quality choices.
Paul, appreciate your help!
Joan Rogers
Thanks Paul. I get lost on your site sometimes!
Joan Rogers
Hi Paul. I wrote you last week. I am trying to make our decision before the sale ends on the Kraftmaid cabinets for our 3 bathrooms. I can upgrade to plywood sides or upgrade to all plywood. What do you recommend for bathrooms? Thanks! I appreciate your help.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Joan,
I replied to you earlier on another blog. You posted the same question on two blogs. My answers was:
Plywood sides should be fine for a bath. Or you could even do plywood sides only on all the exposed sides if that’s cheaper. You just want everything exposed to be plywood.
Paul McAlary
Hi Elaine,
Most good kitchen designers work out of showrooms and cabinet dealerships. They are not independent “part time” designers and their design time is incorporated into the cost of the cabinetry you buy from them. It makes little sense designing a kitchen with one person and buying it from another in a line the original designer might have never worked with. If you decide on getting the more expensive walnut cabinetry then seek out a designer that works in a showroom that sells custom cabinets and that gets good reviews. Most of the lines we review that are pricepoint 5 and 6’s will be custom. Omega Pinnacle is a good line and Omega Dynasty is fine especially if you are getting the less durable frameless cabinetry that will look better with contemporary slab style doors. Assuming that Dynasty sells a Walnut door which I didn’t check.
Elaine
Thank you so much for your advise! I guess I will have to do more research. I would think you don’t support Omega in walnut either. I did have a few designers look at my kitchen project and besides giving me a high price (unreasonably high – $70K vs around $50K Woodmode) for some ‘custom’ cabinets without even drawing any plan (plus, that Columbia option, which was much more affordable-$30-35K) I didn’t get any other input as to what to expect. I am afraid to use some unknown custom cabinet maker without actually seeing their work up close. I know I need a good designer but so far wasn’t successful in finding one. Most remodeling places want to use their designers (not necessarily knowledgeable) and that’s only if I use their cabinets, of course . Not sure if hiring independent designer and paying some thousand dollars or more would work, since they won’t know the cabinet maker’s specifications. Literally confused what to do first – design or finding who will supply cabinetry. Again, thank you for all your help. Your website is great – so much useful information! And you are so kind to spend time sharing your knowledge.
Elaine
Hi Paul,
What a great informative, generous and smart blog! I spent hours studying all the information. Still, have some dillema. I checked the only designer (!) you suggest in my area (San Diego) but it doesn’t seem they offer brands I can use – for walnut cabinetry in transitional/contemporary style. I love Woodmode quality and style but the price is too much. The studio I visited carried Woodmode, Brookhaven and Columbia. I couldn’t find specifics for Columbia and from what I was told they were excellent quality. I trust your opinion and you don’t like them. Decora doesn’t have walnut. What other brand(s) available here I could look at? I don’t think I can pick designer/studio unless the can offer what I need. Thank you so much fo any guidance!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Elaine,
Only very expensive custom cabinet lines are going to offer Walnut cabinetry. All of these lines will cost equal to or more than Woodmode. So you will have to either spend more than you’d like on cabinetry or compromise on Walnut. Hickory is the wood that looks the most like walnut and would be offered in lines like Decora. Both of these type woods have huge variations in color so kitchens designed in these woods usually look stripey. Information like this is why you need to work with an experienced kitchen designer. Whatever research you have done up to this point has been less productive because a good kitchen designer should have told you as soon as you brought up Walnut that you would be in custom cabinet pricing and once you were showed a walnut or hickory kitchen you might give up the idea of paying a lot more for so much inconsistency.
Here are links on Houzz.com for two Walnut kitchen examples:
https://www.houzz.com/photo/100404681-hippie-modern-contemporary-kitchen-los-angeles
https://www.houzz.com/photo/18628067-eye-catching-dark-wood-kitchen-with-curved-island-contemporary-kitchen
Here are hickory kitchens:
https://www.houzz.com/photo/1599321-atlanta-dream-home-2009-traditional-kitchen-atlanta
https://www.houzz.com/photo/3855433-mountain-retreat-hickory-kitchen-traditional-kitchen-los-angeles
Ellene
Great blog! I’m a kitchen designer in Baltimore and sell 6 Square and a few other lines. What do you think of 6 Square’s inset cabinets? I’m not aware of any other stock line that offers inset.
Joan Rogers
Hi Paul. I’d like your advice on 3 bathroom remodels. We are using Kraftmaid from Lowe’s. The 3 levels are particle board, upgrade tp plywood ends, and upgrade to all plywood. The costs for our project are +$270 (6%) and +$550 (12%) for the 2 upgrades respectively vs. the particle board. Do you recommend full upgrade for bathrooms? Thank you and Happy Thanksgiving!
Karen
What a fabulous service you provide! Thank you!
We moved to this home 3 months ago and experienced a dishwasher leak last month. New kitchen versus rebuild three to four base cabinets (probably your “homemade” custom cabinet of the locality 35 years ago, oak cabinets are painted now with newer doors/drawers). If we go new kitchen, the contractor’s line is Wolf, which, if we went with that line it would be their designer series with upgraded everything. I am meeting with a local kitchen designer today who knows our situation and carries Wellborn. In our previous home, we had Schuler with all upgrades and a fabulous kitchen designer with 20 years experience. We were so happy with Schuler that we used them in three bathroom remodels in the same house. My question is, with our previous experience, do you believe we will be satisfied with the top of the line Wolf cabinets?
It seems from reading a good amount of questions and your responses that the price point, quality and value are brand and price specific. For instance, comparing Wolf to Wellborn might not be fair as the products might be an apple to oranges type situation?
Thank you!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
There is a big difference between Schuler and Wolf on stained finishes. It is all about looks and not durability. There will be more quality control issues with less expensive cabinetry but Wolf would make it right in the end. Assuming the dealer the contractor uses is good. Don’t do this job half – way take this opportunity to redesign your kitchen with an experienced kitchen designer and listen to their recommendations. 90% of our customers come to us believing that they know the design that they want and yet they choose completely different designs after we show them what’s possible within their budget. Contractors are no help with this, you need to be working with an experienced kitchen designer to see the changes that only the most experienced designers would recommend. The less experienced the designer usually the more the new design resembles what you have now. Or even worse a less experienced or unethical designers will rubber stamp bad designs thought of by homeowners or contractors.
Steve
I was wondering your opinion on Jarlin Cabinets the Perla Line. They look to have checked all the boxes. I was hoping they were on your 2018 listing but didn’t see them. They are featured on the Property Brothers program.
https://jarlincabinets.com/doors_perla.html
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
These are RTA cabinets you put together yourself. While the construction meets all our requirements we seriously advise against buying unassembled cabinetry. It guarantees that a novice is building your cabinets and that you do not have a qualified kitchen designer.
Steven
We had water damage to our kitchen cabinets so need to replace them. Our contractor’s “cabinet guy” sells Merillat but the Merillat Masterpiece upgraded to all plywood cost close to $23,000. We went to Home Depot and got a reasonable price for Kraftmaid with the upgrade to all plywood. I know they are owned by the same company. Is the Kraftmaid sold by Home Depot good quality or is it inferior to Kraftmaid sold by non-big box stores? We are also considering American Woodmark? The KD at Home Depot said they were both good. What do you recommend?
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Steven,
Kraftmaid is the same quality wherever you are if you are upgraded to the same level. American Woodmark is well made upgraded. The finishes are just not as nice looking. If you like the finishes and are OK with a little less quality control they are a fine choice.
Dan
Hi Paul
This is a great blog but almost a bit overwhelming. I have read through it and think I have captured some of your themes. We are doing a complete remodel and looking for full overlay Shaker doors painted white. Seems like you do not recommend frameless. Your site also doesn’t recommend a designer in NH. Have you ever researched this area regarding designers? So far the two showrooms we have been in carry the following lines; Fieldstone, Untracraft, Fabuwood, mid continent for one and JSI, Echelon and Showplace for the other. You seem to favor Fabuwood. Is there another of these lines we should look at that is comparable for Price/quality for white Shaker cabinets? Thanks in advance.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
It depends on your design and budget. Most people have very simple designs because they value design less and their designers are less sophisticated. If you aren’t taking advantage of the complex designs and styles you can do in custom or very high end semi-custom cabinetry you are wasting your money buying them. So Fieldstone can be beautiful in inset door styles with complex designs and unusual height cabinets if they are require. If you are not taking advantage of those advantages even Showplace is wasted and I’d save a boatload of money and get Fabuwood.
My Family Owns Eagle Associates in New Hampshire. They are the dealer representatives in New England for Medallion and Plain and Fancy. Great lines if you have a big budget and a sophisticated design. If you are looking for that and willing to spend more you could contact them to find the dealer they recommend. Here is a link:
http://www.eagleassociatesinc.com/
Paul McAlary
B+ is a good rating. We sell cabinet lines that we give a B+ rating to.
Bree
Right, after researching and reading your advice, we are thinking about staying away from frameless and possibly going with Kith, the framed line. Since your site rated that one at a B+, that would be our best option…to go with Kith, the framed line, right? What are your thoughts on Kith, the framed line? Do we have to upgrade framed Kith to get a well-constructed cabinet or is their standard framed Kith fine? Any info on Kith, framed line, would be great! Thank you!
Paul McAlary
No frameless line can be rated above a B, the Kith rating is for their framed line. Their frameless line we would rate We would not well due to their 1/4″ back panel. They might get a C- if we rated them and that would be for the upgraded Plywood box. There are lots of lines listed here that are better than what you are pricing and less expensive. I haven’t seen your design but when the cabinet lines designers recommend are not great choices their designs are often even less thought out.
Bree
Thanks again for your feedback. Kith is rated with a B+ for quality in your above ratings. I’m assuming that would be the best option for us then. What are your thoughts on Kith? Do we have to upgrade Kith to get better construction or is their standard ok? I’ve asked 2 designers about Kraftmaid but was told that would go over our budget and that they often arrive damaged. Therefore, please let me know your thoughts on Kith and if if it will be a good option. Thank you again for your help!
Paul McAlary
We don’t rate these two lines because they give zero specifics on their web sites. They are also not generally known brands in the cabinet world and give off all the vibes that give me a bad feeling. I think you need better design help here. It seems like you could be over paying for cabinetry and getting bad advice. Builders often care nothing about cabinet quality or design and quite frequently are getting kickbacks from the dealers they recommend. So someone impartial kitchen designer could help steer you in a better direction.
You don’t say where you are located but hopefully one of the dealers we recommend is close enough to give you some help.
Bree
Ok, thanks for the response. I don’t think $32,000-$35,000 is cheap! The last two lines I mentioned are Tru Cabinetry and USA Cabinet Solutions. Those lines are not frameless. What can you tell me about those framed lines? Are they well-made? Which one would be the better option? Also, with some changes to our cabinet details, Kith framed cabinets will fit into our budget. Out of those 3 framed cabinet lines, what would you recommend…Kith, Tru Cabinetry, or USA Cabinet Solutions? Thanks for your time.
Bree
Hi! We’re building a house and have met with a few designers. Each designer has recommended a different cabinet line. What do you think about these lines…Kith Eudora (which is Kith’s European/full access line…regular Kith was out of our budget), Ultracraft, Tru Cabinetry, and USA Cabinet Solutions. We’ll be going with a simple shaker door style with maple stiles and rails with flat veneer center. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Not a fan of these frameless lines or frameless in general for a shaker door style. You need to be in more expensive cabinet lines to get a well made frameless cabinet. However there will be inexpensive framed lines that are better made than the most expensive frameless lines. So why pick cheep frameless lines?
Joseph A Ockenfels
Hi Paul,
We have a quote for Forevermark Cabinets. The dealer also sells Fabuwood which you rate well, any idea how they compare with the Forevermark?
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
You don’t say what type of door style, type of wood, or finish. But in general I consider Fabuwood the best value for any of the inexpensive cabinet lines. Forevermark doesn’t say how their cabinets are made so we cannot rate them but they are an inexpensive line like Fabuwood and don’t appear to offer any woods, or finishes that Fabuwood doesn’t do. Wolf Classic would also be a more reliable choice in this price point.
Nick
I’m looking based on value. I want something mid tier. I thought I was getting that with American Woodmark but reviews were not good. I do not know what the ranges for my cabinets should be. I can send you the itemized quotes I have. It would be wonderful if you could give me a rough idea of price I should expect. Is comparing a single cabinet a good way to compare the cost of a manufacturer? Say for example, a 33″ Sink base. Thank you!
Nick Reynolds
I just had a quote done by the company listed for my region, Kinsella, for Marsh cabinets. (price of 2) They came in at $5300 compared to american woodmark at $4200 (price of 3) and Thomasville at $5300 (price of 4). Is that because the reseller is marking them up? I was expecting a lower quote, and even the sales rep told me they are usually more expensive than HD. I’m having a hard time finding someone in my area that will sell a good value cabinet.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Nick,
There are so many variables between cabinet lines and door styles and upgrades that customers are almost never sophisticated enough buyers to be comparing apples to apples across different brands. Were you getting quotes upgrading to plywood construction in all three lines? Were the door styles all standard colors? Was the overlay the same on the doors from each line? (that alone can make a 20% difference in price). Was one place including molding? Sales Tax? Delivery? And lastly different companies have different profit margins. We know that the dealer we recommended is probably more experienced than a Home Depot designer so he could have been including things the Home Depot designer forgot or didn’t include. It is hard to know. All three lines upgraded to plywood sides are pretty well constructed. Marsh and American Woodmark are very, very, similar they each should probably be rated as a 2 1/2 price point if we had that category.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Audrey,
They will probably improve but not as much as you might like.
It sounds possible that your custom cabinetry was made not by a cabinet manufacturer but instead by a very small company.
When most kitchen designers and cabinet dealers talk about custom cabinetry we are not talking about individual cabinet makers making cabinets. We consider those cabinets homemade and not custom.There is MUCH less consistency in this type of cabinetry and finish, and no reliable warranty since the cabinet maker could die, move, or couldn’t afford to replace faulty finish problems or other major issues. The drawer hitting the range, sounds like the kitchen designer was also not a true professional which is not surprising since good kitchen designers work at cabinet dealerships where this type of cabinetry normally isn’t sold.
I’m glad things seem to have worked out and that this last small issue is all that you know of that is left to resolve. But for others reading this – buying cabinets from individual cabinet makers almost assures that you are not working with organized professionals.
Custom cabinetry needs to be made in a plant where conditions, woods, stains, and construction can be consistent, and warrantied. And professional kitchen designers work for companies and dealerships where their design work is also supervised and their orders reviewed by another designer and there cabinet orders are expedited and confirmed with the manufacturer. Contractors and cabinet makers should never, never, never be the people designing your kitchen. It takes a village to make a great kitchen.
Audrey
Hi Paul, I have a question about my newly installed cabinets. They are custom cherry wood, stained and glazed with a veneered MDF panel. I actually asked a question about the panel vs wood and we decided not to go with the ‘striped look’. Thank you for that reply!
Anyway, our cabinets were installed and we noticed that the draws in the peninsula opened up into the stove (yes, they had the specs for all our appliances)…totally their mistake. After weeks, the new peninsula arrived today, and our contractor put it in. I noticed that the frame around the veneered MFD doors is much lighter than the panel, though the four draws are fine (one cabinet with three openings). I contacted our cabinet maker and he spoke to their finishing person who said we should let it sit for a couple of weeks. He said if the doors do not oxidize (lighten or darken) then they will replace them. He said it’s just the nature of the sheet of cherry MDF and the hardwood. My husband is not crazy about waiting again especially since we have 50 doors that were all the same color. The draws in the new peninsula are all the same color too, just the three doors and a draw above two of the doors that are off color. Does what he said make sense to you? We know that cherry oxidizes, but all the other cabinet door and draws are fine. We have been extremely patient but do not want to wait a couple of week to oxidize and then have to wait a couple more weeks for them to remake the doors/draw.
BTW, the cabinets are really beautiful! We are very glad we went with custom but…none of this should have happened!
Thank you in advance!