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.”
Lnwatt
Hello. Trying to decide between two cabinet designers for our new home construction. The one offers Starmark and Norcraft and the other offers Timberlake. Are you able to give me some pros/cons of these brands to help lead me in the right direction? Thank you in advance!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Starmark is a more expensive higher end cabinet than Timberlake. Starmark has nicer looking finishes and a greater ability to customize. Upgraded they both are well made. Norcraft is a lesser cabinet line that can be upgraded to APC (All Plywood Construction) and then would be very similar in construction to Timberlake.
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The designer you work with is so important though that if you aren’t noticing any difference between the knowledge and abilities between two different designers I would think that would mean that neither is exceptional.
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Finding a great designer can transform the value of your home because a better design and layout that might involve more construction work will cost less than the price difference between Starmark and Timberlake. A better looking and functioning design that might remove soffits, or move doorways, remove walls, relocate plumbing and electric, can be the difference between you getting back only some of your renovation investment when you sell your home or often doubling it.
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We have had homes that sold for greater than 5 times the kitchen renovation investment or worst of all sold for more, but to the first buyer that walked in the door. That happens quite frequently when both the homeowner and the real estate agent underestimate the value of good design. Just because other poorly designed homes in your neighborhood sold for no more than X doesn’t mean that a better redesigned home in the same neighborhood won’t sell for a lot more than X.
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This is the false logic that we hear from home owners and realtors frequently. That a home can only sell for a certain price and better design would have no value. Thinking this way gets you what you deserve IMO.
dan
Thanks for your help
Dan
Is Wellborn Forest a comparable option to Kraftmaid or Welborn? I figure since it has a lifetime warranty it must be viewed as a higher quality cabinet.
Thanks in advance for your opinion.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Dan,
All three cabinet lines are constructed well if upgraded. However do not read anything into lifetime warranties for a number of reasons.
First, they are LIMITED lifetime warranties that do not cover wear and tear and are not transferable when you sell your home. They also only cover replacing parts with the closest available alternative. They are NOT guarantees.
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Second, marketing studies have shown time and time again that independent of quality and durability the longer the warranty the LESS the number of replacements requested. Once you put a short timeline on a warranty consumers will scrutinize their purchase to a higher degree and requests replacements before their time runs out.
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Third, some of the cheapest and worst made cabinet lines have lifetime warranties and some of the more expensive and better made lines have 5 year ones. The cheap lines use the warranty to build undeserved confidence in their product while the better made lines know that any reasonable defects in their product will appear in the first few years and just don’t want to deal with the unreasonable ones after that period.
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Kudos to IKEA for a brilliant marketing spin on the lifetime warranty. IKEA is a terribly constructed cabinet. Even delusional IKEA enthusiasts must suspect upon close inspection that IKEA cabinetry can’t be that durable. However giving IKEA cabinets a 20 year warranty suggests that this is how long that they should last. Plenty long for most of their customers needs and so most comforting of all! A lifetime warranty might seem too good to be true and send up red flags.
Samantha
Hi there, just wondering if you had any thoughts on GHI cabinets? They are the ETA cabinets a local company sells. Thanks!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Samantha,
Buying RTA “ready to assemble” cabinets means that you have no professional kitchen designer helping you design and manage the most expensive home improvement you are likely to do. Not getting help when you are not knowledgeable about a complex undertaking translates in kitchens into bad design and spending your budget ineffectively. Saving 10 or 20% on cabinets you put together is never a good idea.
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Strangely though, you will often be happy with the bad result. This is due to the IKEA Effect. A physiological delusion documented by physiologists. The phenomenon is described in our blog below. If you read the actual study it is even more amazing what we can delude ourselves into believing when it comes to our own creations.
https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/ikea-effect-physiological-phenomenon-drives-kitchen-designers-crazy/
Chris
Hi, Thank you for all your analysis!
We live far from any of your recommended designers, could you check out this company, LINK REMOVED and rate them based on the content available? I just met with them and worked through a kitchen design- full overlay shaker with maple, dark stained lowers, white painted uppers. However, I am having trouble verifying quality of their cabinet lines offered, none of which are listed in your rating review. KOCH, and DAKOTA -framed, WYNNBROOKE, and DECOR, which are frameless. Do you have any insight on these brands? “Decor” is a Canadian cabinetmaker (Not the “Decora” brand) and seems to be widely sold in the midwest.
I have read through your blogs extensively, and am a little worried since our designer been recommending the frameless construction (on our full overlay shaker doors).
I am not seeing any design specs on the Decor website.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Chris,
Recommending frameless cabinetry over framed cabinets for a shaker door style shows a lack of understanding about cabinet construction. The Koch Imperial line looks OK. We would give the line a B+ for construction however all exposed ends need to be skinned with real wood as the sides of the cabinets are thin plastic veneers over the plywood sides. if the Dakota is Hansom Dakota that is one of their lesser lines.
The dealership looks inexperienced too, but not incompetent. They only have two Houzz.com reviews and while I don’t like the designs of many of the kitchens they display on their web site and on their Houzz.com page their designs don’t show any mistakes. Surprisingly that is actually an accomplishment. Most kitchen cabinet dealers are so clueless that they display mistakes that are dangerous or against building code on their own web sites.
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So a tough call here. The designer and the company don’t impress, but you could do a lot worse.
Paul
Hi Kelly,
Often expensive showrooms don’t mean that the kitchen designers are good or even competent. Expensive just means who they are marketing to. And the best designers will usually work at dealers that carry inexpensive as well as expensive custom lines. This is so that they can design for the customers need and budget. Good designers usually don’t sketch they use either 20-20 or prokitchens design software. That way they can design and price at the same time and show customers 3D renderings of the kitchens they are considering. Missing appointments and other unprofessional behavior also means that designers can’t be organized enough to be the detail oriented personthat being a good kitchen designer requires. Steer clear of this place.
Paul
Hi Jim,
Upgraded to plywood construction and in the framed lines they are both high end well made lines. Pick the finish and designer you like best.
Kelley
Also, i didn’t go to them to design my kitchen. I went to them to give my ideas, and told them to do what they thought was best. I Know i am not competent with kitchen design, nor do i know what is best for resale value. Thus one of my frustrations with not meeting with head of kitchen designs, and him not even acknowledging missing the meeting!
Kelley Hart
Hi! Do you know anything about green forest? One of the local companies around here carries that, Jim Bishop, and Schrock.
Based on reading the comments on your page, it appears that either fabuwood or Wellborn forest would be my best options, based on both affordability and quality. Anything i am missing, besides making sure to find best kitchen designer?
I was disappointed with the top kitchen designer in Fernandina Beach, Florida. I met and the guy never showed up. One of his kitchen designers didn’t expect me, so she made the call to him.. he told her to meet with me. We did and she did some basics sketches based on what i wanted. I followed up with them 9 days late to see what was up. I received fb message back to say it was acknowledged and office will be back open January 3. Didn’t hear anything, and reached out again last week with my concerns and lack of any communication. Lots of excuses given, 1 of them being “my design” was custom. How was i supposed to know? This is just one of many areas where communication was lacking and no follow up. I don’t want to assume, but i think they are making sure to follow up with the most high end clients. There are plenty of them in our area. I am so frustrated, and trying to find just the right company with a great design team that carries affordable and well made cabinets is a daunting task.
Jim Mashburn
Hi Paul,
We have narrowed cabinet choices to Mouser Centra or Omega Dynasty as mid range semi custom cabinet. Would you recommend one over the other?
Paul McAlary
Both are well made but I like Wellborn as a company better.
JimS
Wellborn Premiere vs DuraSupreme Crestwood?
All framed versions.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Asian birch is fine for painting. American birch will show grain through the paint. Some people like that look though. There should be no or at least very very little difference in durability between birch and Maple. In fact many custom cabinet companies recommend using soft maple for painted finishes. Soft Maple has just about the same properties as Asian birch.
Elizabeth Billings
Hi Paul:
If I am ordering white painted cabinets will I be able to tell the difference looks wise between birch and hard maple?
Second, I’m concerned about durability.
Does the paint look worse
On the birch vs maple over time? Obviously, there’s a cost difference.
Thank you.
Liz
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Diane,
Once you are pricing inset cabinetry which Kraftmaid doesn’t do Fieldstone will be very competitive. No inexpensive cabinet line is capable of doing inset cabinetry well. You can not have your cake and eat it too.
Diane
Hi Paul,
I thought that they sold Kraftmaid too according to the website but I’ve called all of the locations in my area, Boston, Burlington and Natick, MA and none of them sell Kraftmaid anymore. I did want to go with white inset cabinets and I have a recent quote from a Ted Wood dealer for white inset cabinets for $22,800 which I’m sure in the end will be closer to $25,000. I think your suggestion about sending the designer a copy of my design is a fantastic idea! I will do that shortly. Thanks you so so much for getting back to me so quickly. As many of other people have stated on this feed, you provide an amazing service for people who really know nothing about design and cabinetry…I so wish you serviced this area!
Thanks again!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Diane,
The Kitchen and Bath Gallery Website says that they also carry Kraftmaid which could be a little less expensive than Fieldstone.
It is true that they do not appear to carry any of the less expensive but well made US lines that are produced in China but are built in the US. These lines like Fabuwood for example could be 40% less expensive for a white shaker door style without losing much if anything in cabinet durability. However Kraftmaid and Fieldstone offer much nicer stains and wood species.
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If you didn’t want a painted cabinet you might need to be in a more expensive line to get the look you want.
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Say your kitchen cabinetry cost 15K in Fabuwood then it might be 21K in Kraftmaid Vantage. While the 6K difference might put you over budget working with a better designer and getting a more versatile cabinet line could be worth it. Particularly if you wanted a stained finish.
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Many dealers and designers won’t measure and do designs without a deposit. But experienced kitchen designers should be able to look at any design you give them and tell you around where a particular cabinet line and door style will price out for that design. Maybe you could show them what you have, so far, to get a better estimate to where the cabinet costs will be before deciding whether to proceed with them and pay the $750.
Diane
Hi Paul,
You reviewed my kitchen design a couple of weeks ago and gave me some great insight as to what was wrong with the design. You suggested that I seek out a dealer that you recommended near me which I did. Here is the link to the company I contacted: Kitchen & Bath Gallery Locations in MA, CT, & RI: 508-457-9720. I called the 508 number and the person I spoke to said that I was calling the Falmouth location and suggested that I contact a designer closest to me which happened to be The Kohler Signature Store by Supply New England – Natick, MA, so I did. My husband and I made an appointment and met with a designer who seemed to be very knowledgeable and a great listener so we setup and appointment for him to come out to our home to take measurements and talk about the layout, etc. At the end of the conversation he told us that there was a $750 deposit required to come out to our house and that the cost would be put toward the cabinets. We then moved on to discussing cabinets and budget. What concerns me is, that particular store only sell Mouser and Fieldstone cabinets. He asked what our budget was and my husband said $40,000 meaning for the total remodel however the designer thought we meant $40,000 just for cabinets and he said that sounds about right and when we corrected him and said that our entire budget was $40,000 and that our budget for cabinets was approx $20,000-25,000 he said he thought that we could work with that. What concerns me is that Mouser and Fieldstone are rated a 5 and 4 as far as price on your review which is on the expensive side and I’m afraid that we will not be able to come up with a plan that is in our price range and we will loose the $750 deposit. Can you please give me your thoughts?
changemaven
Would you recommend a company called Custom Wood Products? Or Eclipse, or Bellmont? I didn’t see any comments on those in your blog. We have not gotten quotes yet and wonder how would those you rate 4 or 5 on pricing, compare with local-made custom cabinets? We are trying to support local business vs import from across the country. Once our plan is complete we will get bids from various companies. thank you for your helpful blog.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Changemaven,
Belmont and Eclipse we do not rate as we haven’t found specifications on their construction. They are both frameless lines I believe so we wouldn’t even consider recommending them for any door styles other than very modern door styles.
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Custom Wood Products also gives no specifications but they are a full custom cabinet line and so they will probably make your cabinets any way you ask. I would think that these will be WAY more expensive than the two other lines. They do look very nice.
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While Custom Wood Products does appear to be a true custom cabinet maker I will take this opportunity to remind people that very small cabinet makers are not CUSTOM cabinets they are HOMEMADE cabinets. Read our blog on this topic below:
https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/custom-cabinets-handmade-or-homemade/
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
I would say that using home center contractors is a waste of money. Home Depot charges 25% on top of what the general contractors charge them so you are paying a big premium for a middle man. Lowes charges even a higher percentage.
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Angie’s list is a great place to find contractors or also Houzz.com. Always make sure the contractors get good reviews on Google, Yelp, and on the social media platform you found them on.
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If you see one bad review and many good ones you can discount the single bad review. Some people are crazy and the craziest always write reviews while nice people can get distracted when very happy and not get around to writing the good review they meant to.
Andrew
is it a good idea to use Home Depot’ contractors for the remodeling/construction part or should I look for independent general contractors by myself?
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Research the dealers. Make sure they get good reviews on Google and that they carry lines in your budget. Home Centers might be your best bet as they usually have no deposits. But spending money on a deposit that will be credited towards cabinetry at a competitively priced dealer would be worth it. Cheeping out on design help is always very expensive.
Andrew
Paul,
Most designers want an initial consultation fee ($250-$500) and what if the quote does’t meet my budget? I actually had an designer who came for free and the proposal was sky high. About $20k more than dealers quote me for the same cabinet line and for the remodel job e.g removing drywalls, soffits, electrical, HVAC register relocation, range hood ventilation, tile job etc.
Also, noticed that houzz and yelp reviews are not really reliable to select the right designers, dealers or contractors.
JimS
Hi Paul,
We are trying to decide between Wellborn and Dura-Supreme (Painted cabinets). My wife like the frame less look, but I’m not sure whose cabinets would last the longest. We are looking at a lot of cabinets for our large kitchen and want to make sure that we get it right the first time.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
I would recommend getting Wellborn. Frameless cabinetry is less durable and Durasupreme frameless is a particularly poor choice.
Andrew
Hi Paul,
You are saying: “Walking into a home center without an appointment and without finding out who is the most experienced designer at that store is also a mistake” But how to know who is the most experienced designer at a Home Depot store?
Thanks!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Call first and ask for the Kitchen Department. Then ask a designer who answers the phone who is the designer there that has the most experience. Then ask to make an appointment with that designer. If you have several Home Depots and Lowes stores in your area I’d ask at each location for the name of the best designer in their region. The Home Depot kitchen designers should know most of the other Home Depot designers near their store and who has the best reputation. Same for Lowes. Then make an appointment with the designer others agree is the best.
Andrew
Hi Paul,
can you please review these designers:
https://www.houzz.com/pro/mkremodelingdesign/mk-remodeling-and-design
https://www.houzz.com/pro/mckenziearchitecturalkitchens/mckenzie-architectural-kitchens
https://www.houzz.com/pro/holtzmanhomeimprovement/holtzman-home-improvement-llc
Thanks
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
These three don’t look so good. This place has several Arizona locations and post designs without mistakes. However they don’t list the cabinet lines they carry. But do carry cabinets across most price points.
https://www.affinitykitchens.com/
Jim Mashburn
Paul,
We are deciding between 2 suppliers. The first supplier carries Mouser, Schlabach, Fabuwood and Wellborn. The 2nd supplier carries Dynasty, HomeCrest, HomeCraft, KitchenCraft, Omega and Schrock. The problem is all those companies carry multiple lines of cabinets of varying quality which makes it hard to compare. Which of these lines would you recommend for a higher end kitchen remodel?
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi James,
The first company carries great brands and the second company not so much. When a company makes good brand choices that tells me they know what they are doing. I’d stick with company A and take the designers advice on the cabinet line based on what you want and your budget.
Andrew
Could you please review Castle Cabinets made in Phoenix Arizona https://www.castlecabinets.com/ I can get custom kitchen cabinets from them for the same price as SOLID, 6 Square, Cabico (made in Canada) or KraftMaid (HD). And which of those would you recommend if the price quote was about the same? Thanks!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Andrew,
I have never heard of Castle Cabinets and their web site gives zero information. Some cabinets called custom are really more like homemade cabinets. The other cabinet lines you list are all over the map in pricing so that tells me you are not comparing apples to apples and need design help first.
Kristy
Could you review Busby Cabinets made in Florida? They get good reviews on both Houzz and Google.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Kristy,
Busby Cabinets looks like a small custom cabinet manufacturer that makes framed, or frameless cabinetry. They don’t show how their cabinets are made but I’m sure they would make them any way you wanted for a price. Beyond that and as far as how they price out I can’t say since they don’t give that information on their web site and we don’t know the line.
M Seker
Hi Paul,
How do I find good Kitchen Designers in my area?
Thanks!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
You don’t say where you are. We have a list of recommended dealers across the US. Link below:
https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/recommended-kitchen-designers-cabinet-dealers-outside-service-area/
We discuss the method we used to find dealers to recommend in the article above. Here is that description:
First our designers looked over the Houzz.com projects of potential dealers to make sure that their projects didn’t have major mistakes in them. This is actually harder than one might think. For example it took Paul and Stacia 45 minutes to find just one dealer in Los Angeles without blatant design errors on their Houzz page. This part will be more difficult for a non kitchen designers. However the simplest errors to look for are listed on the blog below:
https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/is-your-kitchen-designer-going-to-kill-you/
Once we found that a company met our minimum design standards and received good on line reviews on Houzz, Yelp, Google, and Angie’s List we then examined their websites. The cabinet lines the companies carried needed to be quality lines and good values and their web site needed to meet our standards for transparency and professionalism. For example, listing the cabinet lines that they carried and explaining their design process, etc.
You can use our cabinet rankings to see what lines dealers carry and how we rate them. Remember finding a good dealer and a good designer is far more important than that the cabinets that they carry get all A’s. Quality construction in several cabinet lines across several pricepoints is what we look for. Here is the link to the most recent cabinet line rankings:
https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/kitchen-cabinet-ratings-for-2018-updated-reviews-for-the-top-selling-cabinet-brands/
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Julie,
If you call us on a Friday between 2 and 4pm EST one of the designers can give you their email and have you forward the plans to them to review.
Julie
Thank you so much. I plan to look into Kraftmaid at Home Depot and still the Starmark at Ziggy’s. The quote for Thomasville was all plywood. How would I send you our layout? Happy to do so. I have read and re-read this site so many times, it’s so helpful and sometimes I do get a little overwhelmed but there is so much info to learn about cabinets. All I want is a cabinet that will hold up, a warranty that is also held up in case of issues, but by no means am looking for a high end state of the art kitchen. Functionality is our main concern, our old kitchen is terrible and we’ve lived with it with a family of 6 for 18 years. I do appreciate your honesty about HD, and between the designer and our contractor who has told us which walls, ceilings, windows, etc can be moved or covered has been very helpful. Our layout is not set exactly re: lighting, counters, cabinets vs drawers, we just have the general idea at this point and it seems functional. We have a very odd house to work with to say the least! Thanks so much for your very prompt reply.
Margaret
Hi Paul,
I wanted to mention that when taking on a kitchen renovation you are absolutely right, getting a great designer is the first step! Something I didn’t think about – are my walls/floors and ceilings plumb? Will my cabinet doors when opened hit the cabinet or appliance that was placed next to it? Will your refrigerator door hit anything when opened, even a handle on the cabinet door next to it? I didn’t think about the exhaust over the stove – we decided on a microwave, but the burners on the front of the stove are located further out than the microwave so that when cooking on the front burners the exhaust system struggles to remove the steam. If I had to do over again, I think I would have put my microwave on my counter (not enough space to put below the counter) and had a traditional exhaust hood installed. I just wanted to share my reno afterthoughts!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Thanks Margret,
So often people will spend a 100 hours of their time researching cabinets and playing around with the design themselves. If they spent just a few hours researching to find a great designer near them that works for a reputable dealer they would have accomplished more and have been better off.
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Walking into a home center without an appointment and without finding out who is the most experienced designer at that store is also a mistake. The price for cabinets is the same at every showroom no matter which designer you are working with. Why walk into a home center that has the least experienced designers and start working with whichever person happens to be free. Their best designer you might have to wait a week to get an appointment with.
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The kitchen designer is the gatekeeper to all the information you can not possibly learn on your own, and the coordinator of your very expensive kitchen renovation. Why value the most important person in the project less than all the other elements. People that do get the kitchen you would expect.
Julie
Up here in Spokane, WA. We are actually going to flip our dining room and kitchen as it was impossible to change the layout of our old kitchen and to us was not worth paying $25k+ not to have a better layout really. We have a contractor and we have worked with Home Depot designer. She has helped us come up with a design we are happy with. Our contractor loves Thomasville, installs it all the time. Home Depot talked them up as well (full plywood and soft close.) They also sell Kraftmaid and I am looking into Starmark at our local Ziggy’s as well. The rail system of Starmark has me concerned. We do not have a huge budget but I do realize the cabinets are the most important part of the kitchen and we plan to live here forever so we’d like quality. But to take the time to check out every type of cabinet we can find that is sold in town between box stores and every cabinet maker would take forever and we’d never get a kitchen. Any advice between the above brands (we are looking for shaker style door, probably an Alder or Hickory with a medium brown stain.) Or, any Spokane WA cabinet makers you would recommend? I am happy to send our latest layout if that helps. We will be covering a window, raising a ceiling and flooring as well in the hopes of getting a kitchen much more functional than our current 1965 kitchen. Thanks!!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Julie,
There are several things I dislike about Thomasville. First that their web site blatantly lies about the origin of the company making it seem that Thomasville Furniture, a respected furniture maker, made Thomasville kitchen cabinetry and then was bought by Masterbrands. In reality Home Depot simply bought the rights to sell kitchen cabinetry under the Thomasville name in order to mislead their customers into believing that they were buying a better made product. The true origin or Thomasville was simply Home Depot re-branding two inexpensive lines Mills Pride and American Woodmark. Today Thomasville is in fact re-branded Diamond or Schrock, better made Masterbrands cabinet lines, but Home Depot is still working their lie as they do with GE water heaters and some other re-branded products that they sell.
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Thomasville MUST be upgraded to all plywood construction otherwise the cabinetry would get a D under our rating system for construction. Upgraded to all plywood construction Thomasville gets a B+ for construction.
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Home Depot also sells Kraftmaid and Decora (another Masterbrands line) both of these lines upgraded to all plywood construction are better constructed and more transparent and honest. When people lie to you about one issue I don’t trust them on other issues and so I would not purchase Thomasville cabinetry.
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Your Home Depot designer sounds amazing. She is breaking company procedure to create a great kitchen for you which I respect. Home Depot and Lowes designers that move doors, walls, plumbing, and everything else needed to create the best layout hold a place in my heart as 20 plus years ago that was what I did. First working at Home Depot then at Lowes breaking company protocol and procedure to give my customers the best kitchen I could design. After a few years I moved on to high end private dealerships and eventually started my company, but those early days of designing beyond what the box store management intended bring back fond memories.
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A little history:
Back then I worked with Doug Mottershead, the first Home Depot designer to sell over a million dollars in kitchens. Doug moved to join me at a high volume Lowes store. In those days Lowes designers could make up to 100K in commissions and bonuses. Doug immediately became the highest selling designer at the entire Lowes chain selling 1.6 million dollars followed closely by myself and another designer that now works for me.
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Feel free to call on a Friday between 2 and 4pm EST and to then forward your design to us via email. I can give you any tweaks I see to your design that you might want to consider.
Elizabeth Billings
Hi, thank you for taking the time to educate us.
I already followed your advice to look for a good designer.
She carries several lines at different price points. She said that the American made cabinets in her store ( Wellborn Forest American capital series vs. the Chinese made JSI,CNC swas are better quality.
I understand WF is not Wellborn ( which you rate).
Would you be kind enough to give it a nnumber grade and a letter grade?
This is what their website states:
1/2″ hardwood veneer exterior sides, top and bottom is laminated natural maple wood grain interior
1 9/16 overlay
3/16 plywood center panel
3/4″ x 1 3/4″ solid hardwood face frame
Adjustable 3/4″ thick hardwood shelves
Solid wood dovetail drawer with full-access and under mount soft-close glides.
I hope to get painted cabinets.
Thanks again.
E-
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Elizabeth,
Your designer is right that the US lines she carries are of a better quality than the Asian lines. Her company is sort of missing the in between better made Asian lines. From my understanding Wellborn Forest is a well made, slightly less expensive, version of Wellborn. Wellborn Forrest is run by one of the Wellborn family members, Tim Wellborn, who used to be an executive in the parent company. Their Supreme Series would get an A and their Elite series would get an A+ for construction. We will rate them in our 2020 updated and more complete cabinet rankings.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Paula,
Ducts can usually be hidden behind stacked crown molding and the vent moved to the ceiling instead of the much uglier face of the soffit. This moves your home out of the 70’s (even though it was built in the 90’s) and into the present day. Talk to you Friday.
Paula
Hi, Paul,
Thank you for clarifying the pricing.
I see what you are saying about the frig/range side and I like your configuration. I am not crazy about the soffit on that side but there is an air duct that runs through the top of it with a vent toward the kitchen and another on the end toward a little breakfast noon. Can the vents be hidden behind crown molding? How does that affect the air flow?
There is no soffit on the sink/DW side. I am planning to put crown molding at the top of the uppers.
I am still planning to chat with you on Friday. Your input is very helpful and much appreciated!
Thanks,
Paula
Paula
Thanks for your comments.
1. I am confused by your statement that Shenandoah is 30% more than Kraftmaid and Diamond. You have Shenandoah at price level 3 and the others at a 4. I thought 6 was the highest, so assumed that 4 costs more than 3. Please clarify.
2. Yes, of course everything can be moved. But moving things would require great expense for little or no gain. On one side I have wall, 30” frig, 24” cabinet, 30” range/OTR MWO, 21” cabinet, window. The usual corresponding uppers. There is a soffit above. Other side is wall, 12” cabinet, 36” sink base, 24” DW, 30” cabinet, wall. The sink is centered behind a 60” pass-through which is open to the ceiling, so only 42” of wall space for an upper on that side. That’s all the room I have to work with. It’s pretty basic.
3. I don’t discount the value of a good kitchen design, I worked with a great designer for the kitchen and bath remodel of my primary residence. However, we had more space to work with.
Thanks for your input. I’ll try to connect on Friday.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Paula,
Sorry I put the pricing backwards. If priced correctly by the designer Kraftmaid should be no more than 30% over Shendoah pricing and Diamond within a few percentage points of Kraftmaid.
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Even sight unseen with the limited information on your room layout and cabinetry I know that your layout would improve on the refrigerator and range side by making the run this way:
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30″ Refrigerator / 15″Base / 30″range and Microwavehood / and 30″ drawer Base.
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Now all the wall cabinet doors are 15″ wide which looks 100% better.
And you have a Pots and Pans cabinet right of your range and 30″ of countertop to work at for preparing food. The original layout was created by someone very inexperienced.
The sink side can improve as well but you can call on a Friday if you want help with that side.
As I said nearly all designs can improve, and it makes no sense spluging on cabinetry or countertops without first fixing an amatuerish design. I your case – just on the range side – moving probably a couple of outlets for a couple of hundred dollars is way more valuable than the spending the differnce between Kraftmaid and Shenendoah. And this one improvement is just the tip of the iceberg.
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Be careful the Lowes designer is not pricing the cabinets apples to apples which makes me worry that he or she will also make errors like usung the wrong hieght wall cabinets in addition to the wrong witdths that I just corrected on the one wall. The designer needs to add plywood sides to the cabinetry and make sure you are getting fillers and the correct moldings. If you have soffits these need to be removed and any plumbing hidden behind crown molding. Again that cost of removing soffits is much less and much more valuable than the difference in price between Kraftmaid and Shenendoah.
Paula Wilson
Hi, Paul,
I’ve enjoyed reading your blogs and Q/As. We have just purchased a condo in AZ, 20 years old with the original, very outdated kitchen. We will replace all cabinets, sink, countertops, and appliances. We are snowbirds from the Midwest, and are working with Lowe’s. We are considering Shenandoah, Diamond, and KraftMaid lines. Layout of the kitchen is nonnegotiable. It is a 9’ galley style and there are no moveable parts, so to speak. What is your opinion of the three options we are considering? The KraftMaid cabinets will cost about 50% more than the quote for Shenandoah. Is it worth it to pay the extra? Should we split the difference and go with Diamond? I would appreciate your input.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Paula,
All parts are movable so you lost me there. Even in high rises there is flexibility to where things go. You need better help than you are getting for example at Lowes apples to apples Kraftmaid is 30% more than Shendoah and Diamond should be very close to Kraftmaid in price. Feel free to send me your floor plan on a Friday and I can see what changes might make sense and you can move on from there if you like. Call first between 2pm and 4pm EST>
paul mcalary
Hi Rick,
The video sounds like HGTV over simplification. By asking for a detailed price list but not supplying an itemized design for designers to quote you will be asking for a lot of work from designers to create a design for you and then asking them to give you thier work product that you could then steal free of charge.
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Since door style, finish, and upgrades change cabinet pring so much you will probably wind up getting prices from the only people that will work on your terms. Usually less competant designers or unscrupulous ones that will use your demands and lack of cabinetry experience against you and so sell you lesser quality products that are difficult to decern why without industry product knowledge.
This is why I recommended researching cabinet dealers to find a reasonably priced, ethical, and knowedgeable kitchen design professional to help you navagate a complex industry. Your concerns are common. However customers that refuse to trust often prove untrustworthy themselves and so ethical experienced designers will stear clear any customer that wants to set the rules thenselves.
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As my wife would say “Good luck with that”
Rick
Paul – Thanks for your response. I was able to find a great video on the basics of buying kitchen cabinets. Here are the four basic tenets they give: 1) Know what you are getting. Get an itemized cost sheet, 2) Check the contract for your rights, 3) Ask for a completion date, and, 4) Always work with a designer or contractor you trust. So, I guess we’re both right. I’m looking for an itemized cost sheet, and you suggest working with a reputable designer and contractor. In my case, this is new construction and the builder will be doing the cabinet install. I have every confidence the builder will do a good job on the install. So I guess I’m left finding a reputable designer who’s willing to provide an itemized cost sheet. As I mentioned before, the total cost is coming from somewhere. Someone has an itemized cost sheet. And, yes, I will remain a difficult customer looking for straight answers in an area of the building process that seems wishy washy to me. Still like your Best Cabinet Maker list. I’ll continue looking for those kinds of demystifying resources. I’m sure you’re the kind of person that would not accept an invoice from a hospital stay that just has one line on it: amount due.
Kelly
What are your thoughts about Craftmaid (with a “C” not a K) cabinets made in Reading, PA? We live in a rural area and this is one of our options along with Mouser and Plain and Fancy. We will be looking at painted cabinets, possibly inset.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
All three lines will be well constructed if ordered that way and expensive. Craftmaid is a very small custom line. I do no how their pricing compares with the bigger lines, I would assume that they are less expensive. We used to work with a similar very small manufacturer in upstate PA called Village Kitchens.
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There can be good things and bad about very small custom manufacturers. You can get good pricing for custom lines but sometimes if you are asking for unusual design features or finishes the bugs have not been worked out. Always order a sample door in the finish you are considering. Also their lines will never have design software and so often the designer selling the line can’t tell you how much the design costs until he or she sends it in to the cabinet company. Waiting two weeks to find out you are 10K over budget after you gave a designer a big deposit can be frustrating.
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I have met the rep for Craftmaid at a couple of industry events and didn’t hit it off. This always makes me wonder. Since I am a dealer and a potential customer if you aren’t being nice to me before I come on board what will you be like after? She could have just been having a bad day of I rubbed her the wrong way. Ask your designer how Craftmaid is to work with and if they have any issues.
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As always when customers are selecting custom cabinetry the design itself should be equal to the higher cost of the cabinets. Pricing out amatuerish designs done by architects in the most expensive custom lines always made me crazy and never makes sense. The kitchen designer you are working with must be very experienced and knowledgable to design with custom cabinetry effectively. The most dramatic thing about your kitchen will always be the design itself, so pricing out anything less than an incredible design in custom cabinetry make little sense.
Tina
Love this site but have a question on Kraftmaid Vantage. I have been looking at homedepot but kraftmaid does not say Vantage in their booklets it does say Evercore though and when I search google to find the Kraftmaid Vantage distributers nothing comes up.where can I find this? Thank You
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Tina,
Kraftmaid Vantage is not sold at home centers only at private dealers. From my understanding the Vantage line incorporates some of the upgrades in regular kratmaid at a discounted price. So that were you selecting these upgrades (which are all probably a good idea) you would be saving money getting them. This helps the private dealers compete with Lowes and Home Depot. In general home centers used to be on average about 5% or at most 10% less than private dealers. Once you are giving the upgrades at a discount at the private dealers the playing field gets leveled. If you have a choice usually the better designers will work at the private dealers and not at home centers. Of course this is NOT ALWAYS the case. But the best design was and still remains far more important than a small discount on cabinetry. The expertise of a knowledgeable professional can save you thousands of dollars and prevent the calamities that almost always befall less thought out kitchen renovations.
paul mcalary
Hi Tao,
Whoever does the renovation needs to move plumbing and gas lines, electric line, remove soffitts, move doorways, update electric to code, and prepare the kitchen possibly leving the ceiling and other things based on the kitchen design. If the contractor you select is not capable of installing the cabinets tehy are not good enough to prepare the kitchen. And I know you are going to tell me that nothing is moving or you know the design you are getting but that is wrong 90% of the time if you are working with a good kitchen designer. All the time you spend getting pricing and talking to contractors is wasted until you meet with a good kitchen designer and come up with the best design.
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Added construction costs moving things are inconsequential in price compared to the choices you make on cabinetry, appliances, and countertops. And while the design itself has a dramatic impact on the value of your home the materials you splurge on have almost none.
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As we say in our videeo (link Below) you just don’t know what you don’t know. So stop all the futzing and start researching to find the kitchen design professional you want to work with. That is the first step in renovating a kitchen.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxJgxCeeNTo
Kevin
Hi Paul,
We’re comparing Christiana to Signature Select for frameless cabinets which will be painted. Christiana says that it uses a 2 component polyurethane finish that is better than a catalyzed varnish. How would you compare these lines and do you think the polyurethane finish beats out catalyzed varnish?
Thanks for this great site!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Keven,
You are worrying about the tiny difference there may or may not be in the durability between particular finishes. However you are selecting a less durable way to construct cabinetry in pretty expensive cabinet lines. This makes me suspect that you are missing the big picture in other ways as well.
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You might want to send us your design on a Friday between 2pm and 4pm EST to review for design mistakes. Call first and we can talk to you as we review your design. If you are getting a very contemporatry slab doorstyle then being in an expensive frameless line might make sense. However, if you are getting shaker off white cabinetry for a less complicated design you are spending way more money than needed on a less durable product that unlike better made less expensive framed cabinetry will not hold up indefinitely and is impossible to repair.
Rick
Paul – I’m building a small retirement home and my contractor says it’s time to order cabinets. He works with a Canyon Creek dealer nearby. We have a preliminary layout. I asked if he could get me prices for the individual cabinets in the plan so I have some idea of how much a cabinet costs. In this way, I might opt for, say, a refrigerator enclosure. He said that he can only give me a price for the entire layout. This may be a loaded question but is there any reason why cabinet dealers cannot give out a ballpark cost of an individual cabinet? That total plan price has to be coming from somewhere. I called Canyon Creek and asked them how much their “budget” line, Katana, would save over their pricier Cornerstone line and they told me that they cannot answer that question. Really? Why all of the secrecy over how much cabinets cost? Seems shady to me. Are cabinets like RVs—MSRP is inflated by 30% to allow for a lot of dicker room? Thanks.
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi Rick,
As I just repeated to Tao, you too are doing things backwards. You should not hire a contractor until you have met with and finalized the design of your kitchen with the kitchen designer you choose to work with.
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The pricing you get from ANY contractor will NEVER be competative unless they bid on the kitchen plan you come up with. Always get three estimates even if you are friends with the contractor you plan on selecting. As a kitchen designer I always get at least three bids for my customers from the contractors I have known for years. And their bids are always thousands of dollars apart.
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No one can answer your cabinet pricing questions because the kitchen is not designered yet and your obsession with pricing cabinet boxes shows that you are actually a problem customer for any kitchen designer. Pricing is not a mystery but no one can guestimate anything without a design. Home Depot and Lowes use linear foot price signs on their displays to help customers, not price out their kitchens, but to help them understand if they are selecting an expensive or inexpensive style. No cabinets are priced by the linear foot and cabinet prices change dramaticly with door style, color, upgrades and customizations. Most kitchens would turn out at least 50% higher then their linear foot price.
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Some people treat buying cabinets is like buying a toaster, however in reality it is very complex and when customers egnore this they usually end up getting taken advantage of by unscrupulous cabinet dealers who just tell them what they want to hear.
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Shop around to find a cabinet dealer with competative pricing and a good reputation and an experienced designer that works there to help you design your kitchen. When your car needs a transmission do you shop transmission parts? No you look for a reputable mechanic. Were you to simply price parts you would end up working with an unscupulous garage that did shoddy work.
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The designer can explain what cabinet lines are a good fit for your budget and how much extra particular door styles, finishes, upgrades and the customizations your design may require cost. It is a lot ow work for the designer to design your kitchen and help you make desisions so don’t expect any good kitchen designer to give you the plans and a cabinet pricing parts list until you pay them a deposit. And if there is “dicker room” in they pricing you get you can be assured that you are getting ripped off.
Tao
Hi Paul, so you are saying that we should not use the installation service offered by the cabinet dealers? Originally I thought they would be more familiar with the cabinets and thus could do a better job potentially. The kitchen design I have from the architect is mostly for illustration purposes. I wanted to get an idea of what’s available in my area and at what price points. To get quotes I have to have some common basis, so I just used the architect’s kitchen cabinets design. The design could be refined later but we don’t really want any fancy features. Just standard features such as soft-close doors, full extension with undermount racks, dovetail drawers etc. Just missed this Friday but would love to get some comments later!
TaoZ
Hi Paul,
Thanks for creating this extremely useful site. I have been using it as the primary reference in my current kitchen renovation project. I want to get inset shaker style cabinets painted white. I got an initial cabinets configuration from my architect and have been getting quotes for some of the top cabinets brands on your ranking. Here are what I have so far. Starmark $20K, Decora $18.5K, Crystal $28K, Holiday $42K including installation, Wellsford $45K including installation. Which one do you think is the best deal? Would it be Starmark or Decora? What are some of the caveats I should know before I make my final decision? Thanks so much!
pmcalary[ Post Author ]
Hi TaoZ,
Couple of important issues:
Cabinets should be installed by the contractor doing the renovation. Separating the two jobs assures finger pointing and a less thought construction process.
Architects are not qualified to design kitchens. In fact the worst designs we see as kitchen designers come from architects. Some architects become kitchen designers and this observation would not include those – but otherwise beware.
Without seeing the design it is hard to know what cabiet line level is needed. Fridays between 2pm and 4pm we comment on designs if you want to forward us a plan and speak to one of us. Use my email adress on a Friday afternoon. Paul@MainLineKitchenDesign.com. Include a phone number to call you or call in after you send your plans.
Tao
Hi Paul,
Thanks for creating this extremely useful site. I have been using it as the primary reference in my current kitchen renovation project. I want to get inset shaker style cabinets, painted white. I got an initial cabinets configuration from my architect and have been getting quotes for some of the top cabinets brands on your ranking. Here are what I have so far. Starmark $20K, Decora $18.5K, Crystal $28K, Holiday $42K including installation, Wellsford $45K including installation. Which one do you think is the best deal? Would it be Starmark or Decora? What are some of the caveats I should know before I make my final decision? Thanks so much!
Becky
Again, thank you! I have been reading your blog for a year amd it is so helpful and we are just about to bite the bullet on cabinets…. this is what we are looking at Wellborn Forest Cabinets, Chiswick Shaker Door style, 5 piece drawer front, all plywood boxes, Maple painted, oak stained island, solid wood dovetail drawers, soft close doors and drawers, and 33”H wall cabinets with 1-piece crown: