Cabinet Reviews: Ratings for the top 150 cabinet brands.

418 Replies to “Cabinet Reviews: Ratings for the top 150 cabinet brands.”

1. 

   Priscilla

   Hi there! I was wondering what your thoughts are on GH cabinetry, inc. and how do they compare to 21st century? They are slightly cheaper but they seem to use same construction. Thanks!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Priscilla,
   GH Cabinetry is a frameless RTA “ready to assemble” cabinet brand. It’s way better made than many other frameless RTA brands, however I never think getting RTA cabinetry makes sense. There are better made framed cabinets that will come assembled and only be possibly 10 or 20% more. With RTA cabinets, you have to assemble the cabinets and generally you will not have a knowledgeable kitchen designer helping you with your design and other selections. Spending 20 or 30 thousand dollars or even much more on a kitchen renovation and not getting advice from a kitchen professional almost assures that you are not spending your money wisely.

   As always my most important advice is:
   Home Owners worry about cabinet quality and price far more than they worry about their designs. This is because they aren’t designers themselves and don’t understand how poor their designs usually are. If you listen to one of our podcasts this is usually a central issue. The Podcast below illustrates how different designs can be from what a homeowner might expect, while still staying within their budget. So, it makes little sense splurging on cabinets, appliances, and other upgrades, when there are design improvements left on the table.
   Below is a podcast that focuses on this issue:

   https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/calls-with-paul-the-kitchen-design-podcast-episode-28-finding-a-kitchen-designer/

2. 

   Daniel

   Any opinion on Quality Cabinets? Also any lower price options you’d recommend that offer a 39″ Upper?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Daniel,
   Quality is not a well constructed cabinet by our standards as it uses only a 1/4″ back. The fact that it needs to be upgraded to plywood and that they even sell it as MDF tells me that as a company they are not concerned about construction and durability. Quality is mostly sold in lumberyards and to builders that don’t warranty their work past 1 year. Looking at their dealer list is like a Who’s Who of places NOT to buy cabinetry.

   ANY of the US brands that import and assemble in the US are less expensive and infinitely better made. Such as Fabuwood, Cubitac, CNC, Procraft, and many others.
   These brand won’t offer 39″ wall cabinets However, I can almost guaranty that you shouldn’t be using 39″ high cabinets. The only time 39″ cabinets would make sense is if your celling height was 99″ high or if you were buying a slab door and wanted a flat riser to reach the ceiling, both of which are less likely.

   If your ceiling is 94″ to 97″ and you want crown molding you would need to be using 36″ wall cabinets with a riser and crown molding reaching the ceiling. Read this blog:
   https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/two-piece-crown-molding-fillers-make-kitchen-designs-work/

3. 

   Kathy Craig

   Could you tell me which is a better cabinet, Fabuwood or Kempner?
   Thank you

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Kathy,
   If you upgrade Kemper to all plywood construction then they are equally well made. What makes sense buying really depends on what you are selecting for a door style and finish. Kemper will offer more options in color and wood species. If you are selecting something that Fabuwood offers then I would definitely save money and get Fabuwood. Based on Google reviews it also looks like Kemper has more shipping damage.

4. 

   Mujib

   (I’m assuming my previous post was deleted because of the link in it so I’ve removed that.)

   Hi Paul,

   We are still shopping for cabinets; I’m trying to do as much research as I can before making a decision. I had a few questions:

   1. I went in to a kitchen design place today that sells several brands, including Woodmode. The guy I spoke to there was very dismissive of Fabuwood, said he wouldn’t sell it himself. He mentioned St. Martin as being on the lower end of the brands they offer, which I was surprised by since I thought St. Martin was very expensive. They also sold Kountry Kraft and Signature, which they said was better than St. Martin. But I’m assuming all of these are far more expensive than Fabuwood.

   They couldn’t really tell me what made a brand like Signature or Woodmode better than Fabuwood other than customization options. Is that really the only difference? I must say, the Signature and Kountry Kraft doors and samples and felt more substantial than the Fabuwood I’ve handled.

   2. Speaking of Fabuwood, I was surprised by how inexpensive it is. The quotes I got are twice less than what I expected. If I’m getting quotes of 9k-12k for a medium sized l-shaped kitchen with a square island, should I be suspicious about what I’m getting, or does that sound right for Fabuwood?

   When you give a good score to a brand like Fabuwood, does that mean we can be certain the issues you mention in “16 Common ‘Cost Savings’ when comparing kitchen cabinets” (https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/price-comparing-kitchen-cabinets-and-why-it-is-a-bad-idea/) won’t be a problem? Based on what you’ve said about Fabuwood, I can’t see how any of those issues would be a concern. But I’m not sure what you mean by “not flushing out the sides” and whether that could be an issue with Fabuwood.

   Also, is a solid wood hanging rail something that comes with the cabinets (Fabuwood?), or is it an added feature?

   Finally, are Fabuwood’s accessories (lazy susans, utensil drawers, etc.) decent? I was told EB Bradley and Hafele are better quality.

   3. I’m taking your advice about working with a kitchen designer, but just when I thought I had gotten the hang of it, I saw some posts today in which you discourage using a design-build place. Is a design-build place any place that offers more than design and cabinets? All three of the design places I’ve visited so far (including the one I mentioned above) offer more than just design and cabinets. Two of the places also offer installing the cabinets and doing the entire job (construction, floors, etc.). They have designers that work for them.

   What should I look for in evaluating a designer? What does a good designer typically charge?

   Sorry for the long list of questions.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Mujiib,
   Fabuwood is constructed as well as the other expensive brands you mention. They use the same hinges and tracks and have the same internal features as those more expensive brands. The reason they are less expensive is that there are less door styles, wood species, colors and les customization offered. However, if you aren’t getting those things you are simply wasting money getting more expensive brands and not getting anything more durable. Hanging rails are only used in some types of cabinet construction. Fabuwood has a 1/2 inch plywood back whic is equal to a hanging rail and a thinner back.

   Design and build companies are not cabinet dealers that sell cabinets and also offer installation. They are contractors that do additions, basements, kitchens, baths, decks ect and also have one cabinet brand that they offer when they do construction. These companies are not known for being good designers. And are usually not very competative cost wise.

1. 

   Mujib

   Thank you for this invaluable information, Paul.

   The design place you recommend near me is about an hour away; I’m planning on visiting them next week. A kitchen designer should be certified, right?

   As for the hanging rail, do you mean one isn’t needed for Fabuwood cabinets?

   Can you also please comment on my question about Fabuwood accessories? The Fabuwood dealer I got a quote from said Fabuwood installs the accessories when you buy from them, but I’d have to have my contractor install them if I purchased a different brand. Any idea which brand Fabuwood uses? Do you recommend theirs, or should I buy EB Bradley or Hafele separately?

1. 

   Mujib

   I forgot to ask this:

   I read one of your replies in which you told someone that cabinets should never go up to the ceiling. Can you elaborate on that?

   I’m trying to avoid molding and a soffit.

2. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Mujib,
   Ceilings are never level so you need a riser and a crown to get from the top of the cabinet to the ceiling. Read this blog:
   https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/two-piece-crown-molding-fillers-make-kitchen-designs-work/

5. 

   Mujib

   Hi Paul,

   We are still shopping for cabinets; I’m trying to do as much research as I can before making a decision. I had a few questions:

   1. I went in to a kitchen design place today (https://legourmetkitchen.com/) that sells several brands, including Woodmode. The guy I spoke to there was very dismissive of Fabuwood, said he wouldn’t sell it himself. He mentioned St. Martin as being on the lower end of the brands they offer, which I was surprised by since I thought St. Martin was very expensive. They also sold Kountry Kraft and Signature, which they said was better than St. Martin. But I’m assuming all of these are far more expensive than Fabuwood.

   They couldn’t really tell me what made a brand like Signature or Woodmode better than Fabuwood other than customization options. Is that really the only difference? I must say, the Signature and Kountry Kraft doors and samples felt more substantial than the Fabuwood I’ve handled.

   2. Speaking of Fabuwood, I was surprised by how inexpensive it is. The quotes I got are twice less than what I expected. If I’m getting quotes of 9k-12k for a medium sized l-shaped kitchen with a square island, should I be suspicious about what I’m getting, or does that sound right for Fabuwood?

   When you give a good score to a brand like Fabuwood, does that mean we can be certain the issues you mention in “16 Common ‘Cost Savings’ when comparing kitchen cabinets” (https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/price-comparing-kitchen-cabinets-and-why-it-is-a-bad-idea/) won’t be a problem? Based on what you’ve said about Fabuwood, I can’t see how any of those issues would be a concern. But I’m not sure what you mean by “not flushing out the sides” and whether that could be an issue with Fabuwood.

   Also, is a solid wood hanging rail something that comes with the cabinets (Fabuwood?), or is it an added feature?

   Finally, are Fabuwood’s accessories (lazy susans, utensil drawers, etc.) decent? I was told EB Bradley and Hafele are better quality.

   3. I’m taking your advice about working with a kitchen designer, but just when I thought I had gotten the hang of it, I saw some posts today in which you discourage using a design-build place. Is a design-build place any place that offers more than design and cabinets? All three of the design places I’ve visited so far (including the one I mentioned above) offer more than just design and cabinets. Two of the places also offer installing the cabinets and doing the entire job (construction, floors, etc.). They have designers that work for them.

   What should I look for in evaluating a designer? What does a good designer typically charge?

   Sorry for the long list of questions.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Mujiib,
   Below is my answer to your other question. As far as the Le Gourmet Kitchen place their web site is full of many very basic kitchen design mistakes. So they certianly don’t know what they are talking about and I wouldn’t recomend working with any company that has a website with lots of design errors. Good kitchen designers don’t charge for their services their design time is usually incorporated in the cost of the cabinets when you buy them. They will charge a deposit some places will have large deposits some places small deposits. The size of the deposit isn’t related to how good they are as designers it is based on how much they mark up cabinetry. Expensive places charge big deposits. Our company for example only charges $150 for the first 4 appointments.

   Fabuwood is constructed as well as the other expensive brands you mention. They use the same hinges and tracks and have the same internal features as those more expensive brands. The reason they are less expensive is that there are less door styles, wood species, colors and les customization offered. However, if you aren’t getting those things you are simply wasting money getting more expensive brands and not getting anything more durable. Hanging rails are only used in some types of cabinet construction. Fabuwood has a 1/2 inch plywood back which is equal to a hanging rail and a thinner back.

   Design and build companies are not cabinet dealers that sell cabinets and also offer installation. They are contractors that do additions, basements, kitchens, baths, decks ect and also have one cabinet brand that they offer when they do construction. These companies are not known for being good designers. And are usually not very competative cost wise.

6. 

   Meri

   Hello,

   I am trying to decide between J&K cabinets and Fabuwood kitchen cabinets. My ceilings are 9ft and both companies only make 4 2inch top cabinets 2) J&K does not have matching hood covers. I got a slightly better price with J&K cabinets.
   Please help! Which is the better brand in terms of design and durability? What can I do about the top cabinets? Should I stack them, put a filler with a crown molding? Or do you have a better option?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Meri,
   If the cost difference is small I like Fabuwood better. Both brands are equally durable but Fabuwood has more options and is more reliable delivery and damage wise. I like there color options as well.

   Stacking cabinets adds about 30% to the cost of a kitchen particularly if you make some of the top cabinets glass doors.
   For a 9 foot ceiling the recommended cabinetry is using 36″ high wall cabinets with 12″ high wall cabinets stacked on top. You will need some custom sizes in Fabuwood to achieve this most likely but the added cost is small although the lead time doubles to get the cabinetry.

   Stacking cabinets generally requires a better designer to avoid mistakes. I would recomend letting me see your final design to avoid errors. See below:

   Call into our Friday helpline and podcast most Fridays between 2 and 4 pm Eastern Standard Time. We review designs and give design help. Call 61O-5OO-4O71 then leave a message and we will call you when a line opens. Be ready to email designs or measurements you want Paul to consider.

   Here is a blog on the topic:
   https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/the-108-inch-ceiling-height-dilemma/

7. 

   Mujib

   I think I posted this on the wrong page earlier:

   Hi Paul,

   Parriott Wood (https://parriottwood.com/) seems to be a popular brand here in Southern California. Are you familiar with them? If so, how do they compare to brands like Fabuwood?

   Thank you,

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Mujib,
   These are another of literally hundreds of RTA cabinet brands. The dealers that sell RTA cabinets are not really kitchen designers which is why many of Patriott dealers are flooring companies and window treatment companies. We do not rate RTA cabinets other than IKEA because we believe these brands do customers a disservice. I don’t like the business model of these type companies. Brands like this are imports and call themselves things like Patriott or USA cabinets. You will have to put your cabinets together and for the small savings you get you will pay a big price by not working with a knowledgeable kitchen designer. Kitchen renovations are too expensive to save a little bit of money by avoiding working with competent help.

1. 

   Mujib

   Thank you for the quick response.

   I found Parriott Wood at a kitchen remodeling place. They had St. Martin, Fabuwood, Parriott Wood, and some others. The guy there said the cabinets are decent quality for the price, and they would do the installation.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   When they are assembled correctly they are structurally a good cabinet but you might only be saving 20% and not have a nicer looking cabinet like Fabuwood with a lifetime Warranty.
   I also always recomend that people call into our Friday helpline to let me critique their design. Most designs we see have mistakes in them.

   Call into our Friday helpline and podcast most Fridays between 2 and 4 pm Eastern Standard Time. We review designs and give design help. Call 61O-5OO-4O71 then leave a message and we will call you when a line opens. Be ready to email designs or measurements you want Paul to consider.

8. 

   Ellen

   Hi, Paul.

   My kitchen contractor offers Fabuwood and 21st Century. Fabuwood would be an upcharge. I looked on 21st Century site and it didn’t answer any questions about your criteria for quality construction: thickness of hardwood face frame, thickness of (plywood0 side, bottoms and tops with plywood shelves; wood hanging rail or plywood back (and depth), ibeam construction and wooden corner blocks, solid wood dovetail drawers Blumotion track and soft close doors. Your ratings seem to indicate 21st Century is a decent brand?

   Thanks,

   Ellen

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Ellen,
   You should be working with a kitchen designer on the design of your kitchen. Never buy cabinetry from a contractor they are not qualified to design a kitchen or to sell cabinetry. If you are renovating a kitchen you should be working on the design first and then deciding on the cabinet brand that you want with the designers help. AFTER that you should get three estimates from different contractors who are bidding on the project based on your designs. Even if you love a contractor it makes no sense not to get three professionals to give you bids because estimates are free. You might find a less expensive contractor that you also like, and you are also getting three professional to review your project who could find problems or bring up issues that were not considered.

   21st Century is really an RTA “ready to assemble” brand that can be purchased assembled. It is well constructed for that price point but Fabuwood is a better brand which is why it’s more expensive. Fabuwood has a lifetime warranty and is worth the upgrade IMO.

   As always my most important advice is:
   Home Owners worry about cabinet quality and price far more than they worry about their designs. This is because they aren’t designers themselves and don’t understand how poor their designs usually are. If you listen to one of our podcasts this is usually a central issue. The Podcast below illustrates how different designs can be from what a homeowner might expect, while still staying within their budget. So, it makes little sense splurging on cabinets, appliances, and other upgrades, when there are design improvements left on the table.
   Below is a podcast that focuses on this issue:

   https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/calls-with-paul-the-kitchen-design-podcast-episode-28-finding-a-kitchen-designer/

9. 

   Amy

   What about the Signature Custom Cabinets Frameless Model?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Amy,
   Sorry we don’t have specifications on their frameless line. The best it could be rated for construction would be a B. As with all frameless cabinet brands. That assumes 3/4″ plywood sides. The best value they could receive in frameless cabinetry would be a A- as they have different competition in frameless and there is less of an upside.

10. 

    Dan

    Can you help me find a dealer for integrity cabinets in the Toledo, Ohio area?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Dan,
   You would need to contact Integrity directly. There website has a link to ask for the closest dealer to you. Link below.
   https://www.integritycabinets.com/contact-integrity

11. 

    Milka

    Which one would you go with for quality, durability and finish? Surprisingly, similar quote for both. Schrock’s google reviews worry us.

    1) Fabuwood

    Island:
    Fabuwood Allure Luna Timber
    https://www.fabuwood.com/cabinets/allure/luna/

    Rest of the kitchen:
    Fabuwood Allure Luna Dove
    https://www.fabuwood.com/cabinets/allure/luna/

    2) Schrock

    Island:
    Schrock Hawkins Coastline finish (maple)
    https://www.schrock.com/products/hawkins?prod={EBE99950-2690-4428-AA35-C68FC37CA159}&user-zip-code=21015#

    Rest of the kitchen:
    Schrock Hawkins Steam paint (maple)
    https://www.schrock.com/products/hawkins?prod={EBE99950-2690-4428-AA35-C68FC37CA159}&user-zip-code=21015#

    Thank you!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Milka,
   I would rate both brands as being equal in quality. Fabuwood should be 20% less expensive so I would choose Fabuwood and spend the 20% difference changing the layout to be a better design, or splurging on appliances or countertops.

12. 

    Jenny

    Hi Paul,
    Fantastic resource! I wish I would have found your article sooner. I’m in the middle of a full kitchen renovation and have had a terrible experience with both Schrock and Kemper; brands I picked after much research due to the overall positive reviews and touted quality. 85% of the cabinets (base/doors/drawers) had to be returned upon delivery due to poor quality – dovetails on drawers were not aligned, fraying, and filled in with wood putty in many places. The painted finish was rough almost as if it had been sprayed over sawdust/debris or not sanded between coats. Cabinet bases were compromised as well. I had ordered replacement door fronts for a separate built-in that I have as well, 50% of those came in with the same paint issues. I was quite surprised since my last kitchen was Kemper brand and held up incredibly well over the years. I’m wondering if MasterBrands has been experiencing wider supply chain disruption over the past few months that could be leading to this unexpected decline in quality control. Or if anyone else in this community had had a similar experience with the brand recently. Some of the replacements took over 5 weeks to arrive and are in the same condition as the ones they were meant to replace.

    I’m now looking at going with Shiloh brand cabinets instead hoping to avoid the same issues. They seem solid and offer the colors/stains that I’m looking for, but aren’t widely carried in my area; so a special order. There aren’t a ton of reviews for them online but they seem to be in the mid-upper range alongside Wapoint, Kemper, Schrock etc. Any suggestions or insights would be greatly appreciated.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Jenny,
   We do the research for you on this blog. Without knowing the door style and colors you are choosing, I can’t give you advice but you are doing a lot of things here without a good designers advice. This makes me think that your design itself also needs improvement. We review designs free of charge Fridays,

13. 

    Jay

    Hello,

    This is an extremely helpful blog post! How recent is your data on Bellmont 1900? My parents are trying to finish a small kitchen renovation, and they went with the Bellmont 1900 at the recommendation of their designer in plywood construction with High-Gloss Laminate Bianco Gloss white doors. Unfortunately, we’ve experienced a lot of quality issues with the doors arriving with scratches on the faces and chips in the finish, particularly where the door fronts meet the edge banding. We’ve also experienced many issues with Bellmont shipping cabinets and doors that were the wrong sizes from what was specified in the orders. Our designer / dealer has said that they had never experienced these issues before on the 1900 line but had previously stopped offering the 1600 line to prospective clients due to similar repeated quality control issues… but now they are seeing these issues on the 1900 line as well with several clients’ projects in addition to my parents’ kitchen project. Luckily we eventually received cabinet boxes of sufficient quality that we installed them, but now it’s a struggle to get replacement doors in the correct sizes and without obvious damage to the finish right out of the box. Our local Bellmont sales rep is now implying that my parents have unrealistic expectations, but we think brand new cabinet doors shouldn’t be chipped around the edges right out of the box, especially since we’ve experienced several instances where the imperfections have grown in size and become progressively worse with the finish chipping and flaking off during the first days of very light use and cleaning with spraying approved cleaners on soft microfiber cloths. Your cabinet brand Quality ratings by my reading seem to be more for the sturdiness and construction of the cabinets themselves and the hardware used rather than the quality of the door fronts, though. Any insights?

    Also, I see elsewhere in the comments that you mention Bellmont is vague about the hardware they use, and our designer has indicated that they do in fact use different manufacturers — FYI as a data point, my parents’ cabinets arrived with Salice Silentia soft-close hinges — how do those compare to the Blum hardware that your other comments indicate as being the standard-bearer for soft-close hardware?

    My parents are starting to wonder if there are other manufacturers with better quality control that make comparable high gloss white door fronts because the replacements from Bellmont are sometimes arriving in even worse condition than the ones they were supposed to replace! Any insight would be greatly appreciated, as they just want to be done with the project and enjoy their brand new kitchen.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Jay,
   It’s tough to judge here but I’ll bet there is a little bit of everything going on. First of all when you are selecting a high gloss laminate door style you are selecting a very unforgiving product prone to scratching and showing imperfections easily. So getting doors with issues is likely, and if you get more scratches and chips after they arrive – that is just the product and isn’t Belmont’s fault.

   The laminate isn’t going to damage after arriving more from one brand than another. Really the designer is partly to blame here for not setting realistic expectations. Replacement doors are arriving via UPS so I’d probably blame the selection and UPS for most of those issues.

   Helping customers know what they are buying and having realistic expectations is one of the most important jobs of a kitchen designer. And when you select an unforgiving product extra problems are likely. It doesn’t mean anyone’s at fault and if replacements are being ordered be appreciative. But don’t expect your white rug to stay pristine over time. A multicolored grey rug would look new forever while a white one has a short half-life.

   I like Blum’s hardware best, but Salice is fine. At this point your parents probably have everything under a microscope with lots of blue tape directing the designer and rep to all the imperfections.

   To be perfectly frank the people that select high gloss white laminate cabinetry are the very personalities that can be high maintenance customers. Good designers are especially careful working with customers that make this selection.

   Consider all this and as long as the dealer and Belmont are replacing what you ask of them then count yourselves well served.

1. 

   Jay

   Thank you so much for the thorough and considered reply. We actually found a Fabuwood dealer in our region and went to look at their samples as a basis for comparison — the difference was stark: Fabuwood appears to take much more care in their manufacturing and shipping practices than Bellmont does to protect their finishes. For one, Fabuwood cleans their doors and applies a protective film to the white gloss finished surfaces, while Bellmont only applies protection around the sides. As for the shipping, our dealer has received replacement shipments from both UPS as well as Bellmont’s regional delivery service, and there has been little difference in the condition of the received items. One particularly concerning pattern of consistent damage has been regular intervals of sharp perpendicular cut marks on the door fronts around perimeter edges near where the edge banding has been applied, almost as if a sharp razor blade has made slash marks along the edges — it is around these cut marks where the finish delaminates and peels off when being cleaned of the sawdust, grease, glue and other schmutz that is still on the doors straight out of the box as received from the factory. Our designers have informed us that this isn’t how Bellmont used to ship things, that up until sometime in 2023 all their items would arrive with a protective film on the gloss finish, ostensibly applied after being cleaned of manufacturing debris.

   Anyway, I understand that perhaps our expectations were not properly managed by our designers — at least to a point. Since it appears from other comments that you don’t personally deal in the Bellmont product at present, I would suggest there might be utility in reaching-out to any dealers you know of who do and perhaps “take the temperature” in terms of whether or not they have noticed a drop in manufacturing quality on their customers’ orders within the last 2 years or so only because you have clearly taken the time to compile these 150 cabinet brand ratings, and many consumers clearly find these ratings and blog posts incredibly helpful.

   Thank you again, and it sounds like your clients are very lucky to be in such knowledgeable and thoughtful hands!