Cabinet Reviews: Ratings for the top 157 cabinet brands.

554 Replies to “Cabinet Reviews: Ratings for the top 157 cabinet brands.”

1. 

   sara

   hi there!
   I’m in south jersey and curious on your thoughts about fabuwoods ovela line? It seems like an amazing budget frameless option comparing to other high end brands ( doca etc)? I’ll be giving you a call on monday for my measurements probably! Thank you

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Sara,
   Yes it’s a great line, particuarly now that it can be upgraded to Plywood construction.

2. 

   Frank

   Hi Paul,

   Do Masterbrand Omega Cabinetry ratings need to be updated? In its current brochure on page 41 (www.omegacabinetry.com/literature/Omega/OmegaSelectionGuide/index.html), it has 3/8 inch tops and bottoms for its Framed series cabinets, which is the same thickness as Masterbrand’s less expensive line of Diamond Cabinets (see page 33 https://www.diamondcabinets.com/literature/diamond/diamondeastdesignguide/index.html) . Shouldn’t more expensive cabinetry have thicker wood?

   In comparison, in Omega’s brochure from 2020 on page 43, it says it used to have 1/2 inch tops and 3/8 inch floors for its Dynasty series (https://www.cabinetsandbeyond.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Omega-Cabinets-Brochure.pdf). Do tops and bottoms (floors) matter much in thickness?

   In addition, I recently asked Omega Cabinetry dealers how thick the backs are, and they have told me 1/4 inch thick, which is even thinner than the less expensive Diamond Cabinets’ 3/8 inch thick back. Cabinet dealers have told me that most of their cabinets regardless of price point have a 1/4 inch thick back, so I wonder is a 1/4 inch back satisfactory for most cabinets framed and frameless? I believe you recommended in the past a 1/2 inch back or thicker, yet there are very few manufacturers from what I’ve seen that meet this standard.

   I hope this post brings awareness to others that cabinet manufacturers are finding ways to cut costs by reducing wood thicknesses over time (and hope people are unaware of these changes), which compromises the cabinet standards that you strive to uphold and promote.

   Thanks!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Frank,
   Yes not only are you correct about us needing to update our ratings for Omega Dynasty but I reviewed all the Masterbrands cabinet brands and they have reduced the standard construction quality of nearly all their cabinet brands. What a terrible company. Now all the brands have to be upgraded to get the better ratings we give them. Diamond and Omega Dynasty can’t be upgraded to the level they were before. Some brands like Decora (formerly a well made cabinet brand) don’t give all the information on how they are made which considering it’s Masterbrands makes me think that they may have down graded that brand too. I will have to do some more investigating but I am in the process of changing the descriptions and the ratings on all the affected brands.

3. 

   Regina Stier

   Do I need to worry about health problems due to cabinets made in China? Are there decent quality lower cost cabinets made in USA?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Regina,
   No you don’t have to worry about any cabinets from US manufacturers that source products from other countries including China. Some non name brands could possibly get by customs without being tested but all name brands are tested using the same US criteria nearly identical to the Carb 2 California test from several years ago. So any cabinets on our list here most certianly meet US Standards.

   In fact cabinets that are all plywood construction and source their boxes and doors from far away are actually less toxic when they arrive in your home than 100% US manufacturers because their parts were made and finished months ago and shipped in containers to the US. Because of this most of their off gassing is over.

   After a couple of months all the brands will have similar off gassing properties and all major brands will meet US standards. The far away brands just start off already at their lowest levels, while the most expensive custom cabinetry that is made and shipped as soon as the cabinetry is complete will start off still below US requirements but won’t settle to their lowest levels for a few months.

   Of course all brands that customers order in custom colors will be freshly painted and so will off gas more at first even the imports.

   Strictly US cabinet brands will usually be both a little more for the same quality and also many will be importing their doors but not letting consumers know.

   Keep in mind that an iPhone would cost $6000 if Apple wasn’t sourcing parts from overseas. Cabinets are the same. This a a global world and sourcing materials from places that don’t make sense if you are trying to be at a lower price point is a bad business model, and so many other company decisions may be bad ones.

   Wren Kitchens going bankrupt last week is a prime example of what happens when companies are making bad decisions.

4. 

   Liza

   Thank you for your review list. Very helpful. Do you know anything about the quality of Kitchen Cabinet Distributors? I didn’t see them on your list.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Lisa,
   The Kitchen Cabinet Distributors Premier line is well made. They are reasonably priced but without that many options.

1. 

   Liza

   Thank you!

5. 

   Wes

   I have noticed a growing trend among some cabinet brands to try and define plywood as two layers of wood veneer, with any engineered material in-between them. Its making it increasingly difficult to find a truly all wood plywood box cabinet.

   I can confirm that Medallion, Kraftmaid and Kraftmaid vantage are using 3/16″ to 1/8″ or so thick veneered MDF for their cabinet backs, even when upgraded to All plywood. Medallion is also using a laminated MDF product for their painted cabinet ends as well. I would consider significantly downgrading their quality ratings as a result.

   as a result, I plan on spending a little more time researching brands materials/construction before moving ahead with my cabinet project.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Wes,
   There are certain advantages to having a sandwich of MDF between layers of plywood. You gain stability and reduce any warping or racking with the sandwich. Or with frameless cabinetry having a layer of MDF over plywood on the outside of the cabinet allows for the side to accept a laminate. We don’t rate one way versus another any differently as long as they are the same thickness.

   You are also referring to cabinet back panels which often are not supporting the cabinetry because they are using a hanging rail. The MDF that cabinet companies use on the plywood sides of painted cabinets and also the middle panels of the doors are used because they give a nicer more stable finish.

   The moral here is that I don’t think the manufactures are “cheaping out” with these changes they are giving customers a better product even if some people don’t understand it.

1. 

   Wes

   Do you think a 1/8th veneered MDF panel with hanging rails is equal to a 3/8″ or 1/2″ plywood back with hanging rails?

   The Medallion cabinets surprised me, because the hanging rail on the upper and lowers are only attached to the cabinets by being glued and stapled to the 1/8″ fiberboard back panel.

   For the side panels and base cabinets I’m concerned about longevity, especially in a kitchen with a couple not too careful kids getting water in places it should not go. I realize water will also damage plywood, but it seems to hold up a bit better.

   What do you think of J&K cabinets? you seem to rate them well, but pricing I’m getting is kinda so low it almost feels too good to be true. Also I would have to get a local cabinet shop to do a custom paint job to get the color my wife wants.

   I’m looking for an integrity dealer in my area, since they seem fairly solid, but I am not finding one in Maryland

   All the brands I’m looking at are specked with APC and have identical layouts/designs. Right now I have quotes as follows:

   Shiloh – $15k
   Shrock – $13800 (normally $11k but custom color drives it up a lot)
   Medallion – $12k
   Kraftmaid Vantage – $13k
   Kraftmaid Home Depot – $11.5k
   Fabuwood – $11.5k
   J&K cabinets – $5k + $3.5k paint job.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Wes,
   The numbers you are getting seem very off. J&K should be 15% less than Fabuwood. Kraftmaid Vantage is upgraded Krafmeid from a home center and if you upgrade at a home center the price should be closer. There are no brands that use a 1/2″ plywood back and a Hanging rail. Better made cabinets use either a 1/2″ back or a hanging rail. The strength of the hanging rail is it’s attachment to the sides of the cabinet not the back.

   I think you have two problems that you aren’t considering. The first is that you aren’t comparing apple to apples and don’t realize it. See link below:
   https://www.mainlinekitchendesign.com/general/price-comparing-kitchen-cabinets-and-why-it-is-a-bad-idea/

   The second is my mantra below:

   As always my most important advice is:

   Home Owners worry about cabinet quality, price, and door style and finish 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/

6. 

   Wes

   It would be useful to include manufacturing location in these lists.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Wes,
   Most cabinet brands will deliver anywhere in the US so where they are located isn’t important. For example we are outside Philadelphia and carry brands as far west as Iowa, and as far south as Alabama. Many of the inexpensive brands are located in Northern New Jersey and many of the most expensive brands are located either in the Midwest or around Lancaster Pennsylvania. However they deliver all over so where a cabinet is located is not the important part.

   However, if a customer thinks that they should be buying local that would be an issue as that generally should not enter into the decision making process when selecting a cabinet brand.

   Customers should be selecting reputable cabinet dealers and good kitchen designers to work with first. Once they pick a good dealer and designer then that dealer will have several brands at different price points to select from. The best dealers will also carry well made brands. Even Home Depot and Lowes do this, and carry well made brands across most price points.

1. 

   Wes

   Oh, I was specifically referring to country of origin.

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Wes,
   There aren’t many different countries that are listed here. Other than Poggenpohl, IKEA and a few Canadian brands. And possibly one Korean brand.

   If you are referring to US brands that ship finished parts over from Vietnam, Mexico, the Philippines, or China. The brands we list are all US cabinet companies sourcing parts overseas, but the company is American and the cabinets built in the US. Since most cabinet brands now source at least some parts, doors, or hardware from other countries we don’t think this is important.

   The quality isn’t suffering and in most cases these brands are superior to strictly 100% US brands at the same price point. So I wouldn’t focus on how you are getting a better cabinet by sourcing parts from overseas.

   For example you would pay $5000 for an iPhone if it was completely manufactured in the US.

   We live in a global economy now, although under the present US administration this is being undermined. Most knowledgeable experts consider present US policy towards the world short sighted and reactionary. This will hopefully change once better minds and cooler heads prevail.

7. 

   Lisa T

   Hi Paul,

   I’d like to have frameless kitchen cabinets with slab doors in walnut or cherry. Looking at Plain & Fancy website – beautiful custom cabinets, grain matching… A bit concerned that there’s no info on cabinet construction though. A bit of googling found the specs here: http://www.broadwaykitchens.com/plainfancy.html . They say the frameless sides are 3/4″ HVH board and the backs are 1/4″ plywood, no mention of a hanging rail. But you recommend to “Make sure your cabinets are built from real wood. Particle board sides and shelves are much less desirable.” More specifically, 3/4″ plywood sides for frameless. Also, “a solid wood 3/4″ hanging rail or a 1/2″ plywood back”.

   I’m confused: isn’t this below your recommendations? I must be missing something, perhaps they do have a solid hanging rail, and HVH is no worse than plywood? Thank you for all the education you do here!

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Lisa,
   We carry Plain & Fancy. The frameless cabinetry can be upgraded to plywood. They build great frameless cabinetry and are pretty expensive. You don’t say where you are located. If you are within 1 1/2 hours of Philadelphia you are within our service area.

1. 

   Lisa T

   Thanks Paul! I’m in Newtown area, pretty close. I probably wouldn’t think about P&F if I were into shaker doors. But for slabs, European style, P&F’s grain matching seems irresistible (unless you say there are less expensive brands who do this). I’m still concerned though, with their very thin 1/4″ backs, half of what you suggest as desirable. Isn’t that a problem?

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi Lisa,
   The Plain and Fancy back has a 3/4″ hanging rail that makes it sturdy. There are many well made frameless brands are are a fraction of the cost of Plain & Fancy Custom Cabinets. The average kitchen cabinetry order in Plain & Fancy is over $50,000 so you shouldn’t even be considering a brand this expensive unless you are working with a very good kitchen designer and have first designed the kitchen and made whatever construction and layout changes that make the kitchen the best design it can be.

   You seem to be “putting the cart before the horse” so to speak. The first step working on your kitchen would be to have one of our designers measure your kitchen and usually the rooms around it. Then they work on a professional design and not the plan that you may have in mind first. After they complete their design they show it to you in 3D and then begin making changes to it with you present often in a Zoom meeting or two. This way we are able to show customers the things that they couldn’t think of themselves and they are able to understand the positive and negative properties of any design, Including the one they originally had in mind. In the end you get the kitchen you want but is is almost never the kitchen you were thinking you would get before you worked with professionals.

   Once the design is completed THEN you consider the brand of cabinet and door style and finish you like and can afford. This is why we carry 7 cabinet brands across all price points. All the brands we carry are well made, All have a lifetime warranty, but a frameless brand like CNC might cost $10,000 instead of $50,000. You decide which brand of cabinets, appliances, and other materials you want, what elements you want to splurge on and what ones to save on. However, the thing that makes your home the most valuable is the design itself. Which is the very thing that non kitchen designers don’t understand UNTIL they see what their kitchen could be. I explain this in the short Video below:

   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ouji0to71I

8. 

   RB

   Hello, I wanted to check if you know of or can recommend a brand(s) that offer shelving/built-in systems for walk-in closets. Thanks

1. 

   pmcalary[ Post Author ]

   Hi RB,
   This is not something I know a lot about. However closet systems can be very expensive. For example California Closets. One less expensive brand that I know of is NorthPoint Closets. They are sold by cabinet dealers that work with Hardware Resources. Here’s a Google AI description:

   NorthPoint Closets by Hardware Resources offers a budget-friendly, DIY-friendly storage solution known for fast, tool-free assembly using quick-snap connectors. Reviews often highlight the brand for offering good value, featuring a birch-finished interior, and providing a clean, durable look suitable for homeowners seeking affordable, functional, and organized closet spaces.

   Key Aspects of NorthPoint Closets:
   Assembly: Designed for speed and ease, using a “quick-snap” system that requires no tools, providing a clean look with no visible fasteners.
   Quality: Considered a high-quality, budget-friendly option.
   Design & Aesthetics: Known for having a durable, attractive birch-finished interior.
   Functionality: Designed to maximize organization, with a focus on creating well-organized, accessible spaces.