Which Kitchen Cabinets Are Right for You? A Comprehensive Buying Guide

 Kitchen Cabinets are the built-in furniture installed in many kitchens for storage of food, cooking equipment, and silverware and dishes for table service. They are typically integrated with appliances such as refrigerators and dishwashers. They may be face-frame or frameless in construction. Finished interiors are available in wood or melamine and come in a wide range of colors.

The leading producer of kitchen cabinets in the United States is Taylor

The leading producer of kitchen cabinets in the United States is Taylor, Michigan-based Masco Corporation. Its 2006 sales constituted 21 percent of the total market. The firm was able to maintain its lead even during the housing bubble, when new home and remodeling cabinet orders declined slightly.

Consumer demand for kitchen cabinets remains strong

Consumer demand for kitchen cabinets remains strong, and the industry is expected to continue to recover as homeowners repair and refurbish their homes rather than selling them. Residential applications account for 70 percent of sales.

Other end uses of cabinets include commercial and public areas

Other end uses of cabinets include commercial and public areas, multifamily dwellings, manufactured and mobile homes, restaurants and other food service establishments, hospitals and other medical practitioners’ offices, recreation facilities, hotels, and a few other outlets, each claiming less than one percent of the overall market share.

Wood is still the material of choice for cabinetry, accounting for 77 percent of all kitchen cabinet sales. Nonwood materials, primarily laminates and metals, take up the remaining 22 percent.

In the case of wood, cabinets can be crafted in two different ways: solid-wood or particle-board/medium-density fiberboard (MDF). Solid-wood cabinets consist of single pieces of lumber that are fabricated by gluing together edge-to-edge. Particle-board and MDF cabinets are constructed by layering several layers of plywood or other wood products. They are then bonded to each other and topped with veneers of real wood or other decorative materials.

Finishing the cabinets includes staining

Finishing the cabinets includes staining, mechanical or manual color consistency procedures, and spray application of sealer and topcoats. Occasionally, factory-applied wormholes and compression marks, oversanding, or a slight distressing of surfaces are added to meet customer requests for a distressed look.

Smaller, specialty cabinet makers may not have the facilities or resources to handle a complete production cycle, so they often outsource finishing and other production work. Larger cabinet companies, such as KraftMaid, are able to turn around finished cabinetry very quickly using lean manufacturing methods. The company was able to reduce its lead time from three weeks to just one week and double production by 250 percent, producing 10,000 cabinets in a day.

Conclusion

When shopping for Kitchen Cabinets, it is important to visit a showroom with knowledgeable associates who specialize in the product. This ensures that the cabinets are properly sized and are a good fit for the space. It also allows the buyer to see how the products will be used and to discuss their design preferences with an associate who can offer suggestions. If the cabinets are purchased online, it is essential to review customer website reviews carefully. While a few glowing comments may reinforce the decision to purchase, they may obscure unflattering evaluations that should be considered before making any purchases.