Kitchen Quality

Picking out cabinets for your new or remodeled kitchen is not an open and shut matter. The choices for door style, wood, finish and options are endless. Cabinets can add up to 70 percent of a kitchen's cost, so research your options for the best return on your investment.

The elements that determine a cabinet's quality are the wood, the finish, construction, hardware, accessories , and trims and moldings.

Here are some primary differences between quality cabinets and lower-end cabinets:

Solid plywood construction vs. half-inch particleboard
Wood veneer vs. vinyl facing
A smooth wood grain and finish vs. an inconsistent one
Smooth and easy operation of drawers vs. drawers that stick and are hard to open
A rigid construction vs. construction that uses staples and glue
Sturdier hardware, often concealed and easy to adjust, vs. lighter, cheaper hardware
Drawer box joints that are dovetailed vs. nailed and glued joints

Quality cabinets usually use more elaborate trims, have many stain and finish choices, and many accessory options.

Difficulty: Moderately challenging

Analyze your kitchen layout and your family's lifestyle and cooking habits. Plot what you need to store and display, as well as accessories that will simplify and organize your kitchen activities.

Get professional guidance--from an architect, a kitchen designer, at a store or on the Internet--to narrow your style and component choices and make the most of your space.

Choose stock cabinets when controlling costs is your priority. Mass-produced in standard sizes, stock cabinets leave room in your budget for upgrades elsewhere. You'll find fewer finish options but many popular styles, woods and accessories.

Spring for custom units if you need to fit exact dimensions. Top-quality materials and craftsmanship increase both the cost and turnaround. Semicustom cabinets are also made to order, but their set widths may require inserts for a perfect fit.

Select the wood you want and desired finish. Maple, oak and cherry are favorite hardwoods. Signs of quality cabinets are grain that matches from piece to piece and furniture-quality finishes.

Investigate manufactured finishes such as laminate or thermofoil. Both are easy to clean and less expensive than wood, but also less durable. Ask about typical repairs and what the warranty covers. Examine a showroom sample that has been in use for a while to see how it wears.

Insist on construction that can support heavy cookware and withstand countless openings, bumps and spills. Drawers with dovetailed joints are stronger than stapled ones. Doors with fitted mortised corners are sturdier than noninterlocking butt joints. Also look for 3/4-inch-thick (2 cm) face frames.

Peek inside cabinets. Most stock and semicustom units use solid wood only for the exposed frame, doors and drawers. Even high-end cabinets may contain particleboard or veneer-covered plywood inside. Both are less likely to warp than solid wood, and can be stained or painted.

Look for drawers that extend completely and are equipped with self-closing glides rated to hold 75 lb. (35 kg). Well-made drawers boast 1/2- to 3/4-inch (1.2 to 2 cm) sides with dovetailed or doweled joints and a strong bottom that's glued into grooves. The strongest shelves are 3/4-inch (2 cm) plywood.