KitchenCabinetsReviews Blog

There are five popular types of kitchen cabinet door styles: full overlay, inset, lipped, partial overlay and tambour. Full overlay doors are very popular because they cover most of the cabinet frame and the hinges are concealed. Full overlay doors are usually found on frameless cabinets, but they can be found on framed cabinets as well. Inset doors are tightly fitted between the front edges of the cabinet box and are designed to sit between the rails and stiles of the cabinet frame. Most inset doors are found on framed cabinets. Lipped doors are similar to inset doors. Part of the door stile sits within the cabinet frame. There is a groove along the back edge that is made to fit over the face frame. The groove allows part of the door to rest in the cabinet and leaves the remaining part resting on the surface of the cabinet. Partial overlay doors are the most common. Unlike full overlay doors, which only leave about 1/8 inch of the face frame visible, partial overlay doors show about one-inch of the face frame. Tambour doors are constructed from separate piece that are attached to a flexible backing sheet. The sheet is then installed on a track that allows it to pull up like a shade and also slide around a corner.

All too often, visions of a dream kitchen turn into a nightmare. Following are the top 5 mistakes to avoid.

1. Ripping out the kitchen too early. If you plan to use semi-custom cabinets, they are made to order and usually take at least 4 to 6 weeks. If you rip out the kitchen before ordering, you will be without a kitchen for more than a month before you even receive your cabinets. The best way to ensure that you are out of your kitchen for the least amount of time is to wait until your new cabinets arrive before tearing out the old ones. That way you can make sure that you have all of the cabinets you need and that they are in good condition and are ready to install.

2. Measuring your space improperly. Once semi-custom cabinets are manufactured for you, they can't be returned. If you've measured improperly, then you'll either have to make the cabinets work or order additional cabinets at an additional expense. There are a number of sites that offer free tools and design tips. Use them!

3. Not planning for every day use. Make it functional! All too often, narrow walkways, inconvenient door swings and poor island locations can really interrupt the flow of your work space. Be sure to create a work triangle between the stove, sink and refrigerator and keep all walkways at least 36 inches wide. Make sure that no entry, appliance or cabinet door with interfere with another.

4. Lack of counter space and storage. You can save counter space by installing appliances under cabinets or counters. A microwave can be installed above the stove or a drawer-type microwave can be installed in a cabinet under the counter. Be sure to plan outlets for countertop appliances. Storage is what cabinets are all about and pantry organizers and other accessories can help you keep things organized and easily accessible.

5. Going over budget. The cost of the kitchen remodel should not exceed 20 percent of the value of the home. Be prepared for unexpected expenses!

Unless you are going with painted cabinets, selecting the type of wood for your cabinetry is one of the most important decisions you will make. Before choosing a type of wood, you'll want to consider the natural characteristics of the most common wood species. Maple, one of the most popular species, offers a smooth, closed grain pattern, generally light in color with varying tones of light pink and yellow-brown. Oak, a less expensive wood, is characterized by the wide open grain pattern and is extremely durable. Oak has variations in grain pattern and color, small knots and pin holes. Popular, though more expensive, cherry is a multi-colored hardwood distinguished by its flowing grain pattern. Pitch pockets, checks, pin knots and sap wood all occur naturally in cherry wood. Hickory wood is known for its strength, open grain and distinctive color variation within each piece of wood. Alder wood has a fine, straight-grain pattern and even texture. Grain characteristics are especially important for natural and light finishes that show the grain pattern and wood characteristics such as knots, pitch pockets and holes. With darker stains, grain characteristics show less, and with painted cabinets, the grain cannot be seen at all. It's also important to note that wood darkens over time, even wood that has been stained. So be sure to consider the grain characteristics and natural color of the wood before choosing your cabinets.

Whether used as task lighting or accent lighting, under-cabinet lighting can add functionality and detail to your kitchen remodel. The two most common styles of under-cabinet lighting are puck and linear. Puck lights are round or oval and are good for cabinet and display lighting. Puck lights can create scallops, spots or pools of lighting instead of even illumination across the counter top. Linear lights can come as a light strip or as a linear fixture or light bar. Linear fixtures resemble small puck lights on one mounting strip.

The way a majority of kitchen cabinets are made makes it very easy to install under-cabinet lights. There is usually a recessed area that is about the depth of most under-cabinet lights, so they do not project beyond the bottom plane of the cabinets.

When it comes to under-cabinet lighting, you can either go with plug-in units or hard-wired. Plug-in units are easier to install. Simply attach the fixture to the underside of the upper cabinet and plug into a nearby outlet. These can be a good choice if you only have a small area to illuminate, as long as you don't have a problem with exposed wires. A hard-wired system is usually more attractive, as there is no exposed wiring, but it is also more difficult to install. If you are doing a complete kitchen remodel, this is a great time to pre-wire for under-cabinet lighting.

Whether it's used to illuminate a work area, provide additional ambient light or is used as accent lighting, under-cabinet lighting adds a nice touch to any kitchen remodel.

If you know the cabinet manufacturer, door style and stain or color, it should be easy to match the cabinets, right? Well, not exactly. Even if you have white cabinets and you order new white doors, or new white cabinets, they won't match. Why? White cabinets yellow over time. Even if it's only been a year or two since the cabinets were installed and they still look bright white to you, they won't look white when compared to a new cabinet. As for wood stains, they darken over time. So a new cabinet with the same stain will not match.

Another reason we don't recommend trying to match existing cabinets is that manufacturers often change hardware. The new doors that you order for your existing cabinets may not have the same hinge placement as your existing cabinet door.

If you're adding an island or another group of cabinets to your kitchen, such as a butler's pantry, you're better off using a completely different yet complementary color of cabinet. Using the same door style will bring it all together.

The faucet is an integral part of the kitchen. Not only does it have to be functional, it should set the style, whether that's modern, classic or country. There is no shortage of shapes, sizes, designs and finishes to suit any decor. Once you've determined the style and color of the faucet, you will want to check the number of holes needed for proper installation. From there, you'll want to consider your handle options and spout height and reach.

There are a number of handle options available. Single handle kitchen faucets provide convenience of one-handed use. Two-handle faucets require three or more holes of a sink or counter top and work well with traditional or period-style kitchens. Pull-out faucets are a nice alternative to a separate sprayer. For antique kitchens, a wall-mount faucet offers a unique style that requires no deck holes, as it actually mounts to the wall above the sink. Pot filler faucets are a must for avid cooks. A pot filler is a cold water faucet that is installed in addition to a standard faucet and mounts to the wall behind a stove or on a counter top near the stove. It is used to fill a pot that is already positioned on the stove top.

Spout height and reach should also be considered. A high-arch faucet provides plenty of room between the bottom of the sink and the spout. These types of faucets are convenient for washing large pots and oversized dishes. Standard arch faucets, generally 3-5 inches, are best for smaller sinks. Spout reach is generally determined by the size of the sink. IF you have a double-bowl sink, be sure that the faucet can reach both bowls.

Remember, your kitchen faucet will be used often. Take the time to choose something that will not only look good, but meet your functional needs as well.

When it comes to installing counter-tops on your beautiful new kitchen cabinets, there are a lot of options to choose from. So which one is right for you? 

Google has been hard at work updating their algorithms to provide people searching for Kitchen Cabinet Reviews the best and most relevant sites. We think that our site, since it is focused on cabinet reviews, is the best site online for Kitchen Cabinet Reviews and should be the number one result for any searches relevant to cabinet reviews. We are not a retailer selling cabinets and we are not trying to sell products to our viewers. We offer our readers reviews that are submitted by real people like you. It is hard to get people to leave reviews and our site has been online for over 6 years. We have accumulated hundreds of good and bad reviews and will continue to improve our site in an effort to provide our readers with the largest collection of kitchen cabinet reviews online. If you have cabinets, leave a review, and if you used this site in making a decision on your cabinet purchase, please come back and add content. Our readers, and editors will appreciate your contribution! 

KitchenCabinetsReviews has been online collecting reviews since 2010. We have received hundreds of reviews from happy and unhappy buyers. Our site is the online destination to get real review information on all major cabinet manufacturers. We received some requests recently to add a new top rated list. In response, we have added a list of the top reviewed cabinet brands of 2017. The list is dynamic and will update as reviews are posted so that when you are viewing the list, it will reflect the best rated cabinets of the year. If you are looking for the best brands of 2017, check the list! It is an honest representation of what people are saying about the brands that are being sold. You can find the list here.  

Unlike manufactured materials, wood products have natural imperfections which make them unique and beautiful. Unfortunately, a lot of people who order wood cabinets complain about these imperfections. Because wood is in a constant state of expansion and contraction, some hairline cracks may appear in the finish surface. Some parts of the wood are softer in composition than other areas and may absorb the stain more and appear darker. When cabinets are stained, many of the wood's characteristics show through including: the grain, pin holes, knots and mineral streaks.These marks are what give the wood it's character. It's also important to note that age changes wood as well. Certain wood, such as cherry, will continue to darken over time. This makes it pretty much impossible to match existing cabinets. Even if they have the same stain, they won't look the same. It's all about expectations. If you are expecting a perfectly smooth surface with no blemishes, you are better off going with a paint that completely conceals the characteristics of the wood. If you appreciate the natural beauty of wood, you'll want something with a stain that allows that natural beauty to show through.

We are happy to announce that we have upgraded! The new version of KitchenCabinetsReviews.com may look the same, but there are a few really cool features that we have added.

The first, and most useful, is the ability to compare cabinet brands. Now, when a user is on a desktop or tablet, the site will show a compare button below each brand. The user can select the brands they are interested in and compare them side by side. Now it will be very easy to see how brands stack up to each other!

The second is the advanced search feature. This feature allows a user to search for specific information like species type or door style type.

And the third is the ability to add images to your reviews. 

We hope you enjoy reading owner reviews!

When you remodel your kitchen you will be amazed at how many new and exciting accessories you can get for your cabinets. Just in the past few years many new accessories have become available and prices are more affordable than ever. So we thought we would take a minute and list some of the most popular cabinet additions available today.

1. The soft close drawer guide is one of the neatest improvements in cabinets. When this accessory was first introduced, it could add hundreds of dollars to the cost of your kitchen, but cost has come down and you will find that some cabinet makers include this option in their standard construction. This is our number one accessory because they make the biggest difference in your cabinets when opening and closing drawers. Gone are the days of hearing the drawer slam shut. With the new soft close drawer guides, everything is smooth!

2. Sticking with the soft close theme, another great accessory is the soft close door hinge. These, just like the drawer guide, make a huge difference in the feel of the cabinet when closing the doors. They allow for a nice smooth close. And just like the drawer guides these were costly when they were introduced. They are more affordable now than ever. The cool thing about this accessory is that you can add them yourself because there are versions available that install separately from the hinge, giving you an easy and cost effective upgrade. All you need is a screw gun and the install is a snap.

3. Cabinet pullouts are a must have in a modern kitchen. There are so many to choose from that deciding which ones you want might be difficult. But they are available in different price ranges and for different functions. If you want a heavy duty pullout for pots and pans, they are available. You can also find pullout shelves, full pantry pullouts, wire rack pullouts and more. These are the accessories that will really maximize the space in your kitchen and are a must when adding new cabinets and they are also a great addition to an older kitchen.

4. You might not consider lighting a cabinet accessory, but lighting is important to your finished kitchen. Under cabinet lights provide extra light for your kitchen and are a must in a modern kitchen. Go with lights that can be dimmed so that you can adjust the brightness. The under cabinet lights will make your remodel look more modern and your kitchen will be much more inviting at night when they are dimmed.

5. Last item on the list is drawer inserts. A new kitchen would be empty without these. Your cabinet maker will offer many choices of inserts that are built to fit their drawers and many different storage options will also be available. We recommend getting these accessories from your cabinet maker so that they fit perfectly. If you are on a budget, you can buy drawer organizers afterward, but they most likely will not fit as nicely as the ones from the cabinet maker. In any case, having the drawer organizers will also maximize your storage.

These are all great accessories for your new kitchen cabinets. We hope your renovation goes well and please come back to leave a review on KitchenCabinetsReviews.com

This week is an interesting week in the history of KCR. Our site has gained traction over the six years it has been online. It's moved up in the search rankings and become more visible for relevant searches on all brands of cabinets. This is a great thing for our site and people looking for cabinet reviews! We started the site with basic editor reviews on all brands that focus on the selection, finishes and warranty offered. Cabinet customers have done the rest! We have hundreds of reviews on the site and hundreds of comments as well. Our readers want to hear real stories from real customers and we provide the platform for them.

We have just experienced our first growing pain and one that I never thought we would run into. We were recently contacted by a Dura Supreme VP and threatened with legal action if we did not remove the Dura Supreme page from our site. His assertion is that we only post negative reviews on the brand so that we can make other brands look better. That is as far from the truth as you can get. All 14 reviews on their brand have been posted including a negative review that I had denied initially because they claimed their cabinets were bamboo and I did not realize Dura Supreme sold Bamboo. But after speaking with the VP, and getting confirmation that they sell Bamboo, I posted the review.

Our site comes up number two when searching for Dura Supreme Reviews on Google, number one when searching Durasupreme cabinet reviews and five when searching for Dura Supreme cabinets. We know that our site is being seen by people who are researching this brand and our site is providing relevant and honest content about the brand - all 14 reviews submitted over the past six years.

After the conversation with the VP, we removed all of the "About Us" content, the images and KCMA certification seal. Now the Dura Supreme listing is not only devoid of any content about their brand, it only has details about them threatening legal action. In this text we posted a link to the Dura Supreme review page on Houzz and point out that the consumer reviews on Houzz are as equally unflattering of their brand when factoring out the dealer reviews. Although we really dislike that most of the reviews on Dura Supreme are negative, we can easily provide details to them with all of the reviews that have been submitted for their brand and comments that have come in since 2009 so they can be confident that we are not holding reviews back.

Threatening us with legal action, even if we remove the posts, will not remove the negative reviews from the Internet!

We read a bunch of reviews here at KitchenCabinetsReviews and many of them are reviews of contractors, delivery companies or other things that don't pertain to actual cabinets. We thought we would take a few minutes to discuss the proper cabinet review.

1. Quality - your review should address the quality of the cabinets. Quality includes details like how well the cabinets are built. It can include specifics on the way the doors open and close, how the drawer guides function. It can also focus on the materials used. But complaining about particle board if you ordered particle board doesn't provide a good point for another customer to read. They want to hear about the overall quality.

2. The Finish- you can include details about the uniformity of the finish and how well it covers the cabinets. You can also include details about the cabinets finish matching all of the other cabinets you ordered. You can include details about the smoothness of the finish as well.

3. Durability and warranty - this one is a little more difficult for a new cabinet owner because you wont be able to tell how durable your cabinets are for some time, but you can provide manufacturer warranty information and the details about the species of your cabinets.

4. Price / Value - you should include details about the value received from your cabinets and if you are happy with the finished product you received.

If you include information on all of these topics, readers will view your review as educational and informative. This will help them to make a better cabinet buying decision.

We get so many reviews about cabinet finish failing and customers that are unhappy with the finish after a given time. Most modern manufacturers use a multi step finishing process that will last for years and withstand normal use in a kitchen without an issue. But, if they are mistreated or cleaned incorrectly or in a constantly moist or wet state, then the expectancy is that the finish will breakdown. This is why there is you will most likely find a clause in your cabinet warranty voiding it is these situations occur. So it is critical to care for your cabinets properly.

1. The most important thing is to make sure you are not leaving your cabinets wet. The sink cabinet gets the most use and is closest to water, so it is important to make sure it stays as dry as possible and that you are not getting chemicals on it from the dishwasher soap or other cleaners you might be storing under the sink. These chemicals can quickly breakdown the finish on a cabinet and you need to avoid getting them on your cabinets.

2. Clean your cabinets with a soft cloth and water. No need to use chemicals because your cabinet finish is designed with a sheen that is intentional. If you are using something to clean them and make them shiny, you are adding chemicals to your cabinets that could be slowly eating away at the finish of your cabinets.

If you care for your quality made cabinets properly, you can expect a lifetime of use and beauty!

Be scared...Halloween Cabinets exist! Well not really, but there are some scary cabinets out there.

At KitchenCabinetsReviews we read reviews for all kinds of cabinet problems. Our goal is to make sure that cabinet shoppers can be educated when they are shopping for cabinets. Use our reviews and shop for yourself. Find a reputable contractor and installer. Then choose a brand with high reviews and check with your retailer to make sure you are buying a quality product.

After you get them installed, you can decorate your kitchen for Halloween and have scary good looking cabinets!

Happy Halloween!

Recognition for this months best positive review goes to a cabinet owner who purchased Kemper cabinets and took the time to write about the experience. We appreciate the time this person took and hope that you will take the time to read the review. We have pasted highlights below, but the entire review can be read on the Kemper Cabinet Review page.

"Amazing cabinets", "couldn't be happier" and "I love this kitchen so much!"

It is great to read about a positive experience! We hope that your kitchen cabinet purchase and kitchen remodel go well and you have a great experience. And when you do, remember, you researched here, so please come back and leave a review for future readers. Thanks!

Why read kitchen cabinet reviews? That is a great question that we would love to take the time to answer. As the owner of the site, I have pretty good experience with kitchen cabinets. I have remodeled numerous kitchens and pulled out some cabinets that were just awful, below builder grade junk. These cabinets have no place in your home and our reviews are a great tool in finding out how different cabinet brands are rated. But you have to understand that most people are more inclined to leave negative reviews than positive. There is a saying about this - 1 bad customer tells ten people, but a happy customer only tells one. That is a great statement, but in the age of the internet, one unhappy customer is going to post a bad review for hundreds or thousands of people to read. Our site is littered with unhappy cabinet owners who have taken the time to voice their negative experience. So please use this information, but consider that all of these companies manufacture quality cabinets and have thousands of satisfied customers who have not considered leaving a review. The reviews on our site should help you make an informed decision about the cabinets you are buying. And if you have concerns, please ask your dealer to directly address any reviews you have questions on. I am sure that they will have many positive experiences that they can share for.

Our last request, if you researched your cabinet brand on KitchenCabinetsReviews.com, please come back and leave a review on the brand you purchased. Your submission is anonymous and your experience might help another cabinet buyer. We look forward to reading about your kitchen cabinet experience!

We receive many negative reviews on KitchenCabinetsReviews.com relating to quality and we thought we would take some time to go over some of the things to look for when buying cabinets.

Price is always a consideration, but we don't think it should be the only one. You might be renovating to sell a property or you might be renovating to enjoy the benefits and comfort of a new kitchen. Either way, your budget should allow for quality cabinets. If you opt for the cheapest thing you can buy, you will be sacrificing more than just quality. The lesser expensive cabinet brands will use thinner materials to cut costs and their finishing process's most likely aren't KCMA certified. This could lead to sagging shelves, poor finish consistency and a general lack of durability. That is from the quality side, but you will also miss out on door style selection and finish choices that you will find from KCMA certified manufacturers. So when you are shopping, and you buy the least expensive cabinet available, your expectations for longevity and quality should be very low and we would expect your reviews to be less than positive. We recommend that your budget for cabinets be a substantial portion of your remodeling budget so that you end up with cabinets that you will love, from a manufacturer who builds quality products so that you will leave positive reviews for your cabinets.

Beyond price, there are other factors to consider. Warranty is one. Some makers include 5 year warranties, others limited lifetime. The 5 year warranties are generally from makers that produce great cabinets, but if you plan to be in your home for the rest of your life, you might want a brand that offers a limited lifetime warranty. Just as with price, if you confirm KCMA certification of the brands you are considering will give you confidence that you are buying a cabinet that will last.

Options are another factor to consider when buying cabinets and additional options can quickly add to the cost of your cabinets. We suggest you find a brand that offers the options that you are looking for and making sure that you are not paying for additional options that you don't need. If you give a designer your budget, they may add cabinet options that get the cost to your budget, but without them you could save hundreds of dollars. This can make inexpensive cabinets very expensive. In some cases it is even cheaper to buy cabinet accessories separately from the cabinets. Please do research on this before you buy and make sure you know what cabinets and options are specified before buying your cabinets.

A kitchen remodel is a huge home renovation, but with proper planning you can eliminate much of the stress and make the process go more smoothly. Remodeling delays are one of the biggest complaints on KitchenCabinetsReviews.com and we think that the stress of a delay can be minimized with proper planning and scheduling.

1. The most important thing to before remodeling your kitchen is to make sure the cabinets have arrived safely in your house before you begin the tear out process. We are assuming that proper time was spent on the design and all of the cabinets that have arrived will fit properly. Waiting to start until the cabinets arrive is critical to minimizing your out of kitchen time frame and lowering the stress. Why wait? Because your cabinets might arrive later than expected, or maybe one important cabinet arrives damaged...or worst case scenario, you receive cabinets that weren't ordered properly by the installer or retailer and you have to wait for an entirely new shipment. If your kitchen is still in tact, the delay is simply a delay in time, not inconvenience because your kitchen is still functional. If your contractor wants to remove your old cabinets before your new cabinets arrive so he can get a head start on the project, STOP THEM!

2. Choose a reliable contractor. We see reviews with on the site all the time that relate to the installer. Comments like - "The project was delayed", "the doors and drawers don't line up", "the cabinets arrived in a different color" and the classic "the cabinets are particle board but should have been plywood". I am not saying that a contractor would ever knowingly order the wrong products or finish, but it happens and when it does, YOU (the home owner) are the one who will be out money and time. There are thousands of retailers and small business owners who are professional and honest. Make sure you are working with one of them. And make sure your remodeling contract contains a LIST OF CABINETS THAT DETAILS THE FINISH, SPECIES AND ALL OPTIONS ORDERED. You should demand this and have a signature line on the contract showing that you have agreed to the details listed. If you don't have this list and haven't confirmed with a signature, you could be surprised when the cabinets arrive. Problems like wall cabinet height isn't what you imagined, or the options don't match what was discussed and the finish or species don't match. ELIMINATE THE CHANCES OF THIS happening by working with reputable company, or by purchasing the cabinets yourself.{jcomments on}