Kraftmaid

I've only had my cabinets a few months, but I love them, but I'll update my review if I run into problems, I bought them from lowes and my kitchen consultant was excellent jillian tatro.

Built a big house in 2012 with Kraftmaid cabinets. Developed a problem with the finish (polyurethane?) peeling and chipping on the top or bottom edges of certain cabinets. Took me a while but I finally figure out it was because the dishwasher vent was blowing hot steam onto those particular cabinets from the side vent. Never get a dishwasher with a side vent. Kraftmaid has been very cooperative in addressing this problem.

If you’ve had problems with cabinets from a big box store there’s your problem. Whether it’s a faucet, a grill, cabinets, lighting, whatever, it’s important to understand that manufacturers manufacture products for big box stores in a much lower quality. The items aren’t cheaper at Lowes or Home Depot just because they buy in volume; they’re cheaper because they’re made more cheaply by intention. For example, the inside of a faucet won’t be brass like the identical one at a plumbing supply store, it will be plastic. It looks the same at both places but it’s not. The reason a legitimate cabinet store is more money is because the product is well made; you get what you pay for. Years ago I had a kitchen faucet from a big box store that required a plumber so many times that he finally refused to come to my house until I bought a good faucet at a plumbing supply store. If anyone is reading this who is considering buying from a big box store I strongly urge you to reconsider and go to a local kitchen store. I don’t have any connection to kitchen stores!

I purchased my kitchen several years ago thinking this was my last time remodeling. I purchased white, all my other kitchens were wood, these were not as I soon found out. I really didn’t want laminate but was informed they were wrapped very carefully and seamed in the center of the back, all wrong. I should have Listened, should have known better. After a couple years, I contacted Mid South, and then Kraftmaid customer service as the cabinets were falling apart. We first noticed what appeared to be sawdust under one door, had no idea what was to come, but within a couple weeks 4 of the doors were “ shedding” and a drawer began to curl. I checked Google only to find a gentleman had noticed this in his kitchen, his were more advanced. He had ripped the doors off and Sawdust was built into the laminate doors. I also found out every door had a piece of laminate pasted on all 4 sides, not wrapped. I had a Warranty stating cabinets were warranted for life, NO I was told by Kraftmaid, none of their cabinets are really under a lengthy warranty. My experience with Kraftmaid and 14 cabinets over $7,600 is that they build a very inferior product. I would not recommend them. I was at Home Depot trying to purchase replacement doors and was told Kraftmaid don’t do that. I spent the next half hour explaining to a couple customers who were in the process of buying Kraftmaid that they definitely needed to purchase another product.

Total junk. Don’t waste time and money on Kraftmaid. I bought the mid grade quality option with upgraded materials but the undersides are outrageously ugly! Especially a problem on the upper cabinets as bottoms are seen when working at the counter. The bottoms are unfinished, staples are plainly visible and poking out, and the construction shows globs of glue and pieces cut too short so they don’t form a clean corner. Such imperfections speak to a massive quality control issue. There are definitely better quality options for the money.