Review Detail

Fifteen years ago, we purchased Kraftmaid cabinets in Quartersawn oak with plywood boxes. We've been happy with our cabinets and decided to order Kraftmaid again when building a new home. Unfortunately, we are not happy with our latest purchase. I was going to order plywood boxes and the Kitchen Designer told me no one orders plywood boxes, the new fiberboard was much better than it used to be. WRONG. The stuff crumbles just the same as it always did and you are better off upgrading to plywood.

Also, if you live in the West you are automatically disadvantaged. All cabinets shipped West start their journey on a very slow moving train. It took 3 weeks for them to travel from Ohio to Phoenix. As we live in Santa Fe, NM, the cabinets were next delivered to a trucking company who only delivers to NM one day a week. Needless, to say by the time the cabinets arrived - after having been moved & jostled all over the place - there was damage. BUT, the nightmare doesn't end there. You can reorder, but you are looking at 3 weeks in production and then another month to travel via train to the final destination. This shipping method Kraftmaid uses is about as close as you can get to a "slow boat to China."

Now lets talk about the wood. I know it's a bit unusual these days, but I like quartersawn oak. I like the linearity of it BUT don't order Kraftmaid's quartersawn oak. The doors will look great, but the finished sides will look like you are on an LSD trip. VERY wavy and grainy which totally defeats the purpose of your lovely doors. I WISH I HAD ORDERED CHERRY. Our first kitchen did come with quartersawn toe kicks, but no more. The latest toe kicks are the same LSD ugly as the finished sides. You will not be happy.