I do not think Blum is the best. There are other brands just as good.

Hardware location on drawers--you lose depth with undermount glides, and width with side mount. If you want no loss of space to hardware, you need to go retro and go without glides altogether. (Don't do that.) You DO want full extension!

Thanks, fori; I'm glad to know brands other than Blum are good. Someone I spoke with was not using Blum and seemed quite annoyed when I mentioned them; it would seem likely there are others as good. I'm not sure how I'm to know about that though.

People seem to prefer bottom-mounted hardware unless I'm mistaken -- is there a reason to prefer losing height to width?

Does "20"" qualify as "full extension" please?

Thanks!

In my opinion as a professional cabinetmaker, Blum are without doubt the best. In all my years I have never had a call back from a defective Blum hinge or slide. You get what you pay for.

You dont really lose that much height at all with the Blum undermounts, the clearance on the bottom is 9/16 and the top is 1/4".

Blum Tandem w/ Blumotion come in 3" increments, so you would choose the 21". If you want full extension you need the 562H5330B

Thanks fori and cabmanct -- I was shown how the drawers for undermount blum slides need to be made with a cut-out -- another contributor to their high cost. I am guessing this is the same for any other undermount manufacturers. Fori, is there one in particular you think stacks up to Blum favorably? Thx.

Think about fillers, if they use them and where.

Well, if you go custom, you can have whatever you want to pay for! Also if you get a good cabinetmaker, you won't have to worry about a warranty, if you choose the right materials, they'll last a couple lifetimes!
Blum is good, but ask a cabinetmaker you trust.

Hi patriot - for some reason when we went through it I think I would be losing 1/2" for the bottom mount slides. That may also not be a deal breaker but the issue for me is whether and where and when it is worth it to squash 4 cabinets into a stack and whether/where when to fall back to 3. I planned it out with just drawer fronts on graph paper not knowing what the actual interior height of drawers would wind up being. The cabinet maker I'm talking with does framed cabinets so that loses a little more space and I'm in the narrow grey zone of whether 4 is worth it or to back down to 3. I know they don't all have to be this way but when and where is part of the equation.... and then the sidemount slides which are cheaper and could "finance" the 4 drawers - plus you'd get that titch more space for them!

Undermount soft close slides seem to be universally admired here (by the cabinet maker as well though he priced for the side mount). Probably I should limit the madness, bite the bullet and plan for undermount.

That's one thing about stock vs custom -- most of the stock nowadays seem to come with undermount soft glides, and 5/8" ply standard. Custom can get priced out more cheaply, fbow.

Maybe this is outside the original scope of the question, but cabinet depth is an important consideration. For base cabinets, std depth is usually 24'', but some prefer deepr cabs. Same goes for uppers - I think standard depth is 15'' (?). I choose inset cabs, and went with std depth uppers. My largest plates won't fit. If I had framed cabs with overlay doors, or if I requested slightly deeper uppers, they would have fit. I don't know if stock cabs are offered deeper than std, if not, then I guess this is on topic.

Thanks, rocket -- I do very appreciate this as part of the discussion. I think it may help others in compiling a list too. I believe 12" uppers are the standard. I've actually encountered some people a little reluctant to use 15" uppers and surprised about the request. Which surprises me, frankly -- it seems a no-brainer to me that you'd want that additional space if you're going to encumber your wall with a cabinet anyway. I guess it makes for more of a cave on the counter; perhaps that's their hesitation. Anyway, thanks for adding to the list.

Cabinet considerations:

Housing type/style for drawers and cabinets:
= Style box:
> frameless
> framed - overlay style of doors/drawer fronts:
-- full
-- partial
-- inset
> type of face frame wood used (is that the right term for frameless or only framed?)
-- solid/ply/mdf
= Base:
> height: standard base is for 36” countertop. Countertop is 1.5” standard - not sure whether boxes are standardly constructed at 36” - 1.5” = 34” tall. Ideal height said to be 4” below bent elbow.
> Uppers: 15" depth may be preferable. depth standard is 12” - may not fit modern dishes. Careful of interior pace lost to frame.
= toekick: 3" (saves space, tight for workboots); 4" is standard. Stock metric comes closer to 5”

Cabinets: (a cavity fronted by a door)
= Interior: should be finished - birch ply OK?
> Shelves - ¾” ply; solid wood - depending on span sagging is an issue. Ply is more solid (I think); mdf (least solid)
-- Fixed-shelves
-- Variable height fixed shelves fixed horizontally (don’t roll); their placement vertically is selectable via holes drilled in sides for “pegs” or metal hardware
-- Roll-out shelves (ROTS) - don’t have soft-close. These are fixed vertically, not horizontally.
= Exterior (doors):
> Door composition/style:
-- solid wood slab (e.g., cherry, other hard wood)
-- interior panel with rails bordering panel. Interior composition selectable: mdf, solid wood; raised, sculpted
> hardware: soft-close or not. Not necessary to have same style as for drawers. If cabinets fasten, the soft-close may interfere with this function or be cumbersome.
-- soft-close can be added as “aftermarket” often; may be bulkier

Drawers (a box attached to a panel for pulling out):
= Drawer box construction:
> corner joinery: dovetailed, stapled (butt? joints), mortise
> floor attachment: dado (slides into side panels), screwed?
> composition: plywood (finished birch?), solid wood, mdf, bamboo, others?
> interior: should be finished
> hardware
-- hardware location: side, undermount - space is lost for slides, so think about where space is treasured more, height-wise or width-wise.
-- hardware extension: full (= 20” for sidemount, 21” for undermount), partial
-- hardware manufacturer: Blum preferred here; there are 4 lines though. “Tandem” is preferred (I think).
-- Weight of drawer contents and size of drawer might dictate heavy-duty hardware. Standard is #100 (I think)
= Drawer front
> wood type (usual species choices)
> styling - can match cabinet door styling; less-tall cabinets must often be slab because styling wont fit (under 4”, perhaps even 6”)

Finish: Applied to surface of furntiure after construction, protects from humidity and physical damage. Multi-step, compicated process, best accomplished not in home. Commercial manufacturers acclaim “baked-on”, catalyzed lacquer (not varnish) -- this is a lacquering process that utilizes (usually) urea formaldehyde (UF: this is the catalyst) in the material applied to the cabinet. The catalyzed reaction results in a very durable finish, but there is a tradeoff with health and/or environmental effects. "Baking" referred to by cabinet companies can speed up the chemical reaction catalyzed by UF. I think it is not necessary to the final, durable product; it can be part of the process, but not a necessary component of it. Note that without special attention from the get-go, your house is likely drowning in UF; it is in everything. Independent cabinetmakers may have different offerings, not necessarily inferior because artistry is involved in the application of finish - there seems more than one way (than chemistry) to a long-term durable finish.

Installation:
> fillers - how are drips and drabs accounted for?
> included in price?
> appliance installation included in “installation” price?

Warranty: Lifetime from company. Trustworthy from cabinetmaker. Local companies want to be around long-enough to be able to find if there’s a problem.