I don't know anything about Shrock or Kraftmaid, but many of my friends and neighbors (I live in NJ) have remodeled their kitchens in the last few years using Medallion cabinets, and they're all delighted with them. The local distributor/installer they've all used (it's that kind of neighborhood - if someone does really good work for one or two people, they get more work than they can handle for years to come) uses Medallion almost exclusively.

In fact, when the job has been completed, the owner (he's very involved throughtout) typically comes by for a walk through and even suggests which doors he thinks need replacing if they're "off" in any way. Remarkable customer service, and I have to believe that Medallion is being very accommodating, not just the dealer. Everyone is very happy with their kitchens, and they're all holding up really well.

Full disclosure: I am not going to be using this dealer or Medallion, because I want a very contemporary, Italian-look kitchen, and no matter how hard I tried I couldn't get the look I want with their cabinets. I'm 99% sure I'll be using CraftMaid based in Reading PA(NOT the same as Kraftmaid) for my kitchen. I actually drove 2 hours to their factory (I'm becoming really crazy in my quest to get this kitchen the way I want it) and I was very happy with what I saw.

Thanks, helou, for your input.

Another testimonial for Medallion --

I fell in love with knotty alder wood when helping a friend design her kitchen. So when it was our turn, I looked specifically at cabinet companies that offered knotty alder, which is how I found Medallion. Since my search was wood-specific, and at that time knotty alder wasn't popular, I looked at cabinets across many different price points.

The Medalliion cabinets I saw were, IMO, among the nicest I saw, in terms of finish and construction quality. I did see a few that were nicer, but they were so obviously out of my price-league that they weren't really contenders; most did not look nearly as nice and were not nearly as well made, and a few were just plain flimsy in their construction. I had no idea of Medallion's price structure, but feared, based upon what I'd seen, that they'd be out of my range.

When I got the quotes back, the Medallion was priced just above (~5%) the mid-priced cabinets that looked 'OK', and well below (50-75%) the other expensive-looking cabinets. I did some serious inspecting to be sure my memory and impressions were accurate -- then jumped on them!

They've been installed for almost 3 years now, and we love them!

I've got Medallion in my bathroom and am satisfied with the finish. They seem to be well made.

We have Medallion cabinets, also, in two finishes: cream with a glaze and dark cherry, and we are very happy with the quality and appearance.

We had Medallion cabinets (Designer Gold series) put into our kitchen when we remodeled it 4 years ago. We picked the Victoria in Maple. Absolutely love them. The quality is great, they look beautiful, and we got the self closing type. Couldn't be happier. We are having a new house built and have been looking into the price of getting the Medallion put in this much bigger kitchen. You won't be sorry with these cabinets.

We put Medallion cabs in our remodeled kitchen last fall, and I couldn't be more pleased with my selection. The finish is gorgeous (we have a mix of a stained cherry and maple painted black) and there wasn't a single thing to quibble with re the quality of construction. No hiccups, no damaged pieces, no delays. We got so much more bang for the buck with Medallion.

I have to vouch for Kraftmaid. Our very light stained Maple cabinets are lovely. The quality is good and the service was excellent.

KraftMaid and Medallion are both a semi-custom cabinet. I sell both lines.

1. Medallion can do more customization (reduced width and height...KM only does reduced depth). Medallion will do integrated matching doorstyle end panels (KM only has loose matching end panels that have to be screwed to the cabinet end). So, you can get a much more custom look with Medallion. But those custom modifications will really add up the price with medallion.

2. KraftMaid has quite a few more lower cost door styles.

3. Medallion offers 39" high wall cabinets! Great for kitchens with 8' ceilings where you want the cabinets to go all the way up w/ crown molding

4. Medallion's top drawer is a bit shallower than KM.

5. Some of Medallion's finishes have a more matte finish (less shiny). Their glazed finishes are more matte.

6. KraftMaid offers more bells and whistles.