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jill_homemaker

Any reviews of J & K Cabinetry?

Jill_homemaker
11 years ago

We are redoing our kitchen and I came across this type of cabinet and I was wondering if anyone had any positive or negative opinions or experiences with it?

Are they Chinese? Or are they made in the USA? How does their company work?

Thanks!

Comments (74)

  • PRO
    Palm Home Improvement
    6 years ago

    I have installed thousands of kitchen and bath cabinets from just about every name brand on the market for the last 25 plus years. I have been installing JK Cabinets for about ten years now & have never had a problem with my supplier accepting returns or replacing dinged or dented door or even an assembled cabinet if they assembled it. The product has stood the test of time test and continues to stand up to its far more expensive name brand competitors. Sure a drawer glide or hinge goes bad from time to time on every brand but they are just as good giving me the parts necessary to make the repairs as all of the popular brands you see at the big box stores. If budget is an issue and you don't want to give up quality then JK is your answer.

  • devonfedor2
    6 years ago

    Installed J&K Cabinets two years ago from Canada Kitchen Liquidators. The following is my review:

    -Value: I bought 13k worth of cabinets and similar quality quoted at homedepot was about 23k. This obviously was a factor in the decisions to go with J&K.

    -Cabinetry Quality: The wood quality is excellent, looks great and if you go with some of the higher end selections they are finished three sides. Due to the dry climate started noticing hairline cracking in the corners but easily addressed with the touchup kit and something only a home owner would notice.

    -Hardware Quality: Poor. After installation i noticed some of the soft closes did not soft close. I complained and they have sent me new ones. Since then more have failed. The soft closes on pot drawers and pantries are failing if loaded even the smallest amount (drawer with corningwear or canned goods).


    Overall assessment: great option to have an expensive looking kitchen for a much cheaper cost. Takes a lot of time to assemble. I would love the cabinets with different hinges, drawer closers etc. Really its just the hardware that takes away from an awesome cabinet.

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    Not to be snarky but remodels don't generally generate a net profit except on home shows which are really just programming intended to create a targeted audience who will be open to spending money for remodeling - and if not remodeling some amount - however minor - on stuff for the home. My analogy is that the normal person who doesn't have DIY skills and essentially does it all themselves is paying full retail and anybody who successfully flips is essentially able to do it "wholesale". They generally have a pool of labor they work with - my boss successfully flipped and he and his wife were the company - they were both real estate agents and were constantly looking for homes that met criteria of flipping; he was the GC with a crew that he kept constantly working on one if not more houses; she was an interior designer and so not only had design skills but had a resale number which enabled her to pay to the trade prices AND avoid sales tax because she was technically purchasing for resale. Remodel because you want your home to be more aesthetic and more functional.
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  • Kalen Mikell
    6 years ago

    I purchased J&K cabinetry. I was very happy initially and the appearance and quality but after a few short months of living in my home, I am having many issues. The doors are warping and not longer have flush close


    , the paint is cracking where the panels meet and one cabinet door

    has wood splitting!

  • Jason Overdorff
    6 years ago

    These are all the reasons why I use Huntwood cabinets!

  • User
    6 years ago

    That's like saying, "That's why I drive a Town Car" when confronted with someone driving a Yugo. Not the same thing at all.

  • eriksenv
    6 years ago

    Kalen Mikell I was told by other cabinet makers that this is normal with all cabinets but you notice them more on light colored painted cabinets and they recommended a dark glaze so that you wouldn't notice when the cabinets expand and contract with the season's weather/humidity.




  • PRO
    Cabinetry Guru
    6 years ago

    I worked as a manufacture sales/design rep for J&K for a few years. I also worked in sales/management with CabinetsToGo, who imports from various manufacturers in China, for a number of years. Currently an independent cabinet guy in Texas and I can say without a doubt, J&K Cabinetry has the edge in mass manufactured cabinetry for a variety of reasons. Not only quality, but also how they've approached scaling.

    While other companies cannibalized their stock for parts compromising lead times, they actually order up to 20 to 30 per part extra. Additionally if one location doesn't have a particular sku or part more than likely some of the bigger distribution hubs will and it's only a week or so away.

    Certainly it's Chinese, and they might have to deal with the ramifications of Obama's state dept's punitive tariff on Chinese subsidized plywood, but it's still damn good, semi-customizable product with 5/8" plywood base boxes. I've seen some other Chinese manufactured cabinetry and the plywood sides come in all warped because they use lower grade 1/2" plywood, the warehouse managers don't know how to properly stack the product to reduce warping, et al. Imagine trying to put together a tall pantry unit with it all bowed.. Not fun.


    To another point about "Made in America" manufacturers.. *cough* Masco *cough* They do in fact import their parts. They'd be stupid to not do that. There's diminishing returns on trying to maintain certain market niches, and trying to maintain a pure American cabinet at scale would be a fools errand.


    Chiara Ct · More Info

    Chiara Ct · More Info

  • PRO
    Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.
    6 years ago

    From my experience working with J&K, they are not at all "semi-customizable". You cannot even select a finish/door style combination.

  • PRO
    Cabinetry Guru
    6 years ago
    **semi-customizable with respect their stocking of 3/4" & 1/2" 4'x8' Plywood sheets to build boxes, faceframe material, and being able to buy doors separately with confidence. I wouldn't go all out crazy, but for situations like speciality appliances and built-ins they're lightyears better than a run of the mill (pun intended) Cantonese manufacturer.

    Yea you're correct in that you can't pick colors and door styles. So I guess they're technically not semi-custom.. I should come up with a better term. haha
  • PRO
    Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.
    6 years ago

    The term would be "stock". Lol.

  • Aisha Wilkes
    6 years ago

    Any Maryland contractors here?

  • jlshopping
    6 years ago
    Any recommendations for cabinets made from American wood that are not overly toxic with off gassing?
  • Stephen Pace
    5 years ago

    jlshopping, check out https://www.modcabinetry.com/ . I think they meet your needs. I haven't used them yet, but specs look good. I'm considering these for a spec home that I plan to build.

  • Davine H
    5 years ago

    I've used J&K Cabinetry in several remodels and also rentals. Solid wood construction and the prices can't be beat. The look fantastic and have no issue so far. I prefer they be assembled at the warehouse because when there has been an issue it's because of a sub-contractor assembling - not the the product.


    Someone earlier mention Kraftmade, which I would like to point out is all particle board except for the fronts.

  • PRO
    Front Range Cabinet Distributors
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    There is a lot of misinformation and people talking about Chinese vs US production of cabinetry and where materials come from. I cannot say that I have a lot of information on JK Cabinetry but we all should know by now that the material is 100% Chinese. I have sold both Master Brand and American Woodmark lines for over 25 years. There are no 100% American made products out there. All hinges, guides, screws and handles come from overseas and 99% of that comes from China. As far as wood materials go that make up the actual cabinet boxes, yep, some of that comes from China too but a lot comes from Canada, Mexico and South America. As a country, we produce little raw goods anymore because of many reasons, but it all boils down to cost of goods.

    That being said, the previously mentioned US lines are mostly manufactured in US factories. I know this because I have seen it with my own eyes. These are US workers building products in a controlled environment. Personally, I support that alone. Both of these lines meet California VOC and formaldehyde off gassing, which if you do not know, exceeds the federal government requirements by a lot.

    As far as plywood vs particleboard, there is a lot of misinformation on that also. Particleboard is actually stronger than plywood both vertically and horizontally. Today's cabinet grade particleboard is also almost as water resistant as plywood and has a truer dimension than plywood. Last but not least plywood is more likely to warp than particleboard.

    Think of it this way. Chinese cabinets are made in a factory in China in who knows what climate. Packaged and shipped in a railroad container box and placed on a ship in an uncontrolled environment (more humidity). While this may not affect cabinets in the humid mid west, it will certainly affect cabinets sent to the dry southwest. Its wood folks.

    My last point, I promise. Cost is an overwhelming measure for most of us. These Chinese cabinets serve an obvious purpose. This is what I tell my clients, if you plan on selling your house in a few years, why would you put my most expensive line in a house. Only put in what your needs are. If you are going to live in your home for an extended period then you should make the investment in something better. Like I said, 25 year and I have replaced kitchens I did 25 years ago and there was nothing wrong with these cabinets other than they were just out of date.

  • SJ-CA Resident
    5 years ago

    right forum I was looking for. We are considering grandj&k as well for new construction in San Jose, CA. quote we got is $9000 incl tax for 60+ linear ft of base/wall cabinets + corbels etc. other quotes we got are in 17-25K range. The stuff mentioned on their latest catalog about build of product sounds promising. 3/4" maple solid wood doors, 5/8" all plywood box. the decorative accessories etc are all good. we are planning to get crema maple glazed. we lived in apartments and a house which very likely particle board cabinets and they seem to hold up for years. i wonder why j&k cabinets won't hold. from the comments here, soft close hardware not working can be a concern. am not sure if they'd warp for San Jose climate.

  • PRO
    JB Designs
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I am a kitchen designer and know these cabinets, always remember you get what you pay

    pay for! Lipstick on a pig, fine for low end but certainly not for high end and quality!

  • NH
    5 years ago

    Great discussions here. Do J&K Cabinets use Blum hardware/hinges? Do they have doors that open upwards (vs. sideways) - looking to install appliance garage in one corner.

  • PRO
    Cabinetry Guru
    5 years ago

    J&K uses DTC undermount, full extension soft close closing glides and soft closing hinges.

    They have the ability to create a top hinged appliance garage. How they do it depends on the sizing requirements. It's one of their off the menu requests you can make with their assembly dept. I've taken a fridge unit 30W x 18H x 27D cut the depth down to 15"-18", bought a 15"x30" door and a pair of piston hinges to make it work. Here's an example, not the garage but normal upper cabinet application.

  • User
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Stay away from that import junk. Flippers love it because its cheap and they aren’t living with it for the next 5 years. The glides slowly stop soft closing and act like they have sand in them. Or the shelf with all of the hidden voids in it breaks because you put 2 too many iron skillet on it. Or you scrub the paint right off with just a microfiber cloth.

  • PRO
    Cabinetry Guru
    5 years ago

    Say what you want about general Chinese cabinetry products because the majority is crap because they subsidize the hell outta everything, but with J&K I have never encountered this- That's from an ACPI plant in Pennsylvania. J&K in Houston would never have the testicular fortitude to release that. Funny enough that white shaker is 30%-45% more than J&K.

  • Davine H
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Having installed 5 Kitchens now. Great as it's fast when your flipping, but I would not use this product in my personal home. Wood is very soft. It all comes from Russia. Mfg and painted in China then shipped to the USA for assembly. They are hard to install correctly as well. I have installed many of these in rental own. Should be interesting to see how they hold up.

  • HU-549465080
    4 years ago

    I am working with a person who would be charging the same as Lowels is charging for the plywood level of Schuler cabinets. Lowell also carries Diamond which I have been told might be better than KitchenMaid. What do you feel is a higher quality cabinet that is not custom made?

  • Chris Brown
    4 years ago

    We just bought a home with all kitchen cabinets in J&K - there are some installation errors (don’t get me started on the builder’s lack of skills). We use our kitchen heavily and will put a lot of potential wear on these cabinets over the next 5 years. Will report back on the experience.

  • A Grover
    4 years ago

    SJ-CA Resident - Can you please the name of the place you purchased in J&K cabinetry. We are in the Bay Area as well. I was not able to reply privately, hence posting here.


    Very good discussion on J&K here. Thanks all

  • Susan Biesecker
    4 years ago

    Unlike my previous custom built home with all the bells and whistles (and a 1.3 million dollar price tag), we went much simpler and WAY below that price when building current house. When finishing our basement we used J&K cabinets. Put them together and installed them ourselves. I have to say we were not disappointed with the frame. No particle board. They actually worked with us to assist in making the design we wanted - went back a forth a few times. Actually like them better than what the builder put in our kitchen. They have now been in for 2.5 years and are in great shape. No issues to speak of.

  • PRO
    SHOW FLOORING
    3 years ago

    You get what you pay for, plain and simple. J&K is a pricepoint driven alternative to the US made Waypoints, American Woodmark, Thomasville, Kraftmaid, etc alternatives. It is maple/plywood/dovetail/full-extension drawers. I typically recommend import cabinets for flippers, contractors, apartment dwellers, or first time homeowners who only plan on living in a place for 2-4 years. These chinese cabinets are enticing because they offer those once considered quality upgrade features like ball-bearing soft close glides and hinges at an affordable price however they aren't made to last. Typically, the soft-close wears over time. The paint finish (yes, it's paint and it'll wear regardless), however several lines do a spray on coat vs a baked on finish so overall durability is diminished. No KCMA exists on these products so like with most US cabinet lines, there is no testing that has been done to show how many drawer slams were done before the wearing of the glides, or hinges or wipes to the paint before failure.


    And if you look at J&K's warranty, while it does show 5 years, it's fine print is extremely misleading. It states warrantied against 'unnatural' occurrences, which they are the ones that make the final decision. For warped doors, they make you take the door off and measure it's warping then may determine that it falls within the 'standard' therefore not under warranty. Warranty does not cover the hardware, which is only 1 year.


    If you're on a budget, these are a great alternative, but don't have the same expectations you would for a semi-custom alternative, because they are not the same.

  • bugging57
    3 years ago

    Where can you find information about the bankruptcy filing?

  • dariatowns
    3 years ago

    This thread about J&K cabinets has been very informative. Yesterday I was at the Habitat for Humanity ReStore on Long Island and they had used J&K cabinets for sale. The price range was between $2,000 and $4,000. The manager told me they had 18 sets of J&K cabinets in the last 3 weeks go through their store. He said they were all showroom cabinets. Now I am wondering if they are getting g rid of their cabinets because they are in bankruptcy.

  • Isabel Sunn
    3 years ago

    I am in Canada and dealing with a cabinet company that buys and sells J&K.

    We haven't put our order in so I would really like more info if they are going bankrupt!!

  • pbolan
    3 years ago

    Customer service is terrible!! I am bummed we went with them, 17,000 in cabinets and they misplaced 4 cabinets, 2 doors, molding but said sorry you had 2 days to contact us with issues. We tried but it was during covid and of course office was closed. So they said it was our issue not theirs. All in all not worth it. Don't know about the bankruptcy thing but I know a few suppliers here who are replacing them with better manufactures bc of their customers service.

  • Kelly M
    3 years ago

    Please provide thread link on the bankruptcy issue. I was impressed with the J&K Houston showroom selection but may need to change gears!

  • Keith Burkhardt
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    Very happy with our j&k cabinets, hardware is holding up well all soft-close hardware continues to work properly after 3 plus years. For the money it was a win-win for us.


  • PRO
    User
    3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    It’s always interesting to see how many of the positive comments come from folks who sell the product, or are “one hit wonders”, only posting a favorable comment on the product. 🙄 I declined to be a dealer for them, based on personal inspection and 22 years of industry experience.

    If you want to see what the company itself thinks of the product, look at their (only) 5 year warranty. Then realize that the industry standard on lower end products is 25 years to lifetime. Anything of the quality being “claimed” is a lifetime warranty in the industry.

    https://jandkcabinetry.com/warranty/

  • Bree Ana
    3 years ago

    I’ve been working with J&k Orlando and the one in Georgia before that - they definitely aren’t going into bankruptcy. I’ve always been happy with my experience working with them. The quality is better than other imports that I’ve tried and not every customer has the budget for custom cabinets but still wants cabinets that aren’t made of particle board.

    I’ve never had an issue with the warranty either. The cabinets are made of wood, they won’t become “defective” after 5 years.

  • PRO
    RETROATHOME
    3 years ago

    As an interior designer who has access to high-end and mid-range cabinets, based on price and value I have specified and installed J&K on 15+ projects since 2014. These cabinets are great for the price, color, and door style-and they are in-stock ready to install, no more 4-12 week lead times! I have to agree with the other reviewers, these are great for what you pay for them. No client complaints yet, and I have gone back to do other projects for the same clients :)

  • Anubhav Tandon
    3 years ago

    One of the contractors that we are trying to get a quote for our kitchen remodeling just told us that Jk is going out of business. Is that true? Can anyone confirm?

  • User
    3 years ago

    I can’t get cabinets that I ordered in July. Terrible quality and waiting on the replacements that are just as bad is frustrating. If I knew they were bankrupt reorganizing I would not have bought from them.

  • Anubhav Tandon
    3 years ago

    @Bethany J - Is this the bankruptcy filing of J&K cabinets? Reading through the pdf, it seems like this is for another company and not J&K cabinets. Am I reading this wrong?

  • marilyn1231
    2 years ago

    I’ve had j and k for a few years now and so far they are in great shape. Never had any issues thus far. Every wood cabinet no matter the brand will have paint chips or may need to be repainted, etc. after years of use. It’s normal wear and tear. If hinges/soft close have issues then replace them. If you don’t like the doors then after a few years then just replace the doors with whatever brand suits you. Will be much less then replacing an entire kitchen. This goes for any brand cabinet. Like I said I have not had any issues so far. I was quoted 16-21k for my kitchen with different companies. That was way out of my budget. We decided to purchase and assemble the cabinets ourselves and our kitchen came out beautiful. We only spent about 5k. We then sold our home and installed JK in our new home. Which we spent about 5.2k. The kitchens were not small either. We are not contractors nor flip homes. Just a typical home owner. I do recommend jk unless you have the budget to spend thousand and thousands in a kitchen for custom cabinets.

  • marilyn1231
    2 years ago

    We installed the white shaker cabinets. We picked them up also so we saved on shipping cost.

  • User
    2 years ago

    5 year built in expiration date. Flipper level. I want things that last longer than that in a home.

  • marilyn1231
    2 years ago

    Kitchens last as long as the user takes care of them. I had a 20 year thermo foil cabinets and it was in perfect condition, but because we took care of it. We only replaced it because it was dated not because we had to. This goes for any type cabinet. J and K is not bad quality. As mentioned before mine is over 6 years old and looks like the first day we installed it.

  • David A
    2 years ago

    I have had them for about 3.5 years. Some doors warped or were warped quickly but we're replaced by company. Expansion and contraction of panels exposed some edges and a touch up pen covered well. THAT IS NOT UNCOMMON. Hinges and guides are fine. Overall happy with them. They are not top shelf nor are they so priced but very good value for the cost and no noticable difference between them and super expensive cabinets. Clean dovetail, great cases and solid doors.

  • artemis1
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    We installed our Maple Greige kitchen in the fall of 2020. So far, so good. Sure they aren't very customizable, but you can't beat them for the price. A good contractor can do a lot with the stock product. I looked at similar Omega cabinets at Lowes and even theirs had cracks in the corner joints. I think that is common with painted wood doors. That hasn't happened to mine yet. Like someone mentioned above, they will last if you take care of them. I have purchased homes with the cheapest stock, particleboard cabinets but changed them because they were outdated, not because they ceased to function. If you have money to spend, that's great. Buy Amish made cabinets. It doesn't get better than that. If you are on a budget, these are a pretty good value.

  • debferrell
    last year

    I am very disappointed in the white shaker cabinets we put in. The paint chips on the edges. We are 2 adults and not hard on the cabinets. I can only imagine what they would look like if we had kids. They are not even 2 years old.

  • PRO
    RICHARDS BLDG SUPPLY
    last year

    J & K cabinets are made in China (The cabinets are RTA or ready to assemble cabinets) and assembled in the US by J&K. They do not offer a farmhouse sink base but will cut a regular sink base down to 24 inches (for a fee) so the contractor can add fillers to the unit to finish it.

  • HU-75291865
    last year

    Randy & Alyvonetta

    J & K cabinets:

    My husband and

    i Had a great experience at J&K Cabinets. We were offered excellent suggestions for our kitchen’s plan and layout.

    Juliana and staff were very professional, courteous, and most of all patient. we rate our experience with a Five Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

  • kychoi32
    4 months ago

    I am reconsidering J&K white shaker cabinets because the paint finish is matte. In my opinion, it looks dull and will be harder to clean than semigloss. Does anyone know if they use semigloss paint maybe in other styles?