We did poplar because it takes a dark stain really well. So far it seems great. Our cabinet maker did a really strong finish on it and it seems just as strong as any other wood.

Poplar is very soft and I'd be concerned about denting.

Mine are painted poplar. It took the paint beautifully. I have only been living with it for a month, so no comment on durability.

Nancy

Strictly based on Janka, Poplar is similar to Alder, both of which are less than 60% as hard as Walnut and less than half as hard as oak.

No idea as far as other characteristics such as stability, etc.

We have poplar too; it's a fairly common wood for paint-grade where we live (ours are painted). No big issues with denting after a year and a half. Not sure it would be my pick if you're staining, though (unless you're doing a very dark stain).

Alder and Walnut are gorgeous woods. I personally would not do poplar on my cabinets. The wood grain is not as pretty as Alder. Walnut is usually a 20-30% upcharge over Alder or Pine....so that is not apples-to-apples.

What 'look' are you going for?

KraftMaid use to offer poplar but had a difficult time with staining (blotchy), they dropped the wood after about a year on the market.

Not many manufacturers offer poplar (none that I can think of), so you have to wonder WHY? Only PRO I can think of it's a cheaper wood than others.

I had an old desk once with damaged veneer. I took the old veneer off to expose the poplar underneath. I not sure but maybe this process was done on inexpensive furniture before MDF/partical board days? Any way, the poplar was very pretty in a sort of rustic way, the color variations were beautiful and boy did I get lots of compliments on it. However, it is the softness wood I have ever come across. It was great as "that aged look" conversation piece but if that is not what you're after I would think twice. Or, possibly do a natural finish and then the bangs or scratches won't show much. Other than the fact that it dents easily the big desk was otherwise structurally very strong. But dent it does!

Are you painting the cabinets, staining them, or going with a clear finish? What is the final look you are aiming for?

It would be quite normal to specify poplar for painted cabinets. Poplar is easy to work, mills and sands well and "holds" paint well. OTOH it doesn't absorb stain evenly and most people don't find it attractive enough for a clear finish, so it's less often used in those applications. It's generally hard enough for cabinets, though it's vulnerable to warping. If you want bombproof painted cabinets you could go with a relatively hard variety of maple (see hardness scale below), but it's a more expensive wood and harder to work.

Alder and walnut are more likely to be used with clear or stained finishes -- you wouldn't use them for painted cabinets. They're quite different in appearance...

A general suggestion: if you are gong with a stained or clear finish, ask the shop for samples of the woods you are thinking about in the finishes you are thinking about. Even if you have to spend a few dollars to get samples, it's more than worth it. Take them home, look at them in the kitchen under different kinds of light, and try scratching and denting them. This is because even within a particular wood species, there are different varieties, different grades, different batches etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: janka hardness scale

Thank you all for the input!
I am looking at a paint and glaze treatment. I guess my main concern is 1) the durability of the wood and 2) if I decided down the road to refinish and stain I am stuck if I use poplar. (I am talking way down the road!!)
Thanks again for all your feedback!

What do you mean by durable? Houses are structurally made out of wood that is soft. Hardness is more important in flooring, you don't walk on cabinets. Poplar is softer than oak and maple, and would be more prone to dent. A harder wood tends to also more brittle so there is a trade-off. It can be stained, but needs a conditioner just like any soft wood, and still your results may vary. Since you are painting them, I'd forget about staining in the future as it would be a monumental task or expense to have it completely stripped to take stain. For your intended application I think it's the best choice as it's no softer than alder and I would not paint walnut.

OOPS!!! I couldn't figure out why everybody kept talking about walnut! I meant Maple in my original post! :) sorry

Does that change any opinions?

Thanks!!

There will NEVER be a future where you can take professionally painted and finished cabinets and strip them enough to stain them. It just won't happen. If you want stained cabinets, you'd best go with them now.

Poplar is fine for painted casework that doesn't receive much wear. I would never put it in a kitchen as it's much too soft for a hard use environment. Maple is the "standard" for painted kitchen cabinetry for a reason. The only reason to choose anything else has to do with budget, and frankly, if you can't afford painted maple, all MDF would be a better choice than poplar. It will have less seasonal movement, and be more impervious to dents and dings.