A lot of nice looking, inexpensive furniture is made in Far East countries that have a lot of humidity. As long as the stuff stays local, it is fine. Once it is exported, further drying occurs---and CRACK! Your assessment of the situation is right, as well. Uneven/different finishes allow for uneven drying/ageing/weathering. There is little that can be done to stop/minimize the drying/cracking. They can do whatever they feel makes the piece look the best.

I would push the range to the right a few inches and get a 15 or 18 inch stack of drawers to the left of range....utensils/daily flatware. that still allows 30-33 in for the big pot and pan drawers. What are the base cabs in island anyway....they don't appear to be drawers-that's why you need the handy drawers to the left of range.[or tweak something to get more drawers-in the 15-21 in wide variety].Your pantry is one that could easily house a microwave,it appears. Many people like that option as well.What else is going on in the pantry-can't really read it.

I would be more concerned as to why the cabinet cracked. It may be "racked" or being pulled out of square by improper shimming and installation. Check it for plumb and level. I'd inject thinned wood glue into the crack and place a "C" clamp or two over it with waxed blocking top and bottom. Wipe off the squeeze-out and the crack should disappear. The repair will be stronger than the natural wood. It's worth a shot.

Sophie - the humidity has been low as we live in the NE. We are hoping to install a whole house humidifier this summer. The cracking does not go through to the wood beneath but I just noticed this today; perhaps it will deepen/lengthen as time goes on. The cabinets are by Hagerstown and there is a warranty. When the cabinets were delivered there were issues with the finish - four or 5 doors had markings from the paper used to protect the cabinets during shipment. A few of the drawer fronts were nicked and not finished as nicely as they should have. They were sent back and redone at no cost to us.