I'm curious to hear some thoughts on this as well!

Thousands of brands out there. Middle of the road for the average 12x15 kitchen without Houzz frills would be 20/25K. That should buy you Masterpiece by Merillat, Kemper/Diamond, Kraftmaid, or Medallion/Schuler. All American made. No imports. Avoid imports, and the “assembled in America” type that want to deceive you as to their origins.

Lexus Schmeckus!

Photo: Jalopnik.

I can't comment on brands, but I do think it's important that you understand the features that make for quality cabinets. (They are not all the same.) One brand might have several lines of various quality, so having some background will help you know what to look for. It will also help you ask a cabinet supplier about details and understand the answers, so you can better compare one brand to the next. If you do a Google search you will find many references. I've linked some below.

Regarding price differences, when I did a complete kitchen remodel (also all the bathrooms) I was surprised that completely custom cabinets cost less than some of the other quotes I got. Having all custom means that I don't have annoying fillers, and all my cabinets (kitchen and baths) are taller (we're a tall family.) I'm just adding that thought to be sure that you include a custom cabinet maker when you get your quotes.

http://www.home-style-choices.com/kitchen-cabinet-quality.html

https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ideas/what-to-look-kitchen-cabinet

https://www.cliqstudios.com/quality-cabinets/

Ford Focus Budget: American Woodmark, Homecrest, Aristokraft, Merillat, Mid-Continent, Medallion Silverline Series.

Toyota Corolla Budget: Kraftmaid Vantage Series, Medallion Gold Series, Shiloh, Showplace Wood Products, Brookhaven, Decora, Dura Supreme

Lexus: Plain & Fancy, Wood-Mode, Grabill, Rutt

I have semi-custom cabinets (Shiloh) in my kitchen and there are NO fillers at all. Most semi-custom lines are pretty darned close to custom these days. Okay - they can't be 35 1/2 inches tall, but they can avoid fillers.

Many lower-end cabinet lines have features that most people want as "extras", so you may well end up paying as much money. You certainly want drawers that open all the way, soft-close hinges and drawer glides, and the ability to add other things inside.

I chose Shiloh as I really liked the KD firm that carried them, no other company actually ever showed up to give me a bid (budget was low - 11x15 kitchen for under $30,000 - no new appliances, reuse countertops/sink/faucet etc). I also liked that the inset cabinets were NOT an uncharge and they were something I really wanted for my upper cabinets (lower are European frameless).

I couldn't be happier nearly 2 years later!

For low to mid ends, I like American Cars. As far as high end liking, Porsche, Mercedes would be my taste.

One Amercian car 22 years, over 200k miles, is still running good !

Can not beat American Made !!!

Hard to beat BMW cabinets...pretty sure!

Now, if the Koreans only made cabinets. Under everyone’s radar, and a good solid value.

North or south??

Cabinets are a bit ridiculous in the pricing. There are clear differences between expensive and cheap. But expensive is just ridiculous for what you get (IMO).

I have (and I suspect a lot of people have) lived with cheap stuff (apartments, new rental townhouse), Ikea, and moderately expensive (Kitchencraft). I really hate cheap drawers. But we put them in a rental house (Aristokraft).

Ikea is probably the closest thing to a Toyota Corolla. The Corolla is a horrible car that is technologically inferior to every competitor. It is the number one selling small car. It hasn't changed significantly in 20 years (unlike Ikea) and it is bullet proof because of that - which has value for people who view cars as appliances (which I agree, they are).

I just installed J&K in a rental. This is a Chinese import brand that is going to make Sophie blow her top. It is RTA and the A is usually done by the distributor. It has soft close everything and full extension drawers. It uses something that looks like plywood for the box but is more like a hybrid of OSB and plywood. It is shockingly inexpensive. The finish is pretty darn good. It has less choices than a Toyota Corolla....

Fillers are a necessary evil. We yanked 30 year old custom cabinets out that had huge fillers. Not sure why they did that in custom - perhaps a design element. But fillers are needed for door swings, in corners etc. Yes - with true custom, they can be optimized and only used when truly needed. Annoying? Depends on your viewpoint. Less aesthetically pleasing - sure.

Go to a cabinet showroom, go to Ikea. Lots of research is needed here. Have to decide if the extra $30k is worth it to you.

The layout/design has little to do with the difference in quality. The quality is determined by the materials and the construction of the cabinets.

To start, are the cabinet boxes made of MDF, LDF, hardwood plywood, marine type plywood, or composite material? Is the finish laminate, baked on paint, paint, stain and finish, or plastic wrap?

Is drawer construction done by dovetail joints, half blind dovetails, butt, lock joint, modified dado, glued, nailed, or stapled?

Is the hardware plated metal, brass, chrome, painted, or something else? Are the slides full length, soft close, heavy duty, side or bottom mounted?

Are the actual units stock or made to order sized? Is there a choice on door/drawer front designs? Are there options for door design(glass inserts, wire inserts, etc.)?

Do the cabinets come assembled, ready for installing partially assembled(doors need installed), or flat boxed(completely site assembled)?

All those issues(plus more) are what makes the differences in price so varied. I could make make cabinets from MDF using dovetails, glue, and gusseted boxes and they would fall apart in transit because the material is not designed to be used for that kind of construction/use. The same cabinets made with marine grade plywood and the same joinery would last for a lifetime.

Hello Ruthie!

Personally I don't know a lot of American brands because I only work with Italian brands for kitchens and other furniture.

When chosing a brand look for this:

- type of hinges and pull-out mechanisms they use. This is very important because it can determine if the cabinets will last or not. Look also for the soft close mechanism. One of the best brands of hinges and hardware is BLUM.

- thickness of the cabinets structure and of the doors: I would suggest a minimum of 3/4". This gives strength and resistance to the cabinets.

- shelves: are they repositionable? Can you remove them and change the position to a higher or lower dimension without having to call the company?

- for some people is also very important the type of accessories the company offers for drawers, pull-out cabinets and pantries. All this is an important part of the kitchen's functionality.

Hope all this helped you a little!

Ruthie, I would head over to the Kitchen forum and read through the archives and ask questions there.

If you could find old stock Toyota MR2 Spyder, good style, very reliable and pretty fast........

What about Amish made buggy? Solid made! The top speed is 30-35 mph with a young horse.......you may find Amish made cabinets around you. I heard you could trade with them too.