i struggled with this while getting bids for our mudroom lockers and other built ins. quotes i received for mdf cabinets from our cabinet maker were much lower than for painted maple. in addition to off gassing of mdf products we also considered the neighborhood and value of the home. i got several more bids and finally just had our GC hire our trim carpenter for everything ...in the maple. i understand mdf has certain advantages, particularly for painted surfaces but i don't feel we could afford NOT to use wood. again, just me. i've seen some pretty nice mdf so there definitely seem to be different grades available. i'm not at all educated on these products so please don't rely on me, but i also think mdf would be preferable to thermofoil if you decide to go that route. good luck. there are so many decisions to make, and every dollar counts! ;*)

MDF - Medium Density Fiberboard Medium density fiberboard, or MDF, is a composite wood product similar to particleboard. It's made out of wood waste fibers glued together with resin, heat, and pressure. MDF is appropriate for many applications, from cabinetry to moulding, because it is smooth, uniform, and won't warp. MDF has many advantages over plank wood, particleboard, or high density fiberboard. It's very smooth because the wood fibers used in its manufacture are uniform and fine. This makes it have low "tear out," which means that when sawed, the end has a smooth cut instead of a jagged edge. This also means that a coat of primer and a couple of coats of paint take well, leaving an attractive, finished surface unlike other composite wood products. MDF also has a mild reaction to moisture, meaning it won't warp or swell in high-humidity applications like a bathroom cabinet. here are some old links http://www.thathomesite.com/forums/load/wood/msg0422465719842.html?7 http://www.thathomesite.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg052132034578.html?16 http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/load/kitchbath/msg11121915306.html

MDF is usually medium to light brown in color and has no grain nor does it have any definition. Pressed board and chip board(both being a different color and both having easily seen particles because the materials are made by treating particles/wood chips with adhesive and curing under pressure and heat) are not MDF and should not be confused as such. I have seen OSB referred to as MDF, which it is not. The major problem with MDF is the holding power of screws is much diminished because of the nature of the material. That is why, at least on entry doors, a MDF core door has a wood insert at least on each side. The door I used has an insert a full 2&1/2" thick on each side. The door is 34" by 80" and probably weighs in excess of 80 pounds. I used 2&1/2" screws on the hinge side for the door and 3" screws on the frame side(which went into the studs as well). MDF may be harder, but the edges chip more easily than wood when impacted. There are also LDF(low density fiberboard) and HDF(high density fiberboard) products. HDF is also called hardboard and is usually made in thinner sheets of 1/8" or 1/4" thicknesses. The darker brown boards with holes(often called pegboard) use for hanging things on is HDF. HDF is also used in cabinets, RV's, and even aircraft, among many other uses. LDF is usually referred to as chipboard or particleboard.There are also medium and high density variations of particle board. OSB is not included in this designation as the pieces are larger and oriented by design to provide more strength.

Two things you need to know about solid wood. 1. Wood moves. You cannot stop it but you must allow for it. It is anisotropic. I tell people it's analogous to people putting on weight. If I put on 50 lbs, I would not get much taller. Wood expands (and contracts) minimally in length (along the grain) with absorption (and desorption ) of moisture. It will expand and contract more in two directions, (a) radially, from the center of the tree out and (b) tangentially, along the growth rings, i.e., around the circumference. For most woods, the tangential is approximately double the radial. This is why if you see some dried firewood, you'll usually see a pie-piece shaped crack/void. It's also why plain-sawn wood can cup. If I put on 50 lb, I'd probably put on a significant "beer belly" (front to back) and a little bit less of "muffin top." (side to side) This is why you would never put a solid door inset into a cabinet. In the dry season, it'd have a big gap and in the wet season you may not be able to get it open. As to whether or not it might warp, it depends on how the wood is chosen and what the grain pattern is like. Quarter-sawn wood will have maximal expansion in thickness and minimal in width and less tendency to warp, other things being equal. 2, Wood has planes of weakness and planes of strength. Did you ever see martial arts hit a piece of wood and have it break? Did you ever notice that the grain is running up and down and not between the hands supporting it? Otherwise, they could probably never break it. The wood is weakest up and down the tree. In your second scenario, the grain will be running perpendicular to the rails (horizontal pieces) and if that's only a couple inches wide, it will be very weak. Compound that with the expansion issue above and this is not an option I would ever choose. That is why the "5 piece" AKA frame and panel, is the most common construction method. The rails and stiles have maximum strength and minimal cross grain expansion. If the panel is plywood or some engineered wood, it will have minimal expansion. If it's solid wood (AKA raised panel) then its expansion and contraction is within the stiles' grooves. Solid wood doors often have internal expansion joints and battens on the back to retain them. Engineered woods do not have these issues. Sometimes a sheet, say MDF, is routed out to look like a raised panel, but it's really still just a sheet of MDF. If the corners are rounded and not square, that's the tip-off. https://www.popularwoodworking.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/WoodMovement.pdf https://www.thisiscarpentry.com/2010/09/03/moisture-content-wood-movement/