Ah, yes...this ol' marketing dilemma.
It depends on what you mean by "worth the added cost". Most of the big name manufacturers fall into roughly two catagories; stock or semi-custom. Now I'm sure they will huff and puff about the "semi-custom" label, but this is where the marketing game comes into play.
I am a true custom cabinet maker. You can pick your box material, door material, door style, hardware manufacturer, construction method, finish and sizes. I'll build them as big as can be carried through the door of the house. In addition, if you have something existing, I can match it...or come real close. Can your "custom" big name company do that?
What they really are offering is varying levels of customization while still holding parameters like these; furniture board or all-plywood, face frame or frameless. They may have a number of door styles, but what you see is pretty much what you get in most cases. They may even do custom colors, but be prepared to pay through the nose. Generally speaking, they are still working within the normal 3" increments and size limitations though they may allow for width, depth and height adjustments. I used to sell a line of "semi-custom" cabinets or what the company called "modular" cabinets that would blow nearly every big name manufacturers "custom line" out of the water. They didn't sell real well for me because of the price. Actually, none of the higher end lines that I've tried have sold very well down here because of price.
Here's what to look for quality wise; American produced all-plywood box, 1/2" sides, tops, bottoms and backs with 3/4" plywood shelves, solid hardwood dovetailed drawers, solid wood doors and drawer fronts(if you are going painted, then some MDF is fine), soft-close undermount slides(Hettich is best), cup hinges, no sloppy hot glue, smooth finish, even stain job and grain matching is a plus.
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White oak finish
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