Cabinet – What Matters?

 Cabinet in both kitchen and bathroom vanity is key component of a residential house. We use them every day and they attract our guest’s attention. In our last house, we had a basic set of oak cabinet and looked forward to having a “quality” solid wood cabinet. So we did pick cherry cabinet. Though we had some issues, those cabinets made us enjoy.

When someone begins to shop for cabinet, the first thing is certainly the type of wood and style of cabinet. However, many vendors provide cabinet with similar wood and more or less similar style. Beyond the “look” of cabinet, as I intend to elaborate here in this article, is the details hidden inside that will drive the quality years down the road.

The drawer:

The drawer should have solid wood sides (facing outward). The bottom should be plywood and don’t use stapled particleboard. The drawer should be installed on full-extension guides instead of integrated rails. Many premium models provide “soft close” feature (oops, can’t slam anymore).

Shelves:

0.75 inch plywood is better than medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and better than 5/8 or ½ inch particleboard. My suggestion, go with plywood. Both MDF and particleboard may have issues with water.

Doors:

Door should have a solid-wood frame surrounding solid-wood panel or at least a plywood panel. Particleboard or MDF are light and not desirable.

Box:

Cabinet is surrounded by box made of different woods. Best is ½ to ¾ inch furniture-grade plywood. MDF has a lower cost and is also acceptable. 3/8 inch coated particleboard is not recommended.

Mounting strips:

¾ inch hardwood or metal with bolt holes. Other material such as MDF, particleboard, or thin wood less than ½ inch may be a concern for heavily loaded cabinet.

Our recommended bottom-line is: solid wood on surface and sufficient thick plywood internal.

Thanks for reading.