I have teak countertops in my kitchen in the undermount sink area and the gas cook top area. They have had hard use for 6 years and look just like they did when they were installed. Teak is what they build boats out of...it is perfectly durable. Go for it ! c

Oh teak is perfectly durable. It's just about 10x-20x the cost of walnut, which is why you don't see it more. It's an endangered species and plantation grown is still very scarce. I still remember a kitchen that Kenneth Brown proposed for a great modern loft space. It was a wonderful design---and the custom horizontal grain teak cabinets quote came in at 100K, which was the budget for the whole reno. So the homeowner had to backtrack and used rift sawn white oak done horizontally instead.

Great to hear. Had no idea about the price differential - that explains why I can't find many examples of teak kitchens. For my little project (orders of magnitude smaller than the one you describe), the teak doors and drawers are 10% more expensive. Sounds like a great way to get a high end look!!

I believe the ones as semihandmade are wood veneer faces, which is probably why the teak is only 10% more. Most of the time this is laid over MDF. I can't speak to the long term durablilty of these types of doors, but I can said they shouldn't be compared to solid teak doors.

Teak is lovely and very durable. If you prefer it to the walnut and the price difference doesn't kill your budget, go for it!

I had seen a door in Lyptus which was gorgeous - very tight grain and less expensive than Teak. Something to consider

Only 10% cost difference is a bit of a warning bell, even for veneer---unless they already upcharge an ungodly amount for walnut. Be sure that the "teak" that they are quoting you is not "Brazillian teak" aka cumaru. It has some instability issues and there have been lots of reports of it developing checking and warping as it dries out. A lot of the rainforest hardwoods have a hard time dealing with the drier North American climate and need much more stable humidity levels than do domestic hardwoods or high oils content tropic woods like mahogany and teak.

Thanks, and yes it's veneer over MDF (sorry forgot that detail:). I also looked at mahogany at it's about 10% less than walnut. They sent out samples and they are all very nice. I will find out if what kind of teak it is though. Thanks so much for sharing all of your great knowledge!

I have used both walnut and teak on mdf,both will work fine for your project.

Either teak or walnut will give you beautiful book matched look, which is what I am guessing you are getting.

Look at these places;

http://www.specialprojectsdivisionllc.com/
http://www.henrybuilt.com/

I have looked at both teak and walnut veneer kitchens done by various companies and they both look great.

These are veneer doors. Dings and scratches are a part of life. They will happen, and you have to accept them.

We have teak veneer in our nearly 40 year old sail boat and it has held up well enough. My DH just had some MORE teak veneer put on other parts of the boat. EGAD. Teak veneer is used alot in boat interior finishes and they are hold up fine.

The companies I referenced above both do the edge banding with 2mm solid wood pieces which gives durability and richer look. If you do the edges with veneer strips glued onto the 3/4 inch MDF, they tend to peel and chip easily. I have seen several kitchens where the edges were chipping and peeling after a short duration of usage.

Thanks, I am learning a lot about teak! And I do think we are going to move forward with it. The sample we got was beautiful.

abh2, I know it's been 2 years since your post, so you may not see this, but I am also ordering rift teak cabinets from semi handmade doors, and I have a questions for you about counters. What color way did you choose? My husband and I are having a hard time picking colors and I wonder what the overall tone of your kitchen is with the teak doors?
Thanks so much for your time.
Aaron

Teak, if left in it's natural state can be quite orange and a difficult wood to build a color pallet around. You don't see it used that often in contemporary kitchens although rifted teak (actually quartered teak is the correct term only oak is rifted cut) but quartered teak has a really nice grain pattern. Some European companies will bleach out the orange to a more golden color. A lot of times you would see it paired with black counter tops but that can look a bit dated. A better choice would be white and stainless steel would be the most high-end hip Euro combination.