Looks like cabinet refacing.

That is MDF underneath with a melamine coating (low pressure laminate) or a plasticized coating of some sort.

MDF can be painted but machined edges (as opposed to the flat outer surface) tend to soak up paint like a sponge.

Did you take that off yourself or was it loose? I am not sure you would be able to get it all off so cleanly.

Someone in the kitchens forum did this: removed the coating and primed and painted the MDF and it turned out fantastic. I suspect the thread may have archived off by now, but maybe she's still around. Her MDF was bright orange when she got the coating off.

Palimpsest is right, the machined edges will soak up paint like a sponge. A woodworker friend once told me to "paint" the edges with a mixture of wood glue and water first to seal them, let it dry, then prime. I never tried it, but it sounds plausible. You could try it on a scrap piece of mdf from the lumber yard first.

writersblock...this it??

Here is a link that might be useful: laminate cabs

Yes, that's it--bamaspice's kitchen. Thanks, momto4boys.

That appears to be RTF (Rigid ThermoFoil). That's a PVC coating that's applied to MDF board using heat and pressure. Normally, it's pretty durable, but it can be peeled up once you get an edge loose. If it's just that one door that's peeled, you can probably get a replacement made (as an alternative to tearing the coating off of all of the other doors) from an online refacing company.

Thanks for your input :) Unfortunately many of them are peeling up, and one of the drawers looks like it has been stapled back in place. So they cannot remain. We'll try painting them!!

We just replaced the appliances and the dishwasher is trapped. They put travertine flooring over the existing ceramic tile with the dishwasher in place. With the height of the floor and the height of the counter top we can't get it out without lifting the counter top. Plus the counter top is screwed in place right next to the dishwasher. The fun involved with a new home!!!
Christy

Is it a new, new house or new to you. If brand new house I would call the builder about your problems, if they are not bankrupt like so many.

Christy, my DD and DSIL had the same thing happening in their house. They lived with it for a while, then when they put the house on the market, they decided to give updating a try. They peeled all the thermofoil coating off and painted. On many of the doors, the thermofoil came off in one large sheet. They painted everything white and replaced the countertop and presto . . . new kitchen!

Seal the edges with shellac or a shellac-based primer like BIN or Zinnsser 123 before you paint.

My DD had a similar type of cabinet in her last house, and they were a nightmare. The laminate was bubbling, warping, and turning yellow. And over the range, they were kind of melting. pretty bad.

Christy, have you checked your dishwasher to see if it has adjustable legs that can be retracted? Just curious.

Here is a link to details on Bamaspice's kitchen:

Here is a link that might be useful: Bamaspice's Kitchen

looks like bamaspice's kitchen, you can check with them here's the link for there kitchen cabinets.