KitchenCraft was founded in Winnipeg about 40 years ago, however it was sold to a U.S. Company 10 years ago or so. I doubt it is the same as when your parents purchased, but whether it is better or worse, I can't tell you. My thought is worse, not because it is a U.S. Company, but because so much product "isn't made like it used to be".

My mom actually worked there ~5 years ago, so while it's been sold to the USA, they are still largely Canadian. (Jeld-Wen windows in Canada continue to be better than their USA counterparts)
Hopefully someone with a 'newer' cab can comment though!

Never say never! When we moved into our house 30 yrs ago, I loved my new kitchen. Very 1980's but of course, its no longer the 80's and it became so dated I wanted to change it. The cabinets held up well (oak, tough as nails) but of course, with kids and pets there were some nicks and small dents over time. I love my new kitchen right now, but who knows, another 15-20 yrs from now, maybe not so much...........everything becomes "dated" over time. I agree with sherri, they don't make things like they used to.

I don't think anything in kitchens lasts a lifetime, unfortunately. You may get a good 20 years out of cabinets, but by then even if they're holding up they will likely be outdated style-wise.

I started a thread yesterday about his brand too that got no input. I wish they were better known/reviewed.

@slk7e7 - we are 'weirdos' in that we really don't like to change things. As in we lived in an apartment for 8 years, moved down the block, and put things back EXACTLY as we had them before. We really do hope to love our stuff forever.

They aren't what they used to be. They are a lower middle line now, and used to be bigher mid. If I were wanting frameless without going to one of the expensive European brands, I'd look at Brookhaven or Omega Full Access.

A poster on the Home Decorating forum just posted a question on Dove White trim and her KC cabs (currently page 1). You could ask her about quality. My co-worker installed them last year, and is very please with them (again only used a year). We are from Canada, and the poster on Home Decorating forum is as well. Are the cabinets bought by Canadians the same quality/identlcal to the ones bought in the US. Do we possibly get them directly from Manitoba, and if you order them from the US do they come from a US plant.

Carol

"If I were wanting frameless without going to one of the expensive European brands, I'd look at Brookhaven or Omega Full Access."

Sophie, the thing is, they're much less expensive than those lines. My quote did not include moldings, but were in the 10K region vs around 15K for Kraftmaid w/ moldings.

You get what you pay for.

If you truly want a lifetime cabinet, don't buy cheap cabinets. Over time, they'll fall apart. Sophie is right, you get what you pay for. Maybe take a look at Barker cabinets, theirs are frameless and get very good reviews. Plus, they are reasonably priced. True, they are RTA, which if you aren't handy you may not want to tackle. But if you have a good handyman, it still might be in the affordable range.

"You get what you pay for."

I see what you're saying. But are there some you do recommend in that lower middle line tier?

I'll look into the RTA options, but for assembled?

So, you want an upper end cabinet without the price? Unicorns, fairies, and leprechauns exist, right? Something for nothing doesn't. Up your budget. Or lower your requirements. Or up your personal DIY involvement. That's reality.

@Sophie - we are looking for very traditional cabinets (none of this flat-front glossy modern nonsense), with accessible design features. I don't necessarily need frameless. And please do stop with the one-liner answers like 'you get what you pay for' that offer rhetoric but little benefit.

With it being just the two of us, who don't feel we are 'hard' on cabinets (really, just opening and closing), I really struggle to believe that any brand is terribly better than the other for light use. Hinges, and door glides, though, Id agree are important.

My parents low-end kitchencraft cabinets still work perfectly, other than 1 hinge that was replaced on warranty 10 years ago. So how does a 'cheap' cabinet fall apart, exactly? My currently apartment cabs are heavily used, ancient, and still going strong, but I can guarantee you they are site built 'cheap crap'.

As for RTA - we aren't opposed.

You brought upper end, not me. I brought up less expensive than KraftMaid.

Are you telling me if customer comes to you telling you they're having trouble to afford Kraftmaid you tell them to shop elsewhere?

It's a rhetorical question at this point, I was looking for advice but you don't seem so inclined. We can skip it.

Kraftmaid is framed. Most American cabinets are. Very few are frameless. KitchenCraft is frameless. The question was about frameless. There aren't many players in that field, and you definately get what you pay for. If you want less expensive in frameless, there are more options, but the quality also goes down. There is no magic that gives you less expensive with better quality. What exactly is your budget? Have you looked at Ikea?

Will be looking into RTA from the usual suspects, once the layout is nailed down. Hit one up so far and was quoted ~13K for melamine cabs and ~16K for plywood, painted. KitchenCraft, with a similar layout came in at ~10K, though probably with a few less bells and whistles. Seemed a competitive price for an assembled cab, so I asked about quality. Sorry to offend your sense of "reality". And FWIW, frameless, was another thing brought up solely by you.

There are "Lifetime" cabinets available on the market. Christiana. Smallbone, Plan and Fancy. Henrybuilt, Woodmode. Omega. They will all have the price to go with that solid quality and high reputation.

Kitchencraft's specialty is in doing a knockoff look (and lower quality) to Poggenpohl, Pedini, Bulthaup, etc. If you want "traditional", they aren't the place to be looking. Medallion IS a much better choice for someone who wants to have a traditional looking home. Yes, they are worth the difference. Are they worth the difference to you? When is "good enough" good enough? Do you need the best of everything in order to get servicable? Of course not! The question is how many features do you want to give up for price over function and looks? The better quality finishes and woods are not something I'd move to unless the financial pressure was pretty severe. A lower non Blum hardware? Maybe that could be given up. It depends on the situation. That's what usually breaks in the long term, so anyone looking for a "lifetime" of use out of their cabinets would benefit from choosing the line with the best hardware that you can afford. That means Blum or Grass.

You should not take offense when Sophie mentions "you get what you pay for" She is only speaking the truth, which although unpleasant, just happens to be true. Isn't that what you are posting here for, to get advice from those who have been through a kitchen renovation? Many of us have champagne taste but beer pocketbooks, so to speak. You want a lifetime cabinet, but you are looking at lower priced cabinets. That is a challenge. She's right - either give up some of the extras, or consider DIY such as RTA. Painted cabinets cost more. Full overlay costs more. Inset costs more. Quality hinges cost more. Drawers vs. doors cost more. 42" cabinets cost more, and so on. Figure out what are your must haves and what you can do without. Believe me I understand a budget, I have champagne tastes but not the budget. Which is why we DIY a refacing. Kept our current layout, kept the ceramic floor, kept the appliances, did that veneering and new doors ourselves. Hired the counter top install though. Doing most of it ourselves kept us on budget, with a quality product (Conestoga) but it was a lot of work. Is it my dream kitchen? No, that would be in the 50,000 + up range. We did ours for under $4000. Its all about choices, how to work within your budget and get a good quality kitchen that will last.

Iam702 - if someone states 'You get what you pay for', and is supposedly a 'pro', I would expect them to follow up that comment by specifying, what aspects, in their opinion, are worth paying for.

Eg, when I met with a KD last week, she specifically comment "Many manufacturers offer soft close, but Medallion's are true Blum's and much quieter! (Then she demonstrated)."

Or the comment another person gave me "all plywood construction is often a waste, but could be useful in a sink cabinet that is more likely to see water damage".

I've posted several times on GW and more often than not Sophie just replies to keep her post count up, or to be a negative-nancy. Many others provide more useful feedback, so I like to suggest that she 'up the ante' if she's going to reply on my posts.

I hadn't stated my budget, but as its a brand-new higher-end custom build there is some working room in it. I liked the door style & finish of KC better than the higher-end cabs available in my area, which was the driving force behind my question. Around here, Medallion, KC, and custom are about the only major options.

I'm no expert, but if you are building a higher end home, it would not be wise to put in lower end cabinets. Should you ever decide to sell, it would hurt your resale. You may feel that this is your forever home, but circumstances can change and you just never know. Your kitchen should reflect the overall value of your home. If you aren't opposed to RTA, check out Barker and Conestoga. Both very well regarded. We went with Conestoga materials, (purchased through The Cabinet Joint) I can say from personal experience, the quality was excellent, packed well, arrived without a scratch on them, made exactly to our measurements. Conestoga has a very large selection of wood types, door styles and finishes, as well as all the extras you may need. You can order sample doors from both Barker and Conestoga. I have no experience with Barker, people on GW seem to rave about them as well, although they don't seem to offer as many finish options as Conestoga. Just because your parents cabinets held up well doesn't mean they are made the same today as they were 30 yrs ago. I have a Whirlpool refrigerator in my basement that is going on 33 yrs old, I have no expectation that the current 10 yr old one in my kitchen will last that long. Sadly, things really aren't made the way they used to be. Good luck!

i agree with "you get what you pay for" . we installed medallion silver level cabinets almost a year ago(medallion has 3 levels) no blum glides on silver level and the maple is softer than my builder grade "oak" so even though i am the only one putting things into certain cabinets, they have dings on the inside. they look really pretty and will hopefully hold up for the 5-7 years i expect to be here, but lifetime cabinets they are not.

my biggest regret is not moving up to the gold level at least because the drawers are soft close but do not work as well as the lowes schuler displays that have the better glides. i could have afforded to do so but i am in a neighborhood where i have overimproved just by doing a new kitchen so the cost vs return was foremost in my mind. this is not my "forever" home.

for a cost comparison, the medallion silver lancaster cost slightly less than an equivilent door in kraftmaid but the gold was slightly more.

A higher end home would need to look much further up the quality level than Kitchencraft. Plain and Fancy, QCC, or Omega would be my top 3 for a higher end home. Or, go truly top of the line with something from Christopher Peacock. There's just something about pulling open one of those creamy white drawers to see that gorgeous walnut dovetails!

Chicagoans - I've met with a custom cabinet maker and am waiting to see his price. So we'll see what his price comes in as.

lam702 - When I say "higher end home", I mean that we are building a home that will be overvalued in our neighborhood, simply because it is larger than the surrounding homes, at the top end of budgets around here, and we are doing ICF 'to the roof'. It will be very efficient, and pretty to boot. Resale is not a concern as we hope to donate it to the local government as a halfway house for children and/or library when we die. Therefore, we'd like it to last at least 20 years (when the home will be paid off), but preferably 50+. I figure once its a halfway house they can do whatever they want with it, as I don't plan on haunting the house. ;)

adoiron - I do expect my cabinets wil see some dings/dents - doesn't really bother me, as going for the 'antique French eclectic castle' look. BUT, with vinyl floors and corian counters. I don't do hard surfaces.

We are looking at Somersby Cabinets as a readybuilt "shipped to your door" option as well.

For RTA I'd be interested so long as they aren't cam-lock - I am not a fan of those.

Somersby is just the same thing as Diamond at Lowes or Thomasville at Depot, or Schrock at Menards or Kemper at a dealer. That should all be very close together in pricing, with the box stores maybe coming in a bit higher because of their higher multipliers. It's a solid middle of the road, but not upper end, line.

The thing with "custom" is that there are way too many abusers of that label that do site built and finished cabinetry instead of doing something actual custom quality and finished with a conversion varnish in a clean room. Read the KCMA testing procedures before you go too far down the road with "custom". Most custom cabinets won't pass those tests.

I guess the worst case situation would be if you put in low end cabinets, and they didn't hold up, you'd end up replacing them down the road. Not a big deal, everything gets dated in time and you might want new ones eventually anyway. But Adorion makes some good points - buying cheaper cabinets, how could they fall apart? Well, cheap hinges could find your doors falling off, drawers glides breaking. Softer wood, as mentioned, resulting in more dents and scratches and the opening and closing of doors and drawers loosening up then hinges so they fail. Cracking in the cabinets (search this on GW you will find some people with cracked cabinets that are barely 1 yr old) An uneven finish, or worse yet, one that peels, cracks or flakes off. Poorly constructed, stapled together cabinet boxes. Seriously, we are only trying to help here. If you can afford it, don't go with the cheapest cabinets. A cheap cabinet will do the job if you are planning to sell in a few years. If this is your forever home and you want a forever cabinet, buy as good quality as your budget permits.

Thanks Iam702, that does help. I guess the question here then, to go back to my original Q - is has anyone experienced these types of 'critical failures' on Kitchencraft cabinets? Or any of the other brands named here? Or is it just happening with poor quality Chinese-imports, bad 'custom' jobs, etc?

Lookinto, I wonder if you are in Winnipeg? I lived there once upon a time and used Hawthorne. They had a good product, and I see they are still around.

We had KitchenCraft in our previous home. The construction was decent. I think there are better finishes out there. We found that the tops of cabinet doors and drawers scuffed a lot and wore off the finish (which was nutmeg something or other on cherry) in small spots.

sherri1058 - yes we are in Winnipeg!

Just met with a contractor last week (also in wpg). We were talking about our eight year old cabs from KC. I was saying that my inlaws got there's a couple of years before we did and they were beautifully built. We got ours right when they were going through the ownership change over and had some problems with quality of doors, etc. This contractor seemed knowledgeable and said that he felt they had come through the changeover and were now making quality products again. I understand the original owner of KC opened a new cabinet company just down the road (Norcraft) and some workers went back and forth causing issues, but that things are now settled and both companies make quality products.

We have new kitchen craft cabs and we are in Wpg. I am the poster ontariomom referred to earlier. We did need to get many new doors and some new cabs due to QC issues. Besides that, they are nice and I would think we would get 20+ years out of them.

We live in an upscale home/area, and the new show homes that are 700K plus either use KC or Norcraft.

And run, don't walk from Hawthorne. We had them in 2 summers ago and I would never in a million years recommend them. Sherri1058, they must have gone downhill since the dad/grandpa isn't the owner. Awful.

Someone mentioned Omega, which is a beautiful cabinet, but there is also their lower priced line - Dynasty. I just bought a bathroom vanity in Dynasty and every one who sees it is very impressed by the way it's constructed and how nice it looks.

We installed KitchenCraft cabinets in 2007, and are very pleased with them. (Search my username, and I'm sure some pictures will come up.) We had a tight budget, but needed a ton of cabinets, and wanted frameless (lots of drawers), so KitchenCraft fit the bill perfectly...everything else just seemed low-quality or was out of our budget. The finish is nice, and still like new, and the glides/hinges are all Blum. The soft close is an upgrade, so we only did that for our dish drawers and baking drawers. We are also in our forever home, and don't regret our cabinet decision one bit- quite the opposite!

Omega has a frameless line now, if that is one of the features that is key for you. If that isn't important, their framed semi-custom line, Dynasty is outstanding for the value received. Dynasty has no charge size customization available, to maximize every inch of space, and their painted finishes are absolutely terrific, as is their joinery technique that keeps those painted joints tight.

Alku05 could you please let me know how your andromeda granite is holding up as far as staining? I have mine selected but am worried since it is so light that it might be difficult to keep it stain free. Thanks so much! Your kitchen looks beautiful!

Marcia, the andromeda white counters are carefree and bulletproof. Our slabs were resined, and absolutely nothing has even left a shadow of a stain. Even dried on marachino cherry juice from the day before wipes right off. As long as your slabs are resined, I would say there's nothing g to worry about. To put your mind at ease, you could get a piece and stain test it with all the usual threats.

Thank you! Our fabricator said they are resined and will have no problem. Unfortunately they don't have a sample but I trust the company and am relieved to hear the same from you. After seeing your pictures I was sold! Your kitchen is gorgeous. Thanks again.

I have Kitchen Craft cabinets that were installed in 1196. They have ben LOVED, the last family that lived in my house had 4 kids!! We don't have any kids that live with us, but we have three grandsons that visit quite often. They still look BEAUTIFUL!!! The quality is there and it shows!! If you buy the good stuff once and you take care of it, it can last!