Veneer is often used for the center panel of cabinet doors in order to keep costs down. It will hold up just fine and is preferred if you are doing a painted finish. The only time a solid wood panel should definitely be used is if 1) you are using cherry wood, which has a chemical in it that darkens with age--obviously a veneer panel won't change color but the rest of the door will. Or 2) you are using a glaze finish on your doors. The veneer will not take the glaze the same way solid wood will. Good luck with your kitchen remodel, I am sure it will be beautiful!

Marla, I must disagree with some of your points and add to others. Veneer has been used in fine cabinetry for centuries without any detraction from stains, color changes and varnishes. The veneer referenced by smartin above I take to mean is the outside layer on a plywood panel. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Both hold up to age. Plywood has the advantage of price. It also holds screws better in some circumstances, is less prone to warping and checking, is usually a little heavier and more uniform in color and grain and has less seasonal movement. Disadvantages are when it chips (usually at the edges) then the layers underneath are very visible, it can chip out more with sawing, and you usually don't have as much selection when trying to do elaborate grain and feature matching. Solid wood is more expensive, requires more time in color and grain matching, is usually lighter in weight and chips and scratches don't show up as conspicuously. This is why solid wood is often used on framing while plywood is utilized for flat panels, where it is less prone to damage and has less seasonal movement. However, if you want to apply elaborate edge details or carving to panels, then solid wood is by far the better choice. Various edge treatments can be applied to plywood to hide the layered edge and this can make a plywood panel look very, very similar to a flat piece of solid wood.

My advice would be to visit a showroom to see the difference in cabinet design. Solid wood usually allows for some very flexible door and drawer positioning and other features that you typically might not get with plywood. You'll get a lot more options with solid wood, but you'll pay for it. If you think the enjoyment is worth the cost, then solid wood is a great choice. If you prefer a more utilitarian kitchen, then plywood, or a mix of the two, is great too.

If you are going with a stained wood door rather than painted, solid wood is best. I was able to refinish my cabinets recently because the doors were solid wood. I also refinished some older cabinetry that was original to my house. I was surprised to find the center panel on the doors had a veneer. I was able to carefully refinish the panel but only because I went with a dark stain and they are going into the basement where I am doing a more rustic look. I had already applied and removed the stripper before I realized the veneer. The veneer was also mildly chipped along the upper and lower edges.

My present kitchen cabinets with the solid wood doors were middle of the road price wise when I bought them 18 years ago.