That's a bummer. I'd think about just putting the coffee pot on a tray..... I'd have to say this is why all of the hutch cabinets going down to the counters make me cringe as I know mine would look like yours within a few weeks!!! Hopefully others will have better solutions!

So true. Hindsight is 20/20! In doing it again, I would not have upper cabinets touch countertops anywhere near a water source.

I love the look of upper cabinets that come down to the counter but this is exactly why I hesitate! I had a similar coffee bar cabinet in my old kitchen and it had the water marks too. IF I was going to do counter cabinets again, I would put an extra piece of counter top material under the cabinet to raise it up a bit. Of course, that would't help if the leak comes from inside the cabinet as it did here!

Whoa. That is a real bummer and eye opener. I'm so sorry. I assume it's too late now, but I imagine it would help to deal with it like exterior wood siding. I've read that wood siding should be painted on all sides so it is sealed to avoid wicking water, like this. If it had been painted on the bottom before install it might have been sealed and resisted wicking. Is it MDF? Maybe plywood wouldn't have swelled?

Maybe a pro can weigh in but if it isn't weight bearing and it gets bad, maybe it can be cut and replaced? Maybe the cabinet company has filler board in the right size so the paint finish would be the same?

For now, perhaps a bead of clear silicon inside and out along the bottom, smoothed really well so you can't see it maybe?

Thanks...all good suggestions, especially regarding painting the underside edge prior to installation. I'm not sure that was done. These are solid wood cabinets, and there was a silicon bead along the bottom edge. I've spoken with my installer, and we will repair by cutting out the damage and replacing/sanding/painting that section. In retrospect, I would not have upper cabinets touching the countertops anywhere near a water source. However, since we do, I would still welcome other suggestions about how to decrease the potential damage in the future (extend backsplash? add trim at base?). And, of course, we will be much more careful about water!

My guess would be that it was not the moisture sitting against the cabinetry but that it has been wicked up from underneath. Not to say that moisture sitting against the finish won't damage it, but it would take a little longer to do so. I would bet that the installer has caulked around the outside perimeter but didn't on the inside of that cabinet.

Yes, definitely wicked up from underneath...possibly inside, rather than outside the cabinet. Will caulk the inside after repair. Living and learning!

Thanks for sharing this picture. I am thinking about a hutch to the counter as well. It helps when we see potential problems.

I hope you can figure this out.