Mine are Kraftmaid Shaker Doors and the door panels are painted MDF. You would never know from looking, and it's actually more durable and resistant to expanding/contrasting due to climate change. I live in New England where we have extreme weather differences from one week to the next (80's last week, low 60's today!) We went from using AC to heat in less than one week.

jhmarie is right about MDF swelling from if it sees prolonged exposure to water or steam. We had our sink cabinet lined in commercial grade corrugated plastic so we could wipe clean and it would be waterproof to any leaks. Our cabinets still look new and are as durable as they were 4 years ago when installed. We are careful to pull the coffee maker our from under the cabinet when it's brewing to eliminate the steam from warping the cabinets above.

As noted for paint almost all brands use mdf center panels, even high end. My highest end brand even uses it for all woods BUT they control the veneering process so that there is no color variation between it and the solid wood. For my standard and slightly lower end brands, if we are doing natural or a light wood finish I specify a reverse raised panel made of solid wood-but then you have to be willing to live with some variation in grain and/or color between the pieces of wood used. In that case it is best to see samples of each to decide, one being an aged sample of the veneer to see if the color of the veneer shifts in comparison to the wood. (lower end brands the shift on naturals can be dramatic, the difference in color on dark colors can also be bad)

In 20 years I have yet to see a center panel of MDF damaged by water. (I have it in my own mid toned cherry kitchen of 12 years)

Mark, are you saying that even on stained wood cabinets that a veneered panel is just as good as solid wood as long as there is a stain on it? Is there any benefit to solid wood doors?

Having just been through a major flood in Houston I can tell you about what happens to mdf in water. It's not a pretty picture. It literally swells to the point of exploding. I had some drawers with mdf parts that I could not get into to try to salvage the stuff in them. It all went out on the curb for the big trucks to haul away that included all of my kitchen cabinets. I had floating laminate flooring that had just been installed. I found out why it's called floating! It did just that the mdf under the laminate top swelled up and everything popped up and was floating around the house in the flood waters. I would absolutely love to never have another piece of mdf in my home unfortunately it's everywhere in everything and just about unavoidable. My new kitchen cabinets do not have any mdf, just solid wood. Wood will swell some in water but once it dries out it is Salvageable mdf turns to sawdust. That is true life experience I hope no one has to gain the knowledge and experience this way. I am still living in the rv in the driveway since April. My new cabinets are in the house and are beautiful.

Ours are all wood, but it's not a veneer panel, its a reverse something or other. I can't remember the technical term, but it has to do with how the door is built. It's the kraftmaid durham door style.

I have plywood boxes and MDF doors.

"Mark, are you saying that even on stained wood cabinets that a veneered
panel is just as good as solid wood as long as there is a stain on it?"

It depends on the brand AND what you prefer. For many many better brands, those that control the quality of the veneering process, it will look the same as the wooden frame today and tomorrow. It will not have seams showing variation in color and grain. Some people like the variation, some don't.

Some brands no matter the wood or the color it will look off, either to begin with or in time. As noted some brands will depend on the finish. My kitchen cabinets are Brookhaven (which I don't carry nowadays since I was laid off), my hi end brand is QCCI. Both are fine. Some others out of the 25 I've worked with over the years not so much.

ravencajun- It sounds like you had drawer boxes built with particle board and it is highly likely that your laminate counter was particle board not MDF.

They are not the same. MDF can fair slightly better but not in a full out flood. I would never have drawer boxes made of either of those and avoid plywood drawer boxes as well (for other reasons)

It is also likely that water resistant grade particle was not used (since it is not commonly done but should be) That said for a catastrophic flood very little will manage. Plywood will delaminate, particle will swell. Wood does not fair all that well in that case either. Finish peals, joints can explode or fall out, members can split from swelling.ALL wood products will absorb moisture-no exception.

I spent several years consulting for a custom boat builder back when I was making things. Lot of wood. The folks in the shop called marine grade plywood "rot mahogany" . Granted salt water is worse but we also handled plenty of boats that were only ever in fresh.

ravencajen I am so sorry for what you are going through. Even solid wood has a hard time with the filthy water that is part of a flood - it gets attacked by the mold and bacteria because sewage systems are often backed up too.

My cabinets are stained wood and the doors with raised center panel and frames are solid wood - which is a good thing because they are 19 years old and I spent last year refinishing them. Very difficult to refinish a veneer. My mom had some steam damage to some of her wood cabinets and was able to have them refinished.

I realize many simply feel new cabinets are just what to do every 20 years, but that seems very wasteful to me. I refinished some of my original cabinets (from the 70's) for my basement kitchenette and to my surprise found veneer center panels. They were not great doors to start with but great boxes - sturdy plywood. For right now I am using a sink base curtain and baskets on the cabinets with poor doors - only one managed to refinish decently. I may get new doors - but it is a rustic cottage / vintage style kitchenette so I am fine with it they way it is. For stained cabinets I will go with solid wood every time.

So we went with Shenandoah Breckenridge in white. We live in Long Island and the weather is back and forth all the time. We don't have central ac either. We aren't in a flood zone but if we had a damaged door or drawer we could replace them for a very reasonable price. I'm glad the cabinet portion of the kitchen is decided and ordered..it took over a month of planning.

Nikki, I'm on Long Island too. Do you have a kitchen designer you'd recommend ?

Yes if you look at Riverhead Building supply I would go with Amanda Giuliano she's in Melville but travels but if you go with Lowes see Susan Sunyar she is in Riverhead.