There is no quick and easy to get to bare unstained wood. Which is why experienced pros never even take the job. The labor costs to do all of those hours are more than buying new cabinets. And you’re left with the old exposed hinges with non adjustable shelves and no drawer stacks. It’s simply never worth the effort unless they are family heirlooms, or have provenance as originals to an architecturally significant house.

If you’re bored and want a hobby for the quarantine? Without counting your labor at minimum wage? Carry on. Otherwise, learn to use the ikea planner, and see what the absolute lowest base line costs are for replacement when this ends.

Or give up on the stripping, use an electric type sander and sand them, so they are nice and smooth, and repaint them. You will most likely never be able to stain them, if that is what you are trying to do.

Unfortunately yes, which why the prep is the hardest and longest part and why people often cheat and then wonder why the new paint doesn't stick.

Score some methylene chloride. It's terrific paint stripper but your government masters don't think you are capable of using it responsibly, so they banned it.

Man YouTube just made it look so easy! Yes I’m going to repaint them afterwards. I’ve looked at replacement cabinet doors for the whole kitchen but it was gonna be about $3k which we just don’t have right now....

I have used both of the chemical strippers in your picture, but I prefer Peel Away 1, which can be ordered through Sherwin Williams. I have found that the longer it is left on, the more effective it is.

ETA: if it’s not lead paint, I would just sand them as suggested above.

For new paint? Stripping is nutso. If the paint is stuck that well, then you just need to sand, prime, and spray with a quality cabinet coating. Finish getting the doors you’ve started with smooth and neutralized. The prime with some BIN to see where you are. BIN required.

But only do that if you have stuff on hand. Or can order delivery. Going to the store for paint during a pandemic isn’t classified as an essential to life. And BIN has transportation logistics issues as it’s alcohol based with HazMat labels.

Yeah. I’m concerned about painting over the existing stuff because it’s really caked on thick. They’ve globbed it into the corner and I’ve lost the detail around the border.

Will stripping it help with that?

Although I could just sand down the corners and leave the rest...

If I repaint over the top of the existing paint, do I need to prime it??

Shouldn't but you need to scuff it up a bit for the new paint to adhere. And just as an FYI, YouTube makes EVERYTHING look easy (even brain surgery).

Heat gun & scraper, then chemicals as needed???

Three hours is nothing when you’re using this “eco-friendly” crap. Like the label says, you might need to let it sit OVERNIGHT, maybe longer, and cover it with plastic.

What conditions are you painting in—temperature, humidity, sun, wind? Are you doing small sections at a time as is recommended?

The following review, which includes tips, is from the product page at The Home Depot:

BTW, don’t be mixing products/using more than one stripper/chemical at a time! AND, MORE IMPORTANTLY, unless you’re using PPE that you already have lying around the house, DO NOT BUY ANY!!

To repaint yourself Clean very well. Sand very well, prime (you have no idea what kind of paint is underneath, so primer is essential) Use 2-3 coats of a very good cabinet coat. Good quality brushes (I use purdy). I also use small foam rollers for cabinets in some areas, although, I usually brush after rolling. If you are spraying, of course some of these instructions will be a bit different. Take your time. Do the cabinets in sections, like one section of uppers and the doors, then another, until finally have all uppers done. Then start on bottoms, and do them in sections. Keep track of which doors go where, dont mix them up. The reason for doing in sections is 1. it is easier to keep the doors in order. 2. painting cabs is very time consuming, and you may want a break after one section.3. Dont get yourself over tired of working on them, and then cut corners, take that break for a few days or a week, if you need to.

If there is that much existing paint in them, buying new doors is the route to go. Stripping will cost half of that in paint stripper. And be the most miserable, longest, DIY project you’ll ever tackle. Been there, done that, and that now old and ragged T-shirt was earned back when MEK was legal. Never again. I’d rather blow cellulose into a 130 degree attic again. It’s short lived misery.

A second vote for peel away 1. Very effective but corrosive. Need full out chemically resistant gloves and great ventilation. Found some at Sherwin Williams. Not available to my knowledge at Home Depot.

Peel away 6 (or is it 7 now) is good too but harder to find. More environmentally friendly.

Multi strip Advanced isn’t too bad. Available at Home Depot.

The key to any stripping product is leaving it on an adequate amount of time. The more time it sits, the more it will break down the paint. And I found that using a razor blade scraper works better than a drywall knife because it can get under the paint better.

A heat gun might work really well providing there is no risk of lead paint.

How old is the oldest layer of paint? Before 1978 it could contain lead paint and should be properly contained. No sanding in that case.

That’s so much for all the responses!
I’m trying to work with what I have since I don’t want to go to the store.

I’ve sanded, primed, and painted one of the cabinets I stripped and one of the non-stripped.

I’m going to ask my husband if he can tell the difference and if he can’t, we going to abandon ship on stripping them down.

I’ll post the results when I’m done!