We used Barker Modern for our remodel. they took a while because of the pandemic, and you have to assemble (but it goes so quickly, definitely worth the savings). But, they were so wonderful to work with. A couple pieces arrived damaged and they sent out replacements right away. Everything fit together nicely and they were quick to respond when I had a question. The cabinets themselves appear to be high quality, but of course we have only had them for a few months now, so time will tell.

local companies wanted to charge way more for less quality. also, don’t buy floating shelves through a cabinet company. You can find sellers on Etsy making quality floating shelves without the huge convenience markup (I got this tip from a seller of Bellmont cabinets!)

I tend to think that people mainly post reviews when they are unhappy with a product, so reviews are always skewed to the negative. If you purchase from a company that has a reputation for standing behind what they sell, at least if you have issues, you can get them resolved.

Are you using a kitchen designer or just looking to buy direct and install yourself? Usually designers will have a few companies they work with and they will know the pros and cons of each. Sometimes you get more "built in" features in a higher priced cabinet line that you'd have to pay extra for in a lower line so the price is a wash, but it really depends what you want/need. Soft close doors and drawers? Pull out pantries? All drawers in lowers? Glass doors. All add $$.

We used Wellborn (out of Ashland, AL) in previous kitchen and were very happy with them, but several of the kitchen designers who post here have given them negative reviews. For the money, it's hard to beat Ikea but you have to put in a lot of effort to make that work.

Thanks, everyone. I think I need to dial back on the review reading - there's definitely some truth to the idea that a lot of reviewers are unhappy!

We have the opportunity to buy Schrock at a very good price because Masterbrand has a warehouse near us that sells canceled orders, etc. The downfall is that sales are final, we have to haul and store, and I worry about any back-up if we have issues.

We are also getting a bid from a local designer who uses Merrilat and Koch. We have 20 year old Merrilat Classic now and it seems like the quality has changed substantially recently (but again, reviews would say otherwise).

One final option will be Monarch from another local designer.