Maple typically does not stain well and tends to be very blotchy after staining.

Reconsider the Espresso stain. It's outdated. Got popular when Starbucks remodeled all their stores in this color years ago. Go for a medium brown on cherry or alder. Or go for quartersawn oak if budget allows.

My mom had lovely custom maple cabinets installed 29 years ago. How do I remember so specifically? I remember going into her DESTROYED kitchen to tell her I was expecting her first grandchild, who will be 29 next year.

Anyway, those maple cabinets still look just as good as the day they were installed. No scratches, stains or other blemishes. I don't know what she paid, but it was worth it. We're almost at the three decade mark.

I have a beautiful, dark alder kitchen. It has a lot of dents and they really show. I don’t know what I’d choose if I was making a new kitchen, but I wouldn’t choose alder!