Wood expands and contracts with temp and humidity changes throughout the year. Paint doesn't. Cracks in the finish appear at joints. Quality MDF with a warranty reduces that. That's why its the standard. Be careful about which wood your 'light wood' cabinet doors/drawer fronts are made of. Maple can yellow to different shades when veneer and solid are mixedLook very closely at the showroom samples.

Our painted cabinets are constructed using maple hardwood for frames, doors, and drawer fronts, and maple veneer plywood for the box, shelves and panels. The maple takes paint very well.

Seabornman: he told us the boxes will be wood, he was talking about the door panels and the drawer fronts

MDF is industry standard for a reason. You cannot tell the difference between painted MDF and painted wood. Until the wood starts moving around. People play lip service to wanting real wood, and then gripe and moan about the wood shrinking and swelling, and the paint separating at joins, and the whole thing just looking lived in.

Go with the MDF. No reason to pay extra for wood that will not be seen. Think logically!

I went with white MDF uppers and lowers and a real maple island. I really wanted it all wood like you, but the price $$$$, and they explained to me that paint on wood doesn't last because you will eventually see the seams. So it doesn't make sense to pay so much for hardwood, only to paint over it, especially when brand new.

First, know your materials, then choose the best material for your needs. MDF should not be mistaken for particle board (or furniture board). MDF is made of wood fiber, whereas particle board is made of sawdust and is basically junk. MDF is an excellent choice for larger items that would warp if made of wood. It’s also great for humid environments that go through huge seasonal temperature variations. Guess where I live? On lake Erie, summers can reach 100 degrees, winters -15, and it is almost always humid. MDF is more dimensionally stable than wood and for my climate it is awesome. I have chosen it for my cabinet boxes and have no regrets.

Thank you! I feel so much better now with all your responses!

If you want a painted kitchen, MDF is the material that you want to use for doors and drawers. Your will have a one piece unit that will not split or warp. As much as I love wood, it splits and warps. People have it in their heads that solid wood is superior, this is not the case. Do not confuse MDF with particle board. They are two different things.

Single piece CNC routed double refined MDF doors sre one of the most bulletproof cabinet options that exist. You need a higher end custom maker for that.

“Plywood” isn’t all that automatically great for boxes either. It can be the worst stuff out there if all you hear is the marketing term ”plywood” and assume. Better to have a good grade of furniture board than terrible quality ply. Which junk ply is usually the case on all those no warranty import ”softclosedovetailplywood” RTA junk.

For decades solid grained wood was the industry standard. Old growth hard wood the top of the line. Truth is there just isn't the supply. Costs are sky rocketing so the industry is finding materials they can offer. I've said for years here--if you paint, if you buy painted cabinetry you can't assume you know what you are getting and that is why it's value lessens your bottom line. MDF is wood dust and glue. It's heavy. It's longevity I would say is yet to be known. There's no reason not to go less expensive if you are going painted--because you aren't going to get wood's full value anyway if you go with a painted look.

Relatively high-end home build here and we're using MDF cabinetry all round.

I noticed in two previous homes I built that the subsequent owners replaced the custom- solid-wood cabinetry almost immediately.

Our current "temp" home was renoed seven years ago by a PO and the MDF cabinetry looks fine except for a few severe chips--a PO's young boy with "issues".

MDF is not bulletproof by a long shot, most MDF relies on the coating for moisture resistance and has little impact resistance. Plywood boxes are absolutely just as dimensionally stable and much stronger than MDF. Having said that… it is a kitchen, you are not building a swimming pool out of it. Once it is installed properly cabinet systems are generally pretty tough. Odds are good MDF cabinets will last longer than the kitchen.

Remember, quality above what is required is a waste. So, if you are going to ask me which is the better material… plywood, is my answer. If you are going to ask me if you should spend money to upgrade to plywood… nope, is my answer.

As for the discussion on low quality plywood… blah blah blah. In reality, good cabinetmakers make good cabinets, bad cabinetmakers don’t. Pretending that you are going to get good quality MDF from a company that has poor quality plywood is laughable. There is plenty of cheap, low quality particleboard out there and plenty of cabinets being manufactured with it.