If Consumer Reports Magazine actually did kitchen cabinet evaluations, Yoder Cabinetry would be at the top of the list for all categories and HIGHLY RECOMMENDED with "BEST Top Quality for Deluxe Custom Made Cabinets," "BEST Value & Buy," and "BEST Personal Customer Individual Service." However sadly, Consumer Reports Magazine DOES NOT provide a buying guide with "tests" and "evaluations" of cabinetry or a cabinet "best buy" in cabinet categories with top quality for various levels of kitchen cabinet construction such as (1) stock production cabinets (big box store economy lines), (2) semi-custom (big box stores premium cabinet lines, i.e., with minor size customization options to better adapt cabinets to existing kitchen dimensional space, etc.) or (3) deluxe custom made cabinets NOT available at Big Box Stores. Also not evaluated by Consumer Reports are the custom makers themselves who actually build the cabinets in terms of personal individualized customer service, attention to detail, follow-up, quality of materials, quality of hardware, installation, price, etc. SO, WHAT DO YOU DO if you start out knowing nothing about cabinets, cabinet construction, custom cabinet builders in Ohio; are about to spend thousands of dollars still not sure of what you'll get in terms of quality and service, help in customizing your initial kitchen cabinet design, individual service; and you want SUPERB craftsmanship/top-end quality and expert extremely personalized service to meet your needs at a reasonable price from someone you can trust? This was a very daunting, almost insurmountable task for us and for most folks contemplating buying custom cabinets for sure! ****
We found in our research the short answer is to find a small totally family-owned and staffed top quality cabinet making business for your custom cabinet project. In this case BIGGER IS NOT BETTER if you want "old world" craftsmanship, great value for your money spent along with the business owner's attention entirely focused on meeting your cabinet project's unique demands. ****
For us, after extensive research and evaluating makers of cabinets in Ohio, we selected Yoder Cabinetry of Dundee, OH, to custom build our cabinets to our specific design needs. You need not read any more of this review or any others on the Houzz web site as Mr. Joe Yoder of Yoder Cabinetry Dundee, OH is all you'll ever need to know. We'll explain further if you care to read on as we want others buying cabinets to benefit from what we learned without having to do all the "overwhelming" homework that we did in order to get marvelous top-of-the-line cabinetry with great "bang for the buck" to boot. ****
My wife and I have written an extensive review concerning Yoder Cabinetry that follows, because we were utterly amazed and impressed with the superb experience we have had with Yoder Cabinetry. Our total floor to ceiling kitchen remodel of a very large kitchen was a really major expense, so we put in the INTENSE research effort required that would give us the best return on every dollar spent! Here, since kitchen cabinets make up a large percentage of the total remodeling costs, we did extensive research to get the best value in premium custom cabinets without compromising quality, etc. in any way. ****
The following decision categories were included in our research for the final choice of a Custom Cabinet Maker: **** (1) Cost, Big Box Stores vs. Custom Cabinet Builders in Ohio; **** (2) Personal Service & Customization of Our Commercial Semi-Custom Kitchen Cabinet Design Plan; **** (3) How Cabinet Maker Does Business; **** (4) Quality of Craftsmanship; **** (5) Quality of Construction; **** (6) Quality of Wood Used; and **** (7) Quality of Hardware Used. ****
(1) COST, FOR BIG BOX STORES SEMI-CUSTOM CABINETS VS. CUSTOM CABINETS: As sophisticated shoppers who took the time to learn about the cabinetry field, we found that Big Box Stores really don't offer good value or the highest quality for the high price charged, even when on sale. For not that much more we could have "custom made, premium in every way, cabinets" built exactly to meet our kitchen's dimensional requirements from Yoder Cabinetry. ****
(2) PERSONAL SERVICE & CUSTOMIZATION OF OUR COMMERCIAL SEMI-CUSTOM KITCHEN CABINET DESIGN PLAN: ****
Mr. Yoder personally came to our home to measure and consult on our kitchen's design and to improve aesthetics visually. It's included with the cabinet price. He would have created a design plan for us totally from scratch with our input if we did not already have an existing draft plan to work from. He offered "significant" improvements on our existing design. He is an expert at this, so he improved our design aesthetically making the kitchen far more attractive and functionally better. ****
He did the following in our case: (1) Centered the kitchen sink under our kitchen's window, which we could not do with the most expensive available fixed-size Big Box cabinets. This was done by custom measuring and building cabinets for that entire kitchen sink wall so that the kitchen sink cabinet would sit in a cabinet centered under the window. (2) Centered the upper cabinets and lower cabinets in relation to the 36" cook top range and hood, which we could not do with the most expensive available fixed-size Big Box cabinets, so that upper and lower cabinet doors would all align both above and below our cook top and range hood. This involved custom measuring and building cabinets for the entire kitchen wall that has the cook top and range hood. (3) Custom built 40" high upper cabinets with matching crown molding for our 8 foot ceiling. Big Box Store cabinets we investigated only come in 39" and 41". (4) Custom built full height pantry cabinets with custom widths for the third wall of the kitchen that are not obviously available from Big Box cabinet manufacturers. (5) Custom addition of all solid wood carved panels (not veneers, etc.) on all visible cabinet sides. (6) Island has custom all solid wood carved side panels (not veneers, etc.) as well. ****
(3) HOW CABINET MAKER DOES BUSINESS: ****
“His word is his bond.” That is the best way to describe the way Mr. Joe Yoder, owner of Yoder Cabinetry, does business in a highly ethical way. Imagine . . . doing business on a promise and a handshake!!! No contract required. I simply paid a deposit and that was it. I have not met an “honorable and ethical” gentleman like Mr. Yoder in quite a long time. It is very refreshing as I like to do business like that myself if I have been lucky enough to meet someone that I feel has views similar to my own concerning ethical behavior in business, also known as the "Golden Rule," to treat others as you wish to be treated. ****
Mr. Yoder is quite an interesting socially conscious person. I spent a very pleasant time engaged in conversation with Mr. Yoder. I learned that in the past he volunteered with Habitat for Humanity by going to our nation's coast after major hurricanes to help those in desperate need with reconstruction of their homes damaged from the storm. In addition to being a master cabinet maker, he is also a master carpenter whose skills he put to use well as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. ****
(4) QUALITY OF CRAFTSMANSHIP: ****
Certainly there are several Ohio custom cabinet makers that offer great craftsmanship. Yoder Cabinetry is not alone in this regard. For us, we opted for a small family operation where every family employee is a part owner, so every cabinet piece is made with pride, because in fact it has the family name and reputation on it. Can't expect better than that LOL! ****
(5) QUALITY OF CONSTRUCTION: ****
The Yoder Cabinetry construction quality is the "Best Available" at ANY PRICE we have learned from our research! Yoder Cabinetry "only builds top end quality cabinets," period, at reasonable prices. Mr. Yoder explained for his shop's small operations that it is NOT COST EFFECTIVE in terms of time wasted to set up the shop machinery to produce lower quality cabinets, so his shop only produces top end quality cabinets. ****
Some larger Ohio custom cabinet making shops (in fact factories in some cases) can afford to produce lower quality cabinets, because they are far larger with either multiple sets of standing shop machinery already set up for the task and/or they have a far larger work force available to set up machinery for any lower level of cabinet quality production required. ****
And so, for a premium price only, other top-end cabinet makers do offer top quality cabinets similar in quality to those made by Yoder Cabinetry, but some of these top-end makers also offer a less costly lower quality type cabinet construction as well for those on a budget. ****
(6) QUALITY OF WOOD USED: ****
Yoder Cabinetry offered top end wood specifications with all solid hardwood construction for exteriors (doors, front frames, drawers, etc.) and 3/4" plywood for interior box construction, which is the industry standard for top end deluxe cabinets, no comprises on wood using lesser materials. ****
(7) QUALITY OF HARDWARE USED: ****
Yoder Cabinetry used only the finest hardware available, which is the industry standard for deluxe cabinet construction. ****
FYI, INSTALLATION: ****
Yoder Cabinetry does do cabinet installation as well and I imagine their installation will provide the same wonderful experience we had with having the cabinets made. In our case, we have our kitchen remodeler doing the installation of the cabinets.
