If you would like to purchase new kitchen cabinets the following are the options which currently exist in the US:
- Home centers – Ikea sells lower quality modern kitchens which require assembly. Home Depot and Lowes sell lower quality American brands which are already pre-assembled. The starting price point for home centers is $ 300 per linear foot.
- Made in China – There are many suppliers in the US of cabinets which are made in China. Usually these cabinets are transported flat packed from China and are assembled in the US. Although many of these manufacturers promote a plywood box and German hardware, the quality is still very low and the selection is limited. Most suppliers do not offer any customization and are restricted to a very limited style selection. This is a great budget option, but the quality is low. The starting price point is $ 250 per linear foot.
- American cabinetry – Most of the kitchen and bathroom showrooms offer cabinets which are made in the US. In general there are 3 levels of cabinetry in the US: Stock, custom and semicustom:
Stock – The term stock cabinets does not mean that the cabinets are actually “in stock”, but rather that they are limited in variety and can not be customized. For most stock cabinets the selection is quite limited usually with an offering of 10 to 25 door styles and finishes. The actual quality might be decent and normally different specification options are offered such as particle board or plywood boxes, different types of hinges, drawer glides, etc… Stock cabinets are the best value for the money, but are considered a lower end option. Starting price point is $ 300.
Semi Custom – The term semi custom means stock cabinets with more variety and some customization options. Most of the mid range level cabinets in the US are semi-custom cabinets. Semi custom cabinets offer some more finish options and some of the cabinets can be made in custom sizes. Starting price point is $ 500.
Custom cabinets – Usually custom cabinets can be made in any size and are large or unlimited option of door styles and finishes. There are some factories which make custom made cabinets, but typically most custom made cabinets are made by smaller millworkers in small shops or even on site. Many high end cabinetry projects in the US are made by custom cabinet makers. Starting price point is $ 900.
-
European manufacturers – Most European cabinets are manufactured either in Italy or Germany. There are a few manufacturers from Spain like Spazzi or Porcelanosa, but they are a very small portion of the market. It’s not recommended to purchase cabinetry made in Spain due to the lower quality and typically longer lead times.
Italian manufacturers – There are some higher end and higher quality manufacturers from Italy such as Boffi and Valcucine. They are positioned as high level brands with varying lead times (as long as 6 months) and are quite expensive (over $ 2,000 per linear foot). There are some known low end brands such as Scavolini and Pedini which are marketed in the US, but the value of these brands is very low, because the price point is quite high compared to the low quality of finishes and hardware. Although the Italians are masters of design, many of the Italian manufacturers are not as efficient compared to the German manufacturers and they produce a lower level product. Most Italian factories are not as systematic and efficient as the German manufacturers resulting in varying lead times. It is typical for an Italian manufacturer to quote a range in production time line (2 to 4 months or 4 to 6 months) which is tough to work with compared with the German manufacturers which will quote an exact production week. A common misconception is to categorize the Italian manufacturers and German manufacturers in the same category as “European manufacturers”, but other than a handful of high end manufacturers most Italian manufacturers are less reliable and produce a lower quality of cabinetry.
German manufacturers – Germans are usually the best at manufacturing have the most efficient and well organized factories. German engineering, professionalism, precision and organization make the Germany factories the best in the world. If you find a product you like in style and fits your budget it is recommended to purchase from a German manufacturer. Bulthaup is considered the best German brand, but it is very expensive and limited in options. Poggenpohl is the most well known of the German brands in the US, but in recent years the product quality has declined and design innovations are very limited. Almilmo, Leicht and Siematic are high quality brands which are reasonably priced. There are some lesser known German brands which are currently offered in the market which are great value for your money.