Shoppin' around for new kitchen cabinets, are you? Have I got a deal for you! I'm going to tell you various kitchen cabinet ratings so that you'll know what you're getting when you buy a certain line of cabinets, because all cabinets aren't created equal. If you don't take the time to educate yourself about what makes a good set of cabinets, and you just depend on the recommendations of sales personnel or contractors, you may end up getting burned. So spend some time reading this article about kitchen cabinet ratings before you even think about buying new cabinets.
In the old days, it was easy to tell the quality of the cabinet you were getting by the joinery. If drawers were made with dovetail joints, you knew you were getting the real thing. However, now manufacturers have the technology to employ these same types of techniques on even their inexpensive lines of cabinetry which can deceive customers that aren't cabinet-smart.
To start with, here are some figures you need to consider. Whatever your budget for your kitchen remodel might be, your cabinets are going to eat up around half of it. There's no getting around the fact that kitchen cabinets are expensive, irregardless of what your financial situation might be. In addition, roughly half of all cabinets sold in this country are sold at Lowe's or Home Depot. Online kitchen cabinet ratings will show you that some of the more moderately-priced lines at these stores are actually better than some of the more expensive ones. Although you might not expect it, one reviewer found that ready-to-assemble cabinets were actually sturdier than some of the pre-made ones.
Reading reviews left by other customers online can be an eye-opener when it comes to choosing a brand of cabinets. For example, while the KraftMaid kitchen cabinet ratings on one site proclaimed that they are some of the best on the market, individual reviewers offer up horror stories about shoddy workmanship and poor quality. You can find similar reviews on other national brands of cabinets, too.
Many people make the mistake of thinking that they're going to get the best quality and value from name brands with high kitchen cabinet ratings, but this may not be the case. Part of any rating is going to take into account the number of styles that the cabinets come in. Large manufacturers can do this because of the equipment they have for making the cabinets. A small cabinet shop may not rate as highly, because they don't have the sophisticated tools needed to make a wide variety of styles or because they've never had a whole lot of publicity except by word of mouth. When you're looking for the highest quality cabinets at the best prices, be sure to check out these small cabinet makers instead of just running to the nearest home improvement store.
