Best kitchen cabinet material

[jpdv]

The title says it all... I'm planning a ground up reno, to last about a decade, for myself and SWMBO...

Price is not a deal breaker, but I don't want to waste money on bling. What would you use, and why? Happy to spray pre-cat, don't particularly want a fussy look. I'm currently imagining a white shaker sort of thing. I hate the commercial melamine thin veneered things that take a dent and then soak up moisture. The aim would be something that can take a bit of drunken dinner party abuse without panic... Probably a corian or other stone surface.

[elanjacobs]

White melamine moisture resistant chipboard with 1mm ABS edging has been industry standard for carcasses for decades and it lasts for decades too. As for the outside...whatever you like the look of

[samo]

White melamine moisture resistant chipboard with 1mm ABS edging has been industry standard for carcasses for decades and it lasts for decades too. As for the outside...whatever you like the look of

my suggestion for the carcasses as well.

The only industry that uses corian for cabinets are certain health related sectors. Such as Red Cross donor centres, dentists and anywhere there is a risk or bodily fluids getting into the substrate.

[wood spirit]

Bench tops - stone or pseudo stone. Carcass wont take much wear and tear anyway. Panels/doors 2 pack on timber or MDF is about as tough as is practical. Corian is very expensive and heavy as well - but can be sanded or buffed. Solid timber panels/doors with hard wax/oil finish are easy to repair. Avoid vinyl wrap like the plague.

[jpdv]

Sorry guys, my use of language was imprecise - I only meant Corian/stone for the worksurfaces on top. Thanks for the replies though - appreciated.

I'm well aware that white melamine is the industry standard, but I have to disagree on its longevity... It 'lasts for decades' in a purely structural sense, but every single kitchen made from it I've ever seen that's more than about 2 years old has peeling edgebanding somewhere, dents through the melamine revealing the attractive and definitely not moisture resistant chipboard underneath, which starts to swell and go mouldy as you try to clean it, chipped corners where kids/drunks/pensioners have knocked it, and bowed shelves that have been inadequately specced for the weight of kitchen 'stuff'. It just screams cheap and mass-produced rubbish at me...

As it's a personal one, I'm happy to take the time and cost to get it right. Maybe melamine for the basic carcasses with solid wood 'edge banding'/face framing might give me the protection and look I'm after?

[mature one]

What he said, white melamine.

[elanjacobs]

every single kitchen made from it I've ever seen that's more than about 2 years old has peeling edgebanding somewhere, dents through the melamine revealing the attractive and definitely not moisture resistant chipboard underneath, which starts to swell and go mouldy as you try to clean it, chipped corners where kids/drunks/pensioners have knocked it, and bowed shelves that have been inadequately specced for the weight of kitchen 'stuff'. It just screams cheap and mass-produced rubbish at me...
That's not been my experience at all. The crappy 0.5mm iron-on edging is prone to failure, but I don't think I've seen the proper 1mm PVC hot melt stuff come off; the glue melts at around 200C, so even right above the stove it's safe.

[Skew ChiDAMN!!]

As with many things, there's a world of difference between quality melamine & fittings (old-school cafe tables, etc.) and the cheap stuff used in flatpak-ware sold via Bunnies and their ilk.

[havabeer69]

As with many things, there's a world of difference between quality melamine & fittings (old-school cafe tables, etc.) and the cheap stuff used in flatpak-ware sold via Bunnies and their ilk.

this.


for the bench top... Dekton

its the name of a manmade stone bench top but it actually provides warranty on the fact that it is:
stainproof (not resistant, but proof)
can use out doors with no UV fade
heat proof, can use a blow torch directly on top

its actually a giant digitally printed material, so theres 20 something patterns its offered in, but it actually means you can get them to match up vien lines for a splash back but using the digital prints, it also means if something happens like you swing a sledge hammer at it, you can get that exact same bit of material again. its offered in a bunch of thicknesses

we used it in our last kitchen and will do so again but you do "pay for the privlidge" our bench top was about $8000 for the supply and install.

523182


523183


523184

[mature one]

wow this top reads up pretty good ,does it out source any of the nasties supplied with other manufactured tops.

[Beardy]

All the ones I have been involved with kitchens up around 200k and are still melamine carcasses. There was one kitchen that came from Germany that the carcasses were glass and aluminium but that was closer to 350k and included having the installers flown out from Germany to install it

If you are really opposed to using melamine you could look at the composite boards they use for joinery in boat fitouts.

[The Spin Doctor]

...

[GraemeCook]

White melamine moisture resistant chipboard with 1mm ABS edging has been industry standard for carcasses for decades and it lasts for decades too. As for the outside...whatever you like the look of

Fully agree with Elan.

A local joiner who specialises in the bespoke end of the market has standardised on using 18mm melamine for carcases - "You can feel the quality" - great marketing line! I get him to supply, cut and edgeband all needed melamine - his prices are about the same as B's 16 mm sheet price. But cut accuracy of 0.1mm, I don't breath dust, 2mm edge banding trumps iron on stuff and I do not make cutting errors. All melamine should be HMR.

My kitchen is now 10 years old and no problems.

I do not like melamine for bench tops, drawer or cupboard fronts - looks tacky, IMO.

We have a galley kitchen with benches down both sides and one waterfall end, plus splash backs. We costed several materials:

stainless steel,
real marble,
real granite,
synthetic marble,
synthetic granite,
polished concrete,
corian, etc.

We were surprised at how little variance in costs there were - the range was $6,500 to $7,500 ten years ago. Eventually we went with Carara marble on the grounds that if it was good enough for Michelangelo then it was good enough for us. Installed cost was $7,000. Ten years later we are certain that we made the right decision.

Drawer fronts and cupboard doors are timber with two-pack finish. Fine. Suggest that you do not skimp on drawer/cupboard handles as they are highly visible.

[malb]

Definitely HMR melamine for the carcasses, a decent CNC shop can do anything with it in terms of structure. Your choice of materials for tops and doors, face panels etc. Quality local board doesn't have flaws and is truly moisture resistant. Definitely 1mm or thicker edging machine applied, use a shop willing to take the time to do it right and it will be right. Guy I used to work for would arrange every finished kitchen in the shop and have the customer inspect it before delivery and installation, no one was told of if the damaged something and admitted it straight away, replacement part prepped on the next machine cycle. Woe betide that they damaged something and tried to hide it, automatically qualified for a significant verbal reaming.

Our final house has HMR chipboard core melamine carcasses for everything, sheen HMR MDF melamine for doors, drawer fronts, and facings, corian kitchen benchtop and sinks purely because the sinks can be fully integrated with the benchtop, don't scratch, dent, discolour, stain or allow moisture to leak to anything else where it could cause an issue. All other benchtops engineered stone, with basins and troughs top mounted so easily resealed if required.

Have seen a variety of jobs with undermount sinks etc where the sealant has failed within a few years, repairs difficult, often need to remove benchtop to repair well, that involves replacing tiling and splashbacks in some cases.

Not at all turned on by high gloss melamine or 2 pack finishes for doors, drawer fronts, facings etc, they have a tendency to show scratches behind handles etc after a couple of years from people grasping handles.

[Pulse]

rhino ply from Nover is good, I think it is poplar ply with white laminate, not melamine. I put a slight bullnose on it and left the ply exposed.