KraftMaid Kitchen Cabinets - What to Know, Should You Buy? (2024)

KraftMaid Cabinets have only been around since 1970, but they are a rising star in the kitchen and bathroom cabinet field.

As part of the several manufactures found under the MasterBrand umbrella, they rival well-known brands like American Woodmark, and Armstrong Cabinets in terms of quality and customer satisfaction.

We’ve chosen KraftMade as a solid choice for kitchen cabinetry manufactures in the US.

History of KraftMaid Cabinetry

Like many great cabinet maker stories, the best ones come from a humble and enthusiastic background. As for KraftMaid Cabinetry, it all started with two brothers- Richard and Kenneth Jewel when they decided to chip in together to make a small Ohio-based cabinetry shop in 1969. The timing was just right and business began to boom for the two that eventually jumped both feet into the lucrative business of kitchen cabinetry in the late 70s.

Amazingly, they had grossed more than 100 million in sales by 1990, which quickly caught the eye of the Masco Corporation and helped them expand even further. In addition, they manufactured cabinets and related products that catered to the elderly and disabled (in their Passport cabinet line) which won them praise from Consumer Digest and many other influential magazines and sources.

The prosperity and hard work expanded and became efficiently streamlined in the mid-90s when they adopted a Japanese work ethic formula called “Kaisen” that allowed them to become leaner with streamlined manufacturing practices. The new plan paid off which allowed them to expand even more in 1996 with a new factory and a 25 million expansion program for all three of their manufacturing facilities in 2004.

This success led to a completely new factory plant being built in Utah (the very next year), using the same business model that worked for them so well. Because of their dedication to being efficient, they have reached a peak ability to manufacture 6000 semi-custom cabinets. They even have a subsidiary company that’s their complete KraftMaid trucking fleet.

KraftMaid Cabinetry Product Line

With a wide variety of cabinet products that KraftMaid Cabinetry offers, they offer a refreshing selection of styles, materials, configurations, and finishes. All of these differences make it simple to create distinct looks that will feel more suitable in every customer’s home. Among the most popular styles include complete lines of semi-custom cabinets that fall under the traditional, rustic, contemporary, and transitional design lines.

Obviously, kitchen cabinets are the bread and butter of KraftMaid and include extras that other cabinet manufacturers don’t offer. They were among one the first that offered cabinets that were more accessible for the elderly and disabled. They also offer “no-reach cabinets” that are designed to be shallow enough to reach items in the back. There are built-in cabinet doors that further use soft close technology that doors close gently with little effort.

And though the cabinets are all manufactured as semi-custom cabinets, each order helps to customize the height, length, and depth of every cabinet that’s created.

Customizable Features

Now that you know a little bit more about KraftMaid’s products, many distinct features are highly customizable for each customer.

One great example is the choice of hardware that is selected for each of their cabinet lines. All of the pulls, knobs, and handles add just the right finishing touch to make cabinets look distinct and original. More importantly, it’s the inside of the cabinets that make life in the kitchen manageable and efficient.

These preferences are directly attributed to more than just built-in wine racks or corner drawers and include a full range of pull-out drawers that glide with ease. It’s even little details such as dovetail drawer construction, to hand-assembled pieces that are built with a speedy and accurate building and assembly method. Nothing is left to chance with each customized order to get the look and style of your choice.

They also go further to provide real wood with classic favorites including maple, alder, birch, hickory, and oak in their wide selection of wood materials. Not to forget that original hand-painted finishes including stains and glazes are punched up to have higher visual appeal. Every step in the construction and finishing process is monitored and double-checked for quality at every point when an order is placed.

Installation and Warranty

When cabinets are shipped to a destination, everything is pre-assembled in sections that arrive at homes all over the US. This makes it easier for these cabinets to be installed and customized either by a homeowner or hired contractors. KraftMaid does include installation instructions for those who are handy at DIY projects, which is a big plus for adventurous homeowners. Another nice point is that KraftMaid has plenty of installation videos and installation tips to make it easy.

With most cabinetry warranties, you’ll find that KraftMaid offers a generous lifetime limited warranty. This covers manufacturing defects and material replacements for as long as you own your cabinets. Now this brings us to their sustainability standards that are regularly tested to ensure that your cabinets aren’t faulty. They check for chemical resistance, UV light damage, and heat resistance, in addition to door slides and hinge operation ability.

They insure that hinges and slides are working well past 10,000 cycles over the standard 35,000 (open and close) testing cycle too. In short, KraftMaid Cabinetry likes to keep its customers happy with hardware that lasts as long as any quality kitchen cabinet should function.

Final Thoughts

For a little company that grew up in such a short time, KraftMaid has gained the respect of many folks who are looking for top-quality cabinetry. And though their line of cabinets is semi-custom, they make every order feel completely customized for customers who want their kitchen to be original without having to pay full price for a custom design. It’s an investment that is affordable for everyone and has plenty of warranty coverage throughout its lifetime.

This is why KraftMaid Cabinetry is one of our favorites for customizable cabinets that we’re proud to feature.