Made in China kitchen cabinets

Made in China Kitchen cabinets are everywhere!

So, are they the right product for your kitchen?  Is there money to be saved by purchasing these imported cabinets?  Are they of good quality?  Will they last a lifetime?

These are some of the questions that are perhaps running through your mind as you consider Made in China kitchen cabinets. Now, lets backup a bit and understand a little more about the “Made in China” bit. But even before I do that, let me explain why I am somewhat qualified to speak on the subject… I lived in Hong Kong for 12 years and picked up a bit of Cantonese and traveled extensively in Southern China and have set foot in dozens of factories producing all kinds of products for export. So there… those are my qualifications.

Now onto our subject. First of all, lets face one fact… when we say “Made in China”, most of the time the first thing that pops in your mind is cheap. The next thing that comes to mind is poor quality. Some will argue that the term Made in China conjures up images of low quality products produced in sweat shops in appalling working conditions. However, that is not always true. China produces a wide range of products in an equally vast quality span. Yes, most consumer disposables (products that have a limited life span) are of questionable quality and China has had more than its share of product recalls, toxic lead in toys, poisonous substances in infant milk powder and so on. I am sure if you do a search on product quality (or the lack of it), China is sure to feature in most if not many of those web pages.

But, again, lets not generalize. China is a highly capable machine producing more and more goods that we use in our daily lives. China offers both ends of the quality spectrum and everything in between. So you can buy an Apple iPad that is made in China and you can also buy a similar looking tablet that is also made in China but of terrible quality. So China is capable of producing virtually any consumer product and of the highest quality, but the problem here is not about China, it is about those who import from China.

Back to the subject of Made in China Kitchen cabinets and whether you should consider them. Unfortunately, almost all the imported kitchen cabinets that come from China are of poor quality (DISCLAIMER: at least the ones I have seen). Here is what is wrong with them – wood grades are low quality, finish is uneven, hinges are low-duty and joinery is very basic. Here is what all this means to you, Mr or Mrs Consumer – finish is likely to flake or bubble, hinges wear out quickly, doors could warp or lose their shape and boxes could start falling apart. I hate to say this but those businesses importing kitchen cabinets seem only interested in making more money at your expense. While choices abound and they can bring in better quality products if they so choose, but I am yet to come across a good quality offering.

Before you flame me, let me reiterate that… never mind, just re-read the paragraph about the Apple iPad.

Now why is quality important? As a consumer, you fall into one of the following categories:

• Renovating to Sell
• Renovating to Stay