Question re: kitchen cabinets and wood types

[momofmikey]

Looking for some help! Went to Home Depot the other night to design our new kitchen - price was more than we wanted to spend (they priced cherry), so I decided to go to a cabinet manufacturer. They've been in business for 20 years and make their own cabinets on site. The wood they use is alder,a form of birch wood. 3/4" thick plywood with finished natural birch veneer exteriors and interiors - has dowel joints and dovetail construction. Is this wood OK? I know nothing about wood, except that everyone says cherry is the best, thus the most expensive. This price was cheaper and I really love the style and color - just wanted to know if anyone knew a negative of the type of wood being used.

Thanks!

 

[Buckalew11]

I used Rustic Alder wood for my cabinets in my new house. Mine's made by Mid-Continent and I'm real happy with them. Rustic alder shows the knots etc. in the wood but not like "knotty pine". They remind me of Maple but have the knots which I like because I do not care for plain wood.

Here is a link to things they offer: http://www.midcontinentcabinetry.com/master-1.html?http://www.midcontinentcabinetry.com/

Then you pick the stain you want. I chose Harvest for the Concord style. I didn't use a custom cabinet maker but I did not go with Home depot or Lowe's type either. This is sorta in between and they were very reasonable. If you look through their gallery, go to rooms, kitchen, and I think mine are the 4th pic.

Thay automatic closing system is standard on these cabinets and that is pretty cool!

 

[Pigeon]

See if you can find some references from people who've used that manufacturer-preferably not just the ones the company supplies. Gardenweb has a great kitchen forum that I found hugely helpful when we redid our kitchen.

Alder can be very nice. Cherry is more popular and more expensive. If you like the look of alder, that's what's important. Really the key thing is the cabinet construction, if you plan to be in the house a long time.

 

[momofmikey]

Thanks for the feedback! From everything I've read, it's definitely considered a "soft" hardwood. From what I can tell in the showroom, it seems sturdy enough. It's a matter now of choosing the door style which I love in the price range I can do (alder) vs. the better cherry wood but compromising style.