| Wood | Janka (approx.) | Stain | Paint | Grain and colour |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alder | ~590 | Takes stain warmly; can blotch without a conditioner | Paints, but dents show | Soft, even, reddish-tan; knotty versions available |
| Cherry | ~950 | Usually left natural or lightly toned | Rarely painted | Fine grain; darkens noticeably in light |
| Walnut | ~1010 | Rarely needs stain; clear finish shows it best | Almost never painted | Rich chocolate brown; can lighten slightly over time |
| Birch (yellow) | ~1260 | Can blotch, like maple | Paints well | Fine grain, pale; similar look to maple |
| Red oak | ~1290 | Takes stain easily | Grain shows through paint | Strong open grain, pinkish cast |
| White oak | ~1360 | Stains evenly; lovely clear | Grain shows through paint | Open grain, golden-brown; rift and quarter-sawn cuts run straight |
| Hard maple | ~1450 | Can blotch with dark stains | Excellent: smooth and tight-grained | Creamy white; ambers slightly under a clear finish |
Is alder wood good for kitchen cabinets?
It can be, as long as you go in with your eyes open. Alder is popular for good reasons: it is even-textured, it takes a warm stain beautifully, and it gives a kitchen a soft, relaxed look. Knotty alder adds rustic character that is hard to get from any other wood.
The catch is hardness. Alder is one of the softest woods used for cabinets, with a published Janka rating of roughly 590. That is well under half the figure for hard maple. In a kitchen, that means a dropped can, a knocked pot lid or a ring pressed into a drawer front can leave a dent. The finish protects against moisture and stains; it does not stop the wood underneath from compressing.
Some people are happy with that. Dents in a stained, knotty alder kitchen read as character, and the kitchen looks lived-in rather than damaged. Others will notice every mark. Knowing which one you are is most of the decision.
What is the Janka hardness scale?
The Janka test measures the force needed to press a small steel ball halfway into a piece of wood. The higher the number, the harder the wood and the more it resists dents. The figures in the table above are approximate published values, and real boards vary with how the tree grew, but the ranking is reliable. Alder sits at the soft end, cherry and walnut in the middle, and oak and hard maple at the top.
Hardness is not the same as durability in every sense. A softer wood can last a lifetime; it just shows the life it has lived. And for the cabinet box, the material that matters is the plywood, not the door species. Our guide to cabinet box materials covers that side.
How do the woods compare for stain?
Stain behaves differently on every species, and some woods fight it.
- Alder takes stain warmly and evenly once a conditioner is used, which is a big part of its appeal. Without one, it can blotch.
- White oak stains evenly, and its open grain gives depth to both light and dark colours. It also looks excellent with just a clear finish.
- Red oak takes stain easily, but its pinkish undertone and bold grain pattern come through whatever colour you choose.
- Walnut rarely needs stain at all. A clear finish brings out its colour, which is the reason to choose it.
- Cherry is usually left natural or lightly toned, because it changes colour on its own (more on that below).
- Maple and birch are tight-grained and can blotch with darker stains. They look best clear or in lighter tones.
Which wood is best for painted cabinets?
Maple. It is hard, so painted doors resist dents, and its grain is tight and closed, so the paint goes on smooth with no texture showing through. That is the look most people want from a painted kitchen.
Oak is a poor choice for paint if you want a smooth finish, because its open grain telegraphs through the coats as a visible texture. Some people like that look; most don’t expect it. Alder can be painted, but a soft wood under paint shows dents just as clearly, and a dent in a painted door is more noticeable than one in a stained door.
The finish matters as much as the wood. On painted cabinets we spray EVO Eclipse by Gemini, a water-based finish, in our Concord shop. Our article on water-based paint vs conversion varnish explains why.
Does cherry really darken?
Yes, and noticeably. Fresh cherry is a pale pinkish-tan, and with exposure to light it deepens to a rich reddish-brown over the first months and years. Most people who choose cherry choose it for exactly that. If a door is replaced later, it will start pale and catch up slowly. Walnut tends to move the other way, lightening and warming a little with time. Maple ambers slightly under a clear finish, which is worth knowing if you want it to stay very pale.
What about rift-sawn and quarter-sawn white oak?
How a log is cut changes how its grain looks. Plain-sawn oak shows the familiar arched “cathedral” pattern. Rift-sawn and quarter-sawn white oak are cut at steeper angles to the growth rings, which gives straight, even grain lines and, on quarter-sawn boards, shimmering ray fleck. These cuts are also more stable as humidity changes. Rift white oak is the straight-grained, quiet look you see in a lot of modern kitchens.
Where do soft woods show wear first?
If you are leaning towards alder or another softer wood, it helps to know where the marks will appear. In most kitchens the wear concentrates in a few places:
- The lower drawer fronts and doors near the sink and range, where pots, shoes and the dishwasher door knock against them.
- The edges of the island, where stools, bags and elbows meet the cabinets every day.
- Doors beside the trash and recycling, which get bumped constantly.
- Toe kicks and end panels at floor level, where vacuums and mops hit them.
One practical answer is to use a harder wood for the hardest-working spots. A kitchen can have alder uppers and a white oak or painted maple island, so the cabinets that take the knocks are the ones best able to handle them. A good-quality finish also helps: it won’t stop a dent, but it keeps water and grease out of the wood around it, so a small mark stays small. And on a stained or knotty finish, small dents tend to blend in over time rather than stand out.
What do we recommend?
When someone asks Sean which wood to choose, this is his answer:
- For painted cabinets: maple. Hard, smooth and stable, it gives the cleanest painted finish.
- For stained or natural cabinets: white oak or walnut. White oak is hard, stains evenly and comes in rift and quarter-sawn cuts. Walnut needs no stain and ages gracefully.
- Alder is fine if you accept that it dents. If you love the look and want a kitchen that wears in rather than staying pristine, it is a good choice. If dents will bother you, choose a harder wood.
Mixing woods is often the best answer of all: painted maple around the walls, with a white oak or walnut island where the grain can be seen.
Choosing for your kitchen
Every Crafted Cabinetry kitchen is built to size in our Concord shop on plywood boxes, in the species and finish you choose, with a fixed-price quote agreed before production starts. If you are torn between two woods, tell us how you use your kitchen and we will help you choose. You can see finished projects on our kitchens page.
Frequently asked questions
Is alder too soft for kitchen cabinets?
It is one of the softest cabinet woods, at roughly 590 on the published Janka scale, so it dents more easily than maple or oak. It is a fine choice if you are happy for the cabinets to show some wear as character.
What is the hardest wood for kitchen cabinets?
Of the common cabinet woods, hard maple is the hardest, at roughly 1,450 on the published Janka scale, followed by white oak and red oak.
What wood is best for painted cabinets?
Maple. It is hard enough to resist dents and its tight, closed grain gives a smooth painted surface. Oak’s open grain shows through paint as texture.
Which wood does Crafted Cabinetry recommend?
Maple for painted cabinets, and white oak or walnut for stained or natural wood. Alder is fine if you accept that it dents.
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