MDF Cabinet Doors

In addition to the styles presented, we also offer customization options. Use our Doors Order Form to select custom rail and stile thickness, framing bead, center panel, and outside edge profiles. We also offer other shaker cabinet doors. For non-standard requests, contact us at doors@eagledovetaildrawers.com or 978-681-6194.

Our MDF doors are made from materials subjected to a rigorous double-refining process, ensuring exceptional durability and moisture resistance.

Head to our doors measuring instructions page for step-by-step guidance. Three team members review all orders to ensure accuracy, and we’ll contact you for clarification if needed.

Yes, MDF is an excellent choice for cabinet doors, especially if you plan to paint them. Because it is an engineered material, it provides a perfectly smooth surface for painting without the knots or grain patterns found in natural wood. It is also highly stable, resisting the warping and twisting that can occur with solid wood when humidity levels change. This makes it an affordable, reliable alternative for achieving a high-end painted look. We also offer unfinished MDF and wood cabinet door options.

When properly finished and maintained, MDF cabinet doors are highly durable and more resistant to warping and cracking than wood doors.

If you are dreaming of perfectly painted cabinets, MDF is a fantastic choice, though it helps to know exactly what you’re signing up for.

Pros of MDF cabinet doors:

• You get a flawless finish: Because there is no wood grain or knots, MDF gives you that silky-smooth, high-end painted look.
• It keeps your paint looking new: Unlike solid wood, MDF doesn't expand or contract with temperature changes, so you won't see those annoying little hairline cracks at the joints.
• It’s budget-friendly: It is almost always more affordable than solid wood, leaving you extra room in your budget for hardware or countertops.

Cons of MDF cabinet doors:

• Door designs are less detailed: MDF doors are made from a CNC machine from 1 or 2-pieces of MDF material, which leaves less room for precise details on cabinet doors. A quick way to check the tightness of a manufacturer’s design tolerance for MDF doors is to see how tightly the inside corners are cut.
• It relies on its sealant: While MDF loves humidity, it does not like direct contact with water if the paint is damaged. As long as the paint seal is intact, it is waterproof — but if a deep scratch exposes the inner core, it can soak up water like a sponge. At Eagle Woodworking, we only use moisture-resistant MDF materials to protect against water damage.

MDF performs very well in kitchens, provided it is finished correctly. Kitchens see frequent temperature and humidity changes from cooking, which can cause solid wood to move. MDF stays stable, keeping your cabinet lines straight. The key is sealing: you must ensure that every edge and face is primed and painted with a high-quality product to keep moisture out.

Once sealed, MDF is a durable option for most kitchen zones. It is ideal for upper cabinets, islands, and pantries. While you should be careful with prolonged exposure to water near sinks and dishwashers, a properly finished MDF door will stand up to years of daily kitchen use.

MDF is generally more budget-friendly than solid wood. The lower material cost helps reduce the total price of your project. However, the real value often appears during the finishing stage. Because MDF provides a smooth, paint-ready surface, you often spend less time on prep work compared to raw wood, which may require grain filling and extra sanding.

For budget planning, we often recommend using the right material for the finish. Choose MDF for painted cabinetry to save money and ensure a crack-free finish. This allows you to allocate more of your budget to solid wood features, like a stained island or floating shelves, where you want the natural grain to show.