Fifty years ago a standard kitchen was more often than not built along with the rest of the home. In other words each kitchen, and bathroom, was custom-made for the space provided. Since then kitchen cabinet design has evolved from the carpenter actually building the units on site to the Ikea-like kits of wood chip-filled product that we have now.

These assemble-yourself cabinets arrive in compact boxes and include all the hardware to put the cabinets together. Since the doors are the prominent feature much of the cabinetry is hidden from view and does not have to be made of expensive wood. So the beautiful oak cabinets in your friend's kitchen may be just real-wood doors with wood-like plastic-covered units and sides.

However, the problem with all wood-filled products is that they are heavy to ship and, depending on the cost, come with cheap drawers made from plastic, or even cardboard. They can chip easily and the wood pulp can swell if it comes in contact with water, like under the sink. In fact the cost of cabinets per square foot is very high considering the materials used - unless you are willing spend the extra dollars for custom-made.

Again, the factories in China have produced a product that, besides being less expensive, exudes quality and sturdiness. The key to quality is in the materials. The cabinets are made of dense, but light, plywood veneers as are the drawer bottoms. And the selection of door fronts varies from traditional oak to bamboo.

Terry McClinchey, Vice President of Marketing for Elink Solutions, imports an average of 40 container-loads a month into the US at the time of this writing. He says, “These cabinets are manufactured in China for us and they are sold by the container amounts. The cabinets come unassembled and wrapped in cardboard and foam for protection. There's nothing else to buy except for your choice of the door handles. All the matching pieces and hardware to assemble them are provided including the wall screws. They only take a couple of minutes per cabinet to assemble as they are that precision-built and user-friendly.”

McClinchey goes on to say that a 40’ container needs about 30 good sized kitchens & vanity orders to fill it but there are also 20’ containers as well. This is not useful for homeowners but big renovation stores will be paying heed.

So far, McClinchey sells exclusively to the builders of condos and apartment builders but soon, like the hardware industry, these quality Chinese products will find their way into the superstores of mainstream America.