Oak vs. Birch Kitchen Cabinets

Style

• Oak is a traditional kitchen cabinet choice. Now more popular in country kitchens, oak cabinets are still prominent in many older homes. Oak is an open-grain wood with visible mineral streaks and natural knots.
  Birch is almost the complete opposite of oak in terms of style. Considered a modern cabinet wood, birch is a close-grain with a smooth texture. Birch can resemble maple and can also be stained to look like mahogany or walnut.

Durability

• Oak cabinets are a popular, durable wood for kitchen cabinets. Birch isn’t as durable as oak, but it will withstand the usual abuse of a busy kitchen.

Price

• Because oak and birch are grown in North America, costs for shipping are very low, making them more affordable than other woods. For an average sized kitchen with all oak or all birch wood, you can expect to pay around $2000 to $3000, as of the date of publication. Depending on where you live and where you order your cabinets from, you can expect to pay 10 to 15 percent of the total cost for shipping.

Color

• Oak cabinets can range in color from red to gold to cream. Birch cabinets range from reddish-brown to cream. Since there is such a variation in color, specify what color range you are looking for when ordering oak or birch cabinets.