The best paint for kitchen cabinets is water-based alkyd paint, which is easy to use to get a clean finish, stands up to washing when you need to clean up splashes or spills, and resists water and moisture, two things that are constant risks in the kitchen.
Choose an alkyd paint with a semi-gloss finish, which offers better protection from water and moisture than eggshell or matte finishes but doesn’t look too shiny. Our top pick is Benjamin Moore’s Advance Waterborne Interior Alkyd paint.
Quick Takeaways
Waterborne alkyd paint offers a good mix of easy application and durability on high-touch kitchen cabinets.
High-gloss finishes will be the easiest to clean and most resistant to water and moisture, but most homeowners prefer the look of a slightly less durable semi-gloss finish.
Use a paint sprayer for the fastest application and best appearance. A foam roller and brush can work, too, but use a self-leveling paint to get a smooth finish.
Best Overall: Benjamin Moore Advance Waterborne Interior Alkyd
In our opinion, the best paint for kitchen cabinets is the Waterborne Interior Alkyd paint from Benjamin Moore.
The main appeal of water-based alkyd paints, which many professional painters use, is that they harden on the surface, so they’ll hold up well on high-touch surfaces like kitchen cabinets. They also resist water and moisture, so you should have no issues cleaning up spills and splatters from cooking, and they’ll hold up well in the presence of water or steam.
This product is self-leveling, which means you can apply it with a brush and roller and still get a perfectly smooth, professional-looking appearance if you DIY. As a water-based alkyd paint, it has a low volatile organic compound (VOC) level, so you can apply it indoors provided you have good ventilation. Wearing a respirator during the application is still a good idea.
The only downside to using this paint is the long dry time — 16 hours — between coats. Since you’ll need at least two coats and likely a coat of primer, your project will take longer than a weekend.
Pros and Cons
Quick Facts
Dry to touch: 4 to 6 hours
Time between recoats: 16 hours
VOC content: Low (0.4 lbs/gallon)
Self-leveling: Yes
Best Paint for Kitchen Cabinets Without Sanding: Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane Trim Enamel
This urethane paint from Sherwin-Williams is the best option if you want to avoid sanding before your first coat and between coats. Urethane paint bonds well to bare wood and painted surfaces, so while you’ll benefit from a coat of primer before you start, you could just apply two coats of this paint and call it a day.
Urethane paint also levels a bit better than alkyd paint, so while a light sanding with a low-grit sandpaper between coats is a good idea, you’ll still get a smooth finish without it. Brush strokes and texture from your roller will disappear as the paint settles and hardens, so it’s suitable for beginner painters and those without a sprayer.
Urethane paint will harden over your cabinets and create a durable finish that won’t chip, scratch, or ding easily, making it perfect for one of the most trafficked rooms in your home. Finally, this paint is water resistant, so it won’t get damaged from spills or steam from cooking, and you’ll have no issues wiping your cabinet doors clean.
The drawback to this urethane paint is that it’s one of the most expensive options. You’ll spend around $200 for two gallons to paint cabinets in a standard kitchen, and that doesn’t include costs for primer or other materials.
Pros and Cons
Quick Facts
Dry to touch: 1 hour
Time between recoats: 4 hours
VOC content: Low (0.42 lbs/gallon)
Self-leveling: Yes
Best White Paint for Kitchen Cabinets: Benjamin Moore Insl–X Cabinet Coat
Benjamin Moore Insl-X Cabinet Coat paint is specifically formulated for kitchen cabinets, and it acts as a hybrid paint that allows for easy application and good durability. It’s a urethane-modified alkyd paint, so it’s easier than a straight alkyd paint to apply and get a smooth finish, even without primer. And while it’s not quite as durable as a urethane paint, it’s about 30% less expensive per gallon than the Sherwin-Williams Emerald Urethane paint.
The main draw of this paint is that it won’t yellow or discolor over time, even when it’s exposed to direct sunlight. Modified alkyd paints like this one resist oxidation, which makes it the best paint option for white cabinets if you want to avoid discoloration, especially if you have a lot of natural light in your kitchen.
This paint also stands up extremely well to scratching and physical wear, so it’s one of the best paints for kitchens that will see traffic from children and pets. It’s also water resistant, so you don’t have to worry about splatters being hard to clean or the surface getting damaged from steam or spills.
Pros and Cons
Quick Facts
Dry to touch: 1 hour
Time between recoats: 6 hours
VOC content: Low (0.38 lbs/gallon)
Self-leveling: Yes
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Kitchen Cabinet Paint
There are a few key things you should think about when trying to find the right paint for your kitchen cabinets. Taking these into consideration, you can ensure the nicest appearance and the most durable finish while not breaking your kitchen remodel budget.
Type of Paint
There are a few different types of paint you can use for your cabinets, each of which brings something different to the table in terms of how easy it is to apply, its water resistance, how durable it is, how easy it is to clean, and more. The best cabinet paint options are alkyd paints and urethane paints, as these get close to oil paints in terms of durability without the high VOC content and difficult application process.
Finish
Regardless of the type of paint you use on your cabinets, you can choose from five different finishes. In order from the least reflective to the shiniest and also from least water-resistant to most water-resistant, your options are:
Matte finish
Eggshell finish
Satin finish
Semi-gloss finish
High-gloss finish
The higher the gloss level, the easier your cabinets will be to wipe clean and the more resistant to stains they will be from spills.
The best paint finish for kitchen cabinets is semi-gloss, as it provides high resistance to water, steam, and staining without making your cabinets overly shiny.
Ease of Application
Some kitchen cabinet paints are easier to apply than others, as they self-level and reduce the amount of surface preparation and sanding you need between coats. If you plan on using a brush or roller, avoid oil-based paints and go with an alkyd or urethane paint. These will settle over the surface better and hide brush and roller marks.
Application Process
The different paint types also have varying viscosity levels, with latex and oil-based paints being the thickest and water-based acrylic paints being the thinnest. Alkyd and urethane paints sit somewhere in the middle.
If you have an entry-level paint sprayer, your best options will be thinner paints, as thicker materials may not come out evenly.
VOC Content
Finally, consider the VOC content of the paint you’re using. Volatile organic compounds are hazardous to inhale and aren’t environmentally friendly. Water-based acrylic paints have the lowest VOC content, but the finish will be less durable than most others. Choose a urethane or alkyd paint to strike a balance between low VOC content and durability.
Cost Comparison: Should I Replace, Reface, or Paint My Cabinets?
If you want the best kitchen cabinets available, you may be interested in professional cabinet refacing or replacements instead of painting. Here’s a breakdown of these services and their average costs:
With kitchen cabinet refacing, a professional will come in and give your cabinets a new look without replacing the entire unit. They’ll replace the doors and refinish the cabinet boxes. The average cost of cabinet refacing is $7,000 to $12,000.
To rip out and replace your cabinets, a company will take out all cabinet units, including the cabinet boxes, and install new ones. The cost to install new cabinets is around $5,000 to $10,000, not including demolition and removal fees.
Painting kitchen cabinets on your own will only cost you time and money for materials. In total, the cost ranges from about $300 to $1,500 depending on the quality of materials you use and the number of cabinets you need to paint.
FAQ: Best Paint for Kitchen Cabinets
The most durable finish for painted kitchen cabinets is an oil-based paint. This type of paint oxidizes to create a hard, protective finish that resists water and steam and is very resilient when it comes to physical wear. However, oil-based paint is more difficult to apply and get a smooth finish, and it discolors and has a high VOC content. Most homeowners prefer an alkyd paint or urethane paint that creates a slightly less durable finish but dries smooth and has fewer VOCs per gallon.
It’s a good idea to prime cabinets before you paint, as primer bonds better to the wood cabinets and creates a better surface for paint adhesion. With a coat of primer, your paint will dry smoother, you’ll need fewer coats of paint, and your cabinets will be less likely to stain from spills. If you want to avoid using primer, choose a high-quality urethane paint, as it has some of the best adhesion to bare wood and painted surfaces.
You should apply at least two coats of paint to your kitchen cabinets in most cases. If you’re not using primer, you may need a third coat to get a smooth, even finish and good adhesion. Painting over non-porous surfaces like melamine may only require a single coat if you’re using a high-end paint, but it’s still a good idea to apply two coats to ensure good coverage. You should wait at least four hours between coats, but some types of paint require longer dry times. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations for the best results.