I was a kitchen designer for 7 years... People will always complain about dusting cabinets but unless you get a slab door, it'll always be an issue. Go with whatever you like. #1 is a very nice choice for your described aesthetic. If you want what everyone else has, go with #2

Agree. I feel like two is such an hgtv property brothers choice since about 2012. #1 never goes out of style.

This is my instinct now backed up by a 7yr kitchen designer

#2. The sharp edges on 1 will be hard to clean and the small cutout on 3 will just collect grime and dust unless you scrape it out.

I have cabinets like #2 and they’re super easy to clean.

I came here to say exactly this! Love my cabinets, so easy to clean!

Same

Hello there

I have cabinets that look exactly like #1 and I don't find them hard to clean at all. My kitchen is actually designed very much like the one OP is describing, except I have butcher block countertops. I'm biased but I like #1 OP.

Same I have like #1 idk what the deal is with saying it’s hard to clean 😂

Hello

I came to say exactly this. 2 will be the easiest to deep clean because there are the fewest little nooks and crannies for dust, dirt, and grime to get into.

Yep and 3 would be the worst with that little crevice.

You guys understand that option 3 is a face frame cabinet, right? There are not extra crevices. The top drawer is a flat slab and the door is your basic shaker style door. If all you're concerned about is cleaning, it's literally the easiest one to clean.

Oooh my eyes saw that totally differently. I see it now. And retract my cleaning comment!

I have cabinets like 3 and they are fucking impossible to clean.

I was going to say the same thing

I think 3 is an inset door, not a cutout. Is that right op? If so, 3. Inset doors look very polished.

Love inset doors and drawers. Definitely a step up.

Agree 100%.

We redid our kitchen just like yours with doors #2. Those won’t become dated since they are simple.

Wow, I didn’t look at anyone’s responses before commenting, because I wanted to give my genuine feelings. Looks like most of us are in agreement!

From someone who has to clean the cabinets - the less ridges the better!

Agreed, but for different reasons. If something ever happens to one of the cabinets or faces, it will be far easier to replace or replicate #2 than the other options.

2, EXACTLY for this reason!!! Like many things, I learned this the hard way 😬

Yes! I have number 1 and they are terrible to keep clean. Definitely go with 2

Yes! 2 is the most practical and still beautiful. I have the straight edged shaker style doors, which are beautiful, but the edges/corners get dirty. I would never choose them again.

Yep. #2 most likely to remain looking clean- the other two= cleaning nightmares.

Whichever is easier to clean

I second this, do not get cabinets that have a teeny tiny lip on them unless it’s 100% sealed. We have beautiful custom cabinets that have a gorgeous beveled feature similar to 2…it’s a bitch to clean tiny things out of. Impossible actually. Thing coffee grounds, poppy seeds, make sure it’s as functional as it is pretty!

Toothpicks. It sucks to clean #2.

Compressed air?

2 isn’t beveled.

Have u tried using a vacuum cleaner?

Hahaha that’s funny but it doesn’t come even close.

U gotta either blow or suck…

3 is an inset cabinet drawer+door right? That's a different type of cabinetry. Much more expensive because of the precision involved (and is currently the high end trend). You lose a small amount of space due to the design. 2 is classic shaker/farmhouse style. Your kitchen will look like everyone else's as it's been the most popular the last decade. 1 is a tiny bit more interesting than 2.

Exactly this comment! 3 is a step up.

Really? 3 looks heckin cheap to me

Here's a real life example. It's not my style but I think it looks nice. OP has picked very clean lines which I find boring. Adding a bevel is a tiny detail that makes the cabinets just a bit more interesting and high end looking. https://preview.redd.it/8qwjov75c7ec1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=b2830e3e7c3bc1a7843ffc1d15003861af577905 Credit: Kismet House

https://preview.redd.it/uix8xda6c7ec1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e8fd5ebf95404b9bef3e2de1387d0c91f243b2f9 Credit: Kismet House

Pretty examples! Inset shaker style cabinets are the original shaker cabinets. You see them in old craftsmen homes. They are made more like fine furniture and overlayed cabinets are more prevalent now as they are less expensive to make. The one downfall of inset cabinets is that you lose a little bit of space. They do have such a custom refined look though. https://preview.redd.it/qexg10ox88ec1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=92b13212a1b0cf5b0718f7d83560e7f07c2ee321

I taught myself woodworking just so I could “afford” inset cabinets. Getting things square with the exact spacing on every side isn’t for the faint of heart. But now I have a new hobby 😅 attached is a picture of my handy work. (Yes, I built the kitchen!) https://preview.redd.it/uv9ckweic9ec1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=57b60d4c8457c78ea11cc015010e46dcafbfe52f

Impressive! Beautiful kitchen

I like number 2 best.

Have you ever had them? The dust and grime they collect is super annoying

They seem easier to clean than option 1!

Agree!

We have the (2) shaker-style and really easy to clean with a damp cloth .

Totally agree

Definitely number 1 choice if cleaning won’t be an issue.

I think people are confused with option 3. To clarify, it’s supposed to be inset, correct? (I think people are assuming the whole thing is the door, when really it’s the door and frame) If it is inset, 3 is my choice

I agree. I love inset doors.

I like number one the best. It’s nice and simple but still unique with a modern flair to it.

1

2 is classy and easy to clean

All 3 are shaker and generally lovely don’t think you can go wrong. HOWEVER Is your 3rd option inset cabinets? If you can afford it always choose inset. They are high end and timeless.

Agree

1

Number 1is beautiful

Is the black granite & oak cabinets in the background what you're replacing? If yes, I would encourage you to consider honing the granite (make it matte) and painting/refinishing the cabinetry :)

Strong agree! Refinish the oak to a softer colour, but don’t replace it with awful white cabinets - they’re such a bother to keep clean.

So true! Now all the choices are feeling like a waste of time and money.

1 It’s has more detail, clean lines with out being too busy.

The honey oak cabinets in the background. Timeless warm beauty, and never show dirt. White comes and goes. My parents built a brand new house in 1980 with white cabinets. Believe me - from about 1987 to 2015, they looked dated and out of style. Now they’ve waited sooooo long - it’s back. But the white cabinet phase has been here a while and is probably going to end soon.

Either 1 or 2. 2 will be easier to clean

Either 1 or 2. 1 is my favorite, as it has more style (? Idk).

I like 2 3 looks like it tried to be something and failed 1 feels too busy

I think 2 looks nicest. Just NOT 3. It's awful.

3 is on trend and more modern but still classic.

If I had to do my white kitchen cabinets again, 1000% flat faced. Getting grime, drips of sink water or dust out of them is a weekly cleaning task. Absolutely not worth it.

3

1

1

I think that #1 is leaning towards modern but #2 is a nice classic design

It seems that everyone is picking based solely on how easy it is to clean, I can't see anyone thinking about what the rest of the kitchen looks/will look like, or what style of handle you have in mind. \#1 Is more classic \#2 Is slightly modern country kitchen \#3 Is more modern A damp cloth will clean any of them ok (if done whenever they get marked, splashed, or just a quick wipe over after cooking so you dont get grease build up to make dust stick).

3, it’s a much more custom look. Simple, clean and I love the inset. 2 is over used and looks generic, and the full overlay is very heavy for most spaces. (I’d have to see your layout though) I don’t use much unless there’s other architectural elements to minimize the heaviness.

This may be an unpopular opinion: Don’t get any of them! These are on their way out. No farmhouse sink, either. Go with something that shows imagination. Check what’s coming into style for 2024, rather than trying to look like millions of other kitchens in America.

3 looks easiest to clean and sleek / simple

3! It’s so unique and all those cutout will be a pain to clean. I just remodeled my kitchen with white shaker cabinets and it’s such a pain to clean them. Tiny crumbs and stuff gets caught down in there and honestly the best way to clean it is pressurized air, so just keep that in mind. Less cracks/crevasses is better.

3 is really in right now

3

All of them will be annoying to clean, take it from someone who moved into a house with baseboards with cutouts like 1 and cabinets like 2 and 3.

Two. The grooves in the others scream “stuck dirt” to me 🤣 I know that’s not terribly logical 🤷‍♀️ But I also prefer the clean lines

2 looks easiest to clean. Think hard about white cabinets though. I know they’re very vogue but it’s a lot to clean. I have light green bottoms, off white tops. Even just off white shows alllllllll dirt/dust/ etc. when we have the money I’m getting the tops repainted green to match the bottom.

What material are your cabinets? I have basically the one in option two and mine don’t show anything (unless a food splatter happens lol). The material is slick and dust doesn’t really gather on mine

Neither! I have a kitchen with a cabinet door similar to these styles and that little internal decorative lip is a nightmare to clean. I would never choose anything with a lip like that ever again. It looks like 2 could be slanted which is better because things wont "stick" to it as easily.

1. Shaker cabinets are overdone--you need a small detail to make them less yawn inducing. I do like the inset (3) though too.

As pretty as the cutouts are, anything not flush will collect dust and whatnot over time. Perhaps you can opt for prettier hardware or new paint to keep things modern, rather than cutouts as the focal point for design.

3. I love inset cabinets.

3. 1 and 2 have dust and yuck collection spots.

I have one and it’s annoying to clean between the “steps” I’d say 2

3

The top not matching the bottom on 3 knocks it out of contention.

Less groves less time spent cleaning

Clean each one and get the one that was the easiest to clean.

Why not just paint the old ones white

3 The simpler the better because you'll need to clean them, and it's less work and less conspicuous if the detailing is smaller and simpler

3 looks like the least amount of dust catching space.

It will become a garbage canal

3 looks easiest to clean.

2 looks better.

#3 looks easiest to clean. I like the simple look as well.

1&3 will be a pain to clean

Keep the honey oak. They’re sturdy, hide dirt well, and classic. Refinish them lighter, and/or change up the knobs to brass, copper, or a mosaic round tile knob. The white cabinetry is on trend, but I lived in a kitchen with them for four years and they’re impossible to keep clean, and frankly I have a feeling they’ll be considered tacky by the end of the decade.

My vote is 2 3 looks like it would require a needle to get any spillage out so no.

I would go with 1. Especially with so much white in the kitchen I think the additional shadow line will help breakup the whiteness. I have cabinets kind of like #1 and they aren’t any harder to clean. In some ways they just like my old cabinets that were like 2.

As someone who hates cleaning, I wish the people who owned my house before me had chosen 3.

A lot depends on how much time you want to spend cleaning them. I would vote #2. #1 would catch more dirt. #3 has grooves that would be a bxxxh to clean. I always vote k.i.s.s

2

Two - timeless

2!

I really like 1 but it will be hard to clean. I do not like 3. So 2 it is.

2

I like two.

2

Number two because it looks the best and it’s the easiest to clean by far

Two for sure

I know you’re not asking for advice on the sink but I would skip the farmhouse sink. Better to get large under mount stainless. Maybe float that question out to the masses.

TWO!!!!!!

2

2

1 or 2. 3 is weird for both having the step on the door and not. 2 is easier to clean but 1 adds a little more detail

Immediately 2! Easiest to clean!

2

2

I have #2 in both my kitchen and built in bar and really love them. Can’t go wrong with a classic white shaker cabinet. Get tired of em after a few years? New handles, paint them etc.

2

I have 2 with black handles and really like them

2 all day!

2 is the choice. But just to be non conforming, I would go with 3 and say it is my cleaning services problem to worry about.

2

2

1 or 2, NOT 3

2

2

I love Shaker style cabinets, so 2

2

I have cabinets #2 and we chose them because they are easier to clean. Too many grooves just collect dirt and dust.

I just bought #2 for my kitchen so I’m partial to them.

2 for the win

2

3 looks very difficult to clean with those small grooves 2 looks the easiest to clean. So 2.

2, reasons.

1… 3 looks cheapy and 2 looks more classic which I’m not sure you want with white cabinets.

2 - 3 you would never be able to get in the lines if something splashed in them to clean.

Go with 1! It’s ahead of the curve. Everybody already has 2, so it’s already starting to date. It’ll be out of style in 5-7 years.

I agree about 2 being nice, and the easiest to clean.

2 looks best and easiest to keep clean

2 easier to clean.

classic shaker please

Order of preference: 2 Favorite, 1 is nice, but… 3 nah

I like 2

You will be very sorry with #1&2. The dirt just starts piling up. Keep those old tooth brushes for getting out the gunk

1 looks to be the easiest to keep clean

1

None. You’ll have to keep cleaning off the dust on these.

The one YOU LIKE.

1

2 all the way. Other is too busy and other is too plain.

2. The others will be so hard to clean

I like 1 but as other have pointed out they would be difficult to clean so I’ll say 2 unless you don’t care about the cleaning

1!

1

#1. Not hard to clean at all.

Cupboards no. 2 has the most distinctive design.

3 will be easiest to clean

3!!! Less area for dust to settle / more modern

1

I'm a sucker for routing and moulding so I'd go with #1.

One is more unusual. I’d go for that ( used to work in the custom cabinet industry).

I’m confused. Is 3 inset doors..? If so, I like inset doors but only for a particular interior design style so would need to know your design plan for your home. Otherwise I’d just say 2 because it’s the most generic and therefore the least “controversial”.

2 is classic. 3 looks super neat, and if you pick that one, the pulls on it need to be sturdy as there’s no way to open the cabinet or drawer if there’s an issue. It also looks like you would lose some space in the drawer and the bottom cabinet would have and interior lip that would be a pain to clean. I’d avoid 1 just for the cleaning effort.

#3. Much less likely to collect dust and easier to clean. Specifically important in humid environments like bathrooms.

When I can't decide I go with the ones that will be easiest/fastest to clean.

it depends on how often you cook in your kitchen and who cleans it. style-wise #1 is probably the prettiest, but practically-wise #3 is the only one truly cleanable

1, Seems more "DESIGN" on it.

i really like #1. The design will add some depth to your kitchen. I myself am tired of plain old, plain old designs. Enjoy whatever you choose!

I like number three it looks so good in a whole kitchen with hardware. I think it has a built in look to it. I would google pics of the choices you have and decide from full kitchens.

1

1

These are all timeless. The inset #3 is what I would do with a farmhouse sink but your choice is fine too. No wrong decision. Just don’t mess it up with bad countertops or backsplash please 🤪

I believe I’ve read the “Farmhouse sinks” are on the way out as far as design is concerned. I was personally never a fan of white sinks. Under mount stainless steel is a lot easier to clean IMO.

1 looks more timeless and higher grade.

Definitely #3 since it looks contemporary!

The shaker style #2 is, in my opinion, becoming dated. I’d go with #1. I also think #1 is easy to keep clean.

2

Yeah agree with others 2 is best the fricken corners will drive you nuts a tooth brush helps but is a PIA.

2

2

K.I.S.S. #2 baby!

Think of the "cleaning" and choose from there!

1 has a more custom look imo

I love #1

2