Best Stain for Kitchen Cabinets - Our Recommendations

When it comes to staining kitchen cabinets, homeowners have a lot of options to consider. The right stain can transform the look of your kitchen by enhancing the natural beauty of the wood cabinetry. However, with so many stain types, colors, and brands on the market, choosing the best stain for your kitchen cabinets can be overwhelming.

We'll cover the pros and cons of different stain types, specific product recommendations, application tips, and maintenance advice. Read on for everything you need to select the perfect stain to give your kitchen a fresh, beautiful look.

Types of Stains for Kitchen Cabinets

The first decision to make when staining kitchen cabinets is choosing between oil-based, water-based, gel, and stain & polyurethane combination products:

Oil-Based Stains

Oil-based stains contain pigments suspended in an oil carrier. They deeply penetrate into wood, bringing out a rich, warm color. Oil-based stains excel at highlighting wood grain. They also provide good durability and moisture resistance. However, oil-based stains have a strong odor during application and take longer to dry.

Water-Based Stains

Water-based stains use water as a carrier instead of oil. They penetrate wood surfaces less than oil-based products. However, water-based stains emit less odor, dry faster, and clean up easier with soap and water. They also allow wood's natural variance in porosity to show. Keep in mind results vary depending on wood type.

Gel Stains

Gel stains have a thick, jelly-like consistency, allowing them to stay put rather than soak deep into surfaces. This makes them excellent choices for staining vertical surfaces like kitchen cabinet doors and frames. Gel stains are also easy to control and enable transparent or solid color finishes.

Stain & Polyurethane Combos

Stain and polyurethane combinations offer both staining properties and protective clear topcoats. These all-in-one products simplify the staining process. They deliver rich, uniform colors that stand up well to moisture, spills, and everyday wear and tear. Combination stain and poly tend to have milder odor too.

Factors to Consider When Choosing a Kitchen Cabinet Stain

With different stain types suited for different situations, consider what will work best for your specific kitchen cabinet staining project:

Existing Cabinet Color and Wood Type

The existing cabinet color and type of wood impacts the end result when staining. For example, gel stains work well for adding color to varnished cabinets without completely removing the old finish. And certain wood types like pine better accentuate solids stains while woods like oak and walnut favor more transparent stains.

Desired Color and Finish

Do you want to simply enhance the natural wood tone or drastically change the color? Are you looking for an opaque, solid color or more transparent, natural-looking finish? Answering these questions helps narrow suitable stain types and colors.

Durability and Protection Needed

Kitchen cabinets endure lots of wear and tear. Consider how much durability and protection from moisture, spills, grease, etc you want from a stain. Long oil-based stains excel at moisture resistance. Or combination products with polyurethane provide the ultimate in cabinet protection.

Ease of Application

Factor in your skill level and how much time you want to invest as well. Gel stains are very forgiving to apply. Water-based stains clean up fast with soap and water. Combination stains with polyurethane shorten the work into one easy step.

Odor and Dry Time

Stains like oil-based and polyurethane types have stronger smells during application. Quick dry water-based stains let you apply multiple coats in one day. Gel stains fall between oil and water-based for both odor and dry time.

Best Oil-Based Stains for Kitchen Cabinets

Want to deeply enhance wood grain with a long-lasting, moisture-resistant stain? Here are top oil-based stains for kitchen cabinets:

General Finishes Gel Stain

General Finishes oil-based gel stain ranks as one of the very best for staining cabinets. Offering 35 rich wood tones from gray to walnut and blue to green, their color selection suits any design style. The gel thickness gives you tons of workability and control too. Just note that cabinet prep is key for smooth, consistent absorption.

Minwax Wood Finish Stain

For over 75 years, Minwax has been an iconic wood stain brand. Their oil-based wood finish stain penetrates deep to accentuate grain while building layers of rich color. With over 90 wood stain shades to choose from, it's easy to find the perfect tone to suit your kitchen.

Rust-Oleum Varathane Stain

Rust-Oleum Varathane makes a premium oil-based stain ideal for kitchen cabinets at an affordable price point. It leaves a smooth, even color that pops grain with gorgeous clarity. Varathane's fast drying formula also resists sticking when applying multiple coats. And with 30 colors that can be mixed, your options are wide open.

Best Water-Based Stains for Kitchen Cabinets

If fast dry times, easy soap and water cleanup, and mild odor sound appealing to you, consider these top water-based stains for kitchen cabinets:

Sherwin-Williams Wood Classics Waterborne Interior Stain

For gorgeous color choices with the benefits of water-based staining, Sherwin-Williams Wood Classics stains deliver. Their 140 colors, including trend-forward gray and black options, provide tons of ways to customize cabinet looks. Optimized for uniform penetration across various wood types too.

BEHR Premium Water-Based Interior Stain

BEHR Premium Water-Based Stain goes on easily without lap marks and dries fast for quick recoating. Over 50 rich wood tones from carbon to chestnut means you can easily match existing cabinet colors or change it up entirely. BEHR's stain also resists fading, scratches, and moisture damage.

Minwax Water-Based Wood Stain

Water-based version of Minwax's classic wood stains speeds dry time and cleans up with soap and water. But you still get deep, uniform penetration to highlight natural wood textures. With 90 wood tones to suit any style, it offers tons of kitchen cabinet staining possibilities minus the oil-based odor.

Best Gel Stains for Kitchen Cabinets

Thick gel stain formulas make them perfect for staining kitchen cabinet doors, frames, moldings. Here are some top-rated gel stain options:

Rust-Oleum Zinnser Bulls-Eye Shellac-Based Stain

Zinnser Bulls-Eye's famous shellac-based stain also comes in a thick gel formula that sticks vertically to cabinet surfaces without dripping. Offering a curated palette of 14 wood tones, you can match existing cabinet colors or go lighter or darker easily.

Varathane Premium Fast Dry Wood Stain

Specifically designed for staining vertical surfaces like kitchen cabinets and furniture, Varathane's gel formula clings to apply exactly where you want it. The fast-drying gel penetrates wood for rich, vibrant hues and polyurethane fortified protection too.

Minwax Express Color Wiping Stain & Finish

Minwax Express Color combines the coloring power of wood stain and the protection of polyurethane in one easy water-based gel formula. Optimized to stick to wood without drips, their one-step gel stains, seals, and finishes kitchen cabinets with just a cloth application.