21st Century & Jarlin vs. ProCraft Cabinets: Which “Grade A” RTA Line Is Right for Your Kitchen?
A side-by-side look at box construction, pre-finished sides vs. skin panels, door styles, and warehouse shipping locations.
When comparing Ready-to-Assemble (RTA) kitchen cabinets, three names consistently rise to the top for homeowners and contractors looking for showroom-grade all-plywood construction at true wholesale prices: 21st Century Cabinetry, its sister specification line Jarlin Cabinetry, and ProCraft Cabinetry.
In independent industry reviews—including Main Line Kitchen Design’s annual cabinet ratings—both 21st Century Cabinetry and ProCraft Cabinetry earn the exact same top marks: a Quality Grade of “A” and a Value Rating of “A-” in Price Level 1 (the most affordable price tier). Meanwhile, Jarlin Cabinetry is built to the exact same factory specifications as 21st Century and even shares many of the same signature door style names.
So if they all use all-plywood boxes, solid hardwood face frames, dovetail drawers, and soft-close hardware, what are the actual differences between them? Here is the practical breakdown every homeowner and installer should know before ordering.
1. The Biggest Hidden Difference: Pre-Finished Sides vs. Skin Panels
The single most important day-to-day difference between 21st Century / Jarlin and ProCraft comes down to how the exterior sides of the cabinet boxes come out of the carton:
- 21st Century Cabinetry & Jarlin Cabinetry (Pre-Finished Exterior Sides Included): Every cabinet in both the 21st Century and Jarlin lines comes with pre-finished exterior sides that already match the door color. Unless you specifically want a flush skin panel to hide the slight seam where the face frame meets the cabinet box, you do not need to buy extra skin panels for exposed cabinet ends.
- ProCraft Cabinetry (Skin Panels Required on Exposed Ends): ProCraft RTA cabinets come with unfinished natural birch exterior sides. That means for any cabinet side that will be visible in your kitchen (at the end of a cabinet run, next to the refrigerator, around the range hood, or on an island), you must purchase and install a matching 1/4" Skin Panel (or a decorative end door panel).
Why This Matters for Your Budget & Installation: In an average kitchen with 6 to 10 exposed cabinet ends, needing skin panels on ProCraft cabinets adds both extra material cost (for the 1/4" skins and trim) and extra carpentry time during installation compared to 21st Century and Jarlin, whose sides are already finished right out of the box.
2. Why 21st Century & Jarlin Are Essentially Twin Lines
If you browse our 21st Century and Jarlin catalogs side by side, you will notice that their construction specs are virtually identical—and they even share the exact same names on several staple door styles, including Dove White, Charlton, Perla, Sterling, Avalon, and Aspen.
That is a major advantage for customers across the country:
- 21st Century Cabinetry ships from Moorestown, New Jersey—making it the go-to choice for customers in the Northeast, New England, and Mid-Atlantic.
- Jarlin Cabinetry ships from Davie (FL), Bradenton (FL), Charlotte (NC), and Chino (CA)—giving customers in the Southeast, Midwest, Southwest, and West Coast the exact same pre-finished-side construction with lower regional freight costs (plus trendy painted additions like Soda, Sage Green, Sandy Mirage, Aria Blue, and Timber Shaker).
3. Side-by-Side Specification Comparison
| Feature | 21st Century & Jarlin Cabinetry | ProCraft Cabinetry |
|---|---|---|
| Exterior Cabinet Sides | Pre-Finished to Match Door (No skin required) | Unfinished Natural Birch (Skin panel required on exposed ends) |
| Cabinet Box Material | 1/2" Furniture-Grade All-Plywood | 1/2" Furniture-Grade All-Plywood (KCMA Certified) |
| Adjustable Shelves | 3/4" Plywood with Edge Banding | 3/4" Plywood with Edge Banding |
| Drawer Box Construction | 5/8" Solid Wood Dovetail Sides & 1/2" Plywood Bottom | 5/8" Solid Wood Dovetail Sides & 3/8" Plywood Bottom |
| Hinges & Drawer Glides | 6-Way Soft-Close Hinges & Full-Extension Undermount Glides | 6-Way Soft-Close Hinges & Full-Extension Undermount Glides |
| Door Styles & Aesthetics | Classic Shakers, V-Groove Shakers, Designer Colors & Glazed Raised Panels | Wide-Rail 3" Liberty Shakers, Micro Slim Shakers, Textured Oak & Transitional Styles |
| Warehouse & Pickup Locations | 21st Century: Moorestown, NJ Jarlin: Davie FL, Bradenton FL, Charlotte NC & Chino CA |
ProCraft: Deerfield Beach, FL |
| Main Line Quality / Value Grade | Quality: A | Value: A- (Price Level 1) | Quality: A | Value: A- (Price Level 1) |
4. When Should You Choose ProCraft Instead?
Even though ProCraft requires skin panels on exposed cabinet ends, there are specific reasons homeowners and designers choose ProCraft Cabinetry:
- Micro Slim Shaker Profiles: ProCraft offers true narrow-rail Slim Shaker styles (Slim Shaker White, Slim Shaker Oatmeal, Slim Shaker Karamel) and textured rift/oak looks (Liberty Shaker Rift, Black Oak, Karamel, Oatmeal).
- Wider 3" Liberty Shaker Rails: ProCraft’s signature Liberty Shaker line features wider 3" stiles and rails for a heavier, more substantial Shaker frame.
- Flush-End Custom Look: If your installer already plans to apply flush 1/4" skin panels or decorative end doors on every exposed side anyway so there is zero face-frame seam, then needing skin panels on ProCraft isn’t a drawback for your project.
The Verdict: Which Cabinet Line Should You Pick?
- Choose 21st Century or Jarlin Cabinetry if you want pre-finished exterior cabinet sides included out of the box (saving you the cost and labor of installing skin panels), slightly thicker 1/2" plywood drawer bottoms, and fast shipping or free Local Pickup from NJ, FL, NC, or CA.
- Choose ProCraft Cabinetry if you specifically want a Micro Slim Shaker, one of ProCraft’s Liberty Shaker woodgrain/stain finishes (like Karamel, Oatmeal, Rift, or Black Oak), and don’t mind ordering matching skin panels for your exposed cabinet ends.