Painting kitchen cabinets is one of the highest-impact jobs you can do, but it's also the one most likely to go wrong if you rush. The cabinets cop grease, steam, fingers and door slams all day, so the finish has to be tough and — crucially — properly bonded.
Prep is the whole job. Take the doors and drawer fronts off and label the hinges. Degrease everything with sugar soap or a proper degreaser — kitchen units carry an invisible film of cooking grease that will reject paint. Then scuff-sand with 180-240 grit to give a key, wipe down with a tack cloth, and you're ready.
Prime properly. This is where most DIY jobs fail. On factory-finished MDF, melamine or previously gloss-painted doors, use Zinsser BIN (shellac-based, bonds to almost anything) or Zinsser Cover Stain. Don't skip this thinking your topcoat is self-priming — on slick surfaces it isn't enough.
Topcoat. For a genuinely hardwearing, self-levelling finish I'd reach for Little Greene Intelligent Eggshell or Benjamin Moore Advance (a waterborne alkyd that flows like oil but cleans up with water — superb on cabinets). Farrow & Ball Modern Eggshell also wears well in Setting Plaster or Pointing if you want their colours. Two thin coats beats one thick one every time — thick coats sag and stay soft.
If you want a tool built specifically for this, Bedec MSP is a satin cabinet paint that's forgiving by brush and roller.
Application: a small mohair or microfibre roller for the flats, a quality synthetic brush for the detail and grooves. Lay it off in one direction. Let each coat cure properly — overnight at least, longer in a cold kitchen.
The biggest mistake? Reassembling too soon. Cabinet paint takes 2-3 weeks to fully cure and harden. Hang the doors after 24 hours but treat them gently for the first fortnight — no scrubbing, no slamming. Get the prep and the cure right and you'll have a finish that lasts years.