particleboard vs. plywood cabinets
kitchen cabinets consist of many different materials; particle board, MDF, plywood, and solid wood are the most common. all of these woods have very different characteristics, so it's important to know what you are buying and to be educated on the different types of materials. cost manufactures still use solid wood (maple, cherry, oak) for the cabinet face frames and doors. since it's not economical to use solid wood for the entire cabinet due to availability and cost, manufactures have to find an alternative wood for the cabinet sides and backs. most manufactures will turn to particleboard or plywood to keep costs down and still affordable.
particleboard
particleboard is commonly used for the sides and backs of cheaper cabinets with a lower quality of construction. particleboard is made up of tiny little wood chips that have been compressed and adhered together with some type of glue. particleboard does not have the strength that plywood does and over time will chip more easily during normal wear and tear. particleboard will also tend to swell up if it sits in water for a period of time. cheaper particleboard is made with a very low quality glue that you would use for home projects, however some particleboard is made with an industrial style glue and will hold up much better. one of the pros with particleboard is that its easier to mill and form more consistently. a lot of manufactures will use a higher end particleboard for the cabinet shelves since the precision is better than plywood.
plywood
plywood is usually preferred by manufactures that want to offer a higher end cabinet and still offer them at an affordable price. plywood is much more durable than particleboard and also much more water resistant. Instead of being made from wood chips, it consists of wood sheets that are compressed together and then veneered. Plywood is also much easier to drill and screw into making the assemble much easier.