Plywood or Marine MDF kitchen doors?

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We put in an IKEA kitchen about 6 years ago. Happy enough with the carcasses but the fronts have been dreadful. Splitting in several places and replaced several times.

I'd like really plain door fronts that I could paint. Has anyone used plywood or marine MDF for this? If so, are you happy?

I would use MDF. It's smoother, so looks lovely when painted. Plywood has a rougher surface. You wouldn't need marine standard, just water resistant mdf.

I don't believe there is any such thing as Marine MDF.

MDF doors should be very smooth and OK to paint but will be damaged if they ever get wet.

Ply comes in various grades, and hardwood-faced has a nicer veneer if you want to varnish it, the face veneer is usually paper-thin. Most ply is made with nominally waterproof "WBP" glue as used to be for marine ply, but very little of what is sold meets the old "marine" or "aero" quality standards. If you look at the cut edges there should be no voids visible in the layers, and there should be no open or patched knots, cracks or creases in the show faces. You have to seal the edges of ply with multiple coats of paint or varnish, if water gets in it will delaminate very quickly. Softwood ply does not sand very smooth and is prone to cracks on the surface.

You mention splitting. This suggests damp.

You need to use MR (Moisture Resistant) MDF... it won't "fluff up" so much when you paint it, like normally MDF will. (It's not called Marine MDF).
Marine ply will be much more expensive, and not the right wood for the job. (Unless your getting the materials for free).

We sprayed ours, (using a paint gun) rather than paint brush, as wanted a super smooth finish.

My other half makes and fits kitchens so feel like a know enough to comment, but I'm not the expert. :-)

The one door that has been replaced 3 times is under the sink, so of course water splashes on that. The others might at times have been opened with wet hands etc. Nothing out of the ordinary. It really has been shocking quality from IKEA.

I have lived with a cheap kitchen before (my first flat had a very old & cheap kitchen in it which I then lived with for 15 years). It looked "perfect" compared to the IKEA fronts.

Thanks. How easy is it to use the spray paint?

Or there might be a leak making the undersink cabinet damp.

This would not be unusual.

Dishwashers and kettles emit steam, often damaging foil-wrapped doors.

Thanks PJ. I can assure you there is no leak. I don't have a kettle and the cupboard doors are splitting where they are not near the dishwasher or sink - as well as under the sink. It is simply bad quality IKEA fronts.