Before I give you my opinion on who has the best cabinet paint in 2026, if you are not familiar with my site, you should know a few things about me.
I don’t get paid by any paint company. All paints are tested equally. I don’t play favorites.
Since 2021, I’ve been testing and retesting cabinet paint, and I’ve never once said, “This is the best cabinet paint.”
Previously, all cabinet paints had one primer coat of shellac. Yes. I have tested some of the same cabinet paints with both oil and shellac on two different boards. Each board is either being primed in shellac or oil to see if the primer affects the durability of the top coat. For more details, visit What is the best kitchen cabinet paint?
Here are some cabinet paints I have tested:
Paint | Manufacturer | Paint | Manufacturer |
Aura | Benjamin Moore | Gallery | Sherwin Williams |
Advance | Benjamin Moore | Emerald Urethane | Sherwin Williams |
Command | Benjamin Moore | Pro Classic | Sherwin Williams |
Gemini Evo | Gemini (BM) | Eco Satin | Fine Paints of Europe |
Breakthrough | PPG | Ultra Last | PPG |
Cabinet Paint | C2 | Dynasty | Behr |
Insl-x | Benjamin Moore | Cabinet Paint | Behr |
If you watch the videos, you’ll see that I give many of these paints excellent marks, but I never found a clear winner until now.
There is a paint called Centurian that can be purchased at these independent paint stores.
CW-1108 Universal Wood Primer
CW-1108 is a water-based, versatile, quick-dry, acrylic primer. It delivers high volume solids (48%), a testament to its quality and performance, and allows for quick build and ease of sanding in high production applications. After sanding, it can be top coated with any Centurion topcoat, solvent, or water-based, including pre and post catalyzed lacquers and varnish, as well as two component polyurethanes.
1K Acrylic Topcoat 400 Series
This premium, water-based, durable, self-crosslinking, 1K acrylic topcoat is built to last. It exhibits excellent hardness and protection against chemicals and humidity. It’s mar and print resistant and offers ease of sanding. Its versatility makes it equally ideal for both sealer and finish applications. It does not require thinning and is ready to spray with conventional, airless, and air-assisted airless application equipment. Available in White, Clear, and Tint Bases.
Available in Clear and White with Flat, Satin, Semi-Gloss, and Gloss sheens
Also available in Clear and Deep Tint Bases in Flat and Satin sheens
Is Centurion the Best Cabinet Paint In 2026?
If you apply two coats of the water-based universal wood primer, Centurion CW 1100 will seal in tannin stains. It lies very easily when sprayed, plus it dries quickly and sands easily. A nice advantage of the Centurion primer is that it is water cleanup. Shellac primer needs to be cleaned out with ammonia, which makes it a hazardous material.
So far so good
Primer conclusion: The coverage after one coat looks great, but when it dries, there is a lot of tannins bleeding through. Oak isn’t known for having a lot of tannins but in this case it seemed to find the tannins and bring them to the surface. The second seals them in and they dissapear, but applying two coats is double the work and materials.
The primer dries in 30 minutes and can be topcoated in just an hour.
Centurion Primer needs to be shaken at the paint store before you leave. Whatever is in the primer settles to about an inch of thick, stiff paste that does not break down easily. After whipping it with a stir stick for 10 minutes, I switched to a paddle attached to a drill.
Reusing this primer is problematic.
On the flip side, after two coats, the finish was excellent, and it sands very easily.
Centurion Cabinet Paint Coverage
Spraying coverage is good. Brushing coverage is average. This is definitely a two-coat product. That means expect to apply four coats, which I can understand can be a deal breaker.
Why would anyone want to buy a product that will end up taking four coats instead of three?
The Finish is Amazing!
Washability, Durability Best Cabinet Paint in 2026
We test the washability of each paint by applying:
ketchup
mustard
coffee
red wine
pencil
Each surface was cleaned with a sponge and dish soap, Spray Nine, and Krud Kutter
Only the pencil marks came off. All other stains appeared to have soaked through the paint. Of the other 14 cabinet paints I’ve tested, this was the worst for holding onto the stains. Other cabinet paints were damaged from the cleaner, but the stains were largely removed. With Centurion, the finish was not damaged at all but the stains largely remained.
Conclusion: If you splatter food occasionally on your cabinets, wipe it off before it dries.
Does Centurion scratch off over time?
Probably not. I applied a heavy coat of olive oil on the surface to see if the oils would penetrate the top coats and break the bond between the wood or the primer. After 6 weeks, the top coat was tough and I could not scratch it. Other cabinet paints have failed in less time.
Conclusion: This paint has a tough, smooth surface that is not bothered by oil, but appears to allow stains to absorb.
The finish is what ultimately makes this the best cabinet paint in 2026!
The finish is subjective. But I love the finish more than any other cabinet paint. It truly has the smoothness of glass. Even grainy oak wood looks and feels fantastic. After applying two primers and one finish coat with a brush, it still needed one more finish coat. But after the second finish coat, it looks like it has six coats of paint.
Cons:
It requires four coats of paint.
Does not clean up well.
Pros:
Best finish of any cabinet paint.
It has a hard, durable finish that won’t chip or peel.
Can be brushed or sprayed.