European cabinets are also called frameless cabinets because they don’t have a face frame, giving it a modern contemporary look.  The door styles are usually flat or very simple in design.  They come in different glossy, printed or textured patterns and are rarely made of solid wood.  

Frameless cabinets are widely used outside of North America and are gaining popularity in the US as well.  The flat(aka slab) door design makes it easier to keep clean with less places for dust and dirt to collect.  Another difference is the drawer sides are metal instead of wood.

The drawbacks of no face frame are that there’s less room for adjustments, harder to install and less sturdy cabinet.  Anyone who’s installed Ikea kitchen cabinets will agree.  Most companies use particle board for their cabinet boxes like Ikea.  That’s why we use 3/4 inch high grade plywood for our Euro cabinet boxes for maximum strength.  They are very sturdy!