We are going for the contemporary look throughout the house but everyone tells me that a 300000$+ home should never have mdf in the kitchen.

Folow and worship this dude here on BP called MSOOTKAUG.

Freestanding is the "in thing" right now and most designers, particularly in the modern and contemporary market, will tell you this.

However, your network may be decidedly smaller when you consider the number of people you have met in person and catch up with on a regular friendly or business basis.Extending your network through networking, in the conventional sense, often involves referrals, third party introductions and simply walking into a room full of unfamiliar faces to initiate conversation with industry (or non-industry) contemporaries.

The java color matches a lot of newer furniture and looks very contemporary.  

The trade off is impressing the unknowing who may worship that perceived success but there are always others in competition.

However, I really don't prefer the contemporary look.

Down here in South Florida, I see ads saying "5 minutes from the house of worship" all the time. 

Addition: I'd read about the suction cup ones, but read mixed results (people either worshipped them or burned them in effigy) -- has anyone first hand experience with them?

Insert your investment in year 0 and run an IRR calculation to see what you come up with.Cash flow is worshiped way too much on BP.