We're starting the early stages of a kitchen remodel. We've decided to get away from the old stained birch ply (really fugly) and go with a painted surface with a glaze to bring out the detail.  We had a painter come by and take a look, but we got the "less than fuzzy feeling" from him.  We're now considering just doing the painting ourselves since we have done just about everything else in the house ourselves.
He recommended Sherwin-Williams Latex enamel over oil based.  He was telling us about the long dry times, how they can yellow over time, etc.  and he is pushing the water based latex enamel.  This guys specialty is just "house painting" and not kitchen cabinets. So I have a gut feeling that he paints cabinets like he would walls.  No sanding prep....
I've got automotive type spray equipment that I know I can shoot oils through. Latex might be a bit thick for it though.  I just want to avoid brush stroke texture.
Anyone here with first hand experience?

Did a bathroom with repainted & glazed cabinets and drawers on a vanity.

Came out pretty good - Also Rustoleum has some refinisher products that are paint or stain over existing finishes that work pretty good.

Surface prep is important  - clean and sand the old finish - I went with 220 grit and cleaned it well, smoothed up the base to be painted.

I used oil-based Rustoleum paint - I used multiple light coats and it came out smooth (off-white).  Used a copper. glaze that we got at Lowe's.  paint it over the dry base coats, wipe off - leaves a hue of glaze and deeper glaze color in joints or valleys in the woodwork.

use the oil or even better use laquer if you have a decent compressor

If you have a decent spray gun, and are willing to do a bit of work, you have many options.

Unless you are sure of your cabinets previous finish, you need to play it safe.

If they are stained with some sort of clear coat, hard telling what that clear coat is.

If you wish to give them a painted look?  

Scuff sand and spray the doors and frames with a vinyl primer

Once coated in a vinyl primer, scuff sand that, and you are safe to "paint" them with a tinted lacquer, which is a very durable finish

1 gal vinyl primer $50

1 gal tinted lacquer $50

2-3 foam sanding blocks $2 ea

Go oil based, the Sherwin Pro Classic waterborne has a steep learning curve to spray it well and is nowhere near as long lasting.

Step by step
1. clean with tsp
2. scuff sand with scotch brite
3. blow or tack off surfaces
4. prime with kilz oilbase primer or white lacquer undercoater (these sand easier)
5. lightly sand with smooth sanding sponge be careful not to burn through primer on the edges.
6. blow or tack off again
7. spray the fist coat of oil, this is a thin coat of paint
8. lightly sand again
9. blow or tack off again
10. spray the finish coat

Oil based paints are flammable, so cut the pilots on the furnace and water heater and unplug any auto igniters.  I rebuilt a house were a young man was blown out of the front door while he was spraying his cabinets in lacquer.

Late to the reply but the home I'm in has cabinets that were painted by prior owner.  White urethane cabinet paint.  Has held up well and spot retouching is easy.  I really don't like painted myself, but wife does and she cooks for me....

Use a full gloss acrylic.
Sprayed is better.
Add Floetrol for viscosity

With Floetrol you can even brush and it will level correctly..

I've painted using both...I prefer latex these days 1) easy to use and clean up, use Flowtrol to thin if necesary for spraying 2) If going white..white, I've seen my oil based paint jobs yellow.

Keep in mind, I am not a professional but woodwroking and finishing for about 40 years. The latex paints today (good ones) put down a really nice finish.

Good luck, post pics please.

High gloss acrylic, do not spray as it will take away some of the hardness and take longer to dry- floetrol may do the same thing, great for detailed trim but can be a pain in the end

Go to paint store like sherwin Williams or Benjamin moore

^^^
I should add....the Flowtrol I used was for an exterior project for which I needed to spray latex through my gun..and not fine finish work.

The whole point of Floetrol is to prolong drying.
It allows the paint to level better and smooth out.
It actually improves paint film uniformity.

It can reduce gloss slightly, so just use a higher gloss to start with.
S-W has a number of glosses available.

At lest some of the 'gloss change' is CYA from the paint manufacturers.
They do not make Floetrol and want to discourage anyone altering their paint.

Thanks everyone.  This is great info to be armed with.  We're meeting another painter Thursday evening to discuss.  Our time is just so limited right now with work and out of town events we are attending, there is no way to take this on ourselves.  We might do the trim work ourselves, but the cabinets are going to be hired out for our sanity.
 
I just finished installing European hinges on all the doors and I'm now fitting them back on the cabinets and making adjustments before paint. It's a slooowwww process trying to work full time, car shopping for the son and finding time to relax every now and then.