RED FLAGS. Oil shouldn't be used for cabinets. It yellows. You don't like the yellow tint on the cabinets, just wait a year or two after they're painted with oil and you'll be back in the same boat.

Getting any paint to stick to the modern catalyzed varnishes is a LOT of work. It involves a good sanding, a bonding primer, and a couple of coats of an acrylic enamel. A good job that will stick to the cabinets will not be a cheap one coat spray job with no prep. You're talking a lot of time to prep. That's money. 4-8K would be about average for a quality job, depending on the complexity of your project, it's size, and your location.

Save your money and live with it for a while first.

Thanks for your thoughts! The painter is recommending scuff sanding followed by two coats of oil based primer and two coats of alkyd. Still I'm not sure for the very reasons you mention. We have another experiences painter who is recommending catalyzed lacquer with sanding plus primer plus 4-5 coats of lacquer which he says can be any color from SW. Any thoughts about that option? This guy has done tons of kitchen cabinets including a friend of mine and my friend was thrilled. However she had stained oak. Thanks for your time!

The second guy is more on the mark with the tinted catalyzed lacquer. It's what a pro would spray. It won't be any less cheap. With your cabinets probably being maple, 4-5 coats is overkill 2 coats should be sufficient over a good primer and a good sanding. The 4-5 coats was probably to fill in the grain of the oak.

Have you lived with this kitchen for 3 years, or is the kitchen merely 3 years old. If the kitchen is new to you, I'd also suggest living with it for a bit before dropping money into it. There are plenty of times that functional issues show up that you weren't aware of in just a real estate walk through. If you blow all of your money now on cosmetic changes, you may feel locked in if it came to making functional tweaks. Give it 6-12 months first before considering making any changes.