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There’s really no such thing as a “perfect” kitchen—it always seems to have too little counter space, not enough cabinetry, or both. That’s where storage solutions like over-the-sink dish racks or stackable containers for a finished pantry come in. But few things are as practical as a kitchen cart, which can hold everything you don’t have room for (and maybe an island, too). In addition, you can roll it anywhere while cooking. To find the best, I talked to experts (including professional organizers, recipe developers, and stylists) about the kitchen carts they recommend. I’ve also tested a few of them (spoiler alert: I’m a bigger fan of our top pick now) and I’ll try a few more and report back soon.
Since we’re talking about kitchen carts that are designed to be covered in ketchup and pancake mix, they should be relatively easy to clean. Interior designer Liz Lipkin sums it up best: “Get inspiration from your kitchen surfaces. Stainless steel, powder coated steel, butcher block and quartz are easy to care for.” temperature. “In terms of intensity, steel can’t be beat,” echoes Lisa Zaslow, owner of Gotham Organizers. “That’s why so many professional kitchens and gourmet restaurants use steel frames.” Stylist Kate Gouri also loves steel because you don’t have to worry about stains, which can “affect porous materials like marble or wood.” (Plastic is also an option). Plus, you also need to consider the aesthetics of it all. “Matching the color of your shopping cart with the color of your cabinets will create a more cohesive look,” advises Lipkin.
When it comes to aesthetics, I consider the interplay of form and function of each cart. Several of our experts mentioned carts with cabinets or shelves that free up valuable drawer space. Deciding between the two comes down to “whether you want a more minimalist open shelving concept or closed doors to avoid visual clutter,” says Elbert. Wheels are another factor to consider: Zaslow recommends looking for ones that lock, so your cart only rolls when you need it to (especially if you have uneven floors). In fact, as Guri says, good design is all about “what you’re missing in your existing space. Are you frustrated by the lack of space for cooking? Do you desperately need more storage space?
The size of the cart will determine whether it will fit in your kitchen. If you have a specific location in mind, Elbert recommends marking the maximum dimensions with masking tape on the floor. Lipkin noted that many countertops are about 36 inches tall, so a cart that height would look “more at home in the kitchen” and be comfortable to work with for most people. For each listing below, I’ve provided the dimensions in the following order: length, width, and height to make it easier for you to compare them.
Materials: Steel, polyester powder coating | Construction: Three-layer, removable center column, leveling (non-locking) wheels | Dimensions: 13.75 x 17.75 x 30.75 inches
Versatile Råskog received the Cordon Bleu “Best Overall” award for its endless versatility. “The IKEA shopping cart works best in small kitchens in New York City,” explains Brittany Nims, associate director of e-commerce partnerships and business development at Vox Media. A “wheelie junk drawer,” as she describes it, has become a dumping ground for her kitchen linens and cleaning supplies. Likewise, when Guri lived in a small apartment in Brooklyn, Raskug provided her with much-needed (and cheap) storage space. Full of spice jars and rolling pins, she “rolled them on the stove and put them in a corner after cooking.”
There’s a reason it’s become a bestseller: Råskog truly is a simple and user-friendly solution, as I discovered for myself when the company sent me the product to test. Assembly is very simple – just a few screws. The layers are durable and the wheels are stable. I had a bunch of stuff on hand, including honey, hot sauce, and an almost ripe avocado.
But you can also use it more purposefully, like Vanessa Dina, author of The Art of the Bar Cart, who turned her Råskog into a martini-making station. Råskog was named “cheapest” in our guide to the best bar carts, with Dina praising its durability. For an extra $12, you can purchase a cutting board designed specifically for the top shelf to prepare drinks on.
Of course, Raskug is also useful outside the kitchen, and has appeared in our archives several times. Janie Aron, founder of Clutter Cowgirl, says this is one of her favorite dorm storage solutions because it doubles as a nightstand (and then a student’s first apartment). Strategist author Lauren Rowe uses it to decorate her oldest son’s Montessori-style playroom, filled with construction paper, coloring books and Play-Doh.
Materials: chrome steel, wood | Design: Adjustable shelves, chrome hooks, smooth spinning wheels (two latches) | Dimensions: 15 x 36.7 x 21 inches.
Former social strategist Hannah Stark’s kitchen is “best described as a 22-square-foot closet,” and she uses this Amazon Basics storage cart to make the most of every available space. She originally planned to use the butcher block as an additional food prep rack by placing the microwave on top of the refrigerator, but her mother rejected the idea, believing it posed a potential safety hazard. Her microwave is now on the top shelf of the cart, and her blender, toaster, cast iron skillet, colander and portable dishwasher (ugh) are on the bottom shelf. The height of the shelves can also be adjusted depending on the items you want to store.
Material: steel | Design: 4-tier mesh shelf, non-locking wheels | Dimensions: 6.7 x 17.3 x 38.3 inches.
This metal mDesign option is marketed as a laundry cart and is a favorite of Genius Organizing owner Nicole Abramovici. This is another layer above our top pick. “Bigger is better, especially when it comes to maximizing vertical space,” says Abramovich. You can even store small household appliances there that you don’t use often but don’t want to lose. She finds this especially useful for small items that are hard to find, such as bottled nutritional supplements. Because it’s taller rather than wider, it can slide into tight spaces without taking up much space.
Materials: Steel, Wood | Design: Thin, three-layer, side handles, two swivel wheels and two rigid wheels | Dimensions: 5.1 x 18.7 x 31.7 inches.
Yamazaki popped up in our archives – and it’s no surprise that the brand popped up again when I covered this guide. This slim stroller is ideal for those corners and tight spaces that may not be used. Heidi Lee of home organization service Prune + Pare keeps her belongings in a small nook between her appliances. She especially likes the “out of sight, out of mind” quality of the cart because it stays hidden until she turns on the stove and pulls it out to get something out of it while she’s cooking. “It’s ideal for those who don’t have a pantry,” says Lee, who fills the cart with spices, canned goods, wine bottles, oils and vinegars in a like-fits-like fashion. “This is ideal for a small apartment where space is limited,” adds Lee.
Materials: Steel, synthetic rubber | Design: Three shelves, handles, swivel wheels (one with a lock) | Dimensions: 19.3 x 15 x 32.1 inches
This cart has an elegant, minimalist style: clean lines and practical accessories such as hooks (for oven mitts, clamps or fish spatulas) and thin handles (for hanging kitchen towels). Jesse Sheehan, author of Snack Baking, loves this humble cart that “disappears” when it’s filled with equipment—it stores cookbooks and cutting boards on top and a mixer on the bottom, and it’s easy to roll from one end of the kitchen to the other. different in style. Compared to the higher sides of the Råskog, this stroller is a completely open concept and doesn’t even have a small lip at the edge of the shelf. When Yamazaki sent me one to try, I found that the design made the shelf easier to access but harder to keep organized. (Sheehan’s tip is to place smaller items in the front and taller items in the back.) You can also use a cart to carry everything you need for the dinner party without it cluttering the table.
Material: Steel | Design: Three height-adjustable shelves, adjustable legs, removable wheels (two with lock) | Dimensions: 13.4 x 23.2 x 32.75 inches
“It’s very durable,” says freelance writer and recipe developer Rebecca Firkser of this “professional-looking, home-kitchen-friendly” shopping cart from Amazon Basics. Although Firkser recently moved to a more permanent island (Belmont from Crate & Barrel, in case you were wondering), she still fondly remembers this cart for helping her organize her kitchen. Downstairs there is a mixer on one side and a saucepan and cutting board on the other. The middle tier houses a variety of containers, from cutlery and a citrus squeezer to funnels and a stack of liquid measuring cups. The top layer contains a range of seasonings, including chilli chips, flake salt and finishing oil. She even made a pile of towels and hung tongs and spoons on the edge of the machine. (“Wow, can you see how much I’ve grown?” she joked.) Despite the weight of these essentials, however, the cart is easy to move as long as the wheels are unlocked. “This isn’t going to go away after the lockdown,” Filkser said. “I also found the furniture to be very difficult to assemble, but this did not cause me any problems,” she adds. She still uses the five-story version in other parts of the apartment.
Material: stainless steel, chrome | Design: metal basket shelf, removable wheels (two locks), side hooks | Dimensions: 20 x 38.62 x 36 inches.
If you don’t mind an industrial look, Gury often recommends this cart to Miriam’s clients—she suggests adding decorations like flowers, fruit, or stacks of cookbooks to make the stainless steel look more homey. The cart has three shelves (if you count the top), two of which mimic metal storage containers with multiple hooks, “for easy grabbing of items like wooden spoons and dish towels,” says Guri. Unlike some of the other carts on our list, it also comes with removable wheels—remove them to give the cart the look of a kitchen island.
Material: wood | Design: one drawer, two shelves, locking wheels, spice rack, towel rack | Dimensions: 15.5 x 44.9 x 35.2 inches.
Isegul Sanford, food blogger at Foolproof Living, takes us to this rolling island with a shelf dedicated to spices. It’s a space-saving solution that will keep your countertops stocked with spices—Sanford likes that she can add more spices to the extra drawer space that “many other carts don’t have another need for.” In addition to this shelf and drawers, the cart is also equipped with a two-door cabinet. “The door hides everything,” she said, adding that she keeps her deep fryer in the closet. Sanford explains that when there are many cooks in the kitchen during a dinner party or family gathering, the top of the cart is durable (unlike other carts, which rattle over time), making chopping easier.
Material: mixture of solid and artificial wood | Design: three drawers, three shelves, removable and locking wheels, hinged lid, spice rack, towel rack | Dimensions: 18 x 53.5 x 36 inches.
While similar to the Hodedah above, the Abramovich-approved Red Barrel Studio cart offers more storage space. Kuhnhenn functions “essentially as another row of offices,” Abramovich said. With three drawers on one side and a two-door cabinet with three interior shelves, it can hold a ton of stuff while blocking out the “visual noise” from a stack of mismatched utensils or a tower of storage containers for food you don’t want to store. see. This is the reason why her clients often prefer this cart. The top serves as both a table top and a dining table – there’s a hinged section at the top that can be lifted to accommodate a stool underneath.
Materials: Stainless steel, recycled wood chips | Design: three drawers, three shelves, towel and bottle racks, smooth turning and locking wheels | Dimensions: 53 x 18 x 36 inches
For a more affordable alternative, Elbert recommends the Costway shopping cart. Like the Red Barrel Studio, this option includes a combination of doors and drawers that can be customized to suit your needs. The cabinet’s interior shelves are spacious enough to hold small appliances, and the drawers can be used to store silverware and other utensils, Elbert says. All this space means you’ll have “easy access to items you use regularly.” Despite its larger size, Elbert assures that it can be moved without any problems.
Material: mixture of solid and artificial wood | Design: one drawer, two shelves, locking wheels, tower, side shelves | Dimensions: 19 x 32 x 35.5 inches
For those who need more cabinets but don’t have much space, Loden is worth considering. New Baguette founder Alexandra Shitzman relies on a cart to store all her silverware and pots and pans because her kitchen has small drawers and limited cabinet space. Schzman can also store a toaster, water pitcher and food processor on the cart (three of her most frequently used appliances) and a large Dutch oven on the shelf. Just one word of warning: although it has a block of wood on top, it’s not the most durable surface if you do a lot of chopping. “I don’t do any major prep work,” she says, adding that it’s better for smaller tasks, like slicing a banana for granola.
This small but mighty cart is where I store my toaster and coffee maker, as well as a few cups, tea supplies (sweetener, filters, samplers) and those utensils I don’t have anywhere else. Top racks are probably best for small appliances because if you place the cart against a wall, you can hide the cords behind the cart (there are no slots for cords in other areas). The center shelf almost acts like an antiques cabinet—you can fold it up and display the china and trust that it won’t tip over at the back. And the car is structurally sound – I bought it two years ago, and it still drives without scratches.
• Nicole Abramovich, owner of Genius Organizing • Vanessa Dina, author of The Art of the Bar Cart • Elsa Elbert, founder of Compose Living • Rebecca Firkser, freelance food writer and recipe developer • Kate Gouri, props stylist • Heidi Lee, founder of Home Organization Services Composition Living Prune + Pare • Liz Lipkin, interior designer • Brittany Nims, associate director of e-commerce partnerships and business development at Vox Media • Isegul Sanford, food blogger at Foolproof Living • Jesse Sheehan, cookbook developer and author of Snackable Baking • Alexandra Shitzman, founder of New Baguette • Hannah Stark, former member of the social team “Strategist” • Lisa Zaslow, owner of Gotham Organizers
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Each editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.
Each product is independently selected by (obsessed) editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us a commission.
Post time: Sep-14-2023