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Best Kitchen Carts

Updated May 2022
Bottom line
Pros
Cons
Best of the Best
Homestyles Dolly Madison Off-White Mobile Kitchen Island Cart
Homestyles
Dolly Madison Off-White Mobile Kitchen Island Cart
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For Large Households
Bottom Line

Spacious and full-featured, this cart earns our cooking expert's praise for its solid, unperforated shelving.

Pros

Constructed with sturdy hardwood. Includes a main compartment with 2 adjustable shelves, 3 storage drawers, a towel bar, and spice rack. Tough rubberwood top is easy to clean. Features drop-leaf section.

Cons

Expensive. Weighs 134 pounds, which could make it difficult to assemble and move for a single person.

Best Bang for the Buck
Amazon Basics Kitchen Storage Rack
Amazon Basics
Kitchen Storage Rack
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Ideal for Apartments
Bottom Line

A minimalist, svelte kitchen cart with ample storage capacity for the price.

Pros

Made with chrome-plated steel and wood. Shelves are adjustable without tools and can hold 50 pounds each. Seamlessly blends into any kitchen décor. Wears 4 chrome hooks for hanging tool storage.

Cons

No concealed interior storage. Items can fall off if the cart is disturbed.

Winsome Wood Drop-Leaf Kitchen Cart
Winsome
Wood Drop-Leaf Kitchen Cart
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Stylish Pick
Bottom Line

Despite a few minor quirks, this is a sturdy, nicely constructed cart that offers good features for a mid-range price.

Pros

Generates enthusiasm for its solid build and ample storage space that includes a bottom cabinet and collapsible side drop-leaf shelves. Has an attractive natural beechwood finish and brushed nickel hardware.

Cons

Somewhat time-consuming to assemble, which is made more challenging by the unclear or non-existent instructions. Drawer is a bit rough to open.

Origami Folding Kitchen Cart
Origami
Folding Kitchen Cart
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Simple Yet Solid
Bottom Line

This highly-rated option earns our expert's praise for its small, space-savvy design.

Pros

Available in a variety of finishes including black, white, and silver. No assembly required. Steel frame with wooden butcher block top. Includes towel holder and locking casters. Can hold up to 200 pounds.

Cons

While rare, there are occasional reports of this option arriving with a cracked cutting board.

Hodedah Kitchen Island
Hodedah
Kitchen Island
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Customer Favorite
Bottom Line

Our expert loves the look, size, and versatility of this option, which can serve as a bar cart or sideboard.

Pros

A beautiful, sturdy piece of furniture with cabinet space, utensil drawers, a towel holder, and a spice rack. Locking wheels facilitate easy movement around the kitchen. Available in several colors.

Cons

Assembly is fairly difficult. Interior shelves are hard to adjust when the cart is put together.

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BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We only make money if you purchase a product through our links, and all opinions about the products are our own. About BestReviews  
BestReviews spends thousands of hours researching, analyzing, and testing products to recommend the best picks for most consumers. We buy all products with our own funds, and we never accept free products from manufacturers.About BestReviews 
HOW WE TESTED

We recommend these products based on an intensive research process that's designed to cut through the noise and find the top products in this space. Guided by experts, we spend hours looking into the factors that matter, to bring you these selections.

30
Models
Considered
190
Consumers
Consulted
12
Hours
Researched
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Buying guide for Best kitchen carts

If you find yourself constantly in need of extra kitchen space for storage or food preparation, it might be time to consider getting a kitchen cart. A wheeled kitchen cart is particularly useful in a smaller kitchen that has little storage space because it can be easily moved around your kitchen where you need it.

With a variety of storage options like cabinets and drawers and extras like a butcher block cutting board and towel bars, one of these carts can help your meal preparation run more smoothly and efficiently.

kitchen carts
Kitchen carts originally started as snack carts or tea carts that could be rolled from the kitchen to wherever guests were being entertained.

Key considerations

Size

Kitchen carts come in several sizes. You want to give some thought to your available space and how you plan to use the cart before deciding on the proper size. This is particularly important in kitchens where space is limited. Be sure to carefully measure your kitchen so you’ll know exactly how large your cart can be.

If you have the space for it, a larger cart can provide you with more room for storage and food preparation. Most kitchen carts measure between 33 and 36 inches tall. Use your height to determine a comfortable working height for your cart.

Design

In addition to size, the overall appearance of kitchen carts varies considerably, from traditional to modern. The material the cart is made of plays a big part in its appearance. Wood is a warmer, more rustic choice, and some carts incorporate such touches as carved molding, a choice of colors, or a distressed finish. At the other end of the spectrum, stainless steel offers a sleeker, more modern aesthetic. See the FAQ section for more on kitchen cart design and how it fits in with your existing kitchen décor.

Expert TIp
Many carts or small kitchen islands don’t come with wheels. If the legs of your cart are made with hollow pipes, you can likely buy four wheels to use with your cart that will insert into the ends of the legs. Check the height though – adding wheels will add three inches or more to your cart.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert 

Features

Materials

Wood and stainless steel are the two primary materials in kitchen carts. Wooden carts can be very attractive, and they can be either solid wood or particleboard. While wood is less rugged than metal, it comes in a variety of finishes and color options.

If durability is your prime consideration, a stainless steel or chrome-plated steel kitchen cart will meet your needs. Some kitchen carts also have an attractive granite or marble top surface for food prep or utensil storage.

Storage

Kitchen carts can be used for storage in several ways. Most have shelves, and two or three shelves are standard. Decide how many things you need to store on the cart so you can find one with adequate shelving.

Some carts have open shelves that provide easy access to items but can look a bit cluttered. If you’d like to avoid the clutter, choose a cart with the shelves inside cabinets, as well as drawers for storing utensils, knives, and flatware.

Expert Tip
I use a stainless steel kitchen cart that acts as a small work table in my little galley kitchen. The extra counter space makes using the kitchen so much easier.
BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert

Other components

Work surface: If counter space is limited, the top of a kitchen cart can provide more storage or food prep space. Some carts, often the less expensive steel carts, provide simple storage on top that is little more than an additional shelf.

Other cart tops, including stainless steel, wood, and granite or marble, can be used as a food prep area. Some of these also have a drop-leaf design, so you can extend the leaves for more work or storage area or fold them down so the cart takes up less space in the kitchen.

For added functionality, you can choose a kitchen cart with a butcher block or other cutting surface. This can provide a great surface for chopping vegetables and trimming meat while adding an attractive design element.

Towel bar: Some kitchen carts have one or more towel bars, usually built into each end of the cart. These can be particularly useful if you use your cart for food preparation.

Wheels/casters: These are standard on kitchen carts, enabling you to easily roll the cart wherever it’s needed and then back out of the way. Consider a cart with wheels or casters that lock to keep the cart in place while you’re prepping food on it.

Utility hooks: Some kitchen carts have hooks for spatulas, whisks, and other tools you use frequently, keeping them handy yet out of the way.

butcher blocks
DID YOU KNOW?
Butcher block is made of either end-grain or edge-grain wood that is usually 2 or more inches thick.
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Pricing

Inexpensive

Kitchen carts start at around $40 to $100. In this range, you can expect to find simple smaller carts, usually made of metal, although some may have wood elements. The storage on most of the carts in this range is open shelving.

Mid-range

Kitchen carts in the $100 to $200 range tend to be larger with a number of storage options like shelves, cabinets, and drawers. Locking casters are more common at this price, as are carts made of wood, such as particleboard.

Expensive

For the largest size and most durability, look in the $200 to $300 and up range. These kitchen carts tend to have more elegant designs and include hardwoods such as cherry or oak. These carts offer the most storage options in addition to extras like a butcher block top.

Expert TIp

Your kitchen cart doesn’t have to stay in the kitchen. Load it up with goodies and wheel it out to your balcony or yard to hold drinks and snacks. Wheel it into your garden and use it to hold your gardening tools, cut flowers, or herbs. It can also do double-duty by holding tools in a tight garage, laundry soaps in a laundry room, and a champagne bucket and glasses just outside your front door at your next party.

 

BestReviews Cooking and Baking Expert

Tips

  • Use your kitchen cart as a kitchen appliance station. If it’s big enough, you can load it up with a microwave, toaster, or other appliances. But be careful about overloading your cart, particularly a lightweight one. Too much weight can make it top-heavy and more liable to tip over.
  • Choose metal for an inexpensive cart. If price is a primary consideration, focus on kitchen carts made of stainless steel or other metal. These are considerably cheaper than carts made of wood or carts with granite or marble elements.
  • Replace the hardware. If you aren’t thrilled with the handles and other hardware included with your cart, you can buy replacements you like better online or at your local hardware store.
  • Don’t use knives on a stainless steel cart top. While a heat-resistant stainless steel work surface is handy for preparing a wide variety of foods, never use knives on it. Use a cutting board to slice vegetables, meat, and bread.
kitchen carts
If you have limited space, your kitchen cart can double as a bar cart. You can add features like a wine rack, stemware rack, and special storage to house bartending items.

FAQ

Q. Will I need to assemble my kitchen cart?

A. Most of these carts require some assembly. Some of them are easy to put together by one person and take about half an hour. Others might take a couple of hours and require an extra pair of hands. If you don’t have a lot of experience putting together furniture, your best bet is to try to find a cart that requires no assembly.

There are some things you can do to make assembling a cart easier. First, look through the instructions so you have an overall idea of all the steps involved. Some manufacturers provide videos on their website or sites like YouTube, and it’s helpful to watch the video before starting to put the cart together. Next, check all the pieces that came in the box and make sure you have all the necessary parts. Finally, note any tools that you need and lay them out before you begin.

Q. What’s the difference between a kitchen cart and a kitchen island?

A. While some people use the terms interchangeably, kitchen carts and kitchen islands are really two different things. A kitchen cart is more compact and has wheels. Carts are better for kitchens where space is an issue or where the mobility of the cart is a primary consideration. A kitchen island tends to be larger and is a stationary, permanent fixture (no wheels). Kitchen islands are also usually more expensive than kitchen carts.

Q. Should I match my kitchen cart to my existing cabinets and countertops?

A. This is largely a matter of personal preference, but there are two schools of thought regarding this issue. In one, the cart matches the overall theme or motif of your kitchen décor. Choosing a kitchen cart in a similar color or style can help visually tie your kitchen together into a uniform aesthetic. In the other, you can choose a kitchen cart that differs from your kitchen so your cart stands out and serves as a decorative accent or focal point.

Get to know Andrea Boudewijn, our cooking and baking expert.