Nearly everyone wishes that their kitchen was a little bigger. Sometimes the room is short on counter space, making it difficult to spread out ingredients and equipment for food preparation. Other times, it is an additional serving or seating area that is necessary for a special event or large family meal.

Whether a cramped kitchen is a daily burden or an inconvenience only a few days out of the year, folding kitchen carts are often the solution. Folding kitchen carts provide extra working room in a pinch, and some styles can be used for seating and for serving. When you're finished using them, you can just fold them up and stow them away in a cupboard, corner, closet workroom, garage, basement or attic. The next time you need to expand your space, you can just unfold the kitchen cart and use it again.

The versatility and convenience of folding kitchen carts has led them to rise in popularity in recent years, inspiring manufacturers to produce more and more new styles of carts. Our Buyers' Guide to Folding Kitchen Carts was developed to help you select the perfect piece to increase the space in your kitchen and help you prepare food and serve and seat guests. Check out the entire guide before you shop and then bookmark the page to come back as often as you like. We're sure our Buyers' Guide to Folding Kitchen Carts will take the pain out of the shopping process and help you pick the cart that you'll be most satisfied with.

Size

As folding kitchen carts are designed to be folded flat for easy storage just about anywhere, your primary consideration when thinking about the size for your cart will be the size of the area in which you intend to use it.


Considering Your Space

Before shopping, take some time to determine precisely where in your kitchen you intend to use the cart. Consider the flow of traffic throughout the space carefully when choosing your location. If your kitchen has only one walkway, think about how likely it is that you will need to shift the cart frequently while you work to allow other people or yourself to pass by. If you have more than one walkway in your kitchen space, determine which area has the lightest flow of traffic and evaluate whether or not your cart will be useful in that area.

Measuring Your Space and Determining Your Dimensions

Once you have selected the perfect working location for your kitchen cart, you're ready to measure the space available. Using masking tape, create an outline on the floor to represent the ideal size for your cart. Then, use a tape measure to determine the dimensions of the cart.

Length

When studying the dimensions within product descriptions for kitchen carts, the length is always provided first. The length is the distance across the front of the cart and is sometimes denoted with an "L" in product descriptions. The length of the cart influences how much space you have to work, place dishes on for serving or seat guests. Generally, 18 to 25 inches of space is adequate to comfortably perform one food preparation task at a time on a kitchen cart. For seating, 24 inches of space is necessary to comfortably seat one guest.

Width

The second dimension included in folding kitchen cart product descriptions is the width. Sometimes marked with a "W," this measurement relates to the distance along the sides of the cart or from the front corner to the adjacent back corner. The width of a folding kitchen cart determines the size of the objects that can be placed upon its surface. For instance, a cart that is 23 inches in width could only accommodate a table top kitchen appliance or other object that was slightly under 23 inches in width or smaller. If you want the ability to seat guests on the end of your kitchen cart, you will generally need at least 24 inches of width.

Height

The final dimension to consider before purchasing your folding kitchen cart is its height or the distance from the floor to its top. In product descriptions, you'll sometimes see the height represented with an "H." Unlike the length and width, the ideal height of your folding kitchen cart is not related to the size of your space; rather, you will need to determine the best height based upon how you intend to use the cart.

If you want to use your kitchen cart as a working surface, it is important that you select a model where the top is at a comfortable working height. Choosing a style that is too tall or too short can make it difficult to work and even cause you discomfort in your neck, arms and back. For people of average height, which ranges from 5'4" to 5'10", a folding cart that is 36 inches tall is ideal. Shorter home cooks will want carts that stand 34 to 35 inches tall, while taller individuals should look for styles that are bigger than 36 inches in height.

For a kitchen cart that will serve as a serving area, you'll need to decide if you will keep the food on the cart or shift it to a kitchen or dining table. If you plan to keep the food on the surface of the cart, any height above 30 inches is generally sufficient; however, if you want to be able to easily shift a heavy object, like a layered cake or a turkey on a large serving platter, you should look for a cart that is the same height as your dining or kitchen table.

The height of folding kitchen carts that will be used for seating affects what type of chairs or stools you can use. Generally, standard chairs require carts that are 34 inches tall or less. Higher chairs and low bar stools suit kitchen carts that are 34 or 35 inches tall. For kitchen carts that are 36 inches tall, you'll need to pick high bar stools to offer seating. In general, you should leave 8 inches of space from the seat of a chair or stool to the top of the cart to allow guests to sit comfortably.

Weight

As you will need to lift your folding cart at least to set it or place it into its storage location, the weight is an important size consideration. Production descriptions for folding kitchen carts typically give the weight in pounds. If you have a back injury or other health concern that makes you unable to carry heavy loads, you may need to opt for a smaller, lighter style.

Shape

Folding kitchen carts are available in a variety of shapes. While your choice of shape is largely an aesthetic decision, certain shapes are ideal for certain uses. There are four primary shapes shown in today's folding kitchen cart lines.

• Square styles are the most common shape for folding kitchen carts. A square shaped cart provides an ample working area and is usually the easiest to roll once assembled.



• Rectangle styles have longer working surfaces, making them convenient for those who want to set up to working stations atop their carts. They also offer longer shelves to store more items while you're working.



• Oval styles have an appealing shape that make them attractive for serving. Because of their rounded shape, oval styles have a smaller working surface than rectangular folding carts with identical lengths.



• Table styles also have rectangular tops, but do not have shelves below their working surfaces. The table shape can be used as a working surface or double as a seating area.

Materials

Folding kitchen carts typically have wood tops. Parquet is the most common material for these tops and consists of blocks of hardwood arranged end to end in rows. This gives the work surface a mosaic look. Parquet tops are typically light brown in color and have a "natural" appearance.

A small number of kitchen carts have solid hardwood working surfaces that are made from wood rails with less apparent seams. Solid hardwood tops can be made from a variety of woods, including maple, which has a light brown color, and walnut, which is a rich chocolate brown hue.

For the bases of kitchen carts, wood is also the most common material. The wood may be parquet or hardwood to coordinate with the top or, in the case of some parquet top styles, contrast by pairing a hardwood base. Some folding carts have stainless steel legs rather than wood.

Storage

With the exception of table styles, all folding carts usually feature at least one open shelf for storage. For carts that will be folded up after every use, storage space is temporary and is designed to keep items in easy reach just while you work, as items must be removed before collapsing the cart. If you plan to leave your kitchen cart assembled all the time, you can use the shelves for permanent storage. Some folding kitchen carts also have towel racks available to keep linens handy for quick cleanup.