Kitchen islands and kitchen carts provide an expanded working area, more serving room, extra storage space and places to seat extra guests for big events. The perfect island or cart enhances kitchens of all sizes, and with so many different models and looks available on the market today, they also add beauty to all decors.

To make their products available to everyone, today's manufacturers create products within a variety of price ranges. In general, you'll find that four primary pricing categories exist within kitchen furnishing lineups:

• Under $200


• $200 to $500


• $500 to $1,000


• $1,000 and Up

With such a diverse range of prices, you're sure to find a new piece of furniture that fits perfectly within your budget; however, many shoppers wonder just what determines the pricing of kitchen furnishings.

We created our Buyers' Guide to Shopping for Kitchen Islands and Kitchen Carts by price to explain the primary pricing considerations that account for the cost of the selections available in kitchen furnishing lineups. The guide explores six of the primary determining factors, explaining how they affect prices, and will allow you to look for ways to save money when shopping for kitchen furnishings

Size

One of the largest determining factors for the cost of an island or cart is its size. If you compare two identical styles of carts or islands from the same manufacturer made out of the same materials, the one with the overall larger size will generally be the more expensive of the two.

The reason why the size affects the cost of a cart or island may not be immediately apparent until you consider what goes into producing it. The larger a piece, the more raw materials were used to produce it, making the cost to the manufacturer higher. To recoup these costs, manufacturers then sell the finished products to dealers for higher prices and these, in turn, are passed along to customers like you.

Length is often the largest determining factor for the price of kitchen furnishings, as it is the dimension by which pieces tend to vary the most. The least expensive islands and carts are often smaller carts that measure less than 30 inches in length. Generally, these styles provide enough room to comfortably complete one working task, but not enough to really spread out ingredients or equipment or to set up two tasks side by side. The largest kitchen furnishings are over 40 inches in length and generally the most expensive models produced by their respective manufacturers.

The width of an island does contribute to the raw materials needed to make the piece. Width can play a large role when differences between two islands or carts are great, such as with two identical pieces: for example, one that is 20 inches in width and one that is 31 inches in width; however, for distances of just a few inches in width, the cost differences are usually not that large, provided the lengths of the pieces are exactly the same.

Counter Top Materials

The type of counter top found atop a cart or island has a large impact on its cost. Manufacturers must purchase raw materials to produce the counters and pass the cost of these materials along to customers. The more expensive a material is to purchase, the more it raises the price of the counter top and the piece as a whole.

Often, the most economical counter top for an island or cart is wood. As an abundant renewable resource, wood is far less costly than materials that must be quarried. Cutting and shaping wood for islands and carts involves the use of basic sanding and cutting tools. Wood counter tops also do not need heat to be produced like metal counter tops, making them less expensive to produce.

Although they are made of wood, butcher block counter tops are generally more expensive than standard wood counter tops. One reason is because butcher blocks are thicker and therefore use more raw materials. In addition, butcher blocks must be crafted to create a grain durable for cutting, which requires more labor and increases cost.

Stainless steel and genuine granite and stone are typically more costly for manufacturers to purchase and therefore among the most expensive counter tops. This does not mean that you cannot have a stone, granite or stainless steel counter top if you are looking for a bargain. By balancing out the other cost factors, you can often still obtain a piece with the counter top you desire.

Bases

Like counter tops, the materials that go into making bases has an affect upon their cost. Manufacturers generally pay more to purchase stainless steel for bases rather than hardwood; however, the type of material is not as large of a factor as how much of the material is necessary to make the piece.

For example, say you intend to purchase a working surface for your kitchen that is 36 inches in length by 24 inches in width. You find two styles from the same manufacturer crafted from the same type of hardwood. One style is a completely open table and the other is an enclosed island style. For the table, the manufacturer had to purchase materials only to make the base to support the counter top and the legs. In the island style, whole panels of wood are necessary to close in the base. As a result, the island style's raw materials cost more and its price would generally be higher.

In addition, the heavier and sturdier the base, the more costly it is likely to be. If our above example were two table styles instead of an island and a table, the table with solid, wide legs and a thicker lower shelf would generally cost more than one with thinner legs and a thinner shelf.


Special Features

The addition of some types of special features to a kitchen island or cart can also have a large impact on its pricing. Some special features, such as towel bars, wood drop leafs and open shelves, cost manufacturers very little to make in terms of materials and labor. Other special features are more costly to produce due to their materials or the time that they take to be made. Some examples are stainless steel pot racks, drawer wine racks that roll out from the island and the utensil racks and shelves that are found on many high-end baker's rack cart styles. Having glass in the doors of cabinets for a peek-a-boo, decorative style is another feature that raises the price of islands.

The good news is that most of these more costly features are designed for special functions, rather than standard use. This means that with any budget, you'll be able to add basic storage space with a cart or island. Sometimes smart shopping makes it possible to enjoy the benefits of more costly special features while saving money. For example, if a wine rack is an absolute must have for your kitchen, you may be able to get creative and purchase a smaller cart and a separate freestanding wine rack made from wood.

Brand Name

The final cost consideration for today's islands and carts is the brand name, but that is not to say that choosing an island or cart from a top maker like John Boos & Co., Enclume and Proteak means you are paying just for a name. The top brands of islands and carts have earned the reputations that they have because of the fine quality of the kitchen furnishings that they produce.

Often, top manufacturers, like John Boos & Co. use finer materials and produce their pieces by hand rather than through an assembly line. This results in a higher level of quality than mass-produced islands and carts as pieces are inspected during every step of the manufacturing process rather than just at its completion.

For consumers looking to go green and protect the environment, opting for environmentally responsible top brands is an excellent way to be Eco-conscious in your kitchen. Many top brands only use wood obtained from forests that are grown and harvested with sustainable methods. Some, like ProTeak, even go the extra mile to protect forests by purchasing land in heavily deforested areas and keeping it as a preserve for local flora and fauna. These endeavors are more costly to companies, but create a finished product that has far less environmental impact.

Less well-known manufacturers of islands and kitchen carts may also pay a high degree of attention to detail or have taken steps to protect the environment; however, many consumers prefer to buy from top brands because their quality and business practices are established and widely known. If a budget kitchen cart or kitchen island is a must, selecting a kitchen island or kitchen cart without a top brand name may be ideal.