For both home and commercial kitchens, utility carts are valuable assets. At home, utility carts can easily transport items to the dining room, bring groceries in from a garage or carport area and function as serving pieces. In commercial spaces, utility carts make it easy to return dirty dishes to the sink for scraping and washing, to move buffet items and plated dinners to serving areas and sell food on the go.

Manufacturers offer a variety of utility carts in different styles with an array of features to enhance their usefulness. Because many styles appear identical at first glance, deciding what cart is best for you can be a chore. Fortunately, our Buyers' Guide to Utility Carts is here to help. The guide explains all of the points of consideration that are necessary to make the best choice when shopping for utility carts. Read over the guide from start to finish with your home or commercial kitchen in mind, and then refer back as needed while you shop to ensure you select the most practical cart for your needs.

Style

The overall style of your utility cart determines how you use and tow it as well as how many items it can hold. Once you have selected the appropriate style for your home or commercial kitchen, you will be able to quickly eliminate a number of styles right from the start of your shopping.

Cantilever vs. Standard

Manufacturers of utility carts produce two primary styles:

• Standard utility carts have four legs to support their shelves and feature shelves that remain fixed in place. This makes it easy to distribute the weight of the load of the cart for easy rolling. Four legs also prevent the cart from tipping. For most purposes, standard utility carts are the preferred style.



• Cantilever utility carts have two legs as opposed to four. The shelves extend outward from the leg frame, and the cart has wheels mounted along the bottom shelf at the opposite end. This style of cart is typically mounted with plastic bins or tote boxes that can be easily lifted off of the frame due to the open design. Cantilever utility shelves are ideal for busing dishes, making them popular for commercial kitchens; however, if the items placed in cantilever designs are not situated to distribute their weight evenly, the cart can tip over.

Number of Shelves

Once you have determined the overall style necessary for your cart, you'll need to decide how many shelves you need. Most utility carts have the option of two shelves spaced widely apart for large items or three shelves, which can accommodate smaller items, but have more storage space.

To decide how many shelves you need, consider what items you'll be carrying. If you intend to use the same items again and again, you may want to line them up and measure their overall length and width to help guide you as you shop. In situations where the items you will be toting will vary, you'll need to trust your instincts about how much space you'll need.

Number of Handles

Standard utility carts have the option of one handle or a set of two mounted on either end of the cart. Two handled carts are ideal for situations where you will be pulling the empty cart up to a space and filling it with heavy items, as you can then simply turn around and pull the cart from the opposite end without having to shift the cart. In addition, two handled carts allow two people to work together to move heavy carts or to guide it with more precision.

Dimensions

Now that you have determined the overall style and the number of shelves and handles that are best for your utility cart, you are ready to think about its dimensions. You'll find all of the dimensions for carts within their product descriptions, typically at the end. Most merchants and manufacturers provide dimensions in the English system using inches and pounds, though some European companies may list things in the metric system. Online calculators are available to convert metric units to English units in these situations.

Overall Length and Width

The overall length and width of your utility cart determines how easily it will fit through the spaces in your home or commercial setting. The overall length of the cart is the measurement from one corner of the cart to the opposite corner across one of its long sides, while the overall width is the measurement from one corner to the opposite corner across one of its short sides. In product descriptions, the length is always provided first, followed by the width. These measurements may be marked with an "L" and a "W," respectively.

Before shopping for a cart, you'll need to think about the maximum overall size that will through the aisles, walkways and hallways in your space as well as the size of the area where the cart will be stored. To consider this, complete the following steps:

1. Visit the space where you will store the cart and use masking tape to create an outline of how much room you have to store it.



2. Use a measuring tape to determine the length and width of the storage space. If you are planning to store the cart in a relatively empty room or an area with ample space, then you may omit steps 1 and 2.



3. With a measuring tape, measure the width of the narrowest walkway through which you will need to take your cart.



4. If you will be passing the cart quickly through the narrow space and do not need to provide room to walk past it, subtract 2 inches from the measurement and let that represent the maximum width possible for your utility cart.



5. If you will be leaving your cart in place and must be able to keep the walkway open, subtract 30 inches from the width obtained in Step 3 and let that number serve as the maximum possible width.

Overall Height

The overall height of a utility cart is how high it stands from the floor to its top. In dimensions, the height of the cart is listed last and often marked with an "H."

How high your cart stands partially determines how easy it is to push. Most carts are designed for people of average height, which is 5'4" to 5'10". If you are much taller or shorter than that you may want to measure yourself to determine your ideal height. To do so, stand with your hands positioned just above your chest in the preferred position that you use for pushing heavy items. You can then have someone measure the space from your hands to the floor.

If you intend to use your cart to transport fragile or delicate items from a counter top to a serving area, such as a wedding cake, or heavy items, such as a terrine of soup or an oversized coffee urn, you may want to purchase a cart that is the same height as your counter tops to make sliding easy.

Also, if you will need to do any work at your cart, such as preparing salads tableside, you'll want to select an ideal working height. For people of average height, 36 inches is ideal. If you are shorter, look for styles that are 33 to 35 inches tall. Taller individuals should select carts that slightly over 36 inches tall, if possible.

Shelf Length and Width

The length and width of the shelves determine the surface area available to store and carry your items. As suggested earlier, if you know what items you will be carrying, you may want to measure them to determine what size is necessary. Like overall dimensions, shelf lengths and widths are provided with the length first, followed by the width.

Shelf Height

The height of the shelves on your cart determines the height of the items that can be carried on it. If possible, measure the height of the tallest things that you plan to carry to see the minimum amount of space necessary to accommodate them. Most utility carts with three shelves have an even number of space between each shelf, though some offer a raised or lowered shelf to give you more versatility for the sizes of items that can be hauled on it.

Weight Capacity

If you will be carrying heavy items with your utility cart, the weight capacity is key. This figure represents the amount of weight that your cart can bear without collapsing and while remaining fully mobile. Keep in mind that in order for a cart to truly be able to accommodate its weight capacity, items must be evenly distributed on its shelves; if you have all of your heavy items on one end, it will be more difficult to move it and keep it stable.

Special Features

As you shop for utility carts, there are some special features that you can look out for to help you find the perfect piece for your needs. Keep in mind that while these features are beneficial for some purposes, in others, they may not be necessary.

Swivel Casters turn while you transport the cart, preventing the wheels from becoming stuck on uneven surfaces in the flooring. Casters that swivel also create a smoother ride for the items you'll be transporting.

Locking Casters are ideal for loading and unloading heavy or delicate items as they keep the cart from shifting. They also keep the cart from shifting when using it as a work surface. Deploying locks while carts are stored is also useful for tight spaces.

Knocked Down Carts arrive in pieces and require assembly. Typically, they are less costly to ship than pre-assembled models. Manufacturers may also offer a discount in the price if you purchase a knocked down model.

Grips are rubber surfaces added to the handles to make it easier to hold onto them. If you are hauling heavy items, grips help spare your hands from becoming raw and torn.