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The Spruce / Amelia Manley
A kitchen cart is a portable organizing solution that provides extra storage and counter space in your kitchen.
We researched dozens of kitchen carts, assessing their sturdiness, portability, capacity, and overall value. The best kitchen carts were those products that offered a combination of work space and storage space, smooth-rolling wheels, and style that could blend seamlessly into kitchens of all shapes, sizes, and aesthetics.
Best Overall
Andover Mills Raabe Kitchen Cart
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Classic design
Butcher block
Variety of storage
Includes wheels
Available in one size and color
What do buyers say? 2,300+ Wayfair reviewers rated this product 5 stars.
If you’re looking for a classic design, you can’t go wrong with Andover Mills’ Raabe Kitchen Cart. The cart is sleek, minimalist, and simple. Plus, its muted palette would make for a seamless addition to just about any space.
The cart is crafted from solid wood, which has been painted a crisp white. Its butcher block top promises to hold up to heat exposure, impact, and the regular wear and tear of a kitchen, so you'll be able to use it to prep meals. The wheeled cart boasts two spacious shelves, which you could easily line with must-haves, plus a built-in rack you can use to keep tea towels at bay.
Almost 3000 happy customers report that this pick proves easy to assemble for stress-free setup. Also, the wheels make this cart simple to move around and get behind to clean and organize. What's more, it feels super sturdy, so it's suitable for holding heavy pots and pans or small appliances.
Best Budget
Amazon Basics Kitchen Cart
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Budget-friendly
Variety of storage
Removable cutting board
Low weight capacity
Available in one size
Searching for a well-rounded kitchen cart that won’t break the bank? Amazon has you covered with its Amazon Basics Kitchen Cart. At 3-feet tall, the cart is big enough to offer ample storage space—but not so huge that it’ll disrupt your space. And since it comes on four rolling wheels, you can easily move it around your space until you find a spot for it that’s just right.
The kitchen cart is crafted from durable chrome-plated steel, and it’s topped with a removable slab of wood that you can use as a cutting board. This stylish cart comes complete with two metal shelves, as well as a series of built-in hooks you can use to hang pots, pans, towels, and more.
Best Small
The Container Store Origami Kitchen Cart
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Courtesy of The Container Store
Butcher slab
Foldable design
Compact size
Built-in transport wheels
Available in one size
The Container Store’s Origami Kitchen Cart offers a small-space-friendly way to add a little storage to your space. At 3-feet tall and 2-feet wide, the cart is compact but still large enough to be meaningful. And, its built-in transport wheels make it easy to move around your space.
The kitchen cart boasts two metal shelves, which can handle 50 pounds of weight apiece, and is topped with a thick butcher block slab that can handle a whopping 100 pounds of weight. The coolest thing about this kitchen cart isn’t its efficiency, however—it’s its foldability. The cart can be folded in half whenever it's not in use, so it's a great space saver for smaller kitchens that could use the extra room for kitchen island sizing.
Best Butcher Block
IKEA Vadholma Kitchen Island
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Butcher slab
Variety of storage
Pre-treated with hard wax oil
Available in one size
Available in one color
Expensive
IKEA’s Vadholma Kitchen Island is more of a portable kitchen island than a kitchen cart—but it’s still one of the sleekest options on offer. The island is crafted from a blend of particleboard and solid wood. And, it’s topped with a seriously stunning butcher board slab.
Since the island is 3-feet tall, nearly 3-feet wide, and 2-feet deep, it will demand a fair amount of space in your kitchen. But in return for this precious real estate, you’ll get two shelves, a drawer, a towel rack, and some extra counter space that will match with an IKEA Raskog cart.
Best Drop Leaf
Urban Outfitters Bamboo Rolling Kitchen Cart
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Removable tray
Variety of storage
Leaf design
Assembly required
Available in one size
If you’re trying to save space anywhere you can, a drop-leaf kitchen cart is an excellent choice. Take Urban Outfitters’ Bamboo Rolling Kitchen Cart, for example, which is crafted from solid bamboo. A 3- feet tall and nearly 2-feet wide, it should give you plenty of storage space to play with.
The cart comes equipped with two shelves—a built-in shelf, and a removable shelf that doubles as a tray. It also boasts a drop-leaf countertop that you can expand any time you need some extra counter space to freely add that one small kitchen island idea you had.
Best Granite
Andover Mills Elsie Kitchen Cart
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High weight capacity
Granite top
Variety of storage
Available in two colors
Heavy
Looking for a luxe kitchen cart? Andover Mills has your back. The brand’s Elsie Kitchen Cart is crafted from a blend of solid and manufactured wood, and it’s topped with a slab of sleek granite. This detail leaves the kitchen cart feeling sturdier (and heavier) than most. Since granite is a go-to kitchen countertop material, you can rest assured knowing this cart can hold up to whatever you’re doing in the kitchen.
The cart comes complete with a shelf, a cabinet, a drawer, and a towel rack. So snag it, and your storage options will abound. And since the cart comes in two versatile shades—sleek black and crisp white—you can easily find an option that suits your space to stylish it into a nice bar cart.
Best Metal
Seville Classics Stainless-Steel Professional Kitchen Work Table Cart
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Courtesy of Amazon
Space-efficient design
Durable material
Basket and shelf storage
Assembly required
Not smudge-proof
This Seville Classics kitchen cart is crafted from durable stainless steel, which gives a sleek and minimalist feel, and the top piece is completely smooth to make for a comfortable workspace. It's also sturdy and strong, boasting a weight capacity of 450 pounds (if you're looking for a new spot for a microwave, this is it). Bakers, bread makers and chefs may want to take note of this one too, since stainless steel is non-porous and easy to clean, making it an especially useful surface for food prep.
At 3-feet tall, 24-inches wide, and 20-inches deep, the cart is a practical size that's large enough to slice and prep a full meal on, and yet still won't overwhelm your kitchen. And its built-in transport wheels make it easy to move around, too. Along with the surface, the design features a lower wire shelf and a sliding basket. These versatile options gives you the chance to customize your storage set-up by stocking up on hooks, bins, and baskets to DIY your own kitchen island. Just keep a cloth on hand to wipe up occasional fingerprints, as stainless steel is prone to collecting.
Best with Drawers
The Container Store Elfa Mesh Kitchen Cart
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The Container Store
Variety of storage
Butcher slab
Expensive
Most kitchen carts come lined with shelves, hooks, and towel racks. But the Container Store’s Elfa Platinum Mesh Kitchen Cart comes lined with mesh drawers, instead. It also boasts a series of hooks and a butcher block top for good measure.
The 3-foot cart comes equipped with five drawers—two of which are narrow and three of which are deep—giving you plenty of storage options to play with. Whereas most drawers are opaque, these are designed to be relatively transparent. This makes it easy to keep track of what you’ve put where, so you don’t have to open all five drawers every time you’re looking for a utensil and not disrupt your type of kitchen island.
Best for Entertaining
Laurel Foundry Modern Farmhouse Nagata Rolling Kitchen Cart
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Courtesy of Wayfair
5 color choices
Cupboard and drawer storage
Practical size
Assembly required
The next time you're hosting, you'll love having this versatile kitchen cart on hand. It's large enough to hold beverages, napkins, and trays of appetizers, but still practical enough that you can roll it aside to create space, too. We also like how the cupboard and drawer allow you to store essentials that you don't care for guests to see out of sight. The five color choices also allow you to opt for a pop of brightness with red or blue, or to stick with a classic color like black, white, or grey.
Keep in mind that assembly is required, so it won't be ready to use right when it's delivered. You'll want to give yourself at least a few hours to set up before visitors arrive.
Overall, we recommend the Andover Mills Raabe Kitchen Cart because the classic design features a butcher's block and storage shelves that make cooking easy. For a budget-friendly option, consider the Amazon Basics Kitchen Rolling Microwave Cart because it's ideal for small spaces yet includes a variety of storage options.
What to Look for in a Kitchen Cart
Size
When you’re adding storage to your space, size is a key consideration. For starters, you want a kitchen cart that’s small enough to fit into your space. But you also need something that’s big enough to give you the storage space—and the counter space—that you need. If you're working with a small kitchen, you may want to consider a more flexible kitchen cart—like a rolling or foldable option—which you can move out of the way to free up space.
Storage Set-Up
Though all kitchen carts are designed with storage in mind, many of them boast different kinds of storage features. When shopping for kitchen carts, you’ll see everything from cabinets and drawers, to hooks and racks. And figuring out what you need to store before shopping can help you determine which of these features to prioritize.
Material
Kitchen carts can be crafted from a range of different materials. On the budget-friendlier side, you’ll see lots of metal. And at the higher end, you'll find everything from solid wood to granite. Each is a durable option, however, so you really can't go wrong. Just be sure to consider what the rest of your kitchen looks like, and decide which materials best suit your space.
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Are kitchen carts stylish?
Kitchen carts can be a great way to add storage space to your kitchen. And while they’re chiefly practical, they can definitely be stylish, too. Plus, kitchen carts come in a range of sizes, styles, colors, and materials, so you shouldn’t have any trouble finding one that suits your space.
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Can you put a kitchen cart next to an oven?
As far as heat safety is concerned, you should be able to put a kitchen cart next to an oven. But keeping traffic flow in mind, you might not want to. According to the National Kitchen & Bath Association design guidelines, you don’t want to separate work centers (where you prep, cook, or store food) with tall obstacles (like a set of cabinets or a kitchen cart). Doing so can make it hard to move around your kitchen fluidly and conveniently. So depending on how your kitchen is laid out, placing a kitchen cart next to an oven may not be the best choice.
Why Trust The Spruce?
As a seasoned lifestyle writer, Lindsey Lanquist understands what a difference a great product recommendation can make. That’s why she makes sure to recommend products that are sleek, reliable, and well-reviewed by those who’ve tried them. She is a Nashville-based writer and editor who covers décor, health, food, and lifestyle.