A kitchen trolley hearkens back to “old school” times, but it's still a very functional kitchen piece, and an excellent idea for even kitchens of contemporary design. It is one way you can easily achieve mobile and flexible kitchen storage. At first glance, you may be reminded of your grandmother's afternoon teas, but kitchen trolleys are actually making a mark on kitchen design today.
Ikea, a company that makes many furniture and storage items, has distributors that say there is a lot to like about kitchen trolleys. They stock ten different trolley types, and they get many questions about them, and the demand for purchase is definitely there. If you have a U-shaped kitchen, it may be three or four steps from the far end to the near end, and there is a lot of empty space there that can be utilized for storage. Kitchen trolleys make use of that space, and they make it more functional, by giving you extra bench and storage space.
Kitchen trolleys have many benefits. You can store cutlery, napkins and fruit baskets in a trolley's open shelving or drawers. This makes trolleys especially valuable for small kitchens. They can provide you with a rack for hanging large utensils or tea towels, and you can also use them for wine storage if you like. Many trolleys have solid surfaces, and some even have chopping boards that can be removed or slid away when not in use. The sides are seamless and flush, and usually can be folded upward to create a bench top. And a kitchen trolley is very useful for dinner parties.
You can generally find trolleys in stainless steel or wood. The steel is somewhat easier to maintain, as well as being more hygienic, but many people prefer wood, because it fits with the old world charm of the trolley cart. Stainless steel doesn't make a good cutting surface, either, which is another reason many homeowners select wood trolleys. Wooden trolleys may be left unfinished, or finished with lacquer, and it is recommended that you treat unfinished wood trolleys with an oil that is food-approved, to avoid staining and maintain the unit.
Kitchen trolleys are similar depth-wise to a bench top, and some may be up to three yards wide. Their cost may run from fifty dollars or so for a basic unit with some storage, up to four to five hundred dollars for a top-of-the-line stainless steel trolley with its own unique features. In an average sized kitchen, serious cooks will get a lot of use out of kitchen trolleys, if they are looking for a movable bench with extra storage, to prepare or serve meals. If you do a lot of entertaining, or if you have a large kitchen, you may want a solution that is more fixed, like a bench on an island.
If you decide that you'd like to buy a trolley for your kitchen, make sure you know ahead of time how you plan to use it. Look at the way it will function before you look at style. Consider what you need in storage and drawer space, and make sure the unit is easy to move, in terms of castors, size and weight. It should be easy to access and you should have a place to store your kitchen trolley when you're not using it.