Attempting to make the most of kitchen space in city flats makes us feel like professional Tetris players.
Furniture and storage combinations whirl through our heads at a million miles an hour while we try to decipher a perfectly flush, neat and tidy aesthetic solution for stacks of pans, Dutch ovens, serving platters and more. If only there were some trick to help solve the puzzle a little faster, in true Tetris fashion…
…Enter: the humble kitchen trolley. Hold your judgement, for the unbeatably practical, portable and often foldable piece of kit isn’t reserved solely for your nana’s house. Think of it as a stylish cheat code for hosts with the most and organisation enthusiasts to enjoy stylishly exposed kitchenware – from Le Creuset pots and brand-new cookbooks to decanted grains and pasta.
Rather than working tirelessly to fit everything and more into your shallow kitchen cupboards, before realising that even retrieving a cereal bowl from the precariously packed crockery is next to impossible, invest in a value-for-money, size-appropriate kitchen trolley to alleviate all your storage woes.
When you’re entertaining, you can exchange certain, decorative items for some more practical ones. Wheel around cocktail glasses and shakers filled with delicious tipples for your guests to enjoy and offer them an olive or two while you’re at it. When not being used as a 1950s-inspired bar cart, fill your trolley with chic matching pots and jars filled to the brim with your favourite grains, cereals, granola toppers and more.
Best kitchen trolleys at a glance
We’ve wheeled together an edit of the best kitchen trolleys for portable storage across price brackets and styles.
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HAY Arcs Trolley
Best for: putting the kitsch in kitchen
Scandinavian design brand HAY is making waves in the interior world, offering colourful, dopamine-boosting and entirely practical designs to amp up your space with. The Arcs trolley was designed by Muller Van Severen and is based on simple oval shapes, hence the delicate scalloping on each tier of this fabulous trolley.
Buy now £295.00, Selfridges
Portnall Bar Cart, Black Marquina Marble
Best for: displaying drinks
Though technically more bar cart than a kitchen trolley, the highly practical design and large size of this piece of furniture make it a fantastic option for homes requiring a bit of extra storage. The blackened brass metal finish is met with Spanish black Marquina marble shelves and a glass middle shelf for displaying your favourite kitchen accessories. We’re also big fans of the adjustable wine rack and the trio of leather slings.
Buy now £1695.00, Soho Home
Lamia Kitchen Cart
Best for: open-plan
A moveable kitchen island with oodles of storage and ample surface area for food preparation, the Lamia Kitchen Cart would make a fine addition to an open-plan living room and kitchen by splitting up the space. The additional kitchen towel and spice racks ooze practicality and sophistication, doubling up as handles to move the trolley on its four, smooth universal wheels.
Buy now £199.99, Wayfair
Severns Solid Wood Top Kitchen Island
Best for: multifunctional
The Severns portable kitchen island is part bar cart, storage solution and meal preparation surface. Its tripartite system truly offers the best of all possible worlds when it comes to maximising your kitchen space. The slightly frosted, ribbed doors cover two handy shelves on one side, and three wine glass holders on the other.
Buy now £254.99, Wayfair
UMDONX Kitchen Trolley
Best for: storing small appliances
This stylish little trolley has an upper wood panel design for placing kitchen utensils and small appliances such as toasters, microwaves or kettles. It’s mounted on four universal wheels, though two can be pinned to keep the trolley from moving around too much. We love the industrial-chic, metal lattice design.
Buy now £46.99, Amazon
Ikea RÅSKOG Trolley
Best for: lonely corners
A classic, small home-friendly trolley at a value-for-money price, Ikea’s RÅSKOG can be used in kitchens, bathrooms and bedrooms alike. Available in three neutral tones with a practical three-tier structure, you simply can’t go wrong.
Buy now £35.00, Ikea
Yaheetech Kitchen Storage Trolley on Wheels
Best for: closed storage
For a Martha Stewart-style, coastal American kitchen accessory, look no further than Yaheetech’s utility kitchen organiser. With a bamboo surface, three spacious drawers and three removable shelves, it provides ample storage space without taking up too much square footage.
Buy now £89.99, Amazon
Novogratz metal rolling cart in yellow
Best for: a sunny injection
Another industrial-chic option, this time in a cult-favourite hue. Butter yellow has been taking over interior spaces, and we’re here for the dopamine-boosting effects of a gloriously sunny accessory. Perfect for those looking for a little bit more height in their kitchen trolleys, we love the minimalistic style and three spacious shelves which can each hold up to 9kg.
Buy now £34.99, B&Q
Yahteetech Solid Wood Top Kitchen Island
Best for: extra storage
Extra-large and the perfect solution to all your coffee station needs, this solid wood top, portable kitchen island is a must-have piece of kit. One shelf is slotted for bottles, while the other is perfectly flat for accessories including pots, pans, plates and books.
Buy now £95.12, Wayfair
TANGZON Kitchen Island on Wheels
Best for: liberating overstuffed cupboards
A kitchen trolley and island all in one, this small but mighty unit is perfect for kitchens with cupboards overspilling with items. It comes with a towel rail and is set on lockable wheels, making it easy to manoeuvre around the kitchen. If your layout obliges, you could even use this to wheel the weekly shop from the car boot to the kitchen.
Open shelves on one side are the perfect spot for condiments, oils and spices, while the drawers will hide away clutter you don’t want on show all the time.
Buy now £94.90, Amazon
