I have a small kitchen. In fact, I’ve always had small kitchens. I aspire to someday cook in one with a separate appliance pantry, but for now, I’ve got to get creative with storage. (And don’t tell me to downsize my cookware—I’m a professional kitchen gear tester!)
I also hate clutter, so my solution has been to jam all of the pots, pans, and cooking utensils in the cabinets where food and dinnerware should go. Frankly, it’s a mess. Or rather, it was, until I started using an organizational wagon from Yamazaki. I love it so much, I’m considering getting a second.
Credit: Amazon
The Yamazaki Slim Rolling Wagon was designed to maximize storage in small spaces. It’s 31 inches tall and just over five inches wide, so it can sneak into otherwise unusable spaces, like between a refrigerator and a cabinet. I tucked mine into some dead space near my dining table, and I love how it acts as a multipurpose storage solution.
There are four shelves of varying height; I put tall items, like bottles of vinegar and boxes of spaghetti, on the bottom and save the top two tiers for small stuff. It’s the perfect solution for my mugs and small bowls. I even store spices and cloth napkins on it. Unlike so many kitchen storage racks, this one can handle a lot. It weighs about 12 pounds, but it can hold over 45 pounds worth of stuff! It has four wheels, so I roll it around as needed—I regularly bring it over to my cutting board during dinner prep. Thankfully, the wheels also have locking casters.
This kitchen storage rack makes my life a lot easier, but the thing I like best about it is how good it looks. It’s simple, bright white (it comes in black, too), and fits in perfectly with my kitchen decor. It matches my Yamazaki dish rack and bread box, so while you can say I’ve got a specific aesthetic, I know it’d look good in anyone’s home.
Why We’re the Experts
- Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Serious Eats. Previously, she worked at Bon Appétit and Cooking Light magazines.
- Rochelle owns the Yamazaki kitchen storage rack and uses it daily in her own kitchen. She has been testing cooking gear for five years.
