Buy the Right Portable Kitchen Islands by Asking These 3 Questions 

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Portable kitchen islands are a wonderful feature to add to a room that isn’t suited to a fixed island, or when you need your food preparation or service area to have some mobility.  They are also great for kitchens that need a higher amount of flexibility in terms of space or layout.  Portable kitchen islands serve a large number of purposes, which means that there is a very wide variety of them available.  That said, how can you know that you’re choosing the right one for your home?  How can you be sure that you’re adding the right kind of flexibility and practicality, and not just choosing the one that seems to look the best?  Ask yourself the following questions, and you’ll find that you’re automatically narrowing down your options to the best possible candidates.

 Question 1: What features should you look for in portable kitchen islands?

Aside from looking for a rolling kitchen island that will fit within your budget, you need to consider the features that you will need or want in order to make the piece work for you.  Will you be using it as a mobile prep station to bring your kitchen with you to other parts of your home?  If so, you’ll want to make sure that it has a good amount of workspace, as well as storage underneath such as shelving and a drawer that will carry all of the tools and dishes you’ll need.  A knife block and towel bar will also give you easy access to helpful items.  If you plan to use portable kitchen islands as a bar when you’re entertaining, you might consider a wine rack underneath to safely and securely hold the bottles.  There are lots of different options from which to choose, so start by deciding the purpose of the piece and then fill in the blanks.

Question 2: What basic elements should you consider in portable kitchen islands?

Size and quality are vital jumping off points for portable kitchen islands that will live up to your expectations.  In terms of size, they generally start as small as 18 to 21 inches wide in the most compact models, with mid-size models ranging from 24 to 29 inches wide, and large ones that are anywhere from 40 to 54 inches wide. Remember that while larger models do offer more storage and workspace, they’re not always better.  You need to make sure that they will fit where you need them to go and that you will be able to maneuver them through doorways or down hallways.  Check the quality of the piece by looking into the construction and the materials.  Don’t forget to make sure that it includes some heavy-duty locking casters that will make rolling the piece easier and make it safer when it is set in place.  

Question 3:  Will portable kitchen islands be part of your room, or tucked away when not in use?

Will your portable kitchen island design be used only for specific purposes such as entertaining, or will you be using them as an everyday part of your room, as well.  This is important to know, because if you will want to tuck it away when it is not being used, then you should look for additional features such as a drop leaf, that will help to reduce it in size.  Conversely, if it will be a standard part of your room, then you’ll need to make sure that it will stay securely in place when you aren’t moving it about, and that it will match the rest of your room’s décor. 

With these three basic questions you will be giving yourself a tremendous head start to make sure that you understand how your portable kitchen islands will be used in your home, and can therefore better focus on what you will need from the piece that you buy.  

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