Heavy Duty Commercial Utility Cart

Storage and organization is always a concern for any household.  Just after we moved into our previous house we discovered heavy duty commercial stainless steel racks.  I had a 6 shelf unit in my kitchen that was a real work horse.  It was amazing just how much I got on that rack!  I even hung my fry pans from hooks on the rack and had a hanging basket for my cooking utensils.  When we moved here we quickly learned the rack would not fit in the kitchen or the pantry so we searched for alternative solutions.

Canadian Tire had a smaller, lighter duty metal rack unit on for $8.  We bought six of them, five  for the pantry and one for the entrance that was later moved to the kitchen.  The utilitarian racks are extremely practical and they look good too.  The racks can be joined together to make a taller unit as well.  As nice as what these units are they are still lighter weight.  They are narrower than the commercial units and they can't hold as much weight so their storage potential is less.  Like the commercial version it is possible to use hooks on the rack to hang items from.  They are also a bit easier to tip by curious toddlers. 

Heavy duty commercial grade utility shelving and carts are available at Sam's Club, Home Depot, and Lowes.  Be warned even the small cart carton is quite heavy and racks are definitely a two person carton.  Pictured is the unopened utility cart carton. 

The wheeled utility cart is NSF (National Sanitation Foundation) certified.  It will hold up to 500 pounds total weight.  The top shelf is recessed so I will be able to use it as extra counter space during heavier cooking sessions.  The cart is sturdy enough to hold small appliances if necessary as well.

We have put several of these types of units together both commercial heavy duty and light weight.  They are quite easy to put together with the only tool needed being a hammer or rubber mallet.  There are lines on the uprisers.  A two piece tapered heavy plastic clip snaps on to the line desired.  This way you can adjust the height of the self.  The shelf goes onto the uprisers over the plastic clips then is tapped into place.

The cart has three shelves so assembly was quite quick.  The wheels have a cap that sits over the wheel then the threaded end is screwed into the uprisers.  The handle went on before the top shelf secured by the same plastic clips.  On a scale of 1 to 10 with 1 being easiest and 10 being very difficult this assembly would be a 2.  It's pretty much straight forward and problem free.

Pictured is my new utility cart assembled next to the original light duty rack.  The cart is about 6 - inches wider and 4 - inches deeper giving more storage capacity.  It is considerably sturdier than the light duty rack.  Plastic mats were included with the cart for the shelves to help contain spills.  These really are optional.  I put them on for the time being.  There is a break on one of the wheels as well to prevent the cart from moving unless desired. 

What I really like about this cart is it really can be used for any purpose.  I'm using it in the kitchen for the time being but it could easily be used in the laundry room, family room, on the deck or in the garage.  The price was quite reasonable at $54.  Unless severely abused the cart should last a number of years while keeping its nice, clean look.

Garden Gnome
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