This IKEA Find Solves The Problem Of A Lack Of Kitchen Countertop Space

When your kitchen lacks enough counter space, your options to remedy the issue may seem limited without additional square footage or a major renovation. Sure, you could bring in a piece of furniture with a work top, but not everyone has the space to do so. Thankfully, IKEA has shown up yet again with another one of its budget-friendly, clever solutions to maximize kitchen countertop space: the UTRUSTA pull-out work surface. Instead of adding a bulky piece of furniture to your kitchen's footprint to gain more counter space, this $50 unit is designed to remain hidden within the cabinet frame when not in use for a totally seamless, integrated look. But when the time comes to cook up a storm, you can extend the laminate shelf on the steel side runners to create a pop-up work surface. This is ideal for when you need a bit more space on the countertop for extra food prep and chopping, unloading groceries, baking with your stand mixer, and much more.

The roughly 22-inch square pull-out board adds about 3.36 square feet of work surface to your kitchen. If you're looking for a creative idea to expand your small kitchen, where every inch makes a massive difference to its efficiency and functionality, this is huge. But even larger kitchens have issues with workflow and a lack of countertop space, so this IKEA solution is a great option for kitchens of all sizes. Now that you know the potential that the IKEA UTRUSTA has to really maximize the practicality of your kitchen, let's break down some of the best ways to use this clever pull-out shelf in your home, as well as installation and usage realities to ensure it meets your needs and expectations before you lift a finger.

As the product is primarily marketed, the IKEA UTRUSTA is used to add extra counter space by capitalizing on the (probably unused) top couple inches of your cabinet frame below the counters. By installing it as high as possible, it creates a surface only a few inches lower than your countertop slab for a nearly seamless experience. For the shorter folks, this slightly lower surface may even be more comfortable for chopping, mixing, and putting away your grocery haul. The max load of the UTRUSTA is 39 pounds, meaning it can withstand a decent amount of weight and pressure, though if you're doing some serious heavy-duty knifework, you may want to do the chopping on the countertop and use the pull-out board for additional prep.

Aside from providing a countertop surface, there are other ways to make the UTRUSTA work hard in your kitchen space. Install the UTRUSTA slightly lower in the frame with enough clearance above the unit to store flat items like cutting boards, cookie sheets, and casserole dishes when not in use. Although the work surface could end up being closer to tabletop rather than counter height, the added storage is a bonus worth considering. Alternatively, position the UTRUSTA within a full-depth (24-inch) tall cabinet as the pull-out appliance shelf of your dreams, never having to worry about manually dragging your stand mixer or coffee maker forward ever again. Hide your appliance station behind cabinet doors for a fully-integrated layout or create a fully (or even partially) open cubby for an exposed setup with easy access. After singing its praises, it's worth noting that the UTRUSTA needs careful planning to work as well as you're likely hoping, so let's discuss the realities before diving in.

The IKEA UTRUSTA pull-out work surface can be installed in two ways, either behind an existing cabinet front or with its own attached drawer front. The first option allows you to retrofit an existing 24-inch frame to work with the UTRUSTA, whether it be a base or full-height cabinet. The caveat is that in order to use it, the cabinet door or drawer containing the pull-out must remain open while you're using it. In a large kitchen or for a cabinet next to a wall, this may not be an issue, but in a tiny footprint, this could be a major workflow challenge. When determining which cabinet is a good fit for housing the UTRUSTA, opt for one close to the perimeter so the open door or drawer won't impede your work triangle. Obviously, the exception to this issue is using the UTRUSTA in an open cabinet or cubby with no door, such as with a beautiful exposed kitchen coffee station.

The second installation option allows you to extend the UTRUSTA independently of the surrounding cabinetry with its own drawer front, giving you more room to maneuver. While there are compatible IKEA drawer fronts you can use, this installation method also appears to be usable with non-IKEA panels with a little DIY. The only limitation to giving the UTRUSTA its own drawer front is that it requires reconfiguring an existing cabinet with new doors and hardware, meaning a more extensive and expensive update unless you're already planning a new kitchen. As long as you take the time to think through the logistics of how the IKEA UTRUSTA pull-out work surface functions based on it's installation method, you can use it to solve your kitchen's counter space issue with one genius $50 solution.