We would rate the appliance lift as a "nice to have" item. This model is made by Rev-a-Shelf, and was purchased through Rockler for $100.It has really been convenient for my DW, who cooks from scratch most of the time. She lifts it up, uses it, and drops it down. The pull-out shelf below holds the mixer and food processor attachments.
The shelf is 18 inches wide (cabinet opening is 22"), so it holds two applicances - a Kitchenaid mixer and food processor. It's not too heavy for my DW to lift up and down. Note that it is also covered with 1/2" granite to match the counter.
If you install one of these, make sure to put an outlet in the back of the cabinet - it's well worth the effort. The cords lay behind the shelf as you raise it, and simply stay out of the way.
Here is a shot of the lift in the cabinet. I would have made the cabinet shallower if I had to do it over again. I wanted to keep the cabinet to a minimum depth so the back side of it could be used effectively. The instructions indicated you need 23", so that's what I made it to. In reality, I could have gotten away with 18" deep and saved 5 inches. This would have allowed us to put another stool on the backside, instead we put a bottle rack. This is not a terrible result though, since we like the bottle rack. There is also room above the applicances for a cutting board slot, but we haven't put that in yet.
In review, it was worth the cost and effort to install it.
8 comments:
I really like the idea of having this lift in the island. My island is 2 sets of 18" base cabinets back to back so the overall depth of either side is really only 17-1/4". Will this be enough space for the lift? I would really like to find out from someone experienced with this product before buying it and halfway through install learning it won't fit. Thank you for your time, and for this wonderfully helpful blog.
I don't think 17" is enough, at least for a kitchen-aid mixer. I just measured ours and it's 23" deep. I think you could get by with 20" - but less than that is going to not give enough room for the lift to bring the mixer up without hitting the underside of the counter.
If you are using a smaller mixer, I believe you can get away with 17".
Best of luck,
TTF
Thank you! I currently use the Kitchenaid Professional 600™ Series Bowl Lift Mixer with 6 Qt Bowl. It's a beast that I hate having sit on the counter 24/7 so looks like I will have to budget for replacing the island so I can get that lift!
Thanks, looks like I need to redo the island then.
TTFWEB- we also installed an appliance lift - different manufacturer (Richelieu) into a 15" wide cabinet for a single Kitchenaid mixer. It fits OK, but in use, the whole thing rocks back and forth and looks like the mixer could topple off the shelf. Are you seeing simlar movement with yours or is the construction solid enough that it stays steady?
Thanks!
I have been really happy with the rev-a-shelf model. Once up and locked, its pretty steady.
Thanks for the info. I suspect we'll be exchanging ours for the Rev-a-shelf unit. It does look much steadier.
Thanks for the review. It's one of the reasons I bought by lift.
I'm trying to install it and find the arm is extended so that it obstructs the plate that needs to be screwed to the side of the cabinet, and I can't push it down. Did you encounter this and, if so, how did you deal with it?
Thanks for all the great info you share!
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