Winsome Natural Finland Kitchen for Modern Homes

PSA:I think Winsome may have updated this cart since some older complaints were made about it. To address some of them:• The towel rack brackets are now bolt-on options, as is the knife block. You do not need to install them if you wish to save space, as long as you don't mind seeing the screw holes. Leaving them off will not affect the structural integrity of the cart.• If the screws were phillips at one time, they are now allen (hex).• I had no trouble assembling this myself, and in a relatively short amount of time. A second person is not really necessary, but could be helpful if you're not the handy type.• The dowels on the wine rack shelf are about 2.75" apart. A typical 3" wine bottle will stay put just fine.Here are my thoughts on this cart:For the price I paid, especially when compared to the rest of the options I considered, I'm quite impressed! I needed these main factors for me to make my choice:• I wanted solid wood, not manufactured.• I needed a drawer spacious enough for flatware and a variety of utensils.• I needed enough storage underneath for my pots and pans.• I needed a wide enough top to serve as a secondary prep counter.• It had to be compact enough to roll into the corner space I had available to me, to be out of the way when not in use.• It had to be sturdy and stable enough to handle cutting and chopping.Naturally, I had to wait for it to arrive to confirm that last point - and yes, it IS stable enough - but out of all the options I could find, this cart actually turned out to be the only option to tick just about all the boxes on my list. There's some composite wood, but not enough to turn me off completely. So, score.The knife block comes in extremely handy, more than I thought it would. I do keep the bulk of my knives in a big block at my main counter station, but this gives you slots to keep three knives plus a sharpening steel within reach without having to go back and forth. The slots are roughly 3", 1-7/8" and 1-1/4" and are currently holding my cleaver, chef's knife, bread knife and a thermometer in the steel slot.The wood top has a bit of a finish to it, so you might balk a little at taking your knives to it, but there's the cutting board that stows under the top. The dimensions of the board are 14.5"x16"x0.75" and it has a flat surface on one side and a juice groove on the other. The board has the same glossy finish as the top, so for my purposes, it would be better utilized as a serving tray than a working surface since I already have a more substantial board that I prefer. But it's a nice feature to have for someone who needs it. Also, as I discovered accidentally, you can pull the cutting board out of its slot about half to three-quarters of the way and use it as extra counter space in a pinch.Speaking of the top, I saw more than one complaint about the height of the cart. Of course it's all about preference, but I don't get it. I'm 6ft tall and I think it's a great height, especially because it a gives me a much more comfortable angle for chopping than the higher countertop does. But even for cutting and slicing, I can stand straight up and work with no issues. If you're concerned and can't visualize 31.5" then just get a ruler, stack a couple of boxes or something that high, and try it out.The sliding action of the drawer is strictly a manual affair. No rollers or bearings - it mounts and slides wood on wood, and it stays where you leave it. This is not for you if you need a self-closing drawer for whatever reason, or even one that moves with a lighter touch. You couldn't just bump it closed with your hip when your hands are full, for instance, although it does smooth out a little over time. Not much, but a little. Also, the drawer drops frontwards and down when it's pulled all the way out, at which point there's a little rotating lock inside that stops the back of the drawer from coming out completely. No big deal, you just set it in place upon assembly and leave it. It rotates for when and if you do want to remove the drawer. It's a good thing they put it there - be warned that if you forget to engage that lock and pull the drawer out too far, it will crash to the floor, scattering both flatware and freaked-out cats.A last note of advice - if you can, get your hands on a ratcheting wrench/screwdriver with a 4mm allen socket, or a drill or powered screwdriver with a 4mm allen bit. Assembly will go a lot faster than fumbling with the little hex key they give you.