Comparing the Step 180 Pull-Out Step Stool to the option of a pull-down cabinet.

If you were never tall enough to get a basketball scholarship, there are two basic options when it comes to accessing upper kitchen cabinet space; find a way to get you up or to bring it down. There are devices that allow for either option. Let’s look at the advantages and disadvantages of the pull-out step stool as compared to a pull-down cabinet.

Speed

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Speed is a huge factor when it comes to convenience. The Step 180 Pull-Out Step Stool can be deployed in 3.5 seconds by a 70-year old woman. A pull-down cabinet can be, in theory, a bit faster, but practical applications slow it down. The most obvious problem with moving a cabinet quickly is all the things that you have on the shelves that you don’t want accelerating and decelerating in quick succession.

Space

Kitchen space is always at a premium, so one of the major goals in a kitchen’s design is to utilize as much as possible. The Step 180 takes up a 1.5″ wide space in the lower cabinets. By way of comparison, the pull down component of a cabinet loses ~1.5″ on both sides for a total of 3″ of lost width. If you have two cabinets with a pull-out feature, you a losing a lot of usable space.

Cost

The price of a pull-down cabinet is about that of the Step 180, which retails for $595. A quick glance at online prices has them selling for around $500. There is one crucial difference, however.

The Step 180’s ability to be flipped 180º from one side to the other means you can access two full cabinets. This means that our step stool will actually save you ~$400.

Overall

There are kitchen layouts where a pull-down cabinet may be optimal, but in any layout where the Step 180 can be installed in between two full kitchen cabinets, it’s the superior option for your next kitchen. It’s less than half the cost, while not costing you any upper cabinet space and only 1.5″ of lower cabinet space and providing equal utility.

Want more info?

Here are five (more) reasons this hidden step-stool should be in your next kitchen.

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