Toekick step stool - Have it? Like it?

14 years ago

I'm having my cabinets go all the way to the ceiling and need to be able to utilize all the space. I'll need a step stool to get up there, but am having a heck of a time finding a spot that is handy to store the stool.

I came across this - Hafele has a stepstool that has wheels on it's sides I guess so that you can roll it when it is folded up. There is a bracket that attaches to drawer front and somehow you mount it inside the toe kick.

It's pricey, but it may be worth it if I don't have to save 3 inches next to the frig and can put those 3 inches into a wider drawer stack.

Anybody have one? What do you think of it?

Here is a link that might be useful: Toe kick step stool

Featured Answer

Jodi_SoCal

14 years ago

I checked into the Hafele toe-kick step stool when I was designing my kitchen last year. I also found instructions out there on the web somewhere that tells how to make your own but my contractor just laughed at me and said why spend all that money when all you need is a toe kick drawer and a folding step stool.

So he built me a toe kick drawer and I bought a sturdy step stool for under $15.

Our drawer can hold anything smaller than 28"x17"x2" so if tall childless couple buy our place and have no need for a step stool, they can store cookie sheets or linens in the drawer. If the Halfele breaks or becomes more of an expensive hassle than anything else, all you have is a worthless toe kick.

Here is our modest but practical toe kick and step stool.

Jodi-

Comments (10)

mrsmonkey
14 years ago
Wow, that is brilliant. Don't have it but wish I had known about it before ordering our very tall cabinets!
alice462
14 years ago
We have a step in a bottom drawer -- created mostly for the 6 y.o. to reach the micro installed in cabinet above. The cabinets do go to the ceiling on this wall - not sure it shows in these photos. This step helps me reach the second and third shelf, but I still need to drag out the higher stool to reach the tippy top shelves.
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sfcitydweller
14 years ago
Poggen Pohl makes on too!! I was able to play with it in their showroom, and it was amazing! My KD says everyone that has purchased the PP toekick step stool loves it.
friedajune
14 years ago
I have the Hafele toekick stepstool. A complete waste of money. Don't buy it. First of all, it only adds about 1' to your height--pretty darn worthless. Second of all, the cost of the step-stool, the bracket, AND I had to pay my cabinetmaker to make the toe kick front, and his extra labor to cut into my toekick to install it. Third of all, it is very unwieldy to unfold to use, and to fold it back up to put it away. It took me quite a few tries to get the knack of it, and it is WAY stiffer than any regular stepstool to unfold. Fourth of all, it is VERY pricey for a 1' stepstool. The final insult to my budget was that I had to, in the end, still buy a proper stepstool (from Target, for about $35) that unfolds easily and actually gives me the height I need in a stepstool to reach my upper shelves. I am short, so anything above the second shelf I need a stepstool.

Have I convinced you?

P.S. That inexpensive Target stepstool is quite nice, lightweight, unfolds easily, thin, stores easily, and sturdy. However, if you are determined to spend a lot of money on a stepstool, the BEST one on the market is the Ultra-Slim Aluminum Step Stool at Williams-Sonoma. I'd recommend the 3-step version.
friedajune
14 years ago
One more thing to add to my previous post - there have been some prior threads (rolled off by now) about stepstools on this forum with people posting their ingenious ways of storing stepstools. You may want to start a new thread entitled something along the lines of "ideas for stepstool storage?" or something.
southernstitcher
14 years ago
Now that is a great idea, jodi. I'll have to see if my cabinet maker is willing to do that. I'm one of those folks who grabs the kitchen chair and stands on it.
gizmonike
14 years ago
I've used the Kikstep library-style rolling stepstool for many years. You can nudge it where you want it to go, & it is round with a rubber bumper so it doesn't hurt anything. When you step on it, the frame comes down to the floor so there's no danger of it rolling. It goes in our pantry when I'm not using it.
lgpitman
11 years ago
It's an old post, and I don't know if you decided to get it or not. I have TWO. I love them. They are the perfect answer for a 5'2" cook in a large kitchen. Definitely add more than an inch to my height, no matter what the poster said. With these, I can reach every shelf in my kitchen, and I don't have to drag a big step stool out to do it. I'm actually building a new house and will install these in that kitchen as well.
eleena
11 years ago
It is interesting that you registered today just to find this old thread. It could be a coincidence, of course, but most people lurk first - long before supporting a product, IME. Hmm...