Ditto what florantha said! I have two pull-out boards in my kitchen and I love them. They are made of plywood, I believe, and cut on them directly.

Actually...it's not plywood...looks like 3/4" solid maple or something.

I have one and have never used it in the 13 years I've been in this house. It's particle board with some kind of veneer. Even if it were solid maple, I wouldn't use it since all my prep is done on a rinsable, lightweight cutting board next to the sink. I don't want a prep area hanging out over the floor.

I have two, and wouldn't be without them. It gives me a lower counter to use...I'm 5' tall. And the one by the oven is a landing place for hot things. The other is near my baking area and is handy for chopping nuts, etc. One end of my island is butcher block, and that is one of my favorite things in the kitchen.

(probably stupid question) How are they supported, so that they don't wobble when you cut on them?

There will be 3 in my new kitchen and I can't wait! They're supported on each side by steel "C"-shaped channels that hold the sides of the boards so that they pull out flat and stay flat.

northcarolina, you don't pull the pullout all the way out--it's the tension of the last third or so that is still inside the cab that holds the extended part in place when you press on it.

A custom cab shop can make you some and include them in your original design. Some of the big companies also make them, but the ones we investigated did not. One of the dumbest ideas I've seen (from my pt of view) is to have a pull-out which is stored at top of an open lower cab and which you just take out and plunk onto countertop. What is the point--you need to pay someone big bucks for something you can simply buy at a supply store? Or just use a cute one from the grocery store.

linelle, you have a bonafide pull-out board which can take hard usage. This is how they're made in our world. The outer wood can take a lot, but it is possible to wear through it in time--I can vouch for this. Try years of pounding meat on it.

We have many pull-out work surfaces in our to-be-completed kitchen. We made an appliance cabinet (a 36 inch cab) with a roll-out so we can pull out the appliances when we want to use them. In the same cabinet, right below that roll-out is another pull-out surface in case we want to leave the appliances in the cab and roll out a surface to work on. Finally, we have a pull out cutting board that is over a cab w/ a roll-out trash can and the pull-out cutting board has a little hole in the back so when you are done cutting, you can pull it out the rest of the way and pull out the trash and sweep garbage right down in:

Here it is in the cabinet shop before it came home. See the hole in the back:

Good job, Beagles. I like your ideas very much. Enjoy.

I had a pull out cutting board. The board was 25 years old and in poor shape, so I tried to find a board that fit to no avail. I'm not a woodworker, so couldn't buy a peice and sand it down, etc. I MISS IT!!! Mine was actually wobbly if I worked on it, so not a true work surface-it was really meant more for just storage, but if I could redo a kitchen, I'd have at least one pull out cutting area.

Sounds as though there are a couple of ways to make the mechanism work well. I love the idea; I guess I'm envisioning something like the pull-out boards on our antique desk, which look like these but would not support chopping or heavy pots (because of course they were not built for that). If we get custom cabs, which unfortunately is unlikely, I'll remember to ask about it.

Florantha, itsallaboutthefood, Joyce and others --> How do you clean your boards? If you cut meat or chop veggies that can stain (spinach, herbs or beets), How do you clean them and dry them?

If anyone has a table height one, can you post a pic? I am wondering if a gateleg or some kind of leg that is already attached is possible?

Lalitha

Here is a link to some manufactured pull out tables. Maybe one of these will work for you.

Here is a link that might be useful: pull out tables

Lalitha, you make sure you pull it out far enough to find all the crumbs that worked their way back under the countertop and eliminate them. If blood or juices have drooled back, it's best to pull out the board completely to wash it.

Soap water on a dishrag in my house and then air dry well. If the board is grungy or smells of something I use baking soda as a scrub substance then rinse well.

Have never had any problems. I don't use harsh household chemicals.

I simply wipe mine down with a soapy sponge, and leave it open until it dries. If it is very dirty, I pull it out and wash it in the sink. I don't really worry about stains...and I haven't noticed anything significant. Even with beets...any stains eventually fades away.

how about like this -

or this

My dad built the kitchen we had in my family's first house & he built these pull-outs in EVERY cabinet, over EVERY drawer. It was awesome. No matter where you were you could easily get another food or so of counter space in an instant. I think it consumed a total of 1.5" in height for the extra frame & board itself, which translated into cabinet doors that were 1.5" shorter. Not a big loss in exchange for "free" extra counter space at a moment's notice.

That was a smallish galley style kitchen, though, and counter space was in short supply. I'd prefer a big workspace but if that isn't in the cards, I think pullouts are the next best thing.

We are putting pull-outs on our his and her cabinets in the "sun room" (breakfast area of the kitchen). This way, we can use as a desk when needed - otherwise to store whatever each of us wants.
My husband plans to store his sports items (bicycle helmet, bottles) plus his caps and vests. (He hasn't figured out there are other closets but better than on the chairs in the sun room)