I liked the Mind Reader Bamboo Kitchen Utility Cart more than I thought I would, though there were a few features that could have been better.
Unfortunately the cart pieces were packed poorly–the box arrived torn, there were dings and chips in the bamboo, a screw had come out of its plastic bag and was rattling around loose in the box (which resulted in scrapes on the bamboo), and there was a confetti of white styrofoam particles everywhere.
The bamboo pieces seemed of high quality and the screw holes were countersunk, which allowed for a more professional looking final assembly. There were three different types of screws, and the box contained exactly the right number of each. The screws were also color coded for easy identification, though the screw colors were not mentioned in the assembly instructions.
After vacuuming and cleaning up all the styrofoam particles, putting together the cart was fairly straightforward (you will need a Phillips-Head Screwdriver), though we did modify the assembly instructions. Whereas the top and bottom cart tiers are flat surfaces, the instructions specified that the middle tier be flipped so that the middle tier served as a tray, with a slight rim around the outer edge. Unfortunately, if installed this way the design of the cart would show the ugly screw heads holding the tier to the vertical rails. However, by flipping the middle tier so that it is actually a flat surface, then the ugly screw heads are not visible. We found this way of assembling the cart much more aethestically pleasing.
Also, we decided to put the cart together top-to-bottom, again by not following the shipped instructions. The result of this top-to-bottom assembly process was that we could easily see all the screw holes as we were working. As usual, we connected everything loosely, and did final tightening once everything was roughly in position. Once fully assembled, we flipped the cart over onto its wheels and it was ready to go!
This utility cart has three tiers and two side storage compartments and the overall dimensions are about 17” L x 28” W x 33” H. The cart has wheels, so it is easily moved. The wheels attached with metal plates for added quality and stability, and two of the wheels come with locking mechanisms, though we could not get them to actually lock.
The cart looks quite good and is very sturdy. While the wheels allow the cart to be moved conveniently, a handle would have made moving the cart even more convenient. The three tiers allow for a lot of storage space, though be aware the narrow rails restrict the size of items that can be stored on the second and bottom tiers (the gap is about 11.5"–I included a picture showing that I could just fit a dinner plate on the second shelf). And note that the words “Mind Reader” are burned into the top of the cart, which are words that do not normally come to mind when I think about kitchens, bamboo, or carts.
Overall, this is an attractive and useful cart, though we recommend you put it together like we did instead of following the instructions.
Pricing and Avabaility on Amazon: Mind Reader Bamboo Kitchen Utility Cart (aff)