Extendable tables for the kitchen: varieties and recommendations for selection

It’s good when there’s a lot of space in the kitchen. In this case, it can be equipped with any type of furniture. However, with a shortage of space, you have to think about how and due to which you can save space without compromising the functionality of furniture and the convenience of households. Often the solution to the problem is the purchase of retractable kitchen tables. What they are and how to choose your option, let's understand.

The extendable kitchen table is a built-in type design that, when folded, disguises itself as a drawer for the kitchen unit. In fact, this is a transforming table, depending on the type of model having a different transformation mechanism.

The symbiosis of the table and the drawer is equipped with a worktop located inside the floor drawer. The product may have a different size, material of manufacture, as well as the type of attachment of the countertop. Some options are more like sliding panels, others are equipped with supports of different configurations. This directly affects the stability of the table and the ability to withstand heavy loads.

At the pull-out tables There are advantages, they:

• depending on the model accommodate one, two and three users;
• can add workspace when cooking;
• can be used as tables for the child’s activities (drawing, modeling, designing);
• save space in small kitchens;
• equipped with convenient transformation mechanisms;
• differ in simplicity of operation and organization of order;
• made according to modern technologies, taking into account ergonomics;
• suitable for different stylistic directions of interior design;
• may have a different number of countertop sections;
• have a stylish appearance and reasonable price.

Depending on the variety, the sliding tables in the kitchen can withstand a weight in the range from 60 (on aluminum rails) to 100 kg (on beech springs). However, along with the advantages of pull-out kitchen tables, there are also disadvantages. For example, products:

• do not provide for moving to another place when necessary;
• due to the constant extension and closing, they wear out faster than standard analogues;
• need daily cleaning;
• often break, and therefore need repair;
• not adapted for the location of several people;
• not available in all models of kitchen sets;
• are more expensive than standard sets of kitchen furniture.

The kitchen table for the kitchen type, depending on the accessories, can be different. For example, it can be equipped with a cocktail mechanism, in which the table has an additional part, fixed on springs. For such products, the guides are mounted on the countertop and headset module. The accessories may have a roller or bearing mechanism, the tabletops of these products are wooden. The tabletop itself can consist of several sections, the fastening system is often supplemented by a closer.

Unlike the previous version, the folding tables of the two-tier type are multi-layered. Due to the telescopic structure, it is possible to create a full surface of the desktop. The connection of all sections into a single canvas tabletops occurs through a lifting mechanism. Concealed mobile dining table differs from previous analogues by the presence of support wheels.

The table on wheels is cleaned inside the headset when it is not needed. In comparison with other analogues, this variety is not the most practical and economical, since the location under the tabletop is used to arrange the supports with wheels. But sometimes masters manage to make such furniture to order, making it so that a table with supports or wheels is placed between the main tabletop and the floor cabinet with drawers for storing any items of kitchen utensils.

Extendable tables can also be part of dining tables. Most often these are sliding panels without support, hidden under the main countertop and equipped with withdrawable mechanisms. And also they can be elements of desktops with sinks, which are installed instead of any elements of the headset. Such products are usually designed for two or three users.

In the production of built-in pull-out tables, the same materials are used as for the main furniture. This can be wood, its derivatives, metal, polymer raw materials, plastic, glass, artificial stone. The best type of material is wood, it can be combined with materials that imitate a noble stone. At the same time, it is necessary to choose your own version taking into account the color of the furniture used to equip the kitchen.

For example, the color of the countertop can overlap with the shade of the wooden frames of the chairs, the tone of the surface of the desktop, the finish of the kitchen apron, and the facades of the set. Matching the tone of the general background solution is one of the criteria for a successful purchase. So the model will not get out on the general background, and if at the same time it will be supplemented with chairs in the same style and color, then it will create the effect of a furniture ensemble.

At first glance, it seems difficult to buy furniture with a retractable table for a small kitchen. However, with a more detailed approach to the issue, it turns out that this task is not as difficult as you might think. To take a good option, it is necessary to take into account a number of nuances.

• It is important to choose the right dimensions of the headset, correlating them with the place reserved for its installation. At the same time, furniture is bought in such a way that it matches the type of layout of a particular kitchen.
• It is necessary to determine the size of the countertop and the material of manufacture. It is advisable to choose options without wheels, as they are more stable and less mobile.
• Design matters. If the kitchen island is equipped in a studio apartment, the model with a retractable bar counter, equipped with a reliable support, will be an ideal option for a headset with a retractable table.
• The standard width of the built-in table of the extendable type is from 45 to 50 cm. It is able to withstand weight in the range of 15-20 kg. If the fittings are poor and fragile, the table will deform under the weight of objects on the countertop.
• For simple models, the length of the extendable part is comparable to the depth of the floor cabinet. However, among analogues there are transformer tables, the tabletop of which is folded according to the principle of blinds. These models are distinguished by greater length and maximum convenience, but it is more difficult to find them in the assortment of stores.
• When buying, you should pay attention to the fittings of a particular product. The progress of the mechanism should be smooth, and the guides should be durable and of high quality. To make the countertop extend softly and silently, it is better to purchase models with a closer.
• Not all models have a worktop with a facade that is perpendicular to the table. Other options include the type of opening, in which the facade of the retractable table leans forward, acquiring a parallel position to the floor.
• Roller systems are not designed for heavy loads. For such models, countertops are made of lightweight material.

The type of mechanism in terms of practicality and power may be different. It is advisable to choose between the console type options, T-ABLE and Opla Top. They are telescopic, have quality certificates and are subject to stringent requirements for strength and reliability. As for the price, models made of wood are more expensive, cheaper - from particleboard and MDF.

Sometimes furniture with retractable tables is bought for typical kitchens, in which there is enough space. In such cases, it is better to look closely at the products from the array, equipped not with one, but with two stable supports. From which side they will be nominated, the buyer will determine for himself, based on the place that he took for the installation of such furniture.

Look at the pull-out table in the kitchen with the Cocktail mechanism, see the video below.