Kitchen corner units: linked pull outs, swing out trays, carousels or corner drawers?
An L or U kitchen leaves a blind corner. The five ways to reach it, which cabinet each one needs, and how much weight the makers say it carries.
By the Ajusteur teamUpdated 5 minute read
Why is the corner the hardest cupboard?
Where two runs of cabinets meet, one cabinet hides behind the other. Without a fitting you kneel on the floor and reach into the dark for the big pot. Every corner mechanism solves the same problem: bring the back of that cupboard to the front.
There are two kinds of corner. A blind corner is a straight cabinet that runs on into the corner, with a door on the open part only. An L corner is a cabinet shaped like an L, with a folding door across the angle. The fitting has to match the corner you have.
The five ways to reach a corner
Here is what each one does.
Which cabinet sizes do they need?
Corner fittings are made for set cabinet widths, so the plan has to start from the fitting. These are the published sizes for a few models, each from its maker:
Three corner fittings, measured
Here are three fittings from one maker's range, with the numbers its own shop pages publish. They show how different the same corner can be.
Source: peka: Corner pull out LeMans II
Why the door angle matters in a corner
A corner door often cannot open all the way, because the cabinet or the appliance next to it is in the road. The linked pull out above is built so that it works from a door opened only 85 degrees. That is the number to ask about when a dishwasher or an oven housing sits beside the corner.
The swing out fitting needs a little more thought at the front. Its maker gives the front an overlap of 52 mm to allow for the thickness of the door, so the door and the fitting have to be drawn together, not chosen one after the other.
A carousel is simple, and it has a height
A carousel turns on an axle, so it needs nothing from the door except room to swing. What it does need is height: the model above fits a cabinet with 660 to 860 mm clear inside, which is a normal base unit and not a low one under a window. With three shelves at 25 kg each it carries a serious set of pans, as long as the pans fit the curve.
Which one should you choose?
If you store heavy pots, look at the load first. The heavier linked pull out above carries far more than a tray fitting. If you want to see everything at once, a linked pull out brings both halves into the light. Swing out trays are easy to use, and on one maker's model each tray carries up to 25 kg. A carousel is simple and turns smoothly, and it only fits an L corner.
Check the depth and the door width too. Many blind corner fittings need a minimum depth near 500 mm and a door of a set width, which can clash with a dishwasher or a hob next to the corner.
How do we choose one for your kitchen?
We plan corners from the maker's own limits: cabinet width, depth, height and load. If a limit is not published, we check it with the maker before it goes in your quote. Every fitting is listed on its own line. Browse the corner unit mechanisms in our library, or sketch your kitchen in the planner.
Source: Vauth-Sagel: VS COR Fold
Quick questions
What is the best corner solution for a kitchen?
For a blind corner, a linked pull out gives the best reach and the highest loads. For an L corner, a carousel. Corner drawers use the space best when your drawer system offers them.
What size cabinet does a linked corner pull out need?
Most are made for blind corner cabinets of 900 or 1000 mm, about 500 mm deep. Check the exact model: one maker's linked pull out also comes for 1050 and 1200 mm.
Are swing out trays better than a linked pull out?
Swing out trays are very easy to use, and one maker's carry up to 25 kg per tray. A linked pull out brings more of the cupboard into view, and some models carry more weight. Choose by what you store.
How far does a corner cabinet door need to open?
It depends on the fitting. One maker's linked pull out works from a door opened 85 degrees, which is why it suits corners with a dishwasher or oven housing next door. Carousels only need the door out of the way.