This $12 Step Stool Is More Important to My Kitchen Than My Cookware

I’m not tall, but I’m not short. I don’t have to worry about blocking people at concerts, but I can also ride all of the rides at an amusement park (at least, since the last time I went to one). I’ll put it this way, I still struggle to reach the very back of my pantry. 

So I did what any normal, average-sized person would do: I bought a step stool. And after owning this for over five years, I can confidently say, this isn’t any ordinary step stool. It’s the creme de la creme of step stools, and it’s only $12 on Amazon. 

To buy: Handy Laundry Folding Step Stool, $12 at amazon.com

What sets this step stool apart is its folding design. It can go from 11- by 9- by 9-inches to about the size of an Encyclopedia Britannica. There are no buttons or knobs. You just pull it up and it snaps together and can slide right behind the fridge.

Personally, I keep mine open though. The design is unimposing, and it’s so small I barely notice it’s there. It has little nonslip foot pads on the top so you don’t slip and kill yourself when you’re reaching for the oregano. The brand says it can hold up to 300 pounds, and let me tell you, it is sturdy. 

While I only use mine in the kitchen, it seems this step stool is about as multi-purpose as it gets. It’s one of the main reasons it has racked up over 44,300 five-star ratings at Amazon. One shopper calls it “an easy-to-store stool,” and adds they use theirs in “the kitchen and to work on my taller sculptures.” If you’re wondering, he did not include any images of the sculptures he’s talking about in his review. 

Another customer writes that it’s “good for a 3-year-old using potty.” They add they started using it in their kitchen to reach things. “Sturdy for both of us.”

All I can say is I hope it isn’t the same one they’re both using. At just $12, this is worth grabbing, and you might even want to grab two or three, especially if you have a 3-year-old. 

At the time of publishing, the price was $12.