Lazy Susan Cabinet Dimensions (with Drawings)
Throughout the years, lazy susans have advanced into a variety of shapes, styles, and materials. What was once a simple turntable has now expanded into cabinet-mounted and blind corner organization pieces. Use this as a guide to choose your lazy susan for your kitchen.
Lazy susans come in a variety of shapes and sizes and are available in even number diameters. 36 or 39-inch corner cabinets use a 32-inch lazy susan, and a 33-inch corner cabinet would fit a 28-inch lazy susan. Pie-shaped lazy susans will typically have a larger diameter to accommodate deeper corner cabinets in the kitchen.
What Is a Lazy Susan Cabinet?
Also known as a turntable, a lazy susan is a rotating, tray-shaped platform. These can be placed on tables or countertops to distribute food. They can also be placed inside corner cabinets for increased organization and provide a rotating storage system.
What’s the Average Size of a Lazy Susan Cabinet?
Lazy susans come in even-number diameters. A 36 or 39-inch corner cabinet can accommodate a 32-inch lazy susan. A 33-inch corner cabinet can accommodate a 28-inch lazy susan.
Pie-shaped lazy susans tend to have larger diameters to accommodate deeper corner cabinets. Most lazy susans will have specified minimum and maximum inside cabinet height when purchasing.
When deciding what size lazy susan you need for your cabinet, you should measure the inside depth of the cabinet. Measure from the back wall to the inside of the door frame. Then, measure the inside width of the cabinet from left to right.
Subtract 2 to 4 inches from the smaller of the measurements. This will be the clearance around the shelf. The result will be the diameter of the largest lazy susan that can fit inside the cabinet.
What Are the Types of Lazy Susans?
There are five standard types of lazy susans. The characteristics of each will vary, so you should determine which one will suit your cabinet best.
D-Shaped Lazy Susan
A D-shaped lazy susan is designed for standard cabinets and corner cabinets with a 45-degree angle door. Most D-shaped lazy susans feature three to five shelves with fixed or rotating trays. Before purchasing this lazy susan, you should determine the minimum cabinet width to ensure the lazy susan will fit.
Measure from left to right within the face frame and the height from top to bottom. Subtract 2 to 3 inches from each side to allow your lazy susan to spin comfortably. A 22-inch D-shaped lazy susan can fit in 24-inch cabinets.
Full-Round Lazy Susan
Full-round lazy susans are the most versatile among the lazy susan options. The circle trays on this lazy susan have no cutouts for cabinet doors, nor do they attach to cabinet doors. Round lazy susans fit in most standard regular and corner cabinets in upper or lower positions.
Full-round lazy susans are also available in pantry shelf sets and feature up to five shelves. They can occupy openings up to 62 inches high inside of the cabinet.
Kidney-Shaped Lazy Susan
Kidney-shaped lazy susans work well with corner cabinets that have unattached double folding doors and feature rotating shelves. You can mount kidney-shaped lazy susans inside cabinets after installing them.
To ensure your lazy susan will fit, measure from the corner inset to the back wall. Then measure from the widest side, left to right. Most cabinet installations feature a twist and lock shaft that can adjust the cabinet height if needed.
Half-Round Lazy Susan
A half-round lazy susan is mounted directly onto the cabinet door and pivots when opened. This allows access to a blind corner cabinet. When shelves pivot, any items in the back are brought to the front of the cabinet within reach.
Ball-bearing slides allow the shelves to pull out smoothly when the door is open. Half-round lazy susans fit cabinet openings 12 inches to 19.5 inches.
To ensure the half-round lazy susan will fit, the cabinet opening shouldn’t be smaller than the lazy susan’s width. Furthermore, the cabinet opening should not be shorter than the lazy susan’s dimensions, front to back.
Pie-Cut Lazy Susan
Pie-cut lazy susans are similar in shape and often confused with kidney-shaped lazy susans. While the primary shape is the same, the difference is that pie-cut lazy susans have a square inside corner. Cabinet doors can attach directly to the lazy susan and form a 90-degree angle.
Because the doors are attached to the spinning lazy susan, they should be designed as inset doors. This will allow the doors to rotate into the cabinet opening. Keep in mind that the largest pie-cut lazy susan has a 28-inch diameter, so it doesn’t always maximize space usage.
Lazy Susan Materials
In addition to the many different styles of lazy susans, they also come in different material types. The three materials you can choose from are wood, polymer, and wire.
Wooden Lazy Susan
Wooden lazy susans have increased in popularity over time due to their ability to match the wood interior of cabinets. Most wooden lazy susans feature birch or maple plywood.
Wooden lazy susans can also be solid wood to reduce the chance of warping. The shelf edges of the lazy susan are then wrapped with matching plywood about 1-inch tall. This is to keep items from falling off the lazy susan while rotating.
Polymer Lazy Susan
A molded polymer or plastic lazy susan is the most common type of material and available in several different colors. These lazy susans have ribbing as well as a textured surface for strength and a non-skid effect. Polymer lazy susans are economical, durable, and washable.
Wire Lazy Susan
Wire lazy susans consist of heavy-gauge welded metal. After being assembled, epoxy-coated paint can cover the wire for a clean look. These lazy susans are great for kitchens that have a more modern design.
Lazy Susan Turntables
Before lazy susan cabinets, there were lazy susan turntables. These are still used today on countertops and tables to pass food around or organize different items. Before purchasing a lazy susan turntable, you want to determine the size and shape you need.
The width and shape are important factors when deciding how big or small your lazy susan should be. Below are guidelines to estimate the best size lazy susan for your table or countertop.
Lazy Susan Turntable Dimension Guidelines | ||
| Lazy Susan Diameter | Round Table Width | Rectangle/Square Table Width |
| 12 – 16 inches | 36 – 42 inches | 36 inches |
| 16 – 20 inches | 42 – 48 inches | 42 inches |
| 18 – 24 inches | 45 – 52 inches | 44 – 48 inches |
| 24 – 28 inches | 52 – 60 inches | 48 – 52 inches |
| 28 – 32 inches | 58 – 66 inches | 54 inches |
| 36 inches | 66 – 72 inches | 60 inches |
| 40 inches | 72 – 80 inches | 72 inches or larger |
| 45 inches | 80 – 84 inches | – |
| 48 inches | 84 – 90 inches | – |
In addition to these general guidelines, there are also other considerations to keep in mind:
- The place setting arrangement for your table.
- The overall size of your place setting. Be sure to include glasses, chargers, etc.Â
- The range of reach. The average adult that is 5 feet 8 inches can reach up to 20 inches when seated. Ideally, you want to keep the range of reach no more than 18 inches.Â
- If you serve large dishes of food, a 24-inch lazy susan is the minimum size to accommodate a meal for five. During holidays or larger dinners, a 30 to 32-inch lazy susan is the minimum size you will need.
What Are Some Lazy Susan Alternatives?
Some people don’t like lazy susans for a variety of reasons. Some say it has functional flaws like lack of accessibility, or this spinning is annoying. Others say that lazy susans lack the storage they need in their kitchen.
If a lazy susan is not for you, consider these lazy susan alternatives.
Adjustable Height Shelves
Adjustable height shelves are a simple and effective alternative to a lazy susan. Most corner cabinets come with one standard shelf, but it is easy to add more. While this doesn’t work for everyone, it can help eliminate some of your storage qualms.
Corner Drawers
While corner drawers are your most expensive option, they are the most ergonomic solution for your corner cabinet storage needs. You can’t add corner drawers to an existing kitchen, so you need to consider this when planning. Also, corner drawers require a large footprint and opening clearance, so keep this in mind when renovating your kitchen.
Related Questions
How much does it cost to install a lazy susan cabinet?
A lazy susan cabinet is considered a specialty or utility cabinet. These cabinets tend to be part of a custom cabinet project. When installing specialty cabinets, expect to pay $350 to $1,000 per cabinet depending on the style and method of installation.If your kitchen already includes the space for corner cabinets, you may not pay as much as a custom installation. You will need to buy a corner cabinet that has a lazy susan already installed. These cabinets can cost $300 to $850 per cabinet installed, depending upon the material and size.
How do I fix a lazy susan that has stopped spinning?
When a lazy susan stops spinning or becomes difficult to rotate, you can easily adjust it using tools at home. This is typically a result of the center shaft or the lazy susan’s bottom shelf position. Before you begin the repair, lightly spin the lazy susan and note where it has difficulty. Locate the locking bolt at the top of the center shaft and loosen the bolt. When the bolt is loose, move the adjusting rod to provide better clearance between the center shaft and the top of the cabinet. Finish the repair by tightening the bolt, but do not over-tighten.
Stacy Randall is a wife, mother, and freelance writer from NOLA that has always had a love for DIY projects, home organization, and making spaces beautiful. Together with her husband, she has been spending the last several years lovingly renovating her grandparent's former home, making it their own and learning a lot about life along the way.
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