Lazy Susan Cabinet Organizer: Which Size Fits

Contents7

• Full-size: Rev-A-Shelf 5472 kidney lazy Susan
• Compact: YouCopia Crazy Susan turntable
• What works well on a lazy Susan, and what doesn't
• Choosing between the two sizes
• Installing a lazy Susan
• Keeping a lazy Susan spinning smoothly
• Who this page is for

A lazy Susan solves a specific problem: items sitting in the back or side of a cabinet that you can't reach without pulling everything else out first. Instead of sliding a shelf toward you, it rotates in place, bringing whatever's at the back around to the front. This page compares a full-size corner lazy Susan against a smaller turntable, so you can match the size to the cabinet.

Full-size: Rev-A-Shelf 5472 kidney lazy Susan

The Rev-A-Shelf 5472 kidney-shaped 2-shelf lazy Susan is built specifically for corner base cabinets. It comes in 28" or 32" diameters, with two independently rotating chrome-plated hubs on a telescoping shaft and an adjustable top-shelf height. The kidney shape and independent rotation on each shelf let you use more of the cabinet's usable footprint than a single flat circle would, since the shape works around the cabinet's corner geometry instead of just filling a round space.

This is the size to check when you have an actual corner base cabinet and want to use its full interior. Two shelves that spin independently also mean you're not stuck moving both levels at once to find one item.

Compact: YouCopia Crazy Susan turntable

The YouCopia Crazy Susan two-tier turntable is a much smaller product, at a 10.5" by 10.5" footprint, and it isn't built specifically for a corner. It's height-adjustable at 5", 6", or 7" clearance settings and rotates a full 360 degrees on stainless steel ball bearings. Because it's compact and adjustable in height, it works on almost any shelf: a section of a pantry shelf, an upper cabinet shelf, or even a flat area of a base cabinet shelf that isn't a true corner.

If your goal is a rotating tray for spice bottles, condiments, or small jars anywhere in the kitchen, this is the more flexible option. It won't use the full depth of a corner cabinet the way the kidney lazy Susan will, but it also doesn't require a corner cabinet at all.

What works well on a lazy Susan, and what doesn't

Round cookware, jars, and squat bottles do well on a rotating shelf, since their base is wide relative to their height and they stay balanced through the spin. Tall, narrow bottles are the opposite case: a small base and a tall center of gravity make them prone to tipping as the shelf turns, especially if they're bumped by a neighboring item during rotation. If your cabinet has a mix of both, it's worth keeping the tall bottles on a straight pull-out shelf instead and saving the lazy Susan for the shorter, rounder items.

Choosing between the two sizes

If you have a dedicated corner base cabinet and want to use its full storage capacity, measure the interior diameter and compare it against the 28" and 32" options on the Rev-A-Shelf 5472. If you want a smaller rotating zone on a shelf that isn't a corner, or your corner cabinet is already fitted with a fixed shelf you don't want to replace, the compact Crazy Susan turntable is the simpler add.

For a corner cabinet with a hidden section behind an adjacent wall, neither of these products will reach it — that's a blind corner, and it needs the pull-out unit covered on the blind corner cabinet organizer page instead.

Installing a lazy Susan

A full-size kidney lazy Susan mounts on a center shaft, usually anchored to the cabinet floor, or to an existing center pole in cabinets that already have one built in from the factory. Check your cabinet before ordering to see whether it already has a mounting pole, since that can affect which lazy Susan models will fit without additional hardware. Most installations involve securing the base plate, threading the shaft, and attaching each shelf level, which is a manageable weekend project for most people rather than a job that needs a contractor.

A compact turntable like the Crazy Susan needs no mounting at all. It sits on non-slip feet directly on an existing shelf, so setup is closer to placing an object than installing a fixture. That makes it the lower-effort option if you want to test whether a rotating shelf solves your problem before committing to a full corner cabinet retrofit.

Keeping a lazy Susan spinning smoothly

Rotating hardware collects crumbs, spills, and dust in the gap between the shelf and the cabinet wall over time, which can eventually make the shelf harder to spin. Wiping down the shelf surface and the rim periodically keeps the rotation smooth, and it's easier to do on a lazy Susan than on a fixed shelf, since you can spin the mess into reach instead of climbing into the cabinet after it. Overloading one side of a two-shelf lazy Susan can also throw off the balance enough to make rotation feel uneven, so distributing weight across both shelves, rather than piling heavy items on just the bottom tier, keeps the mechanism working the way it's supposed to.

Who this page is for

This page is for someone who has decided a rotating shelf is the right fix and wants to know which size actually matches their cabinet, whether that's a dedicated corner cabinet or any other shelf in the kitchen. For the broader comparison of corner cabinet shapes and options, see the corner cabinet organizer page.

Questions people also ask

Does a lazy Susan have to go in a corner cabinet?

No. Full-size kidney lazy Susans like the Rev-A-Shelf 5472 are built specifically for corner base cabinets, but smaller turntables like the YouCopia Crazy Susan work on any shelf, including a pantry shelf, upper cabinet, or a flat spot on a base cabinet shelf that isn't in a corner at all.

What size lazy Susan do I need for my corner cabinet?

Rev-A-Shelf's kidney lazy Susan comes in 28" or 32" diameters. Measure your cabinet's usable interior diameter, allowing clearance for the shelf to rotate without catching on the cabinet walls, before choosing between the two sizes.

Why do tall bottles tip over on a lazy Susan?

A rotating shelf moves items sideways as it spins, and a narrow base with a tall, heavy top makes a bottle more likely to lose balance during that motion. Shorter, wider containers and round cookware sit more securely.

Can I use a small turntable instead of a full lazy Susan in a corner cabinet?

You can set a compact turntable like the Crazy Susan on an existing corner cabinet shelf, but it won't reach the full depth of the cabinet the way a purpose-built kidney lazy Susan does. It works better as a smaller rotating zone within a larger shelf than as a full corner solution.