New Cosco Retro Chair/Step Stool vs. the Original

Here it is, a kitchen classic, and it's been reintroduced by Cosco, finished in red, yellow and black. The new version is convincingly like the original, but with a few notable exceptions (so be warned if you're expecting to get the real deal). Appearance-wise, the four main legs fasten completly underneath the seat and I've read that the chrome finish does not stand up well over time. Also plastic has been substituted for metal for various parts. It's not as structurally rock solid as the original which was American made. This one's made in China.




You can order online from Amazon.com. It's available on various home sites such as Target and Home depot, but wasn't available at any our local retailers. Mine came from a flea-market (of course) covered in accumulated layers of grime, stained blue paint and nasty rust. A week and a little magic later, and the below photo shows the result. The corrosion came off with steel wool and the chrome below reappeared like new. The paint job was a bit more difficult, trying to find the proper shade of vermillion red, I finally settled with Testors Bright Red modelor's spray paint.

Junior now has no trouble at all climbing up it's steps to reach the forbidden cookie jar!