It should not take you by surprise the fact that Americans love to collect, thus their love for big kitchens with lots of cabinets.  European kitchens, on the other hand, tend to be smaller for the reason that Europeans tend to buy only and mostly for current consumption, instead of purchasing and freezing food for weeks.  Americans love functionality and comfort, Europeans love the simplicity and no hustle.  Kitchens in America usually have big room pantries where they stack up on all kinds of food.  On the aesthetic side, Europeans gravitate towards no upper cabinets perhaps as a reflection of their more simple lifestyle.

American Kitchen vs European Kitchen