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The Prep Station
An organized, tidy food prep station creates a foundation for safe, clean, and successful cooking.
In our test kitchen, “setting up your board” means setting up your cooking station before you begin to prep and cook. Setting up your board at home is just as important.
OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board
BEST LIGHTWEIGHT- RECOMMENDED
CUTTING ★★★
DURABILITY ★★
USER-FRIENDLINESS ★★★
Reviewed June 2020
We compared cutting performance, durability, and user-friendliness. We diced onions, chopped chipotle chiles, minced herbs, and hacked up chicken thighs. Each board ran through high-heat commercial dishwashers 40 to 75 times and suffered a fall from the counter after testing.
Dimensions: 14.5" x 21"
Weight: 3.85 lbs
Material: Plastic
Clean: Dishwasher Safe
Anchor Hocking Custard Cups
Set of Four
BEST BUY - RECOMMENDED
FOOTPRINT ★★½
DURABILITY ★★★
EASE-OF-USE ★★★
VERSATILITY ★★½
STAIN AND ODOR RESISTANCE ★★★
Reviewed January 2016
We compared seven widely available sets of prep bowls, filling and emptying them with a variety of different foods. We noted accumulated stains and odors and the bowls’ condition after repeated washing. A nudge off the counter helped assess durability. Microwave-safe and/or oven-safe bowls earned extra points.
Dimensions: 3.75" x 2"
Capacity: 6 oz
Use: Microwave Safe
Clean: Dishwasher Safe
New Designs Ripple Kitchen Towel
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
HANDLING ★★★
ABSORPTION ★★★
DURABILITY ★★★
Reviewed June 2014
We quantified absorbency by dangling an inch of each towel into a tub of water for 15 minutes, weighing the towels before and after. We also used the towels to wring water from frozen spinach, hold hot baking dishes, and dry slim, delicate champagne flutes. A set of 26 full laundry cycles mimicked 6 months of weekly washing and helped us test longterm durability.
Quantity Included: 1
Material: Cotton, Ribbed Weave
Size: 25" x 18.25"
Dexas Heavy Duty Grippmats, Set of 4
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
SIZE ★★★
CLEANUP ★★★
STABILITY ★★★
DURABILITY ★★½
FLEXABILITY ★★★
Reviewed March 2018
These mats were some of the thickest and sturdiest in our lineup but were still flexible enough to funnel food into skillets and bowls. Both sides are textured, which kept the mats in place on the counter and prevented foods from sliding across the cutting surface. The textured surface also prevented deep knife marks and concealed cosmetic nicks.
Dimensions: 11" x 15" x 0.81mm
Material: Polypropylene
Clean: Dishwasher Safe
Details
Includes:
OXO Carving and Cutting Board
Anchor Hocking Custard Cups, Set of 4
Now Designs Kitchen Towel
Dexas Grippmats, Set of 4
Item Number: ATKPREP
Item Weight: 8.05 pounds
Shipping
Setting Up Your Cutting Station
Anchor Your Board
A cutting board that slides all over the counter is not only annoying, it is also unsafe. If your cutting board doesn’t have nonslip grips on the bottom (our Best Buy does), place either a square of wet paper towel or a small piece of shelf liner between the counter and the cutting board.
Organize Your Prep
Organizing your prepped ingredients into little bowls isn’t just for TV chefs; it’s a great idea for home cooks, too. This setup makes it easy to grab an ingredient and add it to a hot pan at just the right moment.