This Cutting Board Has an Ingenious Way to Sharpen Your Knife (and Two More Unexpected Features)
Some kitchen tools have an unfortunate reputation for being gimmicky. In some cases, like when a pair of scissors has four sets of blades designed specifically to snip chives faster, the slander can be deserved. But, the proliferation of too-many-in-one kitchen gadgets has brought undue skepticism upon those that actually do save you time, money, and effort. The good multipurpose tools are out there, and I’m happy to find them for you.
One that I recently discovered on TikTok might sound like it’s trying to squeeze into too many functions, but this four-in-one cutting board is the real deal. Unlike unnecessary kitchen gadgets, this one works because it takes tasks that you would naturally want to do with your cutting board, or that you would rather not have to buy separate tools for, and makes them all possible in one compact design. And, at just $20, this is a deal worth snatching up.
At a glance, this multitasker serves as a cutting board, a defrosting tray, a knife sharpener, and a grater for ingredients such as garlic and fresh ginger. All those features work well on their own, and they’re combined in a thoughtful way that doesn’t compromise the functionality of one just to prioritize another. It has an 4.3-star average rating on Amazon and shoppers have found it to live up to its hype. “When I originally saw this product, I was a bit skeptical,” one reviewer wrote. “The thawing feature really works well. I was pleasantly surprised. I’m thinking of buying another one and gifting it to my mother-in-law.”
The board is made from plastic, which is one of the safest cutting materials for your knives and easiest to sanitize because you can clean it in the dishwasher. On the other side is a layer of metal that quickly conducts cold away from frozen meat and seafood, so your steak or fish filets will come to room temperature in under an hour and be ready to cook. Tucked inside the handle is a small notch that you can slide your knife through to hone the blade, which is a good habit to that makes cutting both easier and safer. And, in the top corner, a small section of sharp nubs helps you break down aromatics including garlic and ginger into a fine paste — no dicing required.
Personally, I know I would get a lot of use out of this combination tool. My nightly cooking routine almost always involves me using a honing rod and garlic press in addition to my cutting board, and I would love to have to deal with (and find storage space for) fewer tools. This also makes a budget-friendly gift for college students and young people living on their own for the first time because it costs as much as a single cutting board, but gives them three other tools as well. I hope the next piece of kitchenware I find is as smart as this four-in-one cooking essential — it’s got some stiff competition!