This Ridiculously Useful Kitchen Find Completely Transformed My Meal Prep Game

When it comes to shopping for kitchen products, I’m all about function. However, as someone with a love for home decor, if I can find something that expertly marries style and function, even better. A couple of months back, I found myself on the hunt for the perfect cutting board. Being that I live in a studio apartment with limited storage space, I wanted something that I wouldn’t mind leaving out on my countertop, so naturally, my mind gravitated towards a wood cutting board. But while I love the look of wood cutting boards, I also know myself — I knew I would also want a plastic cutting board for things like meat, poultry, and fish because I’m a stickler about preventing cross-contamination. So you can imagine the joy I felt when I discovered this innovative cutting board from Cooler Kitchen.

At first glance, this cutting board looks like your regular, run-of-the-mill kitchen tool, but in actuality, it’s the ultimate prep station. Nested within the wooden cutting board are six color-coded, flexible plastic ones. BPA free and dishwasher safe, each plastic cutting board comes embossed with one of six symbols (cow, chicken, pig, fish, tomato, and muffin) designating a specific type of food — a must for kosher, halal, and vegetarian households. Best of all, each of these inserts features a waffle textured back, so the mats won’t slip and slide on your countertop.

Now, I hadn’t been this excited about a new kitchen gadget since I bought my now-beloved tea kettle, so believe me when I tell you I was tracking the delivery status on this thing like a hawk. When it arrived, I unboxed it, placed it on my counter, and marveled at it. It truly is a lovely cutting board. But now came the real test — prep time. I decided to challenge it with an in-depth recipe that would require at least three of the boards. I was immediately smitten. These boards, while flexible, are not flimsy and even held up to my sharpest professional knives with only the faintest of marks. I’m also not afraid to admit that I caught myself a couple of times on the verge of cross-contamination only to look at the symbol and quickly correct myself.

Clean-up was also a breeze, with my meat and poultry boards getting a quick rinse and a toss in the dishwasher while my veggie and bread boards got an easy wash in the sink. One thing I will note is that the boards do slightly bend after going through a cycle in the dishwasher. However, once I dried them and placed them back in the wooden base, they immediately flattened out and were good as new.

The Cooler Kitchen Bamboo Cutting Board comes in at $35.99 (there’s also an Amazon coupon on-site that will save you an additional $2), a price that’s more than fair when you realize you’re getting seven cutting boards in one. So if you’re looking to pick up a new cutting board, give this one a shot — I think you’ll find it makes the, ahem, cut.