The Prep Station

Prep For Success

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.

"Worth its weight in gold for the practical cook who wants to feel confident about putting good food on the table."

— Detroit News

This Set Includes:

Cook Along with Bridget and Julia

Enjoy mastering a new recipe while tuning in to and following along with new episodes of America’s Test Kitchen with all-new recipes. Every recipe that has appeared on the show is in this cookbook, along with the test kitchen's indispensable notes and tips. You’ll also find a shopping guide that shows what ingredients the ATK Reviews team recommends so that you can re-create the exact dish you see on your screen.

New and Improved Shopping Guide

Enjoy mastering a new recipe while tuning in to and following along with new episodes of America’s Test Kitchen with all-new recipes. Every recipe that has appeared on the show is in this cookbook, along with the test kitchen's indispensable notes and tips. You’ll also find a shopping guide that shows what ingredients the ATK Reviews team recommends so that you can re-create the exact dish you see on your screen.

A Simple Citrus Peel

Hold a citrus strip horizontal, pith side facing you, near the surface of your cocktail. Pinch the zest to express oils onto the cocktail and then rub the outer edge of the glass with the peel.

This Kit Includes:

OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board
Anchor Hocking Custard Cups, Set of 4
New Designs Ripple Kitchen Towel
Dexas Heavy Duty Grippmats, Set of 4

Review Key:Good Fair Poor

Best Lightweight Board

OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board

Stability

Durability

Ease of Use

Weighing just over 3 pounds, the new version of our previous winner is the lightest board in our lineup, making it especially easy to lift and maneuver. Happily, its rubbery sides still allow it to sit relatively securely on the counter, though it did slip occasionally. And most testers appreciated the trench built into one side, too. Two small problems kept it from the top of the rankings: Because the board is so thin, with relatively tall rubbery strips embedded in the sides, the middle of the board never made contact with the counter, so it bounced a bit as we chopped, cleaved, or pounded. And the board became concave every time we put it under hot water, though it never warped permanently.

Material: Polypropylene

Dimensions: 21.1" x 14.5"

Thickness: 0.35 in

Extra Features: Trench

Grips: Yes

Weight: 3 lbs, 1 oz

Winner

Anchor Hocking Custard Cups

Footprint

Durability

Ease of Use

Versatility

Odor Resistance

The cheapest of the bowl sets was also the best single-size set, nicely containing and emptying ingredients of different sizes and textures. Each 6-ounce bowl was wide, shallow, smooth, and substantial, as these were the heaviest of the glass bowls we tested. A small lip on the outside of the bowls made them comfortable to grip. Lids for the bowls can be purchased separately.

Number of Bowls in Set: 4

Material: Glass

Bowl Dimensions: 3.75 x 2 in

Capacity: 6 oz

Oven Safe: Yes

Microwave Safe: Yes

Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Recommended

New Designs Ripple Kitchen Towel

Handling

Absorption

Durability

Our previous winner still impressed with its streak-free drying, soft fabric, and excellent absorption. We’d heard complaints about unraveling but couldn’t reproduce this in testing: After rigorous use and more than 26 laundry cycles, this towel showed no signs of fraying. One quibble: All that fluffy ribbing makes for a snug fit when drying tight corners.

Material: Cotton, ribbed weave

Size (after washing): 25 by 18.25 in (3.17 sq ft)

Winner

Dexas Heavy Duty Grippmats

Size

Cleanup

Stability

Durability

Flexibility

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.

Material: Polypropylene and polyethylene

Dimensions: 11 ½ by 14 inches

Thickness: 1.56 mm

A Simple Citrus Peel

Hold a citrus strip horizontal, pith side facing you, near the surface of your cocktail. Pinch the zest to express oils onto the cocktail and then rub the outer edge of the glass with the peel.