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See why.Cutting Board Stabilizers
Even the best cutting boards slip sometimes. Can these tools help?
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See Everything We TestedWhat You Need To Know
At some point or another, you’ve probably had a cutting board slip on the counter while you were preparing a meal. While this disconcerting problem is more common with boards that are lightweight or lacking rubber grips, it can occasionally occur even with some of the sturdier cutting boards we like best. Sure, you could just wet a paper towel and stick it under your cutting board—this simple hack can do a lot to prevent your board from moving. But a dedicated cutting board stabilizer promises to work even better, with less fuss and no water. Available as mats that go under your board or as clip-on feet that attach to the board’s corners, these stabilizers are supposed to anchor your board to the counter and keep it from budging.
We had just reviewed large plastic cutting boards, so the threat of slippage was especially fresh in our minds. (Our favorite large plastic cutting board, the Winco Statik Board Cutting Board 15" x 20" x ½", was one of the few that didn’t budge.) Curious to see if any of these stabilizers actually worked, we bought five models—a set of clip-on feet and four mats—priced from about $3 to about $41, and used them to stabilize wood and plastic boards on different types of counters. While several of the mats came in a range of sizes, we focused on those that were compatible with boards that measure at least 20 inches long and 15 inches wide, as this is the size of cutting board we recommend for most home cooks.
Some Stabilizers Were Better Than Others
The good news? Because they were made of grippy silicone or rubber, all the stabilizers kept the boards from slipping around on wood, Formica, and metal counters—even when those surfaces were wet or dusted with flour and regardless of whether we were mincing parsley or hacking chicken parts with a cleaver.
The bad news? Some of them were a pain to use, introducing new problems as we cut on the boards or proving extra-hard to clean. The dimensions of one mat were its downfall. This mat was plenty long but measured just 8 inches wide—about half the width of the boards we were using—so we had to center it under the middle of each board or else the boards sat unevenly. Worse, it was the thickest of the mats, sitting more than ¼ inch up from the counter; as a result, it elevated the cutting boards a touch too high. The board itself didn’t slide on the counter, but it rocked back and forth over the mat as we cut, making for a somewhat precarious experience.
We had a similar problem with the set of clip-on feet. Because the feet were more than ¼ inch thick, they also raised the boards higher on the counters. Consequently, the centers of the ...
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Durability : 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
Our favorite did a great job of securing wood and plastic cutting boards on different types of counters, and it was very durable, surviving testing with no visible damage. Made of connected Cheerio-size silicone rings, it collected very little food debris, so it was easy to wash. Thin and flexible, it was also easy to fold up and store.
- Durability : 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
A solid, ultradurable sheet of rubber, this mat kept wood and plastic boards from budging on different types of counters. And with no holes to collect bits of food, it was also one of the easiest models to clean. Our one tiny gripe: Because it’s a bit thicker and heavier than our winner, it was a touch harder to store. We had to find creative ways to either roll it up or lay it flat under baking sheets or other cutting boards when not in use.
- Durability : 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
The thinnest of all the mats we tested, this board stabilizer was especially easy to fold up and store. It did a good job of securing different cutting boards, and it was durable, surviving testing with no tears. It was just a touch frustrating to clean; even after running it through the dishwasher, little bits of minced parsley stuck in its tiny perforations, resisting extraction.
Not Recommended
- Durability : 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
With a studded rubber-coated surface reminiscent of LEGO blocks, this durable cutting mat was exceptionally grippy and did a great job of keeping cutting boards from slipping around on different counters. Unfortunately, because it was relatively thick but also narrow, cutting boards tended to rock on top of it, making for precarious cutting and chopping. And that grippy studded surface tenaciously held on to little bits of parsley, making it a bit annoying to clean.
- Durability : 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
- Performance: 2 stars out of 3.
We really wanted to like this set of four clip-on feet; we loved the idea that they could be used with almost any cutting board with a thickness of an inch or less. And there were good things about them: They usually kept the cutting boards from moving around too much, though they did occasionally allow them to shimmy or slip a little. And they were easy to clean and store. Unfortunately, they were a royal pain to attach to or take off of any cutting board; we had to work hard to pry the two halves of the feet apart every time. And after a dozen uses, the wires that connected the two halves of each foot bent out of shape, making us worry that they’d soon be unusable. Worse, the feet raised the boards a little too high off the counter; with nothing to support the thinner plastic boards’ middles, they bounced during vigorous tasks.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
Miye Bromberg
Miye is a senior editor for ATK Reviews. She covers booze, blades, and gadgets of questionable value.