The Coolest Pieces of Gear We Tested This Week

The Phoenix S is a ridiculously well-organized tool bench. It has designated containers so you can keep prepped food, waste, seasonings, and tools nearby, spending less time emptying scraps in the trash and hunting down the pepper mill. Setup is simple: It’s a three-part system that starts with a polyurethane non-skid base with precision-milled holes on all four sides. Drop that onto a corner of your countertop or island, then slip the bars that hold the various containers into the holes. There are a few configurations to pick from. Once you top the base with your cutting board, and outfit all your seasonings and oils, you’re ready to start prepping.

Over a few weekends, I broke down dozens of broccoli and cauliflower heads, root vegetables, fruits, and chicken thighs. The containers kept my work station clean. The rear of the base holds a long, angled bracket that makes it easier to reach across the cutting board to grab salt. You can also prop up a tablet to make following recipes easier.

My only complaint is you need to work over a corner of your countertop or island to really take full advantage of the system. If any of the short sides rest over a countertop, you won’t be able to use the containers there. Luckily, the system collapses into a tidy space that’s not much bigger than the 18.5×11.75-inch cutting board—so serious home cooks might want to leave it out all the time. — Sal Vaglica, Senior Editor

[From: $568; rankfurter-brett.de]

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