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What is it that makes a home “homey?” What things do you do, or what do you use, that makes your house feel like your home, and not just “that place where you keep your stuff?” I looked at those things that spoke to me of comfort, utility, or the grace that turns an impersonal set of four walls into a place where you belong.
There are many ways that a house transforms from a “place” to a home. Everything I investigated had some element of this process, adding up to a whole that is greater than it’s parts. However, there is still much room for improvement and exploration in all the areas I looked at, in terms of utility, aesthetics, and safety.
The areas I began to explore in depth were those of knife safety, knife storage, and knife use. Knives are an integral part of every kitchen, and may represent a substantial investment. And yet, they are often stored haphazardly in a drawer, where their edges can be damaged by other items, or — worse yet — injure the inattentive, the harried, or the unwary.
Many of the storage systems currently available are either large, single-purpose items, such as knife blocks, or make efficient use of space but leave blades exposed, such as wall mounted magnetic strips. There are also many knife racks meant to fit inside drawers, but the best ones are quite expensive and limited in size ranges.
I also looked at items to related to knives and their uses. There is no shortage of products intended to help protect blade edges, or protect the user’s fingers, or increase the speed of cutting and chopping. However, one important item seemed to get short shrift: the cutting surface. Almost always, when a person reaches for a knife, they also reach for a board. My observations showed this over and over again.
The cutting board serves several important functions: it protects tables and counters from damage, and it provides an easily cleaned surface to help prevent food-borne illness. It can also serve as a transport for bringing ingredients to a cook pot.
Process
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