Do you use your iPad or other tablet device in the kitchen? I do…sometimes. I don’t care for printing out internet recipes and I figured the iPad was the way to make online recipes easy! I even have a bookmark on my Safari app filled with my favorite internet recipes. But this past Christmas, I had more than one food issue, from flour to splattered cooking oil.
I had the opportunity to review three of Chef Sleeve’s products: the cutting board with iPad stand, a set of iPad 2 protective sleeves, and the dishwasher safe iPad stand. All of these products are made in the U.S.A. If you’ve ever been nervous about taking your iPad into the kitchen with you, these products might be able to make a difference for you. Read on for my impressions.
Chef Sleeve Cutting Board with iPad Stand
The Chef Sleeve cutting board with iPad stand was manufactured in partnership with Epicurean, a company that features chef-quality sustainable wood fiber cooking supplies: cutting boards, utensils, and rolling pins. But the Chef Sleeve version features a slot cut into the top for your iPad.
This is a large cutting board: 18″ x 13.5″. This is the largest cutting board I’ve ever used. It features a groove cut around the edge to catch juices, and the surface is soft enough to not be too brutal on knives. The board is dishwasher safe and I sent it through several cycles and it did just fine. In addition, the board is heat resistant up to 350F, so feel free to put a hot-from-the-oven roast right on top of it.
Because this is a softer board—better for knives—expect to see several knife marks on the surface over time.
Chef Sleeve iPad Protective Sleeves
I received a box of 25 transparent iPad covers. They’re easy to use: there’s a peel-off strip to uncover the adhesive and you simply drop in the iPad and seal it up.
The touch-screen works perfectly well under the clear plastic. I was even able to remove the iPad from the sleeve and replace the peel-off strip; I could save the cover for another time.
While I had to remove my iPad from the cover that I ordinarily use to insert it into the sleeve, the company claims that the iPad sleeves are compatible with the Apple Smart Covers.
Chef Sleeve iPad covers are 100% recyclable. Double bonus word score.
Dishwasher Safe iPad Stand
The iPad stand is an effective way to keep your iPad—or other tablets—handy in the kitchen. The stand is made of the same wood fiber resin as the cutting board, so it has the same heat resistance and NSF-certified sanitation standards as the cutting board.
The stand has two grooves cut into it. One groove is wider than the other. This allows for two viewing angles…one being more sloped than the other. There’s also a semicircle cut into the groove that allows for easy access to the home button.
Even though this apparatus is being marketed as an “iPad stand”, I decided to try it out with the two other tablets in my house: a Kindle Fire and a Samsung Galaxy Note 8.0.
The Samsung—like the iPad, without any cover—fit perfectly. On the other hand, the Kindle Fire only worked in the fatter of the two grooves.
Even though it’s a kitchen supply company selling these stands, I think this is something useful anywhere in the home or even in the office. If you do use it in the kitchen, it’s nice for it to be dishwasher safe just like the cutting board.
In summary, Chef Sleeve kitchen products are designed to help out those of us who enjoy using our tablets as our paperless cookbooks. I like the cutting board and iPad stand sustainable manufacturing (they’re made with Forest Stewardship Council-certified wood fibers), and NSF-certified safety standards. Keep in mind that with few exceptions, if you use an iPad or tablet case, these products won’t necessarily work as easily.
The cutting board with iPad stand retails for $69.95, a 25-pack of protective sleeves for the device of your choice retails for $19.95, and the dishwasher-safe iPad stand retails for $34.95. Chef Sleeve products are available at retailers such as Amazon, Target, and chefsleeve.com. They make great gifts for your favorite cooking geek.
GeekMom received this item for review purposes.
