There are a lot of cooking apps and videos available for tablets. You can watch videos as you cook to learn new techniques or follow a recipe in your virtual recipe box, but whatever you’re doing on a tablet in the kitchen, you’ll need a stand to keep it safe and viewable. There are countless tablet stands on the market now, and some are designed specifically for use in the kitchen. All these stands require something not all kitchens have in abundance – room to dedicate to a tablet stand. The 13-slot Victorinox Knife Block incorporates a ledge on the back that can hold a tablet or a cookbook without requiring any additional counter space. It’s available in natural or dark brown wood. It’s $49.99 at Amazon.com.
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This is not a good idea: most of us orient the block so the knives’ handles point toward us. In order to use the iPad, we have to rotate the block the other way.
But there’s nothing to prevent you from turning it back around…
This is good for those without a lot of counter space — or those who don’t want a ‘special’ stand just for the kitchen.
The only downside I see is that when in use the knives aren’t really accessible. So, using that tablet for receipts? Excellent for simple cakes, pies and puddings. Require any chopping, cutting or slicing? And you’ll be playing “twister” in your kitchen.
So I want my knives backwards? No, I don’t think so.
As someone who cooks regularly, I don’t see the knife block facing backward when using a table being a problem. Here is why:
You pick the knives you want to use from the block, often 1, occasionally 2 knives. You do this once for the whole cooking session. That action takes 2 second, including the time it takes to turn the block around to access the knives, and to turn it back to view the tablet.
Cooking a meal often involves a lot of actions, perhaps 50, 100, or more. Actually chopping an onion may take 50 actions. Flipping the knife block around once to get a knife is not a big deal. If you can’t deal with it then perhaps you shouldn’t cook.
My bench top is pretty crowded and moving stuff around like this is just annoying!
Here is what I have in mind. You have a crowded counter top. You need a knife block. You buy this, and occasionally you need a tablet stand. When that happens, instead of trying to cramp another stand on to the counter, you turn your knife block around, and voila, you have a sturdy tablet stand.
Think of the back of that knife block as dead space. Now that you turn it into a useful space without additional bulk, you make your kitchen more space efficient.
Perhaps people would ooh and aah over it if it spins, but the reality is counter tops are smooth, and I assume the same is true for the knife block bottom. You can turn it around pretty smoothly as is I think.
But if you don’t cook, and you want these items mostly for counter top decoration, then perhaps this knife block is not for you, as you can only show one use at at time to your guests as they show up for take out foods.
I see a DIY mod happening in my house. Backwards knives, no bother really. Nicely positioned tablet/phone with the recipe and no additional counter space used, brilliant.
Ingenious! Great for smaller counters. Will have to see if this is an easy mod to add to our existing knife block.
I think it’s a great space-saving countertop idea. Some people don’t know that Victorinox knives have been to the moon, to the summit of Mt. Everest, and to the Arctic Circle. This Company is famous for coming up with great ideas!