Progressive International Set of 6 Chopping Mats
by Progressive
Product Summary
Manufacturer: ProgressiveBrand: Progressive International
Model: PCC-606
Product features:
- This handy and plentiful set of 6 chopping mats helps prevent cross contamination through color and picture coding
- Includes 4 colored 11-by-15-inch flexible mats and 2 bonus 7-1/2-by-11-inch clear mats
- Use the red for meat, yellow for poultry, green for vegetables, and blue for fish
- Made from polypropylene, these mats protect countertops and roll up for easy storage
- Safe to clean in the dishwasher
Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of Progressive International Set of 6 Chopping Mats
Customer Review: You need these, you really do.
Summary: 5 Stars
Lately, I keep hearing about the dangers of cross-contamination in food. While the odds of you actually catching salmonella or trichinosis off your cutting board are slim, you can still get a pretty nasty stomach disorder if any of that raw chicken or pork decides to hop onto those veggies for ride. It's not a pretty sight.
And for years, I've been using just two cutting boards in my home -- a big wooden one to hack up vegetables and dairy food, and a hard plastic one for raw meat, poultry and suchlike. My mother and grandmother both used just one, and what with the warnings, I wondered how in the world did we all manage to survive this long without keeling over from food poisoning.
No matter. A shopping trip about a year ago to my local Linens n' Things found me tossing a packet of these four mats into the shopping cart, and away I went to give them a test. Once home, I hand washed them, and decided to try them right away.
Each mat is 11 1/2 by 15 inches in size, made of a thin silicone product. Both sides are the same, with one that has a slightly textured surface, and the other smooth. Each mat is a different colour, with a small symbol on the upper left hand corner to give an idea of what it is to be used for.
Red: Think blood. Of course this is going to be for all of the meat except for your poultry. The logo in the corner is of a t-bone steak.
Blue: Think of water, and this one is clearly for the fish and seafood. The logo is of a fish and a lobster, appropriately.
Yellow: Chicken of course. This dreaded creature gets a mat all of its very own. So, I'm making a bit of fun of things, but it is useful to have just one item in my kitchen that is just for the chicken to get cut up on.
Green: This one is real easy to figure out -- veggies, of course. The logo in the corner has a cute little design of a tomato, potato, leafy stuff, and what appears to be a wheel of cheese. Between this one and the red mat, it's going to be the one to the most abuse in your kitchen.
Using them is quite easy. Set it down on the counter, grab your knife and get to work. One lovely thing about these mats is that you can pick them up by the sides and just funnel them into the waiting pot or sauté pan and keep working. No worries about having to scrape the item across the board with the usual result that something will decide to make an escape and land on the floor. It also has the additional advantage of keeping your hands reasonably clean as you work.
There are some really good things about these mats besides the aforementioned lessened risk of mixing raw meat and poultry in with the raw vegetables for the salad. These are ridiculously easy to clean, just a good firm swipe of a soapy sponge or rag, a rinse in clean water, and that's that. They are also much, much thinner than a standard cutting board, and will store easily beside them. Some manufacturers claim that these are dishwasher safe -- as the household dishwasher is me, I can't prove or disprove these claims.
Some drawbacks are pretty evident, however. The surface, over time, is going to get hacked up. Especially if you're like me and you keep your knives razor sharp. They are also prone to sliding a bit on the countertop -- just put down a kitchen towel underneath to solve that problem.
Best of all, there's the price for these sets. Expect to pay anywhere from 7$US to 20$US for the mats, the cost will depend on the size, and a few companies include a small, clear mat as well which does nicely for mincing up herbs or garlic or what have you. No, these are not as durable as a wooden or thicker cutting board, but the cost is so small as compared to another board that I didn't mind paying for them at all. And while I do know that I will probably have to replace them in a year or two when the surface gets to be too hacked up to use, the price makes them not a huge dent in my wallet either.
Where these would really shine is in your kitchen kit for vacations or camping, where space and weight is always at a premium, or when you're needing to rig out your first kitchen or dorm room. They clean up easy, don't cost too much, and have a great diversity of uses.
So what are you waiting for? Check out your local housewares shop or your favorite on-line supplier and get yourself a set. You won't regret it.
Description of Progressive International Set of 6 Chopping Mats
Progressive International is your source for the widest range of functional, inventive, and fun kitchen tools and great ideas put into practice. Our in-house designers spend hours in the kitchen coming up with ways to improve on a variety of traditional tasks and tools. Established in 1973, our commitment to quality and service allows us to offer a broad selection of quality kitchenware and other household products. Be smart by keeping foods apart with this 6 piece chopping mat set. Includes 4 color coded 11-inch x 15-inch flexible mats; red for meat, yellow for poultry, green for vegetables and blue for fish. Two bonus 7-1/2-inch x 11-inch clear mats included in this set. These mats protect your countertops and roll up for easy storage. Made from Polypropylene. Dishwasher safe.Cutting Boards
Kitchen and Housewares
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