Despite advances in kitchen technology, cooks still have to contend with little annoyances, like cutting boards that slide on the counter. Architec's new Gripper boards solve that problem. Two years ago, the company's mother-daughter owners, Kathleen and Jenna Sellers were at a trade show displaying garden products and some coasters they'd made that had suctionlike cups on the bottom. Ed Beren, a housewares consultant, walked by and said, "Put those on a cutting board." The Sellerses got to work. The tough part was melding different plastics: The top had to be knife-proof; the bottom had to be soft. Two years is a long time to spend designing a cutting board, but we're grateful for their persistence ($15; 877-4-GRIPPER).

Published November 2002