Meal planning, grocery shopping, and meal prep is the #1 request that we get from our personal assistant clients, so we’re always looking for ways to make that process more efficient for our assistants. That is why we tested two popular meal prep solutions and are bringing you the pros, cons, and our overall choice for best meal prep solution.
So keep reading for our thoughts, links, and a full video review below!
The Prepdeck Mini
This is the second generation of this meal prep tool that now features a compact, space-saving design that fits into most refrigerators. It comes in 5 colors and includes a magnetically detachable cutting board that folds up to close the container for an aesthetically pleasing, yet functional all-in-one prep space and container. Here’s what we thought:
Pros:
- The cutting board stays perfectly still while cutting–no slips! And it’s very easy to clean in between produce
- Everything is dishwasher safe–bonus points for efficiency!
- The compact food containers are easy to store and don’t take up much room, but they are still sturdy.
- There is a container for scraps behind the cutting board. This keeps your cutting space clean and allows you to keep all of your scraps together and ready to toss.
- Included space for your phone/tablet— this is such a great touch for being able to keep recipes nearby but still out of your food prep space.
Cons:
- The separator piece for the largest container doesn’t stay in place and is only a divider, which means the produce will be in the same container and will probably absorb some of each other’s taste.
- The “super-seal” lids are almost too good and are difficult to get off.
- The smallest containers don’t have lids—they only fit inside the largest containers so they can’t be used on their own.
The Tidyboard Meal Prep System
This all-in-one system is designed to sit next to and over the sink so you can rinse foods in the attached strainer or wipe scraps straight into the garbage disposal. It comes with a bamboo cutting board that won’t dull knives, harbor bacteria, or absorb unwanted flavors or smells. It also comes with BFA-free, food-grade, collapsible, silicone containers for food prep and storage. They are microwave, dishwasher, and freezer safe. Here are our thoughts:
Pros:
- Very sturdy cutting board— it can hold up to 9 lbs of food in the attached containers and still stay secure on the counter.
- It’s easy to store— it has collapsible containers and a thin cutting board that will fit easily in most kitchen storage.
- Dishwasher-safe containers— while it’s only the containers, not the cutting board, this still provides an extra level of efficiency for cleanup. (As a general rule of thumb, you shouldn’t be putting any wooden cutting boards or utensils in the dishwasher!)
Cons:
- While the collapsing containers are meant to make storage easy, it also makes snapping lids in place frustrating.
Our Winner…
Our obvious winner of this review was the Prepdeck Mini! We love how many features it offers while still taking up minimal space and being the most efficient when it comes time for cleanup. Now, of course, it all depends on what you’re looking for in your meal prep tools and what will be the most helpful in your kitchen.
If you would like to see these meal prep solutions in action, check out your YouTube video below. Do you have a solution we should know about? Let us know in the comments of the video!
