About

Universal storage, allows you to insert knives anywhere

Fits knives with blades up to 8 inches long

Food-grade plastic flex rods won't chip or dull your knife blades

Patented flex rod technology conforms to shape of each knife and holds it in place

Flex rods are removable and top-rack dishwasher safe

  • Type: Knife block
  • Color: Brown, black
  • Weight: 6 lb 7 oz
  • Made In: China
  • Warranty: 1 year against defects
  • Dimensions: 10-1/2" x 9" x 5.5"
  • Composition: wood, plastic
  • Manufacturer: ARY, Inc.
  • Other versions: Bamboo Knife Set and Holder; Knife and Utensil Holder and Kitchen Caddy; Stainless Steel Knife Holder; Red Knife & Utensil Holder; Black Knife & Utensil Holder; Small Woodgrain Knife Holder;
  • Product number: 650

Ambitions

Apparent goal: kids gift/registry home kitchens restaurants everywhere
Intended audience: novice advanced beginner good home cook gourmet professional
Diet/nutrition: does not apply scary empty promises helpful essential
Green?: not especially neutral mixed blessing earth friendly green!
Innovative: step back standing still trendy progress genius
Problem solving: no better baby steps solid steps giant steps a revelation
Competition: outclassed follower in the pack strong challenger likely champ

Utility/Quality

Ease of use: impossible frustrating OK simple child's play
Intuitive: Ph.D. required barely logical effortless brilliant
Instructions: missing incomprehensible adequate unnecessary excellent
Quality: cheesy questionable good years of service impressive
Parts to lose: inevitable some/many one-piece self-storing not a problem
Power source: none hands batteries outlet green
Clean-up: nightmare wipe clean soap & water scouring pad dishwasher
Does it work?: not at all adequately well very well perfectly
Availability: airfare required online kitchen store department store supermarket

Packaging

Easy to open?: impossible maddening tolerable good opens itself
Green?: fills a landfill huge waste passable minimal waste impressive

Economy

Time saving: time wasting not really modest substantial huge
Labor saving: less efficient marginal a bit noticeable remarkable
Money saving: money wasted none $ $$ $$$
Beats the old way: worse no change better definitely entirely new
Where will it live?: garage/attic drawer cabinet countertop elsewhere

Summary

Fulfills ambitions: falls short almost there satisfies exceeds home run
How often used: once/twice ≥daily ≥weekly ≥monthly ≥yearly/holidays
Worth the space?: no does not apply w/unlimited space w/limited space absolutely
Need it?: a luxury discretionary basic equipment for serious cooks get it
Value: ouch! a little pricey worth splurging on the money a deal
Overall rating: skip it fair good very good excellent

Comments: Perhaps you're the sort of person who needs dedicated holes in your knife block for specific knives. But what if – and just suspend disbelief for a moment – there were a knife block where you could put your knives in anywhere? In any direction? No longer would you be tyrannized by the inflexibility of a standard knife block.

Let us point you towards the Kapoosh, which looks like a traditional knife block, until you glance at the top, and see an apparently unbroken surface. Upon closer inspection, you see that the core of the knife holder is filled with a block of innovative, compact "freedom rods" – thousands of thin plastic rods that allow you to insert knives anywhere you want in any direction. The manufacturer says an added bonus is that your knives will stay sharper because you won't be scraping the blades on the edges of the slots in a traditional knife block. (We are relatively gentle guiding knives into our blocks, so that may only benefit those who wantonly chuck knives into their blocks).

A clear benefit, though, is that the block of rods can be removed and cleaned in the top rack of a dishwasher.

Other Kapoosh blocks come in a variety of finishes, materials, shapes, sizes, and colors – woodgrain, stainless steel, black, red, etc. – and some have separate compartments for kitchen utensils or a clip-on knife sharpener, but all have the same inner workings. You can also purchase a Kapoosh with knives included.

One drawback is if you all your handles look the same, you might pull out two or three knives before you get exactly the right one, or – gasp! – you might start storing specific knives in dedicated areas of the block.

It will not hold everything in the world. If you're like us, you'll be so excited when you get your Kapoosh, you'll want to stuff all your knives and a few dozen utensils in. This you must not do. The manufacturer warns against overfilling the Kapoosh lest you slice off or bend a few of the freedom rods – but you'll have to let wisdom guide you in knowing what constitutes overfilling. The size and shape of your knives matter, too. Product literature allows for 8-inch blades, but the last half-inch or so before the bolster of our some 8-inch chef's knives stuck out. We have a cleaver that nearly monopolized the Kapoosh, with a blade so thick, it was hard to get it in without damaging the freedom rods.

We are clearly smitten, but then, we're not the types that require dedicated slots for specific knives, and we never liked that cleaver, anyway...