Friday, November 09, 2007
Review: Gel Pro Chef Mat from Let's Gel
Sometimes, reviewing a product takes some lengthy work and evaluation of subtle clues in taste or the effort in executing a cooking technique. Then there are the times that you immediately grasp the essence of the product. With the Gel Pro chef mat from Let's Gel, it took all of stepping onto the anti-fatigue surface after standing on the brick footing for the wood stove in slippers. My feet sunk into the surface just a bit, like the difference between walking on asphalt and then on slightly spongy ground. I suddenly noticed that my feet had been hurting slightly because that sensation immediately ceased. Although I had originally placed the mat in front of one counter, I had found it before the sink, where the practical kids had been washing the dishes. Good choice.
The mats are heavy, come in a variety of surface treatments and colors, and have some sort of gel on the inside that doesn't just cushion your steps, but lets the surface give way slightly to your feet, almost conforming to them. The company advertises the bottom as non-slip, and it certainly seems that way; the mat doesn't slide about. The mats aren't cheap and start at $100 for a 20x36 inch model with a plain basketweave pattern, and $150 for something fancier. There is also a 20x72 inch, with the price for the fancier surface topping out at about $300. You know what? If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen and you find your legs and feet hurting, this will seem like chump change - because you'd have to be a chump to change back to a more painful existence.
The mats are heavy, come in a variety of surface treatments and colors, and have some sort of gel on the inside that doesn't just cushion your steps, but lets the surface give way slightly to your feet, almost conforming to them. The company advertises the bottom as non-slip, and it certainly seems that way; the mat doesn't slide about. The mats aren't cheap and start at $100 for a 20x36 inch model with a plain basketweave pattern, and $150 for something fancier. There is also a 20x72 inch, with the price for the fancier surface topping out at about $300. You know what? If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen and you find your legs and feet hurting, this will seem like chump change - because you'd have to be a chump to change back to a more painful existence.
