A pile of fresh herbs has a way of becoming a bigger job once the chopping starts. Leaves spread across the herb cutting board, small pieces escape the blade, and you end up gathering everything back into the middle for another pass. It is a minor kitchen annoyance, and it deserves a deliberate design response.
NUO, a knife-and-cutting-board set by Münire Çalışır, targets that scatter by giving the board a shallow hollow. It was developed as a student design project at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle. The set treats the board and blade as partners rather than as separate objects.
Kitchen gadgets can earn their keep, as the Half-Moon Plate That Doubles as a Draining Rack shows with one shape doing two jobs.
The ash board’s recessed surface is meant to keep ingredients gathered while guiding the knife’s rocking motion. It also gives the blade a resting place. That gives the depression a practical reason to exist beyond its sculptural look. A flat cutting board leaves all the coordination to the cook. Here, the surface shares the work by keeping the ingredients and the cutting action in the same area.
Visually, the pairing needs little explanation. The dark, circular board shows pronounced wood grain and a substantial-looking edge. Above it sits a silver knife that resembles a folded metal disc, with an open center and a broad grip across the top. The contrast makes both pieces easy to read: a dark base beneath, a bright cutting tool above.
The knife begins as a water-jet-cut sheet of stainless steel. A central pressing step gives the sheet its three-dimensional form, joining the handle and blade into one component. The handle is not an accessory attached afterward. It comes from the same piece of metal that becomes the cutting edge.
According to the designer’s project description, the cutting edge’s radius supports a natural rocking motion. The knife’s own weight is meant to reduce the effort required to cut. These are stated design intentions, not results I have tested. Still, the curved edge and the hollowed board make the intended movement easy to understand.
In use, the fingers curl through the opening beneath the grip while the thumb rests along the upper surface. The hand sits above the cutting area rather than extending from a long handle to one side. That gives NUO an approachable quality, even though its silhouette first reads as a small sculpture rather than kitchen equipment.
I would want to test the grip over a longer prep session. An all-metal handle can look resolved in photographs, but photographs cannot show how it feels with wet hands. They also cannot show how different hand sizes fit the opening. Those questions matter more than how the set looks beside a bowl of ingredients. A specialized tool has to earn its place through the task it performs.
Where the Herb Board Fits
The herb cutting board raises a separate question about scale. Its concave center is central to the idea, so it should not replace a large, flat prep surface. It makes more sense for focused jobs such as herbs, where keeping a small pile together is the goal. That narrower role is a strength. Kitchen tools lose credibility when they promise to handle every task on the counter.
The most useful detail is the knife’s resting place within the working surface. It accounts for the pauses between cuts, when a cook reaches for another ingredient or turns toward the stove. NUO’s shape draws attention first. The small accommodation for an ordinary kitchen pause gives it a reason to stay on the counter.
Familiar hand tools get rethought too in Siddhi Ravi’s Vibrant Allen Key Redesign, a bright take on an everyday object.
Source: yankodesign.com
Frequently asked questions
Who designed the NUO knife and cutting board set?
NUO was designed by Münire Çalışır. It was developed as a student design project at Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle.
What is the NUO herb board’s shallow hollow designed to do?
The recessed surface is meant to keep chopped ingredients gathered in one place while guiding the knife’s rocking motion. It also gives the blade a resting place between cuts.
How is the NUO knife made from stainless steel?
The knife starts as a water-jet-cut sheet of stainless steel that is pressed into a three-dimensional form. The handle and blade come from the same piece of metal rather than a separately attached handle.
Should the NUO herb board replace a large prep surface?
No, the herb board should not replace a large, flat prep surface because its concave center is central to its design. It is better suited to focused jobs like chopping herbs, where keeping a small pile together is the goal.
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