30 DAYS OPEN PURCHASESome things in the kitchen get put away in a cupboard the moment you're done with them. And then there are those that stay on the worktop, simply because it would be a shame to hide them. Eureka! belongs to the second kind. It's a workstation in solid walnut with dark veins running through the wood like marble through an old Italian staircase, and on top rests a matt black cutting surface like the lid of a turn-of-the-century writing desk.
You notice the difference the moment the knife meets the board. It's firm and steady and doesn't give under the blade, yet it's kind to the edge. Beneath the board are two stainless steel drawers. Chop the onion, sweep it into one drawer with the back of the knife and let the peel go into the other. The worktop stays clean, the cutting surface clear and your thoughts tidy. The drawers lift out and can be carried straight to the hob or set out on the table with everything you've prepped, all with priceless mechanical precision. It's the kind of solution that makes you wonder why cutting boards haven't always looked like this. Hence the name.
At 3.6 kilos it stays put while you work, but isn't too heavy to carry to the table when the guests arrive. The lines are soft and the corners rounded, and the wood feels warm and smooth under your palms in a way plastic will never come close to.
The walnut is canaletto, an Italian name for dark American walnut with almost black veining. Because it's real wood, no two workstations are alike, and with a little oil or wax now and then the tone deepens over the years. This is a tool that becomes more beautiful the more it's used.
Eureka! is part of Marcato's Heritage range, inspired by the kitchen tools found in every Italian home during the 20th century, but in a darker, more refined interpretation. Marcato has been making kitchen tools in Campodarsego near Padua since 1930, and it's the same family business behind the Atlas pasta machine.
Dimensions 40.2 x 30.2 cm, height 5.5 cm, weight 3.6 kg. The base is solid walnut and the drawers stainless steel. The cutting surface is made of recycled, pressed paper composite. Wipe the wood after use and oil or wax it regularly. Made in Italy.
