Retire Your Old Bread Box: The Stylish Ikea Find That Doubles As A Cutting Board

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Most bread boxes have two primary but important functions: keep your bread soft and fresh, and store said bread until you're ready to eat it. But, what if your bread box could serve other purposes, such as storing practical accessories like a cutting board or a storage shelf? As it turns out, IKEA's NÅLBLECKA bamboo bread box is that kind of Swiss Army knife of a piece. Moreover, thanks to the cleverness of its design, it doesn't always need to stay in its usual lane, making it stylish non-bread storage solution you didn't know you needed.

This bread box is 15 inches wide, 10 inches deep, and 9 inches high. For context, the average loaf of store-bought bread measures 9 inches by 5 inches and comes with around 16 slices. (Artisan loaves that aren't made in a bread pan are a slightly different story.) However, it's probably safe to say that thanks to its generous dimensions, the IKEA bread box potentially could hold a couple of small loaves of homemade bread, or a loaf of commercial bread plus more than a few muffins. 

Its roomy interior hides more than just bread. This popular kitchen accessory comes with a built-in cutting board that's roughly the same size as the measurement of its base. Like a normal cutting board, the IKEA bread box's board is designed for you to slice bread on. However, unlike most cutting boards, it comes with an additional feature — grooves — which makes emptying the collected crumbs and wiping the board down later a cinch.

Bamboo, the material this box is made of, is better for your bread than you might realize. For one, it is naturally breathable. So it balances the moisture in the bread and the container well, leaving behind just enough to keep your loaves and pastries soft and fresh. The fact that it looks better than just leaving a plastic bag of bread on your counter is also a plus. 

On a related note, the IKEA piece boasts a trough-like shelf on top. All the necessities for a tasty piece of bread can be stashed up here: honey, small jelly packets, a butter dish, and maybe even a wooden cup filled with some Vunpok Butter Knife Spreaders. Or, if you're so inclined, the top storage area can be a place where you put coffee pods, small containers, creamers, or tea bags. If your counter space is limited, a piece like this will allow you to better utilize vertical storage space in ways you didn't before.

Finally, its roll-top design is reminiscent of the desks of old, so this construction also makes the bread box a logical place to hide away other non-bread items that you keep in your kitchen. For example, use the bread box as a place to stash office-related items in your kitchen, like small books, pens, and pencils. It's a chic and unexpected way to keep your counters clutter-free, regardless of what you put in it.