Stop cooking with plastic cookware, time to switch to wood! Have you made the leap?

[Roll_Bones]

I have a hardwood cutting board i built myself. I never cut on it directly.
I use a plastic cutting board on top of it. Tp protect it from satins and to keep me from having to wash it. Its quite heavy.
I also do not spend any money on special oils or wax to use on my cutting board.
I use mineral oil as needed.

BTW. What in the world is the wax for?

 

[Andy M.]

I have a hardwood cutting board i built myself. I never cut on it directly...

Then what's the point of using it at all? Couldn't you just put the plastic cutting board alone?

 

[Kayelle]

Then what's the point of using it at all? Couldn't you just put the plastic cutting board alone?

It could be for the same reason as me. I like having a nice looking board out all the time as a work station for sandwich making etc. It protects the counter, and with a mat on top works as a dish drainer too.

 

[Zhizara]

I don't like the idea of using wooden utinsils. Wood absorbs liquids. plastics don't. It just bothers me that using wooden utinsils might just contaminate other foods.

 

[CWS4322]

I have some of all--silicone, wood, stainless, non-stick. Which one I use depends on the pan I am using. I don't know that there is a "better" one, rather, which is appropriate for the pan/pot/bowl.

 

[taxlady]

I have both wooden and plastic cutting boards. Because of the anti-microbial properties of wood, I always use them for cutting raw meat. I don't put them in the DW because they are not made from a single piece of wood, so I am afraid the pieces would come apart. I put wooden spoons in the DW. I like the convenience of putting the plastic cutting boards in the DW.

I have a LOT of wooden spoons and quite a few silicone spatulas. I bought all the silicone spatulas at Dollarama. Some of them are one piece, Betty Crocker brand. I have one bamboo spatula and it goes in the DW too.

Remember that bamboo is not wood. It's a grass. As far as I know, no one has tested bamboo to see if it gets rid of micro-organisms the way wood does.

 

[taxlady]

I have some of all--silicone, wood, stainless, non-stick. Which one I use depends on the pan I am using. I don't know that there is a "better" one, rather, which is appropriate for the pan/pot/bowl.

Exactly

 

[bakechef]

I like wooden spoons, I commit the sin of putting them in the dishwasher

I use wood and silicone utensils to cook with.

 

[Addie]

I don't like the idea of using wooden utinsils. Wood absorbs liquids. plastics don't. It just bothers me that using wooden utinsils might just contaminate other foods.

Using wooden cooking utensils is no more of a contaminate than using a wooden chopping block.

 

[Roll_Bones]

Then what's the point of using it at all? Couldn't you just put the plastic cutting board alone?

Well for one, its to big to carry over to the sink. Its about 2" thick and its 16"x24". It consists of three different types of hardwood and is quite decorative.
I spent many hours on this thing and I'm taking care of it.

The plastic cutting board goes on top to keep it clean and to keep cut marks off of it. I guess i could use it for cutting, but I am trying to avoid that along with stains.
Its easy to just grab a small cutting board and wash it as needed.
It serves me more as a platform.

 

[Andy M.]

I wasn't suggesting you use the wood board. You stated you never cut on it but put a plastic board on it to cut. Why not just put the wood board someplace to show it off and leave it there.

 

[ChefMariaSantiago]

I don't know, there just seems to be something about wood that appeals to me. I like the big heavy feeling they have and it just seems more natural. Also the oil I bought for it smells amazing. Can't get that with plastic!

 

[ChefMariaSantiago]

What kind of oil do you use on your cutting boards to keep them from drying out?

 

[Mad Cook]

Nope. You can't beat plastic for ease of maintenance plus they go in the dishwasher.

I've had a couple of my plastic ones for 30 years and they show no signs of wear beyond cut marks.

I have 2 wooden spoons and that's probably the only wood I'll ever use in my kitchen.

There was research done some years ago which showed that plastic chopping boards are more likely to harbour bacteria than wooden ones especially if it is scored by knives. (IIRC it was something to do with naturally occurring enzymes in the wood but don't quote me on that) Even going through the d/w bacteria can survive in the cuts made by knives whereas they don't survive in wood. It's no trouble to wash the wooden board down with hot soapy water after use and rinse and drain it. Cheap wooden boards don't much like this treatment but a good slab of hardwood, about an inch thick and cut on the grain will last you a lifetime - mine's nearly 40 years old and takes all you can throw at it and it doesn't absorb smells such as onion or garlic. I may bequeath it in my will to my god-daughter

 

[Mad Cook]

What kind of oil do you use on your cutting boards to keep them from drying out?

I have never oiled my wooden chopping board in over 40 years of using it every day and it's scrubbed in hot soapy water after every use. It's never cracked or split or dried out in all those years.

It was a birthday gift so I don't know exactly what it cost but I know it was expensive.

 

[taxlady]

I wasn't suggesting you use the wood board. You stated you never cut on it but put a plastic board on it to cut. Why not just put the wood board someplace to show it off and leave it there.

That's exactly what I was wondering.

 

[Mad Cook]

I don't like the idea of using wooden utinsils. Wood absorbs liquids. plastics don't. It just bothers me that using wooden utinsils might just contaminate other foods.

In fact, research has shown that plastic is MORE bacteria friendly than wood and knives score the plastic which lets grot and bacteria get trapped in them and unlike cuts in wood, bacteria can thrive and multiply in the cuts in plastic.

UC-Davis Food Safety Laboratory: Cutting Board Research
and
http://www.news.wisc.edu/releases/1107.html

Glass may be the best as far as cleaning is concerned but it will rapidly ruin your knives.

 

[taxlady]

^^ That's why I only use wood for cutting raw meat.

 

[Andy M.]

In fact, research has shown that plastic is MORE bacteria friendly than wood and knives score the plastic which lets grot and bacteria get trapped in them and unlike cuts in wood, bacteria can thrive and multiply in the cuts in plastic.

UC-Davis Food Safety Laboratory: Cutting Board Research
and
RELEASE: Study: Wood cutting boards, not plastic, are safer for food prep...

...from the UCDavis link: "Mechanical cleaning with a dishwashing machine can be done successfully with plastic surfaces (even if knife-scarred) and wooden boards especially made for this."

Good enough for me.

 

[jennyema]

I don't know, there just seems to be something about wood that appeals to me. I like the big heavy feeling they have and it just seems more natural. Also the oil I bought for it smells amazing. Can't get that with plastic!

If my cutting board smelled from the oil I'd probably get sick..