Cutting board - wood, acrylic or something else?

[GotGarlic]

I have a thin, flexible plastic overlay I use on top of the Corian cutting board. It's great for picking up chopped stuff and pouring directly into a container, pot, etc. Easily bleached or washed in the DW.

I had a set of those for a while, but they didn't last long. My knife cut slits into them and made them useless.

 

[taxlady]

I had a set of those for a while, but they didn't last long. My knife cut slits into them and made them useless.

I had the same problem. I bought a couple of new ones at Ikea. They are a lot thicker and look like they will hold up. I don't use them all that often because they can't go in the dishwasher.

 

[CharlieD]

I go through cutting boards every few months. I could replace them every few weeks but that's ridiculous.

Are you using some sort of disposable cutting boards?

 

[Steve Kroll]

I honestly don't know what's "best" from a sanitation perspective. I've read lots of conflicting studies. I do know what works best in my kitchen, though.

I have a large butcher block cutting board with a juice catcher that I use for meat. Even if it fit in the dishwasher, it isn't dishwasher safe. So it gets hand washed in a sink full of water to which chlorine bleach has been added. I've been amazed at how well it cleans up, and how good it still looks after about 8 years of use.

I use plastic cutting boards for vegetables and most everything else. There is definitely a convenience factor with those. I throw them in the dishwasher, which has a sanitizing cycle. When they get too damaged (or warped from dishwasher heat), I just buy new ones. They are inexpensive, generally last a couple of years, and I don't feel bad when I have to throw one out.

 

[Dawgluver]

I had a set of those for a while, but they didn't last long. My knife cut slits into them and made them useless.

Mine has held up remarkably well, I've had it for years.

 

[JanetMlr]

I'd never use plastic, mainly because it does harbor bacteria, and once they have knife marks, they are almost impossible to thoroughly clean. With wood, bacteria goes just beneath the surface and dies.

What's important to me is that no vegetable, herb, fruit, etc. is ever cut on a cutting board that has been used for meat!! So cutting boards just for meats, and cutting boards just for... well other things.

I don't mind the tiny plastic type for fruit now and then, but I prefer wood. Keep it clean and oiled it'll last a long time. And it's better for your knives!

 

[Janet H]

Something else: I am a huge fan of these Eco Friendly Cutting Boards Made in the USA by Epicurean Cutting Surfaces

They are made from wood pulp and polymers and are durable, dishwasher safe, heat resistant, sandable and extremely durable. You can find them at various retailers and while they cost more up front, these are the last boards you will ever buy.

 

[Steve Kroll]

I'd never use plastic, mainly because it does harbor bacteria, and once they have knife marks, they are almost impossible to thoroughly clean. With wood, bacteria goes just beneath the surface and dies.

Does it really?

Below is a link to an article that seems to dispute that claim. Here's an excerpt:

"A thoughtful reader kindly sent me a fascinating article on cutting boards. Originally published in the Feb. 6, 1993 edition of Science News, the article describes research claiming that wooden cutting boards possess some sort of bacteria-killing properties, thus making them less likely to contaminate food than plastic or acrylic cutting boards. "Pathogens prefer plastic," the article declares.

Nearly twenty years later, however, experts are still recommending nonporous plastic cutting boards, and local health departments continue to prohibit the use of wooden cutting boards in commercial foodservice."​

Wood Vs. Plastic Cutting Boards: Which is Better?

And another, similar, article:
Cutting Boards and Food Safety

For every article that claims one thing there are other articles that claim the opposite. I honestly think that the most important thing is that as you clean your cutting board after use. Short of that, it doesn't matter all that much whether it's wood or plastic.

 

[RPCookin]

Does it really?



For every article that claims one thing there are other articles that claim the opposite. I honestly think that the most important thing is that as you clean your cutting board after use. Short of that, it doesn't matter all that much whether it's wood or plastic.

This. I use both types. Sometimes my plastic ones go in the dishwasher, other times I hand wash them. It just depends on how my work flow is that day. I do try not to cut raw chicken on a wooden board (and when I do chicken on a plastic board, it usually goes in the dishwasher), but otherwise I don't really worry much about it. I keep them good and clean with hot water and detergent and that seems to do the trick.

One thing I also don't worry about, and that's cutting different things on the same board. As long as they are all being cooked in the same dish, why would it matter if I chop veggies on the same board that I used for the meat? Cooking is cooking and if the dish kills the critters in the meat, it'll kill any that jump from the meat to the veggies. Properly handled, even the meat shouldn't have any active bad guys between prepping and cooking. I don't leave the board or the items that I cut on it sitting around in an incubator for a couple of hours.

 

[GotGarlic]

Does it really?

Below is a link to an article that seems to dispute that claim. Here's an excerpt:

"A thoughtful reader kindly sent me a fascinating article on cutting boards. Originally published in the Feb. 6, 1993 edition of Science News, the article describes research claiming that wooden cutting boards possess some sort of bacteria-killing properties, thus making them less likely to contaminate food than plastic or acrylic cutting boards. "Pathogens prefer plastic," the article declares.

Nearly twenty years later, however, experts are still recommending nonporous plastic cutting boards, and local health departments continue to prohibit the use of wooden cutting boards in commercial foodservice."​

Wood Vs. Plastic Cutting Boards: Which is Better?

And another, similar, article:
Cutting Boards and Food Safety

For every article that claims one thing there are other articles that claim the opposite. I honestly think that the most important thing is that as you clean your cutting board after use. Short of that, it doesn't matter all that much whether it's wood or plastic.

This is the article I go by: UC-Davis Food Safety Laboratory: Cutting Board Research

I first read it at least 15 years ago and I believe that this kind of basic science doesn't change. The bacteria-killing property of wood is dryness. It sucks the moisture out of bacteria and then they die.

I'm going to shock everyone, so it's a good thing you're not likely to eat at my house I use my wooden cutting board for everything - meat, poultry, fish, fruits, veggies, etc., unless I need a second and then I grab whichever one - two wood and two acrylic - is the size I need, although I never use acrylic for meat or poultry. If I'm making meat/poultry and veggies, I do the veggies first, spray and wipe the board and do the meat/poultry. If it gets really messy, I clean it in the sink, but typically I spray it with my homemade kitchen spray - 1/3 each of lemon juice, white vinegar and water - then wipe down.

I have a compromised immune system due to medication, so if anyone was going to have a problem with this, it would definitely be me. But DH and I are fine

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I can't imagine why a wood cutting board would not last for any length of time. Considering how long our wooden homes last, why would a cutting board not last longer!

The glues sometimes fail. That has happened to me more than once.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Mad Cook]

The glues sometimes fail. That has happened to me more than once.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

Best to have a board cut from a single slab of wood with the grain. That way there's no glue to fail and no seams to catch grotty bits of old food. Neither do they warp - at least mine hasn't through 30 years of cutting, chopping and scrubbing. It's about 18" x 12" and an inch and a bit deep. Not sure what wood it's made of (can't remember) but it's very dense and quite heavy - doesn't half hurt if you accidentally drop it on your foot! Mum and Dad bought it for me for Christmas one year and I think it was quite expensive but it's certainly earned its keep. If you break it down it's probably cost fractions of a penny per use.

I was given a glass chopping board once but I more often use it for serving things than cutting things up. It may be super-hygienic but it's death to even the most robust knife

 

[CharlieD]

I gave up on wood. It is just so easy to put plastic cutting board into dishwasher and not to worry about dirt or bacteria. I've had mine for several years and it perfectly fine.

 

[Freki]

I use a mix of wood, plasti, and granite. I have a large wood one that is about 50 years old now that is used for bread only, 2 small granite ones perfect for cheese or a small bit of cutting, and a couple large plastic ones I use most. I never use the dishwasher for any of them, with all but the wood, they get a spray of diluted bleach after each use and scrubbed. The wood one gets the crumbs wiped off (and any jam) with a damp cloth, and wiped with butcher block oil when it's dry.

 

[Andy M.]

I would not use a granite for a cutting surface as it's too hard and will dull your knives quickly.

I use only soft plastic cutting boards that I put into the dishwasher for sanitation.

 

[CWS4322]

I have wood, plastic, formed, bamboo. I use flexible coloured mats for cutting veggies and fruit. I have butcher-block boards and I have tongue-and-groove boards that I made from leftover cuts from unfinished birch hardwood flooring. I run those through the dw. Like Steve, I clean my cutting boards with bleach. What is more important, IMO, is that you use the board for one thing, swap it out. I use a letter / file holder on my counter to hold my cutting mats and boards. I also have a butcher block "board" from the cut-out of my sink that fits over the sink. To keep the formed boards from slipping on the counter, a damp cloth underneath works well.

 

[KatyCooks]

I have a bamboo cutting board which I love. It's heavy enough not to move and solid enough not to become chopped to bits. Having acquired a couple of more expensive knives, it also doesn't unnecessarily dull their edges.

I wash it by hand very thoroughly and have no qualms about cross-contamination. (And yes, I do have a dishwasher.)

Having tried glass (shudder!) and plastic chopping boards in the past, I will stick with wood.

 

[Mad Cook]

do i need more than one cutting board? i am in the market for a practical cutting board that is also inexpensive. it has been ages since i last looked at cutting boards, so i'm hoping for some help.

for the most part, i use a cutting board for cutting and chopping various vegetables. occasionally, i use one for meats, both cooked and raw.

i have been using the same homemade wooden cutting board most of my adult life. but now my board has become so warped and worn that i really must face the fact that it needs to be replaced.

what kind of cutting board do you like best and use yourself? do you have a separate board for cutting raw meat? is there a material or brand that you would recommend? thanks for your help with this....

For me it has to be wood all the way. I do keep a separate board for meat - just in case.

Wood does not damage the cutting edge of the blades of your knives as almost all other boards do. To a certain extent wood is self-healing so minor cuts are not a problem. Wood is also naturally antiseptic. I remember reading the results of some research done into different types of chopping boards which had found that wooden boards were the most hygienic if cared for properly and I seem to remember that there was something about the enzymes in wood killing off bacteria. (I may be wrong in the details - it was a long time ago!)

If you go for a wooden board you need to choose one which is a single slab, cut along the grain of the wood, not across it, and ideally about an inch thick. Don't choose one which is made of strips of wood because they are inclined to fall apart after a while especially as the board will get wet when you clean it They are usually the cheaper ones or ones made to look pretty rather than be a useful tool for the cook. Incidentally, pine is not a good idea - doesn't last, warps and can release resin and make things taste.

Bamboo is also anti-bacterial but is harder than wood so will wear out your knives. It also has to be laminated to make a board and does not have the longevity of a single slab wooden board.

Plastic are cheap and some are supposed to be anti-microbial but they still get cuts and scratches from your knives and all sorts of grot can embed itself in them. Glass "boards" are also cheap and easy to clean but will ruin any knife used on them, as will marble and granite.

Sadly, the above means you will be buying a more expensive board but on the bright side it will last you a l-o-n-g time. I was given my very expensive chopping board as my 30th birthday present from my parents. I believe it came from a specialist cooks' equipment supplier. My father nearly had a heart attack when told how much it cost but I'm 65 now and use the board daily and it looks as though I'll be bequeathing it to my nearest and dearest in my will

As for care, scrub it after use with hot tap water and a little washing up liquid and rinse well. If it has a lingering smell, for example after using it with onions, fish, etc., scrub it with a weak solution of bleach and water. Stand it up on end to air dry. Don't put it in the dishwasher.

 

[Mad Cook]

The glues sometimes fail. That has happened to me more than once.

Seeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

That's why a board made from a solid slab of wood is the one to go for.

 

[taxlady]

MC, do you have any links about bamboo being anti-bacterial. I know a lot of people assume it is because wood is. Bamboo isn't wood, it's a grass. I have tried to find out if anyone has done any studies about bamboo and possible anti-bacterial properties. I think the wood does it by desiccating the microbes.

I recently bought a lovely wooden cutting board. I haven't seen any single piece boards for sale. This was from Ikea and made of strips of wood. If it doesn't last years and years, that's okay. It cost about $5!