What is the kind of knife to use on PP cutting board

[kenny1999]

I have stopped using wooden cutting board at all because I found insects would climb on it but I never find any on PP cutting board. However, looks like scratches and marks can easily leave on PP cutting board. Did I use wrong knife? Any particular kind of knife to be used to PP cutting board?

PP = Polypropylene

 

[Bitser]

If the knife is sharp, you can slice and chop with less pressure, which leaves fewer marks in the board. I prefer wood cutting boards because they can be sanded smooth. HDPE (High-density polyethylene) cutting boards can be put in the dishwasher.

 

[GotGarlic]

Why not just cover the wooden cutting board with a cloth when you're not using it? Polypropylene does get cuts in it easily and they can be difficult to clean thoroughly. Wood draws moisture out of pathogens and kills 99 percent of them within 10 minutes.

 

[taxlady]

Why not just cover the wooden cutting board with a cloth when you're not using it? Polypropylene does get cuts in it easily and they can be difficult to clean thoroughly. Wood draws moisture out of pathogens and kills 99 percent of them within 10 minutes.

I agree.

 

[kenny1999]

Why not just cover the wooden cutting board with a cloth when you're not using it? Polypropylene does get cuts in it easily and they can be difficult to clean thoroughly. Wood draws moisture out of pathogens and kills 99 percent of them within 10 minutes.

Why PP board is more popular now? When I find one wooden board there are 10 PP boards in the market......

 

[GotGarlic]

I think it's popular because people have the erroneous idea that they're more sanitary, but they're not. I don't worry about what's popular. I make purchases based on my needs and the product's ability to meet them.

 

[skilletlicker]

Why PP board is more popular now? When I find one wooden board there are 10 PP boards in the market......

Why are plastic dashboards more common than wood?
Why are plastic milk crates more common than wood?

Note you ask popular and I ask common. Follow the money.

 

[pepperhead212]

I have a couple of wooden boards, one mostly for using as a bread board, on the dining room table. But I have a bunch of PP boards, mainly because I can put them in the DW, after chopping things like garlic, onions, hot peppers, and other things I don't want want to cut on a wooden board! In earlier days, I'd need to keep wooden boards separate for sweets and the like.

Here are some photos showing how little some of my PP have scratched since I got them in the mid 80! The scratches in the second one are mostly from a bread knife - same with the wooden board, but still not badly scratched or gouged.
I have a large PP board that I use as a butcher board, that is the only one with some gouging, especially on one side I use for a cleaver. Nothing you can do about that!

You have to enlarge, and look closely, to see the scratches. These have sort of a texturized surface, that doesn't dull the blades as much as some boards.
PP chopping board, from the mid 80s, showing relative lack of scratches. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

A small PP chopping board, also from the mid 80s, showing some scratches, but nothing major. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

Wooden chopping board, made in the late 80s,showing the scratches. by pepperhead212, on Flickr

One type of plastic chopping board that I don't like are those "skid proof" type, that have rubber on the ends or corners. The problem I found was that there is a thin air layer between the counter and the underside of the board - not good when chopping.

 

[karadekoolaid]

My impression is that your question has two answers. The first answer is that you should always use a sharp knife, regardless of what kind of cutting board you are using. The second answer is that your cutting board will attract insects if it is not scrupulously cleaned after each use. Maybe wrap it in a teacloth after use?
And perhaps there´s another thing that needs mentioning - a chopping board needs to be solid, so that it won´t move while you´re cutting/chopping.

 

[kenny1999]

I think it's popular because people have the erroneous idea that they're more sanitary, but they're not. I don't worry about what's popular. I make purchases based on my needs and the product's ability to meet them.

I once put two boards together, one was PP and the other one was wooden, shortly afterwards I found two small bugs climbing on the wooden board but nothing seen on the PP board. They were both rinsed with water after use.

 

[GotGarlic]

I once put two boards together, one was PP and the other one was wooden, shortly afterwards I found two small bugs climbing on the wooden board but nothing seen on the PP board. They were both rinsed with water after use.

That has nothing to do with microorganisms.

 

[Vinylhanger]

I love my PP boards, but eventually they start to get cut and won't come clean.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

I've seen bugs crawl on both glass cutting boards, and widows. bugs will explore anything they can touch.

A site that explains the safety of wood vs. plastic cutting boards: https://www.cookinglight.com/news/is-wood-or-plastic-cutting-board-better-safer

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[GotGarlic]

I've seen bugs crawl on both glass cutting boards, and widows. bugs will explore anything they can touch.

A site that explains the safety of wood vs. plastic cutting boards: https://www.cookinglight.com/news/is-wood-or-plastic-cutting-board-better-safer

Seeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

From the Chief's link above:

With wood, there are still lots of crevices, but those crevices are deeper, meaning that the bacteria fall in and eventually die—and they don't come into contact with more food. As UC Davis food researcher Dean O. Cliver, Ph.D, explains: "Although the bacteria that have disappeared from the wood surfaces are found alive inside the wood for some time ... they ... can be detected only by splitting or gouging the wood or by forcing water completely through from one surface to the other."

Dr. Cliver did this research in the 1990s and ever since I first read this around then, I've been using a wooden board for my primary cutting board. I have others that came with different purchases (knives, etc.), but wood is my favorite. It's easy on my knives and looks nice as it lives on my countertop.