Cutting Boards ~ Bamboo or Plastic or Both

[buzzard767]

I don't know how you think I read too fast. I went to the sites provided and they listed the walnut boards starting at $100. That's just not something feasible for a single mother that just wants her knives to stay in decent condition.

The $100 - $1600 was what I found when I googled Sani-Tuff. I could only go by what I found when I did a search; it didn't have anything to do with reading too fast. I researched according to information provided. This was the first site I went to and where I got my numbers for the Sani-Tuff.

First of all, I only referenced one site and that was BoardSmith. When I pulled up your reference it turns out that many of the item prices are for cases of 2 to 12, not individual boards, so perhaps I'm correct re: your reading speed.

Mine is 15x20x1/2 and here is the listing for that board on the site you provided:


$128.45 case our price QTY:
ITEM NUM: EK159905 WT: 18 lbs
DESCRIPTION: Teknor Apex Sani-Tuff Rubber Cutting Board, 15 x 20 x 1/2 inch -- 3 per case
MANUFACTURER: Teknor Apex MAN. ID: 159-905

It comes out to $13 more per board than the reference in my previous post so they're a little expensive.

 

[Callisto in NC]

First of all, I only referenced one site and that was BoardSmith.

Yours was not the only site referenced here, but the one you did reference for the wood board was indeed over $100 for a wood board.

I then googled your other preferred board and didn't bother to read because I saw the prices and ran. I run from shoe prices over $30 too. I didn't need to really read anyway. This was about what I should order from my SIL, bamboo or plastic, your Sani whatever is not an option in my opinion. I understand it is your preferred cutting board, but it is nothing I would ever own for various reasons. Thank you, but please, this is starting to feel like you're sales pitching. If you would like to add anything, please use the PM feature. Thank you.

 

[buzzard767]

This was about what I should order from my SIL, bamboo or plastic, your Sani whatever is not an option in my opinion. I understand it is your preferred cutting board, but it is nothing I would ever own for various reasons. Thank you, but please, this is starting to feel like you're sales pitching. If you would like to add anything, please use the PM feature. Thank you.

I was merely providing options that treat knife edges better than your choices because I assumed that you didn't know those options existed.

 

[DramaQueen]

I have 3 of each, bamboo and plastic. I prefer the bamboo over the plastic. I think the bamboo cleans easier, and doesn't stain.

 

[The BoardSMITH]

That's just not something feasible for a single mother that just wants her knives to stay in decent condition.

I feel your pain as a single mother. No, I'm not a single mother but I know about having to streeeeeeeetch every nickel and dime. So with that said, I will ask that you PM me and I will help you to get a first class wood board without breaking the bank. I have some options that aren't listed on the web site and as the owner I can do some things that other manufacturers can't. If you are interested, send me the PM at your convenience and let me know what your preferences would be.

 

[Jeekinz]

You read too fast. The board in the picture is a BoardSmith end grain walnut board. It'll last my children's lifetimes and is a kitchen showpiece. Cheap? No. Worth it? Yes.

I also have a 15"x20" Sani-Tuff rubber board available here for about thirty bucks. They aren't pretty but they're approved for commercial kitchens and are as easy on knife edges as end grain wood. I lay a Walmart poly board on it to cut beef, poultry, fish, and beets.

Buzz

Great prices on that site, thanks.

I'd like to pick up a couple "sani" style items for BBQ and just to have so I don't have to take out my good stuff all the time. Those boards look interesting, I like the prices of the cutlery alot.

 

[Lewi]

I just use a polyproplene board. It's like a hard plastic materal. Good because easy to clean. You can just toss it in the dishwasher for easy clean ups. A wooden one will just fall apart in the dishwasher. Also if you get a stain that won't go away then just grab some bleach and it's good to go. Sanitary and no chance of bacteria causing food poisoning or something. Also good for knives. It seems to absorb the shock from cutting. The knife seems to have a slight "bounce" instead of crunching into a wood board.

 

[The BoardSMITH]

The description of poly boards as hard is quite fitting. They are just that. And cheap to boot!

As for simply tossing one in the dishwasher, that may be their only strong point. As with quality wooden boards and quality knives, they simply do not need to be tossed in the dishwasher. That would be abuse. A little TLC will make either last for years.

Sanitary - The jury is still out on that one. The deep cut marks left in a poly board can harbor bacteria. However, the sanitation issue is one of do you wash and sanitize or is it something that is haphazardly done.

If you hear a crunch when using a wooden board, something is wrong. Either the knife is dull requiring extra force or the user is just hammering to heavy with the edge.

 

[Lewi]

Depends on how you see it though. Not saying that I do it but for an average home cook I'm sure would just toss it in the dishwasher for the assured "clean". Hopefully the knives don't go in there also but maybe that's why manufacturers always specify whether it is dishwasher safe or vice versa.

Sanitary wise - Depends on how you see it. You can get deep cuts in both wood and poly and at my restaurant the board will start changing color in these cuts. We just take a washcloth soaked with bleach and put it on there and half hour or so the board is totally clean. I'm sure there is a reason why the food inspections at restaurants specify that wood cutting boards cannot be used at restaurants. Take the same washcloth with bleach on the wood board and it's a goner. Even if you oil the wood board I am sure some moisture gets in the board.

Crunching sound... Okay little exaggerated. I don't know how to describe it. I guess it's more of the feedback you get from the board. Poly board seems to absorb the shock and wood you seem to just feel it. I'm not alway slicing an dicing. You start chopping stuff and you will get what I mean.

 

[GB]

Lewi, the noise you are hearing or the feedback you are getting from the wood board...Is it an end grain board or edge grain board?

 

[Scotch]

Okay, so my SIL is a Pampered Chef sales person and for my birthday and to help her out to get started in her new state, I'm ordering a bunch of stuff from her. They sell bamboo and plastic cutting boards. The plastic is great for meat, that I know because you can bleach it. But what I don't know is, is bamboo good for your knives. I'm spending a bunch of money on knives, I don't want to ruin them if bamboo is bad for them. And what about plastic? Is it okay for knives or does it dull them? Need to know before I proceed.

I have plastic cutting boards for raw meat of any kind, and as you say they're great because they can be bleached or put in the dishwasher to be cleaned and sanitized.

I currently have bamboo cutting boards for other things, made by Totally Bamboo, including this large end-grain butcher block:

In the past I've had other cutting boards made of various hard woods, so I think I have some basis for comparison. Both are good, in my experience, and the decision of which to buy pretty much comes down to price and appearance.

Many people will tell you that bamboo is too hard and will dull your knives quickly. I have not found that to be the case; my knives maintain a fine edge for a long time. Granted, I do use the steel on them quite frequently, and sharpen them now and then, but I've not noticed any significant difference in how quickly they dull on the bamboo boards.

I've read other comments about bamboo having more resin than hardwood boards, that it's somehow less sanitary, etc., etc., but I think that's mostly industry hype.

One other positive thing about bamboo -- it's actually a member of the grass family, not a tree, and it grows like crazy. It's thus "greener" in the sense that bamboo is a sustainable resource; using it prevents the destruction of ancient hardwood forests. And I like the way it looks, too.

 

[Lewi]

GB - The board I use is edge grain.

 

[GB]

I would bet you would have a different experience if you tried end grain. It is quite a bit more expensive, but with good reason.

 

[GotGarlic]

Sanitary wise - Depends on how you see it. You can get deep cuts in both wood and poly and at my restaurant the board will start changing color in these cuts.

It really depends on whether you believe scientific studies or not - UC-Davis Food Safety Laboratory: Cutting Board Research

 

[buzzard767]

It really depends on whether you believe scientific studies or not - UC-Davis Food Safety Laboratory: Cutting Board Research

I believe I'll go with the scientific studies as opposed to a layman's guess.

It's end grain hard wood or Sani-Tuff for me. Has to be I guess. I have both. Last time I saw bamboo was at Jungle Survival School at Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines. I decided to leave it there.

Buzz

 

[Janet H]

I have a couple of Epicurean boards that I LOVE! The are strong and light and clean well. I like the weight because they are easy to lift and take to a pan on the stove.

My favorite one is 10" x 22"

The stuff they make these boards from is manufactured near Portland OR and has been used in construction for several years. They make outdoor skateboard ramps out of it and a bunch of other bizarre stuff.

 

[The BoardSMITH]

The Epicurean boards are made from MDF, medium density fiberboard, which is wood flour and small pieces mixed with a waterproof resin. The resins make it very hard, waterproof and heavy.

I have used waterproof MDF in a cabinet shop that was used for medical purposes, rather in a medical teaching lab where the cabinetry had to be hosed down and disinfected daily after use. Although the boards are quite expensive, the material is downright cheap. (I saw that the local Outback restaurant has changed over to this type. I researched the boards and found that I could make them for 48 cents each and they were paying $5 to $6 each.)

As for bamboo, it is still grass, requires an extreme amount of glues and resins to adhere all the small pieces, is finished with an organic mystery oil and is made in shops in the Orient that are not as clean and worker friendly as here in the USA.