Cutting board - wood, acrylic or something else?

[jennyema]

Im with Andy

I have a bunch of plastic boards in various sizes that get snaitized completely in the dishwasher.

Acrylic, ceramic, granite and those thin sheets ruin your knives. Dont use them.

 

[taxlady]

I had a large, thin sheet, plastic, cutting "board". I used it for cutting meat, because the knife hardly touches it, so the knife isn't really adversely affected.

 

[CraigC]

Sustainable teak also makes for a great board, but it is expensive.

 

[taxlady]

Almost 20 years ago, a researcher at UC-Davis proved that wood cutting boards are safer than plastic because moisture is drawn into the wood, taking bacteria with it, and then the bacteria dies. Plastic boards, especially those with a lot of knife cuts in them, harbor bacteria and allow them to reproduce.

PLASTIC AND WOODEN CUTTING BOARDS Dean O. Cliver, Ph.D

My main cutting board is a large wood one with a juice catcher that lives on my counter. I also have two smaller wood boards I use for smaller jobs; a large acrylic one I've had for many years and use rarely; and a smaller acrylic one that came with a gift of Omaha Steaks.

The acrylic boards go in the dishwasher. I keep an all-purpose cleaning mixture for everyday kitchen cleaning in a spray bottle - 1/3 white vinegar, 1/3 lemon juice and 1/3 water. I spray my wood boards with this, let it sit for a few minutes, then wipe it off. Works great.

Using good knives on hard surfaces like glass, ceramic, etc., including plates, is really bad for the blades.

Thanks for posting the link. I didn't have time to hunt for one.

BTW, this doesn't necessarily apply to bamboo. Bamboo is a grass and there haven't been many, if any, tests on how long microbes can live on it.

 

[taxlady]

Sustainable teak also makes for a great board, but it is expensive.

I bet it would be expensive, but it would be gorgeous.

 

[pacanis]

We unfortunately made a bad decision on choosing a dishwasher when we renovated our kitchen several years ago. We got a Fisher & Paykel with two dish drawers; neither is tall enough to accommodate full-size cutting boards. Or baking sheets, for that matter. It still annoys me.

Not even way over on the side using the bottom rack? Bummer.

My dishwasher holds all kinds of things, especially when I take the top rack out

 

[pacanis]

I had a large, thin sheet, plastic, cutting "board". I used it for cutting meat, because the knife hardly touches it, so the knife isn't really adversely affected.

Ditto. I have yet to "ruin" a knife blade using any cutting surface I mentioned. Maybe we know when to stop cutting

 

[no mayonnaise]

Epicurean makes a wood-composite board that combines the best elements of wood and plastic. After using one for several years now, I would never go back to wood or plastic. The thing is dishwasher safe, handles hot temperatures so you can put a hot pan on it, and is very easy on your knife's edge. Plastic can harbor bacteria and requires frequent sterilization to remain sanitary, wood requires occasional sanding and treatments to keep from drying and warping. The wood composite material used by Epicurean requires NO maintenance and does a better job all around. I highly, highly recommend it. It will last forever, won't warp, and requires no maintenance--in other words, it's perfect.

 

[CWS4322]

I have a butcher-block counter top that is sealed with food grade sealant. It is, however, too gorgeous to use, so I also have wooden cutting boards (2" thick, 12" x 18"), and the cut-out from the sink (it fits over the sink--1" thick butcher block), plastic of various sizes, flexible plastic ones. My favorite plastic one is this one:

Large Cutting Board with Juice Wells : The Pampered Chef, Ltd. - Shopping

I love the juice wells on the one side, and not on the other. I have two of them. Great for watermelons, pineapple, and tomatoes.

I also have these:

Flexible Cutting Mats : The Pampered Chef, Ltd. - Shopping

Love them for their flexibility.

I made several hardwood (birch) cutting boards from the cutoffs from when we installed the new birch floor (raw--no finish--we made the flooring from logs we harvested/purchased). I didn't bother to finish them--just glued three 18" planks together to get a board that is 1-1/4" thick and I can put in the dishwasher. I use them for wood only, use the plastic ones for veggies and fruits. They all fit in my DW if I take the top rack out.

 

[CWS4322]

Not even way over on the side using the bottom rack? Bummer.

My dishwasher holds all kinds of things, especially when I take the top rack out

A friend's dad used to run the hubcabs for his car through the dishwasher...

 

[Dawgluver]

Epicurean makes a wood-composite board that combines the best elements of wood and plastic. After using one for several years now, I would never go back to wood or plastic. The thing is dishwasher safe, handles hot temperatures so you can put a hot pan on it, and is very easy on your knife's edge. Plastic can harbor bacteria and requires frequent sterilization to remain sanitary, wood requires occasional sanding and treatments to keep from drying and warping. The wood composite material used by Epicurean requires NO maintenance and does a better job all around. I highly, highly recommend it. It will last forever, won't warp, and requires no maintenance--in other words, it's perfect.

Which one do you have, No Mayo? I looked them up on Amazon, there are lots of them!

 

[Bigjim68]

Sustainable teak also makes for a great board, but it is expensive.

I have heard that teak is hard on blades. It is among the few trees that carry the needed elements in the wood portion of the tree, and as a result is high in silicon content. Other trees carry the elements in the bark. I do know that teak is hard on wood cutting tools.

My board is end grain mixed maple and walnut. Full counter size - about 24 x 24 and 1.5 inches thick. Any thicker and it raises the counter height too much, particularly for shorter persons. I make my own. They are an easy project as they just a square piece of wood. End grain is easy on knives, and I have not had a problem with warping. I use one side for chicken and other meats, the other for vegetables, particularly those I eat raw.

 

[JGDean]

I just bought a Mario Batali named plantation teak cuttting board that I had lusted after for several weeks. I really feel that it's beauty makes it almost unuseable. What I wanted to know is if coconut oil can be used to care for a board like a friend suggested?

 

[PrincessFiona60]

Any vegetable oils will go rancid. I would use food grade mineral oil, you can pick up a bottle at the local drugstore in the Laxative section...it is "safe" for human consumption. It will not effect you in it's labeled use and will protect your cutting board without going rancid.

 

[taxlady]

I just bought a Mario Batali named plantation teak cuttting board that I had lusted after for several weeks. I really feel that it's beauty makes it almost unuseable. What I wanted to know is if coconut oil can be used to care for a board like a friend suggested?

Yes, it can.

Teak is a wonderful wood. I lived in Denmark with lots of teak furniture. If it got scratched or stained, we just sanded lightly and oiled it and it was back to gorgeous.

As PF mentioned above, food grade mineral oil would probably be better than the coconut oil.

 

[JGDean]

I went back to where I got the board and purchased Oil "Food Safe Cutting Board Mineral Oil". The odd thing is - on the back of the bottle it states: "Not For Human Consumption" Are they afraid someone will use it as a part of a salad dressing? I'll bet they would only do it once.

 

[salt and pepper]

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....

Hi "V", I think Polyethylene makes a very goog cutting board,easy on your knives,easy to clean & bleach. You can get them in any size and not very expensive. An 18" X 24" is under $20. Lexan is also very good but very expensive.I have a large non-mar laxan board that was given to me by a former employer, We installed it on a machine at a gold mine and what was left over was a good size peice, just right for a cutting board. But the price for a 4x8 sheet was $1800.00. I don't think anyone wants to go there!!!

 

[vitauta]

i appreciate all of the good ideas and suggestions i've gotten from everybody re cutting boards. since i am not yet able to get around enough to do store shopping, i will either make my purchase online, or leave it to my home 'helper'--send her to bb&b with my specifications....

thanks, s & p. for your knowledgeable input on this subject. polyethylene looks like a good candidate for a board, lexan is not. i had to google lexan to find out what it was, but still don't understand what makes it so costly.

my other thought is to drop a few hints to my family, and simply wait for christmas to come.

 

[CharlieD]

... when I take the top rack out

How do you take top rack out. Mine doesn't come out. I've had quite few situation when I needed more spce.

 

[Andy M.]

How do you take top rack out. Mine doesn't come out. I've had quite few situation when I needed more spce.

The top rack doesn't always come out. On my DW there is a rotating spray arm attached to the bottom side of the top rack. It does, however, adjust in two positions up and down to accommodate taller items.