Cutting board - wood, acrylic or something else?

[Barbara L]

We watch "Shark Tank" on TV and last week the owner of Vermont Butcher Block was on. I have been needing a cutting board, so I checked his site out. We can't afford a butcher block right now, but for Mother's Day James had me order a cutting board. The one I ordered is alternating cherry and walnut. It is 16 x 9 x 1.5" which is great because the one I have now is much smaller.

 

[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....

In professional kitchens (at least, in the UK) you are supposed to have separate boards for raw meat and fish, cooked meats, bread, and fruit and veg and these are supposed to be different colours. At home I would at the very least keep a special board for raw meat and not use it for anything else.

In Britain (and I suspect parts of the EU) special plastic boards are the accepted thing but some years ago, in the teeth of the wood versus plastic furore, research was done which showed that wood contained naturally occuring anti-microbial enzymes which made wooden chopping board more effective at preventing cross contamination than any other type of board. (Something our Grandmothers knew well.)I use wood because it doesn't blunt the knives, Glass are easy to clean but mangle the edge of your knives, Plastic ones are aesthetically nasty and I tend to believe the afore-mentioned research about wood.

"You pays your money and you takes your choice"

 

[Mad Cook]

I too have more than one. All 4 are different size, all plastic, but not acrylic. Acrylic I think is too hard and it will ruin the knife. All dishwasher safe. I finally got rid off couple of wooden boards I had.

Knives cut into plastic creating grooves to harbour bacteria

 

[Leolady]

I like wood! Better for your knives, and more sanitary. I use this table for meats, and a couple of small boards on top for other items.

 

[Addie]

For you older folks, have you ever been in a kitchen built during the late 20's, early 30's? There were two item that were built in. One was the ironing board into the wall behind that very small door. The other was a very large wooden pull out cutting board. If you pulled it out too far, you opened the drawer under it for support.

Our grandmothers used those cutting boards for years. A lot of families that are redoing their kitchen today are asking for that built-in cutting board. It certainly solves the storage problem.

 

[taxlady]

For you older folks, have you ever been in a kitchen built during the late 20's, early 30's? There were two item that were built in. One was the ironing board into the wall behind that very small door. The other was a very large wooden pull out cutting board. If you pulled it out too far, you opened the drawer under it for support.

Our grandmothers used those cutting boards for years. A lot of families that are redoing their kitchen today are asking for that built-in cutting board. It certainly solves the storage problem.

We had those in a house built in the very early '50s. We had the built in cutting board in a house built in 1959. It could be removed for washing.

 

[Addie]

We had those in a house built in the very early '50s. We had the built in cutting board in a house built in 1959. It could be removed for washing.

When we lived on the farm, we had one in the regular kitchen and out in the summer kitchen. We also had the ironing board with the socket right there in the wall. I remember when we got the Kennmore Steam Iron. No more sprinkling the cloths and rolling them up. Or so I thought.

 

[chiklitmanfan]

I have 6-8 plastic cutting boards of various sizes. They go in the DW after each use where they are sanitized by high temp water. They are inexpensive and easy to care for. They do become stained with use so periodically, I bleach them overnight and wash them off. White as snow again.

What Andy sez! I have a set of 4 different sized plastic cutting boards and like them just fine because:

1)They are lighter and easier to handle than the wooden ones I used to use.
2) They fit easily in the dishwasher for sanitizing.
3) They do not warp and keep their shape. I don't like cutting on a warped
surface.
4) Because of their less bulky size they are easier to store together and take up less space.

Although they tend toward stains and light cutting serrations, I consider that a sign that they are being proudly used often by a foodie who loves to cook. Beware of a cook who has a sterile looking pristine cutting board!

 

[chiklitmanfan]

Knives cut into plastic creating grooves to harbour bacteria

I have read studies that both wood and other materials are equally susceptible to contamination. Putting the plastic cutting board in a hot dishwasher solves the problem. Been cutting for 20 years on plastic cutting boards without anyone getting sick on my prepared food.

Wood versus plastic? I think it is more a matter of personal preference than cleanliness. Just sayin.....

 

[Mad Cook]

For you older folks, have you ever been in a kitchen built during the late 20's, early 30's? There were two item that were built in. One was the ironing board into the wall behind that very small door. The other was a very large wooden pull out cutting board. If you pulled it out too far, you opened the drawer under it for support.

Our grandmothers used those cutting boards for years. A lot of families that are redoing their kitchen today are asking for that built-in cutting board. It certainly solves the storage problem.

I want a ironing board in the wall and a big pull out chopping board and I want them NOW!

 

[Mad Cook]

I have read studies that both wood and other materials are equally susceptible to contamination. Putting the plastic cutting board in a hot dishwasher solves the problem. Been cutting for 20 years on plastic cutting boards without anyone getting sick on my prepared food.

Wood versus plastic? I think it is more a matter of personal preference than cleanliness. Just sayin.....

Have a look at the other current thread on this topic. You may be surprised.

 

[Dawgluver]

I want a ironing board in the wall and a big pull out chopping board and I want them NOW!

My grandma had an ironing board in the wall. I loved that thing, it was like a Murphy bed. And the pull-out chopping blocks were great. We had them in both our houses when I was growing up.

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. Also have an assortment of acrylic boards I don't use much as I think they dull the knives. We have a small Boss wooden board we got as a gift that I mainly use for putting hot pans and processed canning jars on.

 

[msmofet]

For you older folks, have you ever been in a kitchen built during the late 20's, early 30's? There were two item that were built in. One was the ironing board into the wall behind that very small door. The other was a very large wooden pull out cutting board. If you pulled it out too far, you opened the drawer under it for support.

Our grandmothers used those cutting boards for years. A lot of families that are redoing their kitchen today are asking for that built-in cutting board. It certainly solves the storage problem.

Along with the little slit in the back of the medicine cabinet to dispose of used razor blades. When they tore those walls out it was full of HAZMATs. LOL

 

[Addie]

I want a ironing board in the wall and a big pull out chopping board and I want them NOW!

Those ironing boards were nice because you didn't have to find a place for it and take up valuable storage space. And you never had to drag it out and set it up!

 

[TaraWildes]

Probably spent too much, but I love these things:
Amazon.com: Proteak Teak Cutting Board Rectangle 16-by-12-by-2-Inch with Juice Canal, End Grain: Kitchen & Dining
Amazon.com: Proteak Teak Cutting Board Circle 12-by-1-Inch Edge Grain: Kitchen & Dining
Hit them with a little mineral oil once a week and they are awesome. I've used plastic for years but these are so...real. Plus my knives stay sharper longer.

 

[CharlieD]

For you older folks, have you ever been in a kitchen built during the late 20's, early 30's? There were two item that were built in. One was the ironing board into the wall behind that very small door. The other was a very large wooden pull out cutting board....:

I have that kind cutting board in my kitchen and my house is 15 years old. Though I have never used it. It is in the most bizarre place in the kitchen. It is right under where the phone is. So I of course have a bunch of papers on the counter and the Rolodex. Why the builder did not put that cabinet next to the sink or refrigerator I have no idea.

 

[Breathing Couch]

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

 

[Andy M.]

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

I can't imagine what happens to them. I've had the same ones for many years.

 

[RPCookin]

I can't imagine what happens to them. I've had the same ones for many years.

Yeah. I have a bamboo cutting board (it's my favorite veggie board) that I've used almost daily for at least 15 years and while it shows wear, it's a long, long way from used up. My 2 plastic ones are older than that.

 

[Addie]

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!