Why You Should Choose A Knife-Friendly, Hygienic Wooden Cutting Board
The most important tool in a chef’s kitchen, whether pro or home cook, is the knife. But the other important tool that makes the blade functional is mostly overlooked, cutting board. You must have heard advice on which kind of cutting board is the most organic or the most sanitary or the least damaging to your knives.
So, Which One Is Right For Your Kitchen?
People usually choose cutting board based either on the appearance of the board or the price of it. Selecting a board should not be based only on ergonomics but also on how well a cutting board treats your set of knives.
Why Cutting Board Is Important?
Also called a chopping block or a butcher block is designed in a way to rest your food against some solid material while you slice through it. Yes, there are knife sharpeners available but you also need to consider the chopping board material that doesn’t dull your blades.
This is why the board is important. A well-designed board minimizes the wear and tear of the edges of the knife.
Why Material Of The Board Matters?
- STONE CUTTING BOARD
Why would you ruin your sharp knives by cutting into a stone? Be it marble, granite or any other stone, it is, after all, a stone, the hardest material that can destroy knife edges.
Stone boards can be used for rolling out pastries or keeping hot pots and pans on them to save the counter-top from it.
- BAMBOO CUTTING BOARD
A popular alternative to wooden cutting boards, choice of many environmentalists, using bamboo is eco-friendly as it rapidly replenishes itself, but being a hard material it too can cause harm to your set. Also, bamboo contains high silica content that can even dull harder alloys.
Also, these boards are constructed using lots of glue that also spoil the blade’s edges.
However, bamboo cutting boards can be used to cut bread, cheese and such other stuff on it. Also, it works as an excellent serving tray.
- COMPOSITE CUTTING BOARD
Made of recycled substances such as cardboard, paper, harvested wood fiber and the likes, these boards come with a history of flaking and can be fairly pricey.
- PLASTIC CUTTING BOARD
Most people go for the plastic counterparts as they come with varied alternatives. It weighs less than other material but tend to discolor and stain. They also tend to be harder on your knives.
When you slice against these boards you make grooves in it which allows the liquid to permeate and that can harbor bacteria. A study has revealed that “more bacteria are recovered from a used plastic surface than from a used wood surface.”
- RUBBER CUTTING BOARD
Gaining popularity, particularly in restaurants, they offer edge resistance as well as self-repairing capabilities. Rubber boards do not hold germ or wetness, also, can tolerate most harsh cleaning. Constructed thickly, they do not slide around on your counters.
- WOODEN CUTTING BOARDS
The best cutting board material that you can go for, wooden butcher boards maintains the sharpness of your knives while offering a visual appeal that no other material can match.
The construction of the models is what makes them different and as they’re usually heavy so do not slide around on your counters. Made from renewable resources, many boards are actually made from waste wood.
The type of wood used to construct the chopping board has an impact on its appearance, cleanliness and the sharpness of your kitchen knives. Hard maple is the most common tree variety as a good maple or beech cutting board is somewhat self-healing. Other common and recommended woods include cherry and walnut.
A Well-Cared-For Board Can Last You Years
If you need just one fantastic butcher board that you can use for the rest of your life you should go for wood. If you care for it properly, it could last you generations.