Cutting Board Thread

mete said:
Wood !! A good hardwood board of hard maple or birch ,properly take care of will last many years .Mine must be at least 30 years old ! Use a separate board for chopping. Wash immediately after use. Never soak, never put in dishwasher.To minimize food smells in the wood, like onion , just quickly wet the board with water before use.
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I'm with mete on this one. Wooden cutting boards are hands down more attractive, that alone sends the plastic to the craft room. That and the fact that I made the ones we use. :D A mixture of walnut and maple with inlays.

I have also heard, though never confirmed, that most woods are more sanitary because the bacteria cannot survive on the surface.
 
When the 'plastic is safer' hysteria started they did research and found that wood does in fact have anti-bacterial action !! Bacteria problems are often caused by poor sanitary practices !!! Cleaning tools [knife, board etc] immediately after use prevents much of the problem. And don't let food lay around. I always make sure that after meals [especially that big Thanksgiving meal ] that the food is put in refrigerator or freezer instead of sitting there growing bacteria !!! You may want to do the host/hostess thing but do that after the food is put away.
 
I do not mind washing Wood cutting boards by hand.

Thats probably because we mostly cook with cast iron in this house and this all has to be washed by hand anyway.
(don't own any Teflon stuff)
 
As far a bacteria is concerned, there's an interesting read on the Boos website. A study was done and it turns out that bacteria survive better on plastic than wood, so it would seem that wood cutting boards are actually better for poultry, pork, and other nasties.

I think I'm just going to build all new kitchen countertops out of 4" thick engrain maple, and have like an acre of cutting board. :-D
 
If you keep it clean it doesn't matter between plastic and wood.

Wood's anti-bacterial ability will not protect you from poor hygiene. It doesn't kill them fast enough nor effectively enough.

Keep it clean and buy what pleases you.

Phil
 
http://apexexpress.stores.yahoo.net/turcarboarby.html
I bought this one at the hardware store. Each one was kind of different as they used different wood types, you could find one with all light wood, or light, dark and red wood. I actually bout one because there were a few strips on there that had a really nice curl to them, and I really love curly wood.
Its maybe 1/2 or 3/4 inch thick which I dont like, but for 17 bucks or so I guess I can always buy a new one.
 
That Apex board is nice looking.

I use only Bamboo, there are plenty of places where you can find nice thick Bamboo at reasonable prices - try a TJ Maxx or Target - also I have had good luck at Home Supply Salvage places (hit and miss on what they have but when they get in some Cutting Boards its a bonanza.
 
Great Thread!
There are cutting boards and there are butcher's blocks. I have both and unfortunately make the constant mistake of treating my cutting boards as butcher's blocks. Don't do this or you will destroy as many cutting boards as I have. Plastic is great but use it only for vegetables & fruits. A study I read years ago proved that something in wood boards acts as an anti-bacterial, whereas plastic boards allow bacteria to thrive- hence the admonition to use them for 'flesh'.
The butcher-block table shown in this thread is tops for butchering and that's what people who cook a lot and seriously ought to use.
A good compromise is a quality end-grain hardwood board at least 1.5" thick.
Lately I've tested IKEAs wood boards and they mostly suck. I'm on an end-grain variant from IKEA now, so let's see how long it lasts.
Glass? Marble? Huh? Who uses that?
Bamboo I haven't tried so I'd love to hear the experts talk about it.
 
phatch said:
If you keep it clean it doesn't matter between plastic and wood.

Wood's anti-bacterial ability will not protect you from poor hygiene. It doesn't kill them fast enough nor effectively enough.

Keep it clean and buy what pleases you.

Phil
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This is a great way to look at it. It seems the main issue for people is the 'dishwasher safe' feature.

But why sacrifice beauty for a supposed convenience? Theboardsmith linked to by ADD is a perfect example in my mind. A hand made piece that will last many years. A thing that full fills it's primary purpose well and at the same time is a pleasure to look at.

Of course being able to trash things regularly is a great convenience to many.
 
If you know anyone who works around a trailer shop (as in 18-wheelers) a standard flooring used is laminated hardwood. when a floor is repaired there is usually a sizeable scrap. I cut mine the same width as one side of my sink where it will sit on top and I can rake scraps into the other side.
 
A big thumbs up to the board smith. I have an 18x22 cherry block and it is fantastic.
 
another vote for the Boardsmith

http://www.theboardsmith.net./caring1.htm

Buy the best board you can afford, take care of it, and it is likely that your grandchildren will be using it. Even as they age, or especially as they age, good wooden cutting boards become more and more attractive.
Your first consideration should be how much counter space you have. The bigger the board, the less you will find yourself fussing. The second question is which shape works best for you. Your main choices are rectangular, square, or round. And be sure that if you buy a cutting board that's several inches thick, its surface doesn't sit so high on your countertop that you can't cut on it comfortably. A good-size cutting board weighs a good deal. You are likely to leave it where it sits. So buy a cutting board that fits your counter space.

Before using a new butcher block, season it to prevent staining and absorption of food odors and bacteria. Before applying oil to butcher block, warm the oil slightly. Apply oil with a soft cloth, in the direction of the grain, allowing the oil to soak in between each of the four or five coats required for the initial seasoning. After each treatment, wait about four to six hours and wipe off oil that did not soak into the wood (oxidation or hardening of the oil will take approximately 6 hours). Re-oil the butcher block monthly or as often as needed.


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Types of Cutting Boards

End-Grain Cutting Boards (reversible)

The best to be found and will meet the needs of the most discerning customer. More durable than regular cutting boards, these end-grain boards look beautiful on your countertop. An end-grain is a much harder surface and has a greater tolerance for the chopping motion. These boards give a truly resistant cutting surface while being kind to the blade’s sharp edge.

The old fashioned cutting boards were always end-grain design (the chopping block) for a reason, it keeps the knives much sharper. Instead of crushing against the wood fibers the blade goes between them much like cutting into a firm brush. You will find that your blade edges last much longer, and you'll see no knife marks on the board.

When the individual boards of wood are arranged so that the grain of the wood runs vertically (up and down), this puts one end of each board up so that the cutting surface is actually the end of many individual pieces of hardwood. With the grain aligned in this manner (up and down), when the knife strikes the surface during cutting, the grain of the wood actually separates and then closes when the knife is removed. This accounts for the self-healing aspect of the end-grain surface. The wood itself is not cut, but instead you are cutting between the fibers.

Flat-Grain (Edge) Cutting Boards (reversible)

One of the best-selling cutting boards for the kitchen - excellent value chopping board and the perfect companion in the kitchen. The majority of wood cutting boards you can buy today are flat grain design. The main reason for this is that they are significantly easier to manufacture.




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Maintaining and Sanitizing Cutting Boards

IMPORTANT: Whichever kind of cutting board you use, clean it frequently with hot soapy water. Sanitize both wood and plastic cutting boards with a diluted chlorine bleach or vinegar solution consisting of one teaspoon of liquid chlorine bleach in one quart of water or a one to five dilution of vinegar. Flood the surface with a sanitizing solution and allow it to stand for several minutes, then rinse and air dry or pat dry with paper towels.

Caution must be taken when using any type of cutting board. Here are some safety tips to keep in mind:

All cutting boards should be scrubbed frequently and thoroughly with hot water and soap.
All cutting boards, and other food surfaces, should be kept dry when not in use. Resident bacteria survive for no more than a few hours without moisture. Keep moisture of any type from standing on the block for long periods of time. Beware of moisture collecting beneath the board if you leave it on the counter. If you can, prop one end up when not using your board.
Use a good steel scraper or spatula often when using the board. Scraping removes 75% of the moisture that builds up on a wooden cutting board. An occasional sanding will return a wooden board to a smooth luster. But never scrub a wooden board with a steel brush (a steel brush will ruff up the finish and should be avoided).
Wooden boards need oiling once a week to seal the grain against bacteria. An oil finish helps to prevent the wood from cracking or pulling apart at the seams. Use a product that is (1) edible; and (2) tasteless. USP-grade mineral oil is a popular choice as it is the cheapest pure food-grade oil you can buy (do not use vegetable or olive oil because it can turn rancid). Before applying oil to butcher block, warm the oil slightly. Apply oil with a soft cloth, in the direction of the grain, allowing the oil to soak in. Allow oil to soak in a few minutes, then remove all surface oil with a dry, clean cloth.
Some professional cooks like to add a little beeswax to the mineral oil for a tougher finish. Simply shave about 1/2 teaspoon of beeswax into a microwave safe dish with a cupful of mineral oil; microwave on high for about 45 seconds. Apply to the cutting board or butcher block while still warm. Save or dispose of the remainder of the oil.

To learn about THE MICROBIOLOGY OF CLEANING AND SANITIZING A CUTTING BOARD, read this scientific article written by by O. Peter Snyder, Jr., Ph.D.

Guidelines To Increase Food Safety When Using Cutting Boards from the Food Safety and Inspection Service USDA - Basics for Handling Food Safely. USDA:
Choose a board with a smooth, hard surface. It should be approved for contact with food.

Replace cutting boards that become deeply scratched, carved or grooved.

Do not chop salad, vegetables or other ready-to-eat foods on an unwashed cutting board that's been used to trim raw meat, poultry or seafood. If possible, always use a clean, separate, color-coded cutting board for fresh vegetables, fruits, breads, and other food that will not be cooked prior to eating.

Scrape off any stuck food and scrub all cutting boards completely with hot soapy water after each use. Dishwashers are usually very good cleaners for most cutting boards. However, thin plastic or wooden boards may be damaged.

Sanitize cutting boards from time-to-time with a mixture of one teaspoon of chlorine bleach to one quart of water. Flood the board with the mixture; let it stand a few minutes. Then, rinse completely with fresh water. For better food safety, sanitize washed cutting boards after using with raw meat, poultry, and seafood. This may be especially important for households with ill family members.

Let cutting boards dry completely; do not stack together or with other kitchen gear so that they remain wet.

Store cutting boards so that they stay clean, dry, and do not touch raw meat, poultry or seafood or their drippings.
 
and my own info on wood versus plastic boards. Written for the English - UK market an 'EHO' is an Environmental Health Inspector. My personal cutting board at home is a Canadian Maple board made up of maple planks and is 2" thick. I am a trade chef BTW.

Message 21 - posted by Andrew Googlemeister**, Jan 29, 2006

As someone who hasn't studied microbiology, here you go. We'll start with three university studies.

http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/faculty/pbird/keepingfit/ARTICLE/BOARDS.HTM

http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/docliver/Research/cuttingboard.htm

http://web.utk.edu/~mtaylo29/pages/wood cutting boards.html

http://www.ibiblio.org/london/renewable-energy/mailarchives/greenbuilding2/msg00164.html

and then move onto other food sites.

http://www.antiaginglifeextension.c...icles/kitchen_cutting_boards.asp?a=1563&c=&p=

http://www.cooksillustrated.com/foodscience.asp?foodscienceid=110&bdc=1320

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Q-A/cuttingboard.htm

From Wikipedia and copyright free.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutting_board

Materials

Wood

Wood has the advantage over plastic in that it is somewhat self healing; shallow cuts in the wood will close up on their own.

Hard, tight grained hardwoods with small pores, such as hard Maple are best. Good hardness and tight grain helps reduce scoring of the cutting surface and seepage of liquid and dirt into the surface. Red Oak for example, has large pores so it retains dirt, even after washing, making it a poor choice for cutting board material.

Care must be taken when selecting tropical hardwoods for use as cutting boards as many contain toxins or allergens.

Although technically a grass, laminated strips of Bamboo also make an attractive and durable cutting board material.


Plastic

While theoretically more sanitary than wooden cutting boards, testing has shown this is not the case. However, antibiotics can be integrated into the plastic mix. Unfortunately plastic is softer than wood, and does not self heal. Mildew can even form in deep scoring. Semi-disposible thin flexible cutting boards take little skill to transfer their contents to containers.

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The story behind the U-turn by local EHOs was two-fold. The cost of replacing a butchers chopping block from wood to plastic was just over 1000 pounds at the time. The American research came out about 6 months before the changeover date and fortunately, many butchers left buying a new plastic butchers block to the last minute. Those that already had them complained that heavy scoring from a meat cleaver could not be removed. With a wood block, the cleaning routine is to clean the block with washing soda and then the block is scrubbed with a 'block brush'. The brush rather than being like a scrubbing brush is actually a metal tined brush with rectangular steel spikes that planes away the wood. That is why butchers blocks are sunken in the middle. After each day, the block was as new and sanitised. As a bonus, the wood sawdust on the floor after cleaning helped to clean the floor and is non-slip. It was proven that the plastic chopping block was unsanitary as meat and blood were festering in the cuts on the block.

As the cost to hotels and restaurants was considerably cheaper (3.50 for a small board, 5.00 for a large board) many establishements changed over. I threw out my two wooden chopping boards and purchased one small green board for vegetables, one red board for raw meat and a white one for everything else. They need replacing about every 6 months depending on use.

Colour coding in chopping boards is a way of reducing the risk of cross contamination and is widely practised. There are no legal guidelines on which foods should be cut on which colour boards, but the accepted coding system in the UK is this:

Yellow – Cooked meats

Red – Uncooked meats

White – Bread and dairy products such as cheese

Blue – Raw fish

Green – Salad and fruit

Brown – Raw vegetables, definitely those grown within the soil.

Anyway, the upshot is that out of a wooden board and a plastic board, both having been properly cleaned, a wooden board dries quicker and is therefore more hygenic. Wooden board are 'self healing' whereas plastic isn't.

Although EHOs still prefer to see brand new, unscored plastic boards, they don't enforce if you use wood. Butchers use either.
 
Working in restaurants, I've used both & don't have a preference. At home, I use plastic- cheaper. I have other stuff I'd rather spend $ on. As for sanitation, I always have a squirt bottle w/ a 50/50 water/bleach solution around the house & my boards get a good dose of that w/ each use.
I remember "curing" our butcher's block @ the end of the summer season in a place I worked- we scrubbed the hell out of it w/ God only knows what and covered it w/ a 3" thick layer of kosher salt & let it sit for at least a month. I went back in w/ the head chef to finish closing the kitchen & remember seeing all of the crap that the salt pulled out of the wood- left a wildly ugly crust of salt.
 
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