One thing I know is that the wooden boards hold up better to cleaving than plastic ones. I feed my cat home made food and I chop the bones with a hatchet (don't have a cleaver) into smaller sections to put through a meat grinder. Tried it with a plastic board and that thing had huge chunks taken out of it. I had to throw that board away because using it just once that way gave it too many deep gouges. Switched to a heavy wooden grain end board and it held up to the cleaving action of the hatchet fine. I clean it with a spray of undiluted vinegar, let stand for a bit, wipe off, then a spray of hydrogen peroxide, let stand, wipe off. My counter tops get the same spray treatment.
-
The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Wooden cutting boards
- Thread starter willis
- Start date
I use both. I do try to use one plastic one for meat only. I periodically soak the plastic boards in a bleach solution - kills bacteria and whitens them up. I have a couple of solid teak boards I bought in Thailand in 1965 - very nice still. My current favorite is a laminated bamboo board. It's beautiful and heavy. Mineral oil for wood!
Yes. I remember the research paper when it was released about 8 years ago. It's not just what you said but also that something in the cellulose or the binding resins actually killed bacteria. Considering how long Wood has been successfully used for butcher blocks over the Millennia, I believe it. I use plastic for veggies only.
How does Bamboo do for heavy chops? I sometimes have to hack through bones and unless It's on a really thick endgrain block, it can put serious splits into the board.Also, does bamboo in any way dull the blade?
- Joined
- Sep 21, 2005
- Messages
- 2,667
Vinegar (similar to a mild low pH acid) is not suitable to sanitize with. Bugs can actually grow in it. Vinegar would help to remove smells but not really be killing the source. A high pH cleaning solution (bleach) is very effective. Working in bio pharmacuetical manufacturing/clean room environments, I am very familiar with the cleaning practices.
I'll be honest, I grew using plastic. (Mom's a H.S. Home-Ec teacher so she's likely had it beat into her brain about the whole sanitation issue.)
One bonus on wood I can think of (For us DYI-ers) is that if you or a friend have a planer...buy or make a nice thick board. Plane another 1/16" each year and you've got a new board for at least 8 years.
For what its worth, in microbiology lab we did some real basic culture/anti-microbe tests. Took random samples from lips, fingernails, floor, countertop, etc. Used several types of "killer" household products. Gave it short contact time (something like one or two minutes). Pine-Sol kicked everthing else to the curb. Even bleach. I don't suppose anyone wants to put that on their cutting boards though!!!!
One bonus on wood I can think of (For us DYI-ers) is that if you or a friend have a planer...buy or make a nice thick board. Plane another 1/16" each year and you've got a new board for at least 8 years.
For what its worth, in microbiology lab we did some real basic culture/anti-microbe tests. Took random samples from lips, fingernails, floor, countertop, etc. Used several types of "killer" household products. Gave it short contact time (something like one or two minutes). Pine-Sol kicked everthing else to the curb. Even bleach. I don't suppose anyone wants to put that on their cutting boards though!!!!
xbxb
Basic Member
- Joined
- Jun 23, 2005
- Messages
- 1,618
Well I'm not sure I don't have to hack through bones. Sounds to me like you need a chopping block not a cutting board. Bamboo is tough and holds up well.
I believe it. Pine Sol is the Grand Daddy of all green cleaners. Smells great too. It's the resins that scare those microbes away- hence the preference for wood vs plastic
Yesterday my new cutting board was delivered. I got a John Boos 12x18x1.75 end-grain maple butcher block style board. It came with a free sample of Boos' oil - the sample was 2 oz and the board soaked it all right up. This board is a thing of beauty - nice grain character, no voids, solid as a rock, routed hand grips on the sides for ease of handling. I wanted a board that would be permanently situated on the area of my home countertop where I do most of my food prep, so it would have to look good as well as perform like a pro, and I am not disappointed! Pricey - yes, at around $75 - but worth every dollar.