If you thought that a kitchen cutting board was always just a dull and ugly looking thing, then it certainly is time to change your mind.
From Grandmother’s kitchen’s simple, wooden cutting board til today’s variety of cutting boards in all kinds of colors and materials, we have gone a long way.
Since bacteria can reside in cuts and grooves on the surface of a cutting board, it is advised to use different cutting boards for cutting raw meat, cooked meat, vegetables or other foods.
Most kitchen cutting boards are either made out of wood or plastic, but you might find some made out of glass, steel or marble. These materials are easier to clean than cutting boards out of plastic or woods, but they are harder on the knives.
Wooden Cutting Boards
Kitchen cutting boards made out of wood is probably the oldest type of cutting boards.
Wooden cutting boards both have advantages and disadvantages over plastic cutting boards.
On the contrary of you might think, wooden cutting boards are actually more hygienic than plastic cutting boards. Wood has natural anti-septic properties, and small cuts and fissures can even close up on their own. You can choose from variety of styles and colors. If you are not sure about the color you can always go neutral and use white, wood or black cutting board, such as this beautiful Pepper + Vetiver black wooden cutting board.
You should never place a wood board in the dishwasher, as it will affect the wood or the glue. Never leave it immersed in water for long periods, either.
The best way to remove odors from a wooden cutting board is to rinse it and then rub it with coarse salt. Let the salt stand for several minutes, then wipe the board and rinse with lots of water.
Plastic Cutting Boards
One should think that plastic was a more sanitary material than wood, but surprising test results have shown that this is not the case.
Since plastic cutting boards have a softer surface than wooden, they can easily be harmed by knives, and unlike cutting boards out of wood, these grooves and cuts will not close by themselves. Even though the board is washed, there will still remain bacteria inside the cuts in the surface.
You might also find plastic cutting boards under the name PE Cutting boards. PE is a shorthand for polyethylene, which is the material, plastic cutting boards are made of.
Plastic cutting boards are dishwasher proof, but you can also clean them with a very dilute bleach solution. That is in fact the best way to disinfect them.
Glass Cutting Boards
Although they are pretty and easy to keep clean, I will not recommend a glass cutting board.
The material is harder than the steel of even the best knives, and they will harm them.
And then you always have the risk of the glass breaking and getting into the food.
Furthermore, since the glass boards are slippery the food can easily slip, and you risk cutting yourself and get hand injuries.
Steel Cutting Boards
Cutting boards out of steel are pretty and durable. They are easy to clean, but just like glass, they are very hard on the knives.
Marble Cutting Boards
Most of the marble cutting boards are not really intended for cutting, but rather for either presenting cheese in a pretty manner or for rolling dough.
It’s a nature product, and easy to clean, but hard on your knives, and it can easily break.
