How to Choose and Care for a Cutting Board

I think I’ve owned nearly every type of cutting board there is, starting with a warped hand-me down board from my mom, and then later buying anything from color coded thin plastic boards to heavy duty wooden boards. There are so many cutting boards to choose from: Corian, plastic, metal, glass and every imaginable kind of wood. How do you know what cutting board is the right cutting board to use?

You could learn through trial and error like I did, but that ends up being expensive and frustrating, or you can read on, and you’re cutting board dilemmas will be over. There are only three things you need to consider when selecting a board: what you will be cutting on it, the size and the type. First let’s look at the most common types: glass, plastic and wood.

Glass cutting boards always look nice; they come in a variety of colors, or have a picture that shows through the glass adding a nice decorative touch. Glass can also be washed in the dishwasher and can do double duty as a trivet. The problem with glass is that it is bad for your knives, if you want to dull your knives quickly, use glass. Glass is also fragile and slippery, basically an accident waiting to happen. I would not even consider glass as an option.

Plastic cutting boards are touted as the safest boards to use, however there hasn’t been significant documentation to prove it is more effective against bacterial growth versus wood. Plastic has a softer surface and is much easier on the knife than glass. Plastic cutting boards have the advantage of being able to go into the dishwasher, are lightweight and inexpensive. They come in a variety of thickness and sizes.

Wood is the most popular material for cutting boards and can be the most expensive. The advantages of wood cutting boards are that they are the easiest on knife edges, they are easy to maintain and are beautiful. When selecting a wood cutting board look for one where the cross cut is on the end. If the cross cut is the primary surface, the board is likely to absorb liquids (which leads to cracking), they stain easier and absorb smells, I do not recommend cross cut wood cutting boards.

What size board is the best to own? Cutting boards come in so many sizes, again it’s had to know what size is ideal. If you are only going to get one cutting board, it should be around 12 x 16 inches. Have you ever used a small cutting board and everything you chopped fell over the board, especially those pesky round items like carrots? Using a large surface gives you more working space enabling you to cut more than one type of item. There are times it’s nice to have a small cutting board. I have a small round one that I use to cut sandwiches (and sometimes use as my plate), or lemon wedges, etc. The best way to determine what size is ideal, you need to decide: how much am I going to cut and what size of knife am I going to use? If you use a large knife then use a large cutting board; use a paring knife then use a small cutting board.

So which board to get or use? Plastic or wood? Truthfully, either is great and I recommend having one of each, depending on what you are cutting. I am inherently lazy; I like to use the plastic board for my meats so I can throw it in the dishwasher and then use my wooden cutting board for the rest of the food. My plastic board also has one side with raised edges so that the juices from the meat stay on the board instead of running onto my counter. You can also find wood boards that have a routed edge to catch liquids.

Some people use one side of their cutting board for the raw meats and then flip it over to use the other side for other foods. I don’t care too, again, I’m lazy and I don’t want to put a dirty cutting board face down on my counter. Another feature I like about my cutting boards is that they rubber corners to prevent slipping, it’s not mandatory and you can use a damp towel and put it on the counter under the cutting board to prevent slippage.

Caring for your cutting board is simple. All cutting boards should be washed with warm soapy water between uses. Plastic cutting boards can be put in the dishwasher. If your board sustains deep cuts or cracks dispose of it. If your wooden cutting board’s surface becomes fairly scarred and is difficult to clean, you can sand it down and recondition it. Speaking of conditioning, wooden cutting boards do require a little extra maintenance.

In order to extend the life of a wooden cutting board they should be conditioned occasionally with a food safe product. You can find cutting board oil or wax at stores like Bed, Bath and Beyond, Ikea, or other kitchen supply stores. Condition your board when it starts to look dry and thirsty. Apply conditioner according to the package instructions.

In summary, selecting a cutting board is a personal preference, however you should consider how much you’ll use it, what you need it for and what kind of space you have. If you are interested in more kitchen tips or recipes, please visit my site at www.thekitchenwitchblog.com.