The reason there are so many different materials is that some of them are simpler to clean. While some of the other types of material will sustain a lot less damage as you cut on it. Whichever type of chopping block you have though you need to make sure that you clean it and perform other maintenance on it so it will last longer.

Since bacteria can thrive so easily on a chopping board, see they love those grooves in the material that happen when you cut. You should try and always use one chopping board for your raw meat, and a totally different one that you cut vegetables or anything else on.

To clean up the board you need to dilute bleach and clean the board thoroughly. In order to get the smell out of the chopping board you need to get coarse salt and rub it onto the board. After a few minute wipe the salt off and rinse the block. With this step it’s going to help smooth the block out when there are imperfections if you have a wood block.

With a wood block make sure that you never put it in your dishwasher or kept it in water for a long time. You’re going to affect the wood and even glue if you do that. Get a light mineral oil and apply it to your chopping board. It will help preserve the block for a longer time. Make sure that you’re using food grade oil though. Some examples would be linseed oil, poppy seed oil, or Tung oil. Make sure if you use linseed or Tung that it says its food grade, because many on the market may not be.

You don’t want to use regular olive or vegetable oil because after sitting for a while they will go bad. That will leave a smell on your block, and also come off on the food that you cut on it, making them taste bad too.

If your board looks like it is drying out, you need to make sure that you treat it. This should be done about five or seven time each year, or more if you notice the board drying out. You can resurface a wood or plastic block. This should be done if you see a lot of deep scoring in it, plus it will take care of bacteria and mildew that could be on a plastic board. With the wood block you can use a plane or scraper to get the resurfacing done. Don’t use sandpaper though, it may leave a residue on your block. In the case of a plastic chopping block it’s suggested that you just replace it since the process to resurface is difficult.

So when you try to decide on what type of chopping board you want, how do you pick the right one? The different materials all have pros and cons that make them better or worse for certain situations. Here are some of the reasons why you may or may not pick certain ones.

With a wood chopping board you have a bit of an advantage to the wood over plastic. Not only will the wood heal up a shallow cut by itself, but the wood also may have anti-septic properties to it. A wood block should be made of a hard wood. The grain should also be tight, because that will help to cut down the scoring that will be caused when you cut items on it. An example of what you should use is a maple wood, red oak is a very hard wood, but since there are larger pores on it, it’s not a good choice.

Some other tropical hard woods will have allergens or toxins in them, so you need to be very careful when you pick them out. Bamboo is a very good choice for a chopping board, though it’s a grass not a wood.

In most cases plastic is a lot more sanitary than your wood choices out there. However, after many tests that have been run it may not be the case in chopping board. Those little scores that are left on a plastic block after cutting can hold bacteria, and they may stay there after washing. But you can use a bit more chemicals to clean these blocks than the wood alternative.

Normally a plastic board will be termed a PE, which is a short of polyethylene or the material that these are normally made of.

Another choice you have is glass, which is a bit simpler to clean. Not only that but as you can place them in the dishwasher, and you will not get cuts in the block either. But you may have a problem with chips to your knife edges. Plus the fact of having something glass that may fall to the floor and break apart. Well you can see the main disadvantage to it right there.

Steel is easy to clean like glass, throw it into the dishwasher and you have a clean device again. But it may damage knives because of its hardness. So really it will depend on whether you want to replace knifes or get the sharpened often.

Finally there is the material of marble. This shouldn’t really be used for cutting though. You can use it for a serving board or even rolling out dough. If you cut some foods on this you may find that it will dissolve after an amount of time. Plus the properties of the board are much like that of glass and steel.

Many choices you will have for a chopping board, consider them carefully and get your choice.

Today, you can find all sorts of cutting boards varying in size, shape, material, and use. It’s up to you to decide which of them would be an ideal addition to your kitchen.

Materials

There are four common materials used in making chopping boards. Topping the list is wood.

Wood has always been a building material, so it’s no longer a wonder that you can find chopping boards made out of it. This type of board will also look good in any country-home setting and always has a charming appeal.

More than that, though, wood usually contains anti-septic properties, which means it can “disinfect” your chopping board immediately. Moreover, if you can pick one properly, such as one that is made from maple, you will discover that the chopping board doesn’t leave any cutting traces. It also doesn’t hold on to dirt and liquid, which will not only destroy your board immediately but also contaminate the food you prepare. One of the downsides of wood is that it’s quite difficult to clean. Also, if it has a lot of cuts or cracks, it becomes a breeding ground for bacteria.

Besides hardwood, bamboo is also a well-known chopping board. It’s preferred because it doesn’t allow bacteria to reproduce, and is also resilient and very durable. It is also perfect for any Zen kitchen.

Another material used is glass. Tempered glasses can come in a variety of shapes and color, so it’s very easy for you to play around the design of your kitchen with them. Of course, they look elegant. They are also very easy to clean and are safe to wash using your dishwashing machine.

However, there are a lot of issues associated with glass cutting boards. For one, though they are highly durable, they can also cause damage to the edges of your knives. This is because they are a lot stronger than steel. They can also be too slippery that you may end up injuring yourself.

Moreover, they are very heavy to carry and are definitely much expensive than wooden chopping boards.

If you’re looking for a much cheaper chopping board, then you should go for plastic. It’s also very handy too, something that you can bring when you want to camp or travel somewhere else. Though it’s known to breed bacteria because knives can create grooves, edges, or cuts right into plastic chopping boards, you can immediately get rid of them through proper cleaning. Unlike glass and wood, this one is very easy to clean with the use of bleach and other strong cleaning materials.

A more complex material for your chopping board would be marble. Though it is a perfect partner for a granite or slate countertop, you may want to consider this the least. It can easily react to acidic foods, such as vinegar and tomato, which will eventually dissolve the marble chopping boards. The chemical properties of marble may then move on to the food that you’re preparing. This also doesn’t react well with knives because it’s abrasive. You can reserve this for preparing chesses or for creating dough instead.

How to Pick Your Cutting Board

If you’re having a hard time choosing your own chopping board, you can use the following guidelines:

The bigger the better. A lot of home owners would prefer smaller chopping boards since they fit their dishwashing machine, easier to handle, and more convenient to clean and put away. However, it’s basic for you to have at least one large chopping board.

You need a large working space to be able to save time and become more efficient. Besides, it’s also hard to maintain a lot of small chopping boards. Moreover, since most of the large chopping boards are thick, they don’t easily get damaged by constant use of knives and other sharp objects.

There’s just one thing you need to remember when choosing your large chopping board. It should never go beyond the size of your sink. This way, it would be easy for you to clean it after use.

Decide on the purpose of the cutting board. Though these boards are generally used for, well, cutting, some of them have specific purposes. For example, those that have grooves in them are more ideal for cutting raw meat because the juices can be trapped in between these grooves.

There are also cutting boards that have slats in them, which are more superb for preparing breads. Crumbs, which can then be found in the slats, can immediately be removed without really causing a lot of mess on your countertop.

Generally, though, you need a smoother surface for your cutting board, so it would be easy for you to move your ingredients from your chopping board into your cooking utensil such as pans or skillets.

Have two separate chopping boards. To avoid cross-contamination, it’s best to maintain at least two chopping boards. This means that you will have one intended for your meat and the others for your fruits and vegetables. It would also make you more productive, since you don’t have to wash the chopping board thoroughly before you can cut the rest of your ingredients.

Cleaning Your Chopping Board

It’s important to clean your chopping board immediately after use. Otherwise, it could allow the multiplication of bacteria and other micro-organisms that can be harmful to your health and well-being.

The first step is to wash the cutting board with clean water and soap. You have to be careful about using cleaning solutions as some of the chopping boards don’t react well to them.

You should also not allow your chopping boards to remain submerged in water for a long time, especially if it’s made of wood or if the water itself is dirty or look contaminated.

If the chopping board already looks worn out, has a lot of dents or marks, and knives can already cut through them, it means that you have to replace it.

In the old days, you would find most of the boards made out of hardwoods. However, they have improved in the past years and the new generation of these boards have started to shine. These cutting board can be made out of different substances and each one has their very own benefits and drawbacks.

Over the past years, there has been a lot of discussion as to which type of board is safer than the other one. Many have been wondering which type of board does not provide a breeding ground for that bacteria that has a tendency to linger through the kitchen. Many boards out there are easier to clean than the others. In our personal opinion, if you do not clean your board properly, then it can become a breeding ground for that harmful bacteria. Below, we would like to list some different types of boards. We would also like to tell you the pros and cons of each of these boards.

First on our list, we have the Corian Boards, which have been made by the Dupont Company. We have personally found that these types of boards are easy to clean. They also come in many different sizes and shapes. They are resistant to bacterial growth simply because they are non-porous. We have also found that they do not stain so easily and that is perfect. However, as with any board, as time passes, they will suffer from cuts or marks. However, as with counter tops, they can easily be repaired by simply sanding the surface until it is smooth again. Also, you should not put hot things on this board as heat can damage the surface of the board.

What about those plastic chopping boards? Generally, those plastic ones are the most affordable and you can find them in a number of different designs and colors. The plastic boards are also thick or thin, hard or flexible. In our opinion, we believe the ones that are flexible are the best ones to transfer food and they are also easy to store. The downside to the flexible ones is the fact that they are not going to last as long as those thick boards. This is because the sharp knives will eventually cut through that thin material. The hard plastic boards are really durable and they will be able to be used as trivets. We have found that those plastic boards are thought of as being the safest board to use as they are the easiest to sanitize and clean. The smaller ones have the capabilities of being put into a dishwasher.

The tempered glass boards are another popular type of board that can be found in many kitchens. These glass boards are patterned beautifully in order to suit the kitchen decor you may have. They are also resistant to heat, very durable and we have also found that they are the most sanitary. We have also found that they are easy to clean, which is a big plus. Take note that the glass boards have a tendency to dull the edges of the knife you use. They are also heavier than many of the other boards. However, we have found that they are great to use for protecting the counter from those hot pots.

So, what about those wooden boards? The wooden boards are generally made out of maple hardwoods. Today, you will find other woods used. You are also going to find many patterns being used. One of our favorites is bamboo and that is actually grass. It has became pretty popular in kitchens today as it is resistant to bacteria. Bamboo boards are also known for being the best for those “green” users simply because bamboo is regenerated quickly. What is the best feature of these boards? We believe the best feature is the fact that they take it easy on the edges of the knife. Yes, they do get scars, but you can sand them down in order to create a smooth surface. You will find that they can easily catch bacteria growth, so you need to make sure you sanitize them each time you use them.

In your opinion, what do you believe the most convenient board is that you have in your kitchen? We have found that the most convenient board is the one that is made to fit over one side of our sink. This will add additional work space to your kitchen and that can be perfect if you kitchen is small in size.

If you are new at setting up your kitchen and you have never used cutting boards before, then you may want to try some of those inexpensive boards out first and experiment with the different sizes, shapes and materials that are out there. By doing this, you will be able to decide which one will work the best for you. When you have found which material you like the best, you can purchase a high quality one and know that you are not wasting your money.

We hope our article on chopping boards will help you make you decision as to what board you should try out. When you are searching for the boards, we recommend you looking online, as you will come across a wide array to choose from. You will also be able to find many discounts.