Cutting Boards?

I generally use wood boards, made of scraps from other projects. Easy to make a board and toss it when worn out and splitting, even treating them as disposable I get a couple years out of them. I like Tried and True oils too. Probably I don't reapply as often as I should but its a great finish for kitchen items. I like the one with wax for boards and wood bowls, usually I leave it out in the sun (at 6000' elevation, lots of sun :D ) to speed polymerizing. Then buff off the gummy surface film with steel wool.

Just for fun I sent some off cuts out to Knife & Gun for stabilizing - I was sending a bunch of burl parts anyway so a couple squares of cherry just rounded out the order. Makes for a cool cutting board and I've run one through the DW several times with no ill effects.
 
Lord_Balkan said:
I don't know if this is the best place to post this... but what are your opinions on cutting boards? Which ones would you get and which ones would you avoid?
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I use a solid wooden one, plastic ones are dishwasher friendly but they retain more bacterias than any other ones, wooden ones are also kind on the knives, keeps them sharp longer.
 
Spending a little extra money on a cutting board is worth it. You'll get a quality product that will hold up and look good in your kitchen. After selecting a board, the most important thing is to take good care of your board. I use The Bearded Chef wood care products and they keep my boards in great shape. www.tbchef.com
 
serotina said:
I generally use wood boards, made of scraps from other projects. Easy to make a board and toss it when worn out and splitting, even treating them as disposable I get a couple years out of them. I like Tried and True oils too. Probably I don't reapply as often as I should but its a great finish for kitchen items. I like the one with wax for boards and wood bowls, usually I leave it out in the sun (at 6000' elevation, lots of sun :D ) to speed polymerizing. Then buff off the gummy surface film with steel wool.

Just for fun I sent some off cuts out to Knife & Gun for stabilizing - I was sending a bunch of burl parts anyway so a couple squares of cherry just rounded out the order. Makes for a cool cutting board and I've run one through the DW several times with no ill effects.
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The chemicals, Resins that are used for stabilization are not what you want to be cutting on.. nasty stuff! You don’t want your family eating off of that stuff. Kids inpaticular, long term expose is not good! You want plain Wood! Ash,Maple,Oak or Walnut . If they get rough. Just sand them down with some 220 grit and a hand block.
 
i like polypropylene. i get a 24"x30", 1/2" thick piece from ebay for $20 delivered. enough for 8 or 9 boards. pitch them with chewed up. buy a new piece every 3 years or so.
or make of scraps you have, either face grain or edge grain. finish with beeswax and mineral oil.
 
I've used bamboo cutting boards for years now and haven't had a problem. They don't feel any tougher on my edges than a plastic one. Cleans up nice, mineral oil makes it look great too.
 
91bravo said:
I've used bamboo cutting boards for years now and haven't had a problem. They don't feel any tougher on my edges than a plastic one. Cleans up nice, mineral oil makes it look great too.
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Bamboo is filled with Plastic and you are eating the plastic that comes off in the grooves. It’s a small amount but I don’t want to eat it and if I had kids I would not want them having it long term and younger kids are really susceptible to toxin build up..
 
Rhinoknives1 said:
Bamboo is filled with Plastic and you are eating the plastic that comes off in the grooves. It’s a small amount but I don’t want to eat it and if I had kids I would not want them having it long term and younger kids are really susceptible to toxin build up..
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Well, that sucks then. My parents used a bamboo cutting board and my sisters and I are all fine, I think. All of my kids have eaten off a bamboo cutting board as well. One's in college, one is headed to HS and the youngest into middle school. Thanks for the info though, I never knew that about bamboo cutting boards.
 
91bravo said:
Well, that sucks then. My parents used a bamboo cutting board and my sisters and I are all fine, I think. All of my kids have eaten off a bamboo cutting board as well. One's in college, one is headed to HS and the youngest into middle school. Thanks for the info though, I never knew that about bamboo cutting boards.
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Think about how Bamboo grows. It’s a grass. By the time you make it into a solid board it’s choke full of plastic & chemicals... nothing Organic or Natural or any of the other marketing BS terms they use to sell it to people. ———————————————-/——-Wood boards like my parents, I’m a little older & grandparents Used, Oak Walnut Maple or Ash ...All inhibit bacterial growth and they are much more forgiving on your knives...——————-.No one got sick from their cooking and all they used was plain wood with soap & water to clean up! ———-1————————————-Someone here at the health Dept, in California got a big fat check from the Plastics assoc, Lobbists to say that plastic is cleaner & safer than wood, the Science is the other way around..Look up studies at UC Davis for starters.. there are others. Think about how much money the plastic companies make now because it’s a law here that ALL restaurants in the State have to use plastic boards!:rolleyes: Stay away from all of the new Stuff they want to sell you. Plastic, bamboo , those epicurean boards that are hard plywood with Resins & other stuff you don’t want to consume.—————————————————————To me It’s just one of those contaminants that can be avoided ....Like wearing my Respirator when sharpening or knife making .. all of that crud can built up over time.:eek:———-Stay safe & have fun!!
 
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Rhinoknives1 said:
Think about how Bamboo grows. It’s a grass. By the time you make it into a solid board it’s choke full of plastic & chemicals... nothing Organic or Natural or any of the other marketing BS terms they use to sell it to people. ———————————————-/——-Wood boards like our parents & grandparents Used, Oak Walnut Maple or Ash ...All inhibit bacterial growth and they are much more forgiving on your knives....No one got sick from their cooking and all they used was plain wood with soap & water to clean up! ———-1————————————-Someone here at the health Dept, in California got a big fat check from the Plastics assoc, Lobbists to say that plastic is cleaner & safer than wood, the Science is the other way around..Look up studies at UC Davis for starters.. there are others. Think about how much money the plastic companies make now because it’s a law here that ALL restaurants in the State have to use plastic boards!:rolleyes:—————————————————————To me It’s just one of those contaminants that can be avoided ....Like wearing my Respirator when sharpening or knife making .. all of that crud can built up over time.:eek:
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Yep, chronic buildup. As long as I've been into knives, I didn't know bamboo cutting boards were bad for you!
 
91bravo said:
Yep, chronic buildup. As long as I've been into knives, I didn't know bamboo cutting boards were bad for you!
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They are very quite about what’s in them and in the case of all plastic boards in restaurants here.its a real case of the o’l addage.......”Follow the Money and you will find out why”
 
I'm just gonna go buy a 2x12 from Home Depot, cut me off a 12" piece and start using that as my cutting board. Untreated lumbar of course!
 
I still like my hinoki cypress boards. Made of wood, very light, easy to maintain and keep clean. Soft wood is easy on the blade edges. I treat with mineral oil and/or a mineral oil/beeswax combo every so often. Wet lightly before use, wash off with a dishcloth, dish soap and water, rinse, dry with a towel, all done.
 
End grain "Murican wood. ;) Read the US Davis study that Laurence mentioned. It says that ones you get some nicks in one of the sanitary rubber boards, they hold bacteria more than the wood. Wood boards like end grain walnut or maple may get bacteria but they cannot thrive.
 
jdm61 said:
End grain "Murican wood.
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I've got that too. I have an entire table made by John Boos with 4" thick end-grain maple as the surface (this thing without the bottom shelf and side rails):

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as well as several individual maple cutting boards made by Boos and others. I still use my hinoki boards more than anything else. Nothing wrong with Japanese cypress. I find it easier to take the hinoki boards to the sink for cleanup or to the stovetop for transferring ingredients directly into the skillet.

That Boos table is a nice piece, though. Good solid sturdy kitchen furniture.
 
Holy logging camp, Batman! That thing must weigh a ton!!
jc57 said:
I've got that too. I have an entire table made by John Boos with 4" thick end-grain maple as the surface (this thing without the bottom shelf and side rails):

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as well as several individual maple cutting boards made by Boos and others. I still use my hinoki boards more than anything else. Nothing wrong with Japanese cypress. I find it easier to take the hinoki boards to the sink for cleanup or to the stovetop for transferring ingredients directly into the skillet.

That Boos table is a nice piece, though. Good solid sturdy kitchen furniture.
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Man, that one is nice! I guess I'm now on a quest for a new cutting board!
 
jdm61 said:
Holy logging camp, Batman! That thing must weigh a ton!!
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Hah - I did feel sorry for the UPS delivery person who had to lug that thing to the house. It came with some assembly required. :)
 
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