Cutting Board That Won't Damage Knife

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treillw

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May 21, 2016
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What type of cutting board does the least damage to your knife edge? I would think that a wood cutting board would be gentler on a knife than a plastic one, but I'm sure there are people who have thought about this a whole lot more than me :)
 
treillw said:
better than plastic?
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It is widely believed, and I know of at least one scientific study on the subject, that hardwood cutting boards are "safer" than plastic simply because plastic, being softer, will develop deeper cuts that bacteria can get trapped in, making the bacteria harder to kill when sanitizing.

Not everyone puts a lot of effort into cleaning their boards. And as a result, the hardwood boards, with shallower cuts, tend to "self-sanitize" better through air-drying.

Of course if people are diligent about sanitizing their plastic boards then plastic should be plenty safe.

There is plenty of material to read about this topic online.
 
End grain is good if it is a softer wood. I would also suggest a soft rubber cutting board which is very common in high end Japanese restaurants. Take a look at Hasegawa as an example.
 
Hmm . . . IMO, cutting on any "board" will eventually dull your knife and, if you're worried about "germs," plastic or ceramic is better than wood but ceramic is the worst for your blades.

I have a lot of plastic boards and one huge wood butcher board (not end cut) that I inherited from my father (who was a sous chef) that's over 50 years old.

I like wood better but it costs a lot more now than it did "back in my day." I just use the butcher board for chopping thru bone (because it is more foregiving and resiliant for that purpose) and use the plastic boards for normal cutting/slicing.

I'm not obsessive about cleaning my boards. If I am concerned, I just wipe them w/bleach and, if I want to make the plastic boards look prettier, I also scour them w/an abrasive cleanser. I've NEVER put a plastic board in my DW to "clean" it.

Why bother? 🧐
 
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I've always used wood cutting boards. Folks say that the glue in some cutting boards are toxic and that we are ingesting it in minute amounts each time we use that cutting board. I'm still alive and so is everyone else in my family, so not too concerned there.

Wood is classy and it doesn't dull my knife any faster than anything else I cut. I just don't bear down on the knife either.

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^^^
Avoid Bamboo, it’s one of the worst types of board you can use.
 
* End grain wood, aka butcher-block. (Boos, for example)
* Japanese cypress (hinoki) wood, one of my favorites because it is so light - Shun sells these, among other brands.
* Hard rubber boards like Hi-soft, Sani-Tuff, Asahi. Used in pro kitchens, typically NSF rated.
 
I am wondering if those commenting would share why bamboo should be avoided? Is it from potential formaldehyde being used, or another reason?

I like how plastic is forgiving, but have had plastic chips in my food on occasion, so I don't use them if avoidable.

Like others have mentioned, wood is also my favorite.
 
MolokaiRider said:
I am wondering if those commenting would share why bamboo should be avoided? Is it from potential formaldehyde being used, or another reason?

I like how plastic is forgiving, but have had plastic chips in my food on occasion, so I don't use them if avoidable.

Like others have mentioned, wood is also my favorite.
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In Japan where there is a long history of using bamboo for various things from art to tools, including cooking items, there is no practice of using bamboo for a cutting board. In fact the same holds true for other Asian countries as well that have long histories of using bamboo. Bamboo is considered too hard as a material for use as a cutting board. Bamboo is not wood. It is an extremely hard grass. It does not grow solid like a tree, and in order to produce a "board" it must be put together with
addhesives. There is much debate regarding formaldehyde resin safety. But some of these adhesives can become even harder than the bamboo itself.
Additonally constructing from pieces can produe seams for bacterial growth. Another aspect is that while wood boards may crack over time, bamboo can splinter or get "fuzzy" (surface shredding of fiber). The only folks touting Bamboo Boards are their makers and sellers.
 
jc57 jc57
treillw said:
What type of cutting board does the least damage to your knife edge? I would think that a wood cutting board would be gentler on a knife than a plastic one, but I'm sure there are people who have thought about this a whole lot more than me
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You got a lot of good advice worth repeating from jc57 jc57 and T tomsch K killgar

End grain wood < Edge grain wood < Hinoki wood < Sani-Tuff Rubber < new tech Hasegawa/Yoshihiro, etc.

K KenHash summed bamboo cutting boards well. There's no traditional use. Adhesives that laminate bamboo fibers under pressure can harden and crystalize, then damage blades in use..
 
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