The chef’s knife is, without question, the most versatile manual tool in the kitchen, but a trusty cutting board is also needed in order for chefs to perform their magic. However, with so many different types of cutting board available, it can be hard to know which one is best. If you are currently in need of a new cutting board don’t worry, because we are about to tell you everything you need to know about choosing the best one in this article.
Wood Boards are Better and Safer than Plastic Boards
We all know that wooden cutting boards look aesthetically beautiful in a kitchen, but if you were worried that you’d have to choose plastic because wood “isn’t safe”, rest assured that it’s actually quite the opposite!
Plastic can be scratched and scarred easily, making way for knife groves that nestle bacteria beyond the dishwashing liquid’s reach, but cured and finished walnut boards neither scratch easily, nor enable bacteria to survive for prolonged periods.
Aesthetics and Quality Don’t Have to be Expensive
This walnut cutting board at Virginia Boys Kitchens is made from end-grain, US-grown walnut trees, complete with juice grooves and a finishing or seasoning oil that customers can choose for their own boards. These reversible original walnut cutting boards are each a unique piece of carpentry, which don’t sacrifice on quality, sturdiness or even economic feasibility for that matter. Virginia Boys Kitchens even have a discount going on right now, so getting two of them is advised for the reasons we will discuss next.
You Will Need Two Separate Cutting Boards
What most of us do not know or realize is the fact that food poisoning from cutting boards mostly happens because we do not separate our meat boards from our fruit/vegetable boards.
Unless you have a cutting board exclusively for meat, poultry, fish and seafood, the bacteria from the cutting board might very well get inside the apple or pear that you are slicing on the same board to serve to your child.
Meat and other animal derived foods are the primary sources of salmonella and other infectious microorganisms. They do not affect us because we cook the food to a temperature in which the germs cannot survive. Simply washing off the board may not do as good a job of cleaning the bacteria off the cutting board and as a result, fruits and vegetables which we eat raw, will end up as hosts for the germs.
If You Use Plastic Cutting Boards, Change them Often
In case you went with plastic already, be sure to change your board within a few months, or as soon as deep knife grooves begin to appear on the board’s surface.
Glass, Marble, Granite, Ceramic and Composite are All Bad for Your Knives
Irrespective of how beautiful they might look, rest assured that any of the harder materials, including hard glass can and will end up damaging your precious knives. Composite, granite, glass, marble, ceramic, and any other hard material is just not ideal for making a cutting board.
That’s about it really; just go with a pair of good quality, US-made walnut boards and you are sure to be set for years to come.