Cutting boards

[RADunfee]

For home use.. what cutting board material do you prefer. Longevity vs care etc. I'm in the market for a good, not too expensive, cutting board and the rabbit hole seems deep. Trusting my fellow roksliders here. My wife prefers the small thin cheap plastic ones but are they any good?

 

[Sacrvrrat72]

I have my large Boos block that sits out all the time and is used for everything but raw meat. I used Smokey Mountain Disposable Cutting Boards for everything else. Works for us, but there is definitely other ways to get it done depending on your needs/preferences.

 

[Gourmet]

Any plastic boards are hard on knife edges and they hold more bacteria than wood unless machine washed. My opinion is that these have no place in a kitchen.

Teak boards from Costco or Amazon are the value play They're technically a little harder than ideal (will dull a knife faster than maple or walnut) but they're work horses.

For nicer boards, I look at maple or walnut (walnut is a good deal lighter which is nice, but it's more expensive). There is a rabbit hole around quality end-grain boards. These will cost upwards of $100-200. They require frequent oiling and care. Maybe just get a teak board.

When you wash any wood board, wash both sides so the moisture penetration is even to prevent warping and splitting. Dry it standing up so that it dries evenly. Happy cooking!

 

[tak]

I don't know all the ins and outs of the materials, but the epicurean ones sure are nice. They feel like real wood (and I think are kinder to knives) but you can treat it like plastic with hot water, dishwater etc.
I have an old one with a trough that catches marinade/juice etc, and it's better than the new one with rubber corners.

 

[Blurry1]

End grain for me. I’ve had mine for 20+ years used multiple times daily and I’m pretty sure I could sand, treat and pass off as new. As for care it’s minimal. I didn’t even bother for the first 10 years. Now maybe once every couple years when it looks dry or I just feel like I need something to do. Takes less than 5 minutes.

 

[Colorado Cowboy]

I use a 3' square 2" thick piece of solid Sycamore that my father in law cave me for all of by big game butchering. It is big and heavy, but it really does the job. Every year when I am done using it, I was it good and when it's dry I sand it and put some mineral oil on it for storage. Before I use it again, I wash it and put clorox on it several days before I think I'll need it.

For the kitchen I use a walnut chopping block. No plastic!

 

[EdP]

I think the bamboo boards are inexpensive, very stable, and easy to clean but are harder on knives than wood. I hate plastic boards, can't keep a knife sharp using them.