Which cutting board is better?

Which cutting board is better

Which cutting board is better: from wood, bamboo, plastic or glass? How to assemble a good set of boards and properly care for them? Immediately give a brief answer:

You should have one cutting board made of plastic or wood for raw meat and fish, and another one for everything else (wood is best).

This is the minimum basic set that can be supplemented with boards of different sizes, as well as beautiful serving board. And now let's look at each type of cutting board in more detail and learn tips on choosing.

Option 1. Wooden board

In fact, the best wooden cutting boards have not yet come up with anything. But they have their drawbacks, as well as the requirements for care.

Wooden boards

Pros: Durability, environmental friendliness, beautiful appearance, the ability to use for serving dishes (eg cheese), stability on the table. In the end, it is on a smooth wooden surface that working with products is most pleasant. In addition, wooden boards, especially from soft woods (pines, birches), make it possible to keep knives sharp longer. Those who use expensive professional knives, can not do without wooden boards.

Minuses: High price, large weight, the need for proper and timely care, the inability to wash in the dishwasher, intolerance to prolonged contact with water. Often, wooden boards are attributed to such defects as absorption of odors, juices of vegetables and fruits, blood from meat, as well as the ability to accumulate bacteria in the pores of wood. Yes, wooden boards can really absorb the smells and juices of products, but only if they are not processed in any way. Well-groomed boards, soaked in mineral oil, do not absorb anything and are easy to clean. As for the accumulation of bacteria, the danger here is greatly exaggerated. The top millimeter layer of boards (both old and new) has pronounced antiseptic properties due to which bacteria do not survive. Bacteria trapped in the deeper layers of the tree are not transferred to the products and also die over time.

Tips for choosing:

  • The cheapest wooden boards are made of plywood, as well as those made of soft wood. The first option is bad because over time the top layer of the board begins to crumble. Boards of pine, as already noted, knives are minimally blunt, but their lifespan is small and is only six months or a year, as they quickly deform from moisture and crack.
  • The most expensive, durable and durable boards are made from oak and other hardwoods. However, they are quite heavy.
  • Medium hardness and cost cutting boards are made of beech, maple, walnut.
  • If possible, it is worth buying not the usual wooden board, but the end one.

End wooden board

Its advantage lies in the perpendicular arrangement of the wood fibers in relation to the cutting surface, so that the board has greater strength and durability. In addition, it is much less dull the knife.

Wood board dulls knife less

Terms of care:

  • Wooden chopping boards should be washed manually with hot water and soap or dish detergent, and then immediately wipe dry. They absolutely can not soak and leave for a long time in the water. Difficult stains and odors can be removed by wiping the board with lemon juice and salt.

Board cleaning

  • In no case can not put wooden boards in the microwave oven or oven.
  • Once a month (and more often during the heating season) lubricate the board with mineral oil on all sides. The oil seals the pores of the wood, protecting the board from drying out and absorbing moisture and juices from the products. Keep in mind that it is impossible to lubricate the board with olive, sunflower or any other edible oil, as over time it will faint and begin to spoil the taste of food.

Option 2. Bamboo board

Bamboo boards are almost as good as wood, and for some items even better.

Bamboo board


Pros: Bamboo boards are eco-friendly and durable, they are lighter, stronger and more moisture-resistant than wooden boards, less scratched. In addition, they almost do not need to lubricate the oil.

Minuses: Bamboo boards are harder than wood, by almost 20%, and therefore knives blunt faster. Many people don't like bamboo boards just tactile.

Selection Board:

  • Bamboo boards can be very good, but only if they are of high quality. Often, due to bad glue, the boards break apart and even become covered with mold. Another possible problem is the appearance of burrs on the board.

Option 3. Plastic board

Plastic boards, in our opinion, must be in the household. It is best to use them for cutting raw foods: meat, fish, poultry.

Plastic boards

Pros: low price, light weight, a variety of colors and shapes, moisture resistance, hygiene, the possibility of washing in the dishwasher. Plastic does not absorb odors and knives do not tupit.


Minuses: you can not put hot, can not be used as a serving dish or tray, quickly covered with scratches, not stable when cutting, it looks very simple. Thin boards deform over time, it is difficult to find a large plastic board. Quality and durable plastic boards are expensive.

Tips for choosing:

  • For cutting products, which then need to be poured into another container, say, for a salad, it is very convenient to use thin boards that fold along the folds.
  • The best type of plastic for the cutting board is polypropylene.
  • Rough plastic boards do not slip, but harder to wash.
  • In field conditions it is very convenient to use silicone mats.

Option 4. Glass chopping boards

Glass boards are good only because they are easy to clean and look very beautiful. Otherwise, it is undesirable to use them - they blunt the knives in just a few cycles of use, make unpleasant sounds when cutting and can break if accidentally dropped.

Glass board

A couple more general tips on choosing

  • The board should have two working sides. Avoid boards with legs, because of which only one side can be working.
  • Choose the correct size of the main board. Professional chefs recommend choosing cutting boards of 38 × 50 cm. This is sufficient for safe and efficient processing of products.
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