What kind of oil should be used on a wooden cutting board?!


Question: A light food grade mineral oil is a good preservative for wooden cutting boards as it helps keep water from seeping into the grain. Alternatively, one may also use a food grade drying oil such as poppyseed oil, tung oil or linseed oil. The first two dry much faster than linseed. Note that most commercially available linseed and tung oil are not “food grade” as they contain metallic driers. In general, edible savory vegetable or olive oils are not recommended because they tend to go rancid, causing the board to smell and your food to pick up the rancid taste.


Answers: A light food grade mineral oil is a good preservative for wooden cutting boards as it helps keep water from seeping into the grain. Alternatively, one may also use a food grade drying oil such as poppyseed oil, tung oil or linseed oil. The first two dry much faster than linseed. Note that most commercially available linseed and tung oil are not “food grade” as they contain metallic driers. In general, edible savory vegetable or olive oils are not recommended because they tend to go rancid, causing the board to smell and your food to pick up the rancid taste.

Vegetable or olive.

Mineral oil. It is inert so it won't spoil like food oils will and it is non toxic. Coat the board and let it dry well and it will absorb most of the oil. Recoat again and again until it doesn't completely dry out. Use a paper towel to clean off any residue but most will be gone.

Try to not wash in hot soapy water or the oil will leech out. You will need to recoat it periodically as you use it and the oil is cleaned off the surface.

I recently purchased an unfinished maple table (for baking) and did a lot of research for what kind of oil to use.

Mineral oil is a petroleum product (which isn't safe)

I found that walnut and tung oil were the best. However, tung oil is very thick and doesn't dry well, so I went with the walnut oil.

FYI: The tung oil that the woodcraft store had was 100% pure tung oil (a type of edibe nut) with no additives.

Purchase it at a woodcraft supply store (this type does not go rancid). It needs to be applied in several coats and occasional coats thereafter are necessary.

Food-grade mineral oil.

Mineral oil Most cookshops will have it and local Hardware stores.





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