What is the best type of cutting board to use? I have heard some hold bacteria more than others.Anyone know?!
Trying to decide which sort of cutting board you should purchase for you kitchen? Here are some of the benefits and negatives associated with plastic cutting boards, wooden cutting boards, and tempered glass boards:
Plastic Cutting Boards
One of the benefits of plastic cutting boards is their nonporous surface. In other words, you do not have to worry about the juice from your meats and vegetables creeping into your cutting board and staying there. They are thought to be the most sanitary, especially since they are dishwasher safe. When you are done chopping away, you need only to set your board in your dishwasher, and you are set – it will come out clean and as good as new.
And while you may not consider any plastic cutting board to be “beautiful” – there are some stylish ones out there. You can find plastic cutting boards in a multitude of colors, so you can match it to your kitchen decor. Besides, plastic cutting boards are generally the least expensive – you can therefore get more for less money. It is a good idea to have multiple cutting boards in your kitchen. Come people even prefer using only certain boards for meat, and others for vegetables.
Another great thing about plastic cutting boards is that there are some thin, mat boards. These boards are flexible and are therefore great for transferring food. Also, because they are so thin and lightweight, they are great for taking on camping trips and picnics. Of course, sharp knives can and probably will eventually cut through a thin plastic cutting board.
Wooden Cutting Boards
Wooden cutting boards have been around for ages. Chefs have been putting their meats and vegetables up on wood chopping blocks and wooden counter tops for many centuries, and there have not been too many contamination problems to speak of. Of course, in general, the major concern with wooden cutting boards is a question of sanitation. They are very porous – in other words, those meat and vegetable juices that were repelled by plastic cutting boards can, indeed, soak into a wooden one. Germs can get trapped in the cuts made by knives.
Properly cleaning your wood cutting board, though, will obviously help with the problem of sanitation. Most wooden cutting boards cannot, unfortunately be put through the dishwasher – check the care instructions before you place it through the dishwasher. If you have any doubts, it is best to hand wash it if you want it to last a long time. Use hot water and soap to wash it. After you rinse it well, just set it out to dry. As mentioned before, most wooden cutting boards are rather porous, therefore, it might take a while for them to dry (they will soak up some of that water). Make sure that you allow yours to dry thoroughly before you put it away.
For an extra cleaning, use vinegar or a bleach and water solution. It is very possible and quite easy to keep your wooden cutting board bacteria and germ free. Be especially thorough when washing your board after cutting meat – you do not want to have e. coli or salmonella transferred to your board and remaining there. Of course, some people say that bacteria does not generally like wood and that wood has natural germ-killing substances. Nonetheless, it can never hurt to thoroughly clean your board. These properties of wood may be true for some woods, but perhaps not all. Bamboo, for instance, is known for its resistance to bacteria.
Many consider wood cutting boards to be more forgiving than others, and they work well with sharp knives – they will not dull your knives as quickly (this is why most knife storing blocks are made of wood).
Of course, another important aspect of wooden cutting boards is their charm. You can store your wood cutting board away in the cupboard, for sure, but you could also leave it out. You can display it, on the wall or on the counter top. A wood cutting board adds a sort of rustic charm that other cutting boards just cannot meet. There are some very beautiful hand-crafted wooden cutting boards out there.
Tempered Glass Cutting Boards
These boards can be very beautiful. You can find tempered glass boards that have wonderful designs and pictures. You can even find ones that match you decor perfectly. Of course, there are other benefits besides “looks” associated with glass cutting boards.
They are very resistant to heat (it can double as a ‘hot pad’). Also, they are very easy to clean – you can just stick them in the dishwasher. However, tempered glass cutting boards are not perfect. For one thing, the sound of a knife on one of these boards can make you cringe. More importantly, glass cutting boards can dull knives quicker.
All in all, just try out a few different types of cutting boards and see which ones work best with your cooking routine. As far as the sanitation of cutting boards go – any cutting board can be a breeding ground for bacteria and germs if not cleaned properly. Similarly, practically any cutting board can be very safe if you simply take the extra time to clean it. Choose your cutting board bases not solely on sanitation, but how easy it is to use, how easy it is to clean, and how well it matching both the decor of your kitchen and your cooking style.
I hope this has helped you some.
Answers: Good Morning,
Trying to decide which sort of cutting board you should purchase for you kitchen? Here are some of the benefits and negatives associated with plastic cutting boards, wooden cutting boards, and tempered glass boards:
Plastic Cutting Boards
One of the benefits of plastic cutting boards is their nonporous surface. In other words, you do not have to worry about the juice from your meats and vegetables creeping into your cutting board and staying there. They are thought to be the most sanitary, especially since they are dishwasher safe. When you are done chopping away, you need only to set your board in your dishwasher, and you are set – it will come out clean and as good as new.
And while you may not consider any plastic cutting board to be “beautiful” – there are some stylish ones out there. You can find plastic cutting boards in a multitude of colors, so you can match it to your kitchen decor. Besides, plastic cutting boards are generally the least expensive – you can therefore get more for less money. It is a good idea to have multiple cutting boards in your kitchen. Come people even prefer using only certain boards for meat, and others for vegetables.
Another great thing about plastic cutting boards is that there are some thin, mat boards. These boards are flexible and are therefore great for transferring food. Also, because they are so thin and lightweight, they are great for taking on camping trips and picnics. Of course, sharp knives can and probably will eventually cut through a thin plastic cutting board.
Wooden Cutting Boards
Wooden cutting boards have been around for ages. Chefs have been putting their meats and vegetables up on wood chopping blocks and wooden counter tops for many centuries, and there have not been too many contamination problems to speak of. Of course, in general, the major concern with wooden cutting boards is a question of sanitation. They are very porous – in other words, those meat and vegetable juices that were repelled by plastic cutting boards can, indeed, soak into a wooden one. Germs can get trapped in the cuts made by knives.
Properly cleaning your wood cutting board, though, will obviously help with the problem of sanitation. Most wooden cutting boards cannot, unfortunately be put through the dishwasher – check the care instructions before you place it through the dishwasher. If you have any doubts, it is best to hand wash it if you want it to last a long time. Use hot water and soap to wash it. After you rinse it well, just set it out to dry. As mentioned before, most wooden cutting boards are rather porous, therefore, it might take a while for them to dry (they will soak up some of that water). Make sure that you allow yours to dry thoroughly before you put it away.
For an extra cleaning, use vinegar or a bleach and water solution. It is very possible and quite easy to keep your wooden cutting board bacteria and germ free. Be especially thorough when washing your board after cutting meat – you do not want to have e. coli or salmonella transferred to your board and remaining there. Of course, some people say that bacteria does not generally like wood and that wood has natural germ-killing substances. Nonetheless, it can never hurt to thoroughly clean your board. These properties of wood may be true for some woods, but perhaps not all. Bamboo, for instance, is known for its resistance to bacteria.
Many consider wood cutting boards to be more forgiving than others, and they work well with sharp knives – they will not dull your knives as quickly (this is why most knife storing blocks are made of wood).
Of course, another important aspect of wooden cutting boards is their charm. You can store your wood cutting board away in the cupboard, for sure, but you could also leave it out. You can display it, on the wall or on the counter top. A wood cutting board adds a sort of rustic charm that other cutting boards just cannot meet. There are some very beautiful hand-crafted wooden cutting boards out there.
Tempered Glass Cutting Boards
These boards can be very beautiful. You can find tempered glass boards that have wonderful designs and pictures. You can even find ones that match you decor perfectly. Of course, there are other benefits besides “looks” associated with glass cutting boards.
They are very resistant to heat (it can double as a ‘hot pad’). Also, they are very easy to clean – you can just stick them in the dishwasher. However, tempered glass cutting boards are not perfect. For one thing, the sound of a knife on one of these boards can make you cringe. More importantly, glass cutting boards can dull knives quicker.
All in all, just try out a few different types of cutting boards and see which ones work best with your cooking routine. As far as the sanitation of cutting boards go – any cutting board can be a breeding ground for bacteria and germs if not cleaned properly. Similarly, practically any cutting board can be very safe if you simply take the extra time to clean it. Choose your cutting board bases not solely on sanitation, but how easy it is to use, how easy it is to clean, and how well it matching both the decor of your kitchen and your cooking style.
I hope this has helped you some.
You don't have to worry about bacteria if you wash your board. That's it - don't be bullied into this health and safety paranoia lifestyle that advertisers are scaring us with.
I believe wooden chopping boards are best. When finished using, simply rinse under hot water with detergent and scrub with dish brush, then leave to dry.
I like the plastic ones myself. Do not use glass. It will destroy your knives.
well plastic and wood are both good I'm a cook at work we use real thick plastic ones at home i use wood and plastic just got to make sure you wash in hot water a lil bleach in water does wonders to washing is mostly important after raw chicken,fish and pork mostly chicken tho.
a wooded one
Wooden washable ones
Wash them after each use ot rub lime on it to remove stains and smell
Just make sure it's washable.
Wooden cutting boards are good, esp bamboo cutting boards. John Boos wooden cutting boards are the best. But they need to be replaced after awhile, esp if they take a good knife beating.
Plastic cutting boards are great because they can go right into the dishwasher. They are low maintenance and last longer. I have a few different plastic boards and they go into the dishwasher for the best sanitized cleaning, hand washing will never be as good as a high powered steam a dishwasher can produce.
I'm with cobra on this. Just use common sense and wash your board. I have heard that wood has some antibacterial properties. Not sure if bamboo has that property but it sure is nice-and environmentally sustainable.
I use wooden chopping boards in rotation,scrub clean,pour on boiling water ,allow to dry fully before reuse .I live in India & believe in the sanitizing effect of sunshine .so my boards have their share of fierce sunshine before re entry into the kitchen . .
Glass ones.
Tempered glass of course,so you don't have to worry about it shattering if it falls to the floor.
I am using the same one for 10 years and it still looks new!
Some benefits of the glass type chopping boards are:
Aesthetically pleasing - can remain on the counter top.
No scratch marks ever!!
Does not retain any smells.
Sooooo easy to wash.
Never discolours.
Most hygienic.
Will not affect the sharpness of your knives as they have a special finish.
And because of this,
You will just need 1 board for absolutely everything, from veg,chic/meat to bread.
The best that I have seen are at Bed, Bath and Beyond. It's this set of flexible plastic cuttingboards that are color-coded and labeled "Meat", "Fish", "Poultry", "Vegetable" and so on. That way you don't cross contaminate your salad with E. coli from your steak, for example. Since they're flexible they're also really easy to wash in the sink.
glass is the worst for your knives + fingers . wood + plastic are fine -just give em a good bleaching every so often
Wood
use a scraper to clean daily rinse with vodka monthly
NEVER water the board will warp or worst
never poison like soap or Clorox
It depends on the kind of foods that you cut regularly, but for most people a few wooden & plastic boards of varying sizes works well. Certainly you should not use only one board due to the very real risk of cross-contamination.
I think quality is a key factor. Considering the frequency of use daily, there's no point getting a cheap wooden one that warps & discolours after just a short while. For wooden boards, I'm currently using one made from rubber tree wood that's really tough & seems to be naturally less porous than most woods; should be able to use this one for a long time. I also have a plastic board that claims to retain its anti-bacterial properties even if cut into by your knives, but it does seem to be more resistant to cuts than the average plastic board. In addition, I've a tempered glass one that's tough enough to chop a chicken on it, but I prefer to use it for working pastry dough since the sound of knife on glass really sets my teeth on edge!
Whatever type you choose, the main thing is to wash it well & dry promptly. For wooden boards, it's good to oil it with mineral oil occasionally to prevent the wood drying out & cracking.
Plastic is easier to clean but, I like wood. Little bleach. Rinse with water
Wooden chopping boards are best for your knives, if you wash them well then you don't have to worry about bacteria. Some options are ones made of plastic, plexi-glass, or even cutting sheets that are washable and/or disposable. Good Luck!