While there are many types of cutting and chopping boards to choose from, finding the right board for your kitchen is much easier that you might believe. The most obvious choice, generally speaking, is to choose a wooden cutting board, and end grain wood cutting boards are the best.
The blades on quality cutlery are very thin, making them extremely vulnerable to damage when they are pressed against hard surfaces, making it important to choose a cutting board that has a natural give to it. A Wooden cutting board will allow the blade to press into it slightly, reducing the risk of damaging the blade.
The general consensus among those who spend a considerable amount of time in the kitchen, such as knife experts, chefs, and kitchen hygienists, all agree that wood and plastic are much better than the harder surfaces like glass, marble, steel and bamboo. When you are looking to preserve the longevity and durability of a cutting board, end grain wood is ideal.
When choosing a good wooden cutting board, the first thing that you want to do is eliminate cheap boards that appeal to your frugality, but lack the durability and functionality necessary to provide a great cooking experience. The importance of quality cannot be overstated here. When you go for the bargain cutting boards, you will definitely pay less, but in a relatively short period of time, the board will become warped, disfigured and unusable. Just because it is made out of wood does not automatically qualify it as a quality cutting board.
When it comes to choosing a wooden cutting board, the end grain cutting board is superior to all others in durability and hygiene. It is made from hardwoods like cedar, walnut, cherry and maple, which are the same types of wood that are used to make butcher’s blocks. The surface of a quality end grain cutting board, like the ones sold at Woodcuttingboards.com, is crafted so that the knife will be able to slide into the fibers of the board, lessening the chance of a damaged or bent blades.
Additionally, the thickness of a good end grain wood cutting board will be at least four inches high. This is important, because it will allow you to have the board resurfaced multitudinous times. While edge grain boards are more popular among consumers, primarily due to their low cost, they are not as gentle on knives as an end grain board. Most edge grain boards will have the aesthetic appeal of an end grain cutting board, but they will not be as good to your knives and the end grain boards.
While bamboo cutting boards are definitely durable, the surface is extremely hard on knife blades. When a surface is too hard, it will ultimately reduce the life of the knives that are used on it.
Plastic cutting boards are the second most preferred type of board of cooking experts — a distant second. While plastic will offer the softness of some wooden boards, it generally creates hygiene and health problems due to its proclivity to conceal bacteria.
End grain wood cutting boards come in all sizes, shapes and finishes. You will definitely be able to find one that is functional and aesthetically pleasing.