Best Cutting Board Materials (Which Cutting Board Materials Do You Use?)
In today's world, product options seem to be endless, and it's not always easy to discern the difference between a sales gimmick, fancy marketing, qualities and more. We have skim milk, 2%, fat free, whole, almond, silk, and even options we all know just can't be milk. Issues like these can make it difficult to know if you're making the best decisions for your situation and circumstances, and cutting boards are no exception.
With options including wood, plastic, slate, metal, and your uncle Joey's back deck arm rail by the grill it can be difficult to know which cutting board material best suits you and your needs. While every material has its pros and cons, we are going to discover if there is one true winner in the bunch by comparing longevity, price, design and sanitation.
Plastic cutting boards have taken the market by storm over the passing years, and I can understand why; They're CHEAP! You can take a ride over to the local dollar store and pick one up for just a couple dollars, and that may seem like a great deal. Time to shut down the blog. But, they have quite the downfall. You will be back to the dollar store in a couple of weeks to pick up another board after that great deal you purchased has cracked, chipped, broken and has one piece of that raw shrimp shell that just will not come out of your knife marks. Please, let's leave the plastic cutting boards to our college kids for serving spread out lunchables at their formal dinners.
In recent years some other cutting board materials have been gaining popularity as well. These include tile, slate, stone, and even some metals. While I must admit that some of these options mentioned can have a sleek design and a great look inside your home, they carry some baggage with them as well. Most of the quality cutting boards made from these materials can flaunt a hefty price tag. On top of paying a premium price we also run into some sanitation issues as well. Slate and stone can be extremely porous which can allow for bacteria and germs to build a fortress in your cutting board no matter how much time they spend with your scrub daddy. Tile and metal options may resist bacteria better than stone or slate, but even after moderate use they will lose that precious luster they had on the day you brought them home, which is basically the only thing they had going for them anyway. Not to mention that the knives you decided to use on them will feel like they are the star in the Rocky come back movie of the year, because those knife edges are going to get beaten to a pulp.
At long last, our champion, the tried and true, the reigning choice of all time, The wooden cutting board! Have you ever heard the saying, "If it's not broken, don't fix it."? Welp, that most certainly applies to our wooden cutting boards. There is no other material that provides more customization than a wooden cutting board. Numerous wood options are available that all boast their own colors, looks, personalities, and purposes. They can be oriented in face grain, edge grain, or end grain. They are malleable enough to be engraved, carved, cut and shaped to your liking. The best part about a wooden cutting board is that after years of your horrid abuse they can almost always be restored to a near perfect, new condition. Just remember to give your wooden cutting board a food safe mineral oil bath every six months to one year and you may pass it down to your kids one day!