News — bamboo boards

If you handle raw meat more than once a week, the best chopping boards are non porous, at least 38x28cm in size, and clearly dedicated to meat only. In the Deer & Oak range, the Carbonised Bamboo Board 45x35cm (DNO-CBB-LG) is our top choice for raw meat because it is pre oiled, weighs 1.9kg for stability, and gives you a full 1,575cm² of cutting space that is easy to clean and kind to knives. What makes a chopping board safe for raw meat? When you are dealing with raw chicken, beef or pork, the board you use really matters. The...

If you prepare raw fish more than once a month, it is not considered safe to use the same chopping board for fish and veg unless you either have separate boards or you follow a strict 3 step routine: wash in hot soapy water for at least 30 seconds, rinse, then air dry fully for at least 2 hours. For most home kitchens, the safest and easiest option is to keep one board for fish and meat and a separate board for vegetables and ready to eat food. Why sharing a chopping board for fish and veg is risky Raw...

If you are wondering why wooden cutting boards crack, the short answer is that wood moves. When a board absorbs and then loses water too quickly, it can shrink by 1 to 3 millimetres across its width and that stress often shows up as splits, warping or hairline cracks. The best way to stop this is to choose a stable hardwood or bamboo board and oil it every 2 to 4 weeks, especially if you wash it daily. Why do wooden cutting boards crack in the first place? Wood is a natural material that constantly reacts to its environment. Every...

If you want chopping boards that don't dull knives, choose medium firm surfaces like bamboo or hardwood, avoid glass and marble completely, and aim for boards around 1.5 to 2.5 kg in weight with at least 2 cm thickness so the blade sinks slightly instead of skidding. In our own testing at Deer & Oak, a quality bamboo or acacia board keeps a properly sharpened chef's knife cutting cleanly for 3 to 4 weeks of daily use, compared with 5 to 7 days on a glass board. Why some chopping boards ruin sharp knives Every cut is friction. The harder...