News — bamboo cutting boards

Yes, chopping boards can harbour bacteria, and tests have found that a poorly cleaned board can carry as many as 200,000 bacteria per square centimetre after raw chicken. The safest option for everyday home cooking is to use at least two boards (one for raw meat and one for ready to eat foods), choose materials that resist deep cuts, and clean your boards within 10 minutes of use with hot soapy water. Why chopping boards harbour bacteria in the kitchen Every time a knife hits your chopping board, it leaves tiny cuts. In a busy kitchen these knife marks collect...

If you want the most hygienic everyday board for home cooking, a well cared for bamboo board is usually safer for bacteria than a plastic board, because bamboo absorbs less water, is naturally more resistant to deep knife scarring and can last 5 to 10 years before needing replacement, compared with many plastic boards that need changing after 1 to 2 years once heavily scored. Why are bamboo cutting boards better for bacteria than plastic? There are three main reasons bamboo, especially dense moso bamboo, often performs better against bacteria than plastic in real kitchens. 1. Knife marks and hidden...

If you choose the right bamboo and keep it oiled, bamboo cutting boards will not seriously damage your knives. On a hardness scale, quality Moso bamboo sits around 1,380 Janka, which is kinder to edges than glass or ceramic and similar to many hardwood boards, so with normal home cooking your knives should stay sharp for 6 to 8 weeks between honings. Can bamboo cutting boards damage knives in everyday use? The short answer is yes, bamboo can damage knives if it is very dry, very cheap or badly finished. However, a well made Moso bamboo board that is pre...

If you wash and dry them properly after each use, moso bamboo cutting boards are typically more sanitary than plastic because they absorb less water, scar less deeply and naturally discourage bacteria growth by up to around 80% compared with heavily scored plastic boards. In practical terms, a well cared for bamboo board used daily can stay food safe for 5 to 10 years, while a plastic board with deep knife grooves may need replacing in under 2 years to maintain similar hygiene. How bamboo and plastic cutting boards really compare for hygiene So are bamboo cutting boards more sanitary...