News — cutting boards

If you care about keeping your knives sharp for 5 to 10 years, a well made wood cutting board is usually kinder to the blade than plastic. In repeated home tests over 12 months, cooks typically report around 20 to 30 percent less sharpening when using end grain or dense wood boards compared with hard plastic boards of the same size. Wood vs plastic cutting board for knives: quick answer For most home cooks and keen hobby chefs, wood wins the wood vs plastic cutting board for knives debate. Wood has a little “give”, so the edge of the knife...

If you cook at home at least 3 times a week and want a board that protects your knives and lasts 5 to 10 years, wood is usually the best cutting board material, while plastic is better only if you need dishwasher safe boards for raw meat and very fast clean up. Most home cooks get the best results by using a large wooden board for daily prep and a smaller plastic board kept just for raw meat and fish. Wood vs plastic cutting boards at a glance So, what is actually best: wood or plastic? In practical terms: Wood...

If you clean and replace boards correctly, high quality wood is usually more hygienic than plastic for cutting boards. Studies from food safety bodies show that bacteria on hardwood and bamboo boards can drop by up to 98% within a few hours as moisture is drawn into the wood fibres, while plastic boards often keep bacteria in deep knife scars until they are fully scrubbed or replaced. Wood vs plastic: what actually happens to bacteria When you slice chicken, beef or fish, you leave a thin film of protein, fat and liquid on the board. What happens next depends on...

If you want to know what the best way is to reduce cross contamination in a busy kitchen, the answer is simple: use separate, colour coded chopping boards and keep raw meat, cooked food and vegetables on different boards every single time. Studies from UK food safety bodies show that using dedicated boards for raw meat can cut cross contamination risk by more than 50%, which is a huge gain for a very small change in habit. Why use colour coded chopping boards in a home or professional kitchen? Colour coded chopping boards solve one clear problem: bacteria from raw...