News — cutting

If you want your cutting boards to last 5 to 10 years, the simplest rule is this: wash plastic boards hot and often, and oil wood boards every 4 weeks. Wood needs drying time and oil, plastic needs heat and regular replacement. Once you know that, choosing how to maintain wood vs plastic cutting boards becomes very straightforward. Wood vs plastic cutting boards: what actually needs doing? Wood and plastic boards fail in different ways, so their care routines are different. Wood boards (bamboo or acacia) Daily: Wipe, wash in warm soapy water, rinse, stand upright to air dry. Weekly:...

If you want to know how to clean a chopping board after cutting raw meat, the safest method is a 3 step routine that takes about 5 minutes: wash with hot soapy water for 60 seconds, disinfect with diluted vinegar or food safe sanitiser for 2 minutes, then air dry upright for at least 3 hours before storing. Done properly, this simple routine helps prevent cross contamination from bacteria like salmonella and campylobacter. Why raw meat needs special chopping board care Raw chicken, beef and pork can carry high levels of bacteria. When you cut them, juices run into the...

If your priority is knife maintenance, a well cared for wood chopping board will usually keep your knives sharper for 2 to 3 times longer than a hard plastic board used daily. In simple terms, wood is kinder to knife edges, while plastic is easier to sanitise quickly. Wood vs plastic: which chopping board is best for your knives? For most home cooks and professionals who sharpen their knives a few times per year, wood or bamboo chopping boards are the better choice for knife maintenance. The fibres in wood and bamboo have a slight “give”, so a knife edge...

If you want your cutting boards to last 5 to 10 years, the simplest rule is this: wash plastic within 5 minutes of use and oil wooden boards every 4 to 6 weeks. That single habit for each material will prevent deep staining, warping and most hygiene problems. Wooden vs plastic cutting boards: what actually works best? For everyday home cooking, a mix of one wooden board and one plastic board usually works best. Use a wooden board for bread, fruit, vegetables and cooked foods, and a plastic board for raw meat and fish. Wooden boards such as the Deer...