News — Deer and Oak

If you want to keep your knives sharp for 5 to 10 years of regular home cooking, choose a wooden chopping board with a hardness similar to fingernail level (around 1.5 to 2 on the Mohs scale), such as bamboo or acacia, and avoid glass, ceramic or very hard stone boards that blunt an edge in a few uses. Why the right chopping board matters for knife sharpness Every cut is a tiny collision between steel and board. If the surface is too hard, your knife edge folds or chips. If it is too soft or full of deep grooves,...

For most small UK kitchens, the best size bamboo chopping board is around 38x28cm, as it fits standard 60cm worktops without feeling cramped while still giving enough space for daily prep. At Deer & Oak, our Medium Bamboo Board (38x28cm) made from eco-friendly Moso bamboo hits this sweet spot for compact spaces. Why 38x28cm works so well in small UK kitchens Most British kitchens have 60cm deep worktops and limited clear space once you add a kettle, toaster and dish rack. A chopping board that is too large quickly becomes annoying to move and store, but one that is too...

If you want the safest, most practical option for raw meat at home, a dedicated wooden chopping board that is properly cleaned and dried after each use is usually better than a plastic board. Studies have shown that bacteria on hardwood and bamboo boards can reduce by up to 99% within a few hours as moisture is drawn into the fibres, while plastic boards often hold bacteria in knife scars unless they’re replaced every 1 to 2 years. Wood vs plastic for raw meat: the clear differences So is a wooden or plastic chopping board better for raw meat in...

If you mainly prepare meat, acacia hardwood is usually the better single cutting board choice because it is slightly harder and heavier than bamboo, but for safe raw and cooked meat prep most home cooks do best with two boards: one eco-friendly moso bamboo board for raw meat and one acacia board for cooked meat and serving. Bamboo vs acacia for meat: how they actually differ When you are choosing between bamboo vs acacia cutting board options for meat, you are really weighing up three things: hygiene, knife feel and durability. Hygiene: Both bamboo and acacia are naturally less porous...