News — Deer & Oak

If you cook at home at least 3 times a week and care about knife life and sustainability, the best cutting board for most British kitchens is a pre oiled Moso bamboo board rather than plastic. A board like the Deer & Oak Large Bamboo Board (45x35cm, 1.8kg) typically lasts 5 to 10 years with monthly oiling, while a similar sized plastic board often needs replacing every 1 to 3 years once deep knife grooves appear. Bamboo or plastic: which cutting board is actually best? Both bamboo and plastic have a place in the kitchen, but they solve slightly different...

If you sharpen your kitchen knives every 3 to 6 months and use a quality board, Moso bamboo cutting boards will not dull knives more than plastic in normal home use. In fact, a well finished bamboo board can keep an edge comfortably for 4 to 8 weeks of daily cooking before you notice any drop in sharpness, which is very similar to a good quality plastic board. Can bamboo cutting boards dull knives more than plastic? The short answer is no, not if you choose the right bamboo and use it properly. Cheap bamboo boards can contain hard glue...

If you are wondering what the best chopping board is for good kitchen hygiene in the UK, the simplest answer is this: a non porous, well sealed wood or bamboo board, used in a colour or task coded system, cuts your cross contamination risk by around 50% compared with using one old plastic board for everything. Pair that with washing in hot soapy water after every use and replacing boards every 5 to 10 years and you are already ahead of most home kitchens. What information do you really need about chopping board hygiene? To provide an accurate list of...

If you want a wooden chopping board to last 5 to 10 years instead of just 12 to 18 months, you need to oil it regularly because wood loses moisture, dries out and cracks without a protective food safe oil barrier. Why do wooden cutting boards need oiling? Wood is a natural, porous material. Every time you wash your board, water and detergents draw oils out of the fibres. Without replacing those oils, the board starts to dry, warp and split. Oiling does three essential jobs: Prevents cracking and warping: A well oiled board is less likely to cup or...