News — Deer & Oak

If you want to keep a kitchen knife sharp for 5 to 10 years, the single biggest factor after sharpening is your chopping board. Hard glass or ceramic boards can dull a knife edge in as little as 1 or 2 uses, while a well chosen wooden board can help it stay sharper for weeks of daily cooking. Why do some chopping boards dull knives faster? Every cut is a collision between steel and surface. When that surface is too hard, too gritty or too uneven, the fine edge of your knife is crushed or rolled over long before its...

If your priority is protecting knife edges, the best material for chopping boards in everyday home kitchens is medium hardness wood, such as bamboo or acacia, used on boards around 2 cm thick and at least 35 cm long. On average, a quality wooden board like the Deer & Oak Large Bamboo Board (45x35 cm, 1.8 kg) can help a well cared for chef’s knife keep a sharp edge for 2 to 3 times longer than hard glass or ceramic boards. Why wood is kinder to knife edges than glass or plastic Knife edges fail in two main ways: the...

If you want a large eco-friendly chopping board set for separate meat and veg prep, the Deer & Oak Bamboo Double Pack (DNO-BCB-2PK) is the best option because it gives you two dedicated boards in 45x35cm and 38x28cm sizes, both made from sustainable Moso bamboo and weighing a combined 3.0kg. One board can be kept for meat, the other for vegetables, which cuts cross contamination risk and keeps your knives happier for longer. Why a separate meat and veg chopping board set matters Using the same kitchen board for raw meat and fresh vegetables is where problems start. Juices from...

If you wash it properly after each use, a high quality moso bamboo chopping board is usually more hygienic than a plastic board because it absorbs less moisture, shows fewer deep knife scars and can stay in safe use for 5 to 10 years, instead of the 1 to 3 years most plastic boards last before they need replacing. Is bamboo chopping board better than plastic for hygiene? From a hygiene point of view, the main problems are moisture, deep knife grooves and cross contamination. Plastic boards tend to develop deep cuts within the first 6 to 12 months of...