News — Deer & Oak
how do you clean and oil a wooden chopping board properly
If you want your wooden chopping board to last 5 to 10 years, the simplest routine is this: clean it with mild soap and hot water after every use, dry it upright for at least 8 hours, and oil it every 3 to 4 weeks with a food safe mineral oil. Done regularly, this stops warping, cracking and smells before they start. Why proper cleaning and oiling really matters Wooden and bamboo boards are naturally porous. If you only give them a quick wipe, moisture and food juices can soak in, which can lead to staining, odours and splitting. A...
are wooden chopping boards hygienic for cutting meat and vegetables
If you clean and dry them properly, high quality wooden chopping boards are hygienic for cutting meat and vegetables and can safely last 5 to 10 years. Studies from food safety bodies have shown that bacteria on wood can drop by over 99% within a few hours when the board is washed and air dried upright, compared with plastic boards that can trap bacteria in deep knife grooves. Are wooden chopping boards hygienic for cutting meat and vegetables? Yes, wooden chopping boards are hygienic for cutting meat and vegetables when you follow three simple rules: use separate boards for raw...
What size bamboo chopping board is best for small UK kitchens with limited worktop space?
For most small UK kitchens with limited worktop space, the best size bamboo chopping board is around 38 x 28 cm. It is compact enough for narrow worktops but still gives you a safe cutting area for everyday cooking. At Deer & Oak, that size matches our Medium Bamboo Board (38 x 28 cm, 1.2 kg, Moso bamboo), which is designed specifically for smaller kitchens. Why 38 x 28 cm works so well in small UK kitchens British kitchens in flats, terraces and new builds often have worktops as short as 120 to 180 cm, with kettles, toasters and coffee...
Are bamboo chopping boards bad for knives compared with traditional wooden boards?
If you sharpen your kitchen knives every 3 to 6 months, a good moso bamboo chopping board will not noticeably damage them more than a quality wooden board, but very hard or cheap bamboo boards can dull an edge around 10 to 20 percent faster than softer woods like acacia or beech. So bamboo is not “bad” for knives, it just needs to be the right type of bamboo and used for the right jobs. Are bamboo chopping boards actually bad for knives? The short answer is no, most well made moso bamboo boards are not bad for knives when...