News — Deer & Oak

If you want to keep your knives sharper for longer, wooden cutting boards do dull knives less than glass, ceramic or stone. In practical terms, switching from a hard glass board to a quality wooden board can cut your sharpening frequency by around 30 to 50 percent, especially if you cook most days of the week. Why wooden cutting boards are kinder to knife edges The reason wooden cutting boards dull knives less comes down to hardness and how the surface reacts to the blade. Glass and stone are far harder than steel, so every cut is like tapping your...

If you want the most hygienic cutting surface for everyday home cooking, a high quality hardwood or bamboo chopping board that you wash within 10 minutes of use and dry upright is usually safer long term than a plastic board that keeps deep knife grooves. Studies from the last 20 years show that bacteria survive less than 3 to 12 hours on well maintained wood, compared with up to 48 hours in the cuts of heavily used plastic boards. Wood or plastic chopping board: what is actually more hygienic? So which kitchen board is more hygienic in real life: wood...

If you cook most days and want one main board that protects your knives, lasts 5 to 10 years and looks smart on the counter, a high quality wooden chopping board is usually better than a plastic one. Plastic boards can be useful as lightweight spares for raw meat, but for everyday prep of vegetables, bread and cooked food, wood wins on knife care, durability and how it feels to use. Wooden vs plastic chopping board: quick answer For most home kitchens, a wooden cutting board in the 38x28cm to 45x35cm range is the best long term choice. It is...

If you mostly prepare meat at home and want a durable wooden board, acacia is usually the better choice than maple because it is slightly harder (around Janka 1,750 lbf vs maple at about 1,450 lbf), more water resistant and tends to show fewer knife marks over 5 to 10 years of regular use. That said, both hardwoods are food safe when properly finished, so the real decision is about how you cook, how you care for your board and what feel you want under the knife. Acacia vs maple: which chopping board is better for meat? For raw and...