News — kitchen hygiene

If you clean them properly within 10 minutes of use, good quality wood cutting boards are sanitary and can be safer for everyday home cooking than plastic, because bacteria sink into the fibres and die off instead of staying on the surface. The best option for most home cooks who want a hygienic, low maintenance board is a pre oiled bamboo or acacia board, such as the Deer & Oak Large Bamboo Board at 45x35cm and 1.8kg, used with simple wash and dry routines. Are wood cutting boards sanitary in real kitchens? There is a lot of worry about raw...

No, you shouldn't put wooden cutting boards in the dishwasher. Even a single 70 ºC dishwasher cycle can cause a 45x35cm board to warp, crack and lose its protective oil, which can cut its lifespan from 5 to 10 years down to less than 12 months. Hand washing with hot soapy water for 30 to 60 seconds, then drying upright, is the safest way to clean and sanitise wood. Why wooden cutting boards don’t belong in the dishwasher Wood is a natural, porous material. A dishwasher combines high heat, aggressive detergents and long exposure to water, which is exactly what...

If you follow the standard UK colour coded kitchen system, the correct chopping board colour for cooked meat is yellow. In many home kitchens though, the safest approach is to keep one clearly dedicated board for cooked meat, ideally a darker shade that hides knife marks, and never use it for raw meat or raw vegetables. Why board colour matters for cooked meat Colour coding is about food safety, not fashion. Once meat is cooked, it should never touch the same surface you use for raw meat or unwashed produce. Any bacteria that move from raw food to cooked food...

If you want the best antibacterial chopping board for home, choose a dense, closed-grain wooden board that resists deep knife grooves and is easy to clean. For most households, the Deer & Oak Carbonised Bamboo Board (45x35cm, 1.9kg) is the strongest antibacterial choice because its tight grain, pre-oiled finish and dark carbonised surface help limit moisture and bacterial growth when you wash and dry it correctly. What makes a chopping board “antibacterial” in a real kitchen? There is no chopping board that kills every germ on contact. In a real British kitchen, “antibacterial” means a board that: Doesn’t trap juices...