News — kitchen tips

If you have a bamboo chopping board and a darker carbonised bamboo board side by side, you might have noticed they behave a little differently when you oil them. One seems to drink oil, the other beads it on the surface. So when it comes to bamboo vs carbonised bamboo: which chopping board oils best? First things first: what is carbonised bamboo? Standard bamboo boards are made from pale, naturally coloured bamboo. Carbonised bamboo starts exactly the same way but the bamboo is steamed at high temperature. This darkens the sugars in the fibres, giving that rich caramel colour many...

If you have a beautiful acacia chopping board sitting pride of place on your kitchen worktop, you probably bought it for two reasons: it looks gorgeous and it feels reassuringly solid under the knife. To keep it that way, regular oiling is essential. But how often should you oil acacia chopping boards in a British home, where we have central heating, steamy kitchens and the odd kitchen window left open to the drizzle? Why acacia boards need oiling at all Acacia is a dense, durable hardwood, which is exactly why we love it for chopping boards. It is naturally water...

If you cook most nights of the week, your chopping board works harder than half the gadgets in your kitchen. It is the stage for school-night stir fries, Sunday roasts and those slightly chaotic dinner parties. So when you are choosing between carbonised bamboo vs acacia, cleaning and care comparison for busy cooks is not just a nice extra. It is the whole decision. At Deer & Oak we spend a slightly unhealthy amount of time thinking about boards. How they look on your counter, how they feel under a knife and crucially how easy they are to keep clean...

If you love the look of a beautiful bamboo chopping board but hate the stains that come with beetroot, turmeric and tomato, you are not alone. The good news? You do not need harsh chemicals to keep your boards looking fresh. Some of the best natural hacks like salt and lemon for stubborn stains on bamboo are probably already in your kitchen cupboard. At Deer & Oak we spend a lot of time thinking about what goes on your boards and what goes into them. So this guide is all about simple, natural ways to lift stains, tackle smells and...