News — wooden chopping boards

If you clean them properly after every use, high quality wooden chopping boards are usually more hygienic than plastic boards over their full lifespan, because bacteria die off up to 3 times faster in the first 3 hours on well maintained wood compared with heavily scored plastic. The safest option for most home kitchens is a set of 2 or 3 wooden boards used separately for raw meat, cooked food and fruit or veg, and washed within 10 minutes of use. Wood vs plastic chopping boards: what actually keeps bacteria away? The key hygiene question is simple: where do bacteria...

No, you shouldn’t use the same chopping board for raw meat and vegetables unless you clean and disinfect it thoroughly every single time. Food safety guidelines in the UK recommend using at least two separate boards to avoid cross contamination, which is why many home cooks keep one board for raw meat and fish and another for vegetables, fruit and cooked food. Why it matters if you use the same chopping board for meat and vegetables Raw meat can carry bacteria such as Campylobacter, Salmonella and E. coli. If you slice carrots or lettuce on the same board straight after...

If you are choosing between mineral oil and olive oil for conditioning wooden cutting boards, food grade mineral oil is the better long term option because it does not go rancid, typically protects for 4 to 8 weeks per application, and keeps boards like a 45x35cm bamboo board from cracking or warping. Olive oil can seem convenient, but it starts to oxidise in a few days and can leave sticky, smelly patches in as little as 2 to 4 weeks. Mineral oil vs olive oil for conditioning wooden cutting boards: the short answer For regular board care, food grade mineral...

If you want the best end grain chopping boards for knife care in the UK, look for a board that is at least 38x28cm, 3 to 5cm thick, made from sustainably sourced wood or bamboo, and gentle enough to keep a sharp edge for 6 to 12 months between professional sharpens. In the Deer & Oak range, the Large Acacia Board (45x35cm, 2.1kg) and the Carbonised Bamboo Board (45x35cm, 1.9kg) are the top choices if you care about knife longevity and everyday practicality in a British kitchen. What makes an end grain chopping board better for knife care? End grain...