News — wooden cutting boards

No, bamboo chopping boards should not go in the dishwasher in the UK or anywhere else. Repeated 65–75°C dishwasher cycles can shorten a quality moso bamboo board’s life from around 5–10 years to barely 6–12 months by warping, cracking and stripping the natural oils. Why bamboo chopping boards shouldn’t go in the dishwasher Bamboo is a natural, eco-friendly material that behaves a lot like hardwood. That means it hates three things your dishwasher uses every time: high heat, harsh detergent and long soaking. Heat: UK dishwashers often run at 65–75°C. That temperature can cause a 45x35cm board to cup or...

If you clean and dry them properly, bamboo cutting boards do not harbour more bacteria than wooden boards. In controlled tests, both bamboo and hardwood boards can reduce bacteria on the surface by over 99% after normal washing and air drying, so the bigger difference in real kitchens usually comes from how you use and care for the board rather than the material itself. Can bamboo cutting boards harbour more bacteria than wooden boards? The short answer is no, not when they are made from quality material like Moso bamboo and looked after correctly. Studies on cutting board hygiene show...

If you are wondering what the best cutting board material is for everyday cooking, most professional chefs in Europe and the UK still choose wooden boards over plastic because wood can last 5 to 10 years with care, is kinder to knives and, when properly cleaned, is at least as hygienic as plastic. In busy kitchens that can mean hundreds of cuts a day, so the board you choose really matters. Why do chefs prefer wooden cutting boards over plastic? There are five practical reasons chefs keep returning to wooden boards, even when plastic seems easier at first glance. Wood...

If you want your kitchen knives to stay sharper for longer, wooden cutting boards do dull knives less than glass or ceramic boards, typically extending the time between sharpenings by 30 to 50 percent when used daily. The key is using the right type of wood or bamboo with a surface that is firm enough for chopping but still forgiving to the knife edge. Why wooden cutting boards dull knives less Every time your knife hits a surface, the edge either glides, compresses slightly or crashes into it. Glass and ceramic boards are so hard that the edge takes the...