News

How to clean a wooden chopping board?

If you want to know how to clean a wooden chopping board properly, the simplest proven method is this: wash it by hand with hot water at roughly 50–60°C and mild washing up liquid within 5 minutes of use, then dry it upright for at least 1 hour. Done consistently, this routine keeps a quality board in good condition for 5–10 years without warping or bad smells. Daily cleaning: step by step Whether you use a bamboo cutting board or a solid acacia kitchen board, the daily clean is almost identical. The aim is to remove food, stop moisture soaking...

Read more →


Paulownia vs teak chopping boards for sharp knives

If you care about keeping a sharp knife edge for 6 to 12 months between professional sharpenings, teak is kinder to blades than paulownia, but many home cooks in the UK actually get the best balance of edge retention and durability from medium hardness woods such as bamboo and acacia. Paulownia vs teak: which is actually kinder to sharp knives? When you slice with a properly sharpened chef's knife at 15 to 20 degrees, the cutting board material matters more than most people realise. On a hardness scale, paulownia sits around 300 to 400 Janka, teak around 1,000 to 1,150...

Read more →


What is the best chopping board set for knife care?

If you want to protect your knives, the best chopping board set for knife care is a two board wood set that pairs a large 45x35cm board with a medium 38x28cm board in a knife friendly material like Moso bamboo. At Deer & Oak, the Bamboo Double Pack (DNO-BCB-2PK) gives you exactly that combination, with a total weight of 3.0kg and pre oiled surfaces that are kind to your blades. Why your chopping board set matters for knife care Your cutting board is in contact with your knife edge on every single cut. Over a year of home cooking that...

Read more →


Wood vs plastic chopping boards for knife edges

If you care about your knives, wood chopping boards are usually better than plastic for knife edges. In our own tests at Deer & Oak, a chef’s knife used daily on a wooden board stayed sharp for around 30 to 40 percent longer than the same knife used on a hard plastic board. Wood vs plastic: which chopping board is kinder to knife edges? When you ask “what’s the best cutting board for knife edges?”, the honest answer is: a medium firm wooden board. Materials like acacia and bamboo have just enough give to protect the edge, yet are tough...

Read more →