Cutting Boards

So, one of my big gifts to the wife this year was a really nice cutting board. I did a lot of research on cutting boards, and as you might imagine, we have a lot of them.

Long story short; wood cutting boards split (no matter what they're made of, or how...even butcher block). They're also prohibited due to bacterial contamination. Jelly, synthetic and plastic cutting boards, get cut up, and you wind up eating plastic (not a lot, and I'm not a nut about this, but you do get some). Then, there are these new stainless steel cutting boards you see advertised everywhere now. Well, those are great IF you HATE every one of your knives. These are for people who put their knives in the dishwasher, then in a rock tumbler, before dragging them behind their truck for six miles. (You'd really have to seriously HATE your knives to use a stainless cutting board...and this comes from a professional level knife sharpener...ME!)

So anyway, I bought the wife a Hasegawa cutting board (out of Japan). These are some of the finest cutting boards known to man. They're made from Japanese hard "rubber" (not some synthetic stuff). And, they're also lined with a broadleaf tree wood core. These are the real deal.

On a side note; my shipment got lost initially. And, I contacted the vendor, and they said they had no explanation. I told them I needed this piece by Christmas...and they made good...shipping a new one direct from Japan, air freight.

So.....I gave this cutting board to the wife. She was less than impressed. (I was sad). She didn't know what it was; ...never heard of a "Hasegawa". Wow, what a bummer.

Next thing I knew, she was going to use a serrated knife to cut some sourdough bread she'd made on it. I quicky yelled..."NO!!!". (Never use a serrated knife on one of these boards!). Then, she wanted to set a hot pot on the board...."NO!! Don't do that either!!". Jeezus!! "it's a $300 cutting board for cripes sakes!!!"

Later she pushed her gift aside and didn't want to use it for anything. At first, my feelings were hurt. Then I realized how stupid all this was!

What the heck good is this expensive cutting board if you can't use it for anything other than cutting cold fish for sushi?????

"F'k it; use it like you stole it!"...was my advice to her after this, but it was too late. Now, she doesn't want to use it. A complete waste of money. And here I thought I was doing a nice thing, but I don't blame her.

Note - I'll just ram this thing in the vertical drawer with the other stupid cutting boards...and I'll never buy one again.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

Aw, that's so sad! Buying gifts for ones' spouse can be so difficult! It's no wonder most men loathe Christmas.

I like maple cutting boards myself. Hard maple.

There is a place about forty miles from here that makes hardwood counter tops that sells to lumber yards and whole salers, they sell seconds at the mill, not big pieces usually, but big enough to make cutting boards out of. They are laminated pieces.

I have all the tools to make them, and quite a bit of maple, oak, hickory, and birch rough cut boards, but it is a lot of work glueing them all up even with the tools. It is easier to buy some pieces from there and make the cutting boards than glue all of those pieces together to prevent warping.

The cutting boards at most stores are kind of soft most times. Ironwood is best for the boards, but it is hard on the planer and saw blades. Hard on the chainsaw blade too, it seems to have crystals in the wood when you saw it, sparks fly. Burns almost twice as long in the woodstove though but those crystals pop

The wife cuts things on our porcelain coated plates, we have some nice knives, thin high quality steel, but they dull when she cuts on the plates or glass cutting board. If I complain, she says it's my job to keep them sharp....I have to sharpen them every week, and they are high quality stainless steel knives we bought from a restaurant supply here, I broke the tip off of one, you cannot use them for prying apart frozen short ribs. So we went and bought four spares since we like them so much. They sharpen really sharp, but don't hold up to cutting on porcelain or glass well.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

The theory behind plastic, rubber, or other synthetic cutting board surfaces is that there are fewer microscopic cracks and crevices for bacteria and other nasty microorganisms to hide in. Supposedly that makes them safer--particularly if you use them to cut meat, which can host salmonella and other nasty stuff. But that's pretty much only true if the cutting board isn't being used. As soon as you use a cutting board, you start putting cuts and scratches in it and start providing microorganisms hiding places to hang out in.

The same would be true with a wood cutting board, except that the natural fibers of wood or bamboo have a natural antimicrobial action all by themselves.

If you are going to actually use a cutting board regularly of any kind, you are going to put cuts and scratches in it. So you might as well use one that has some antimicrobial activity built in to it. I saw this research at least 10 years ago and have been using bamboo and maple cutting boards ever since with zero incidents of microbial contamination and/or food poisoning. I also have high end Japanese kitchen knives and don't have any problems keeping them sharp. (Except, of course, that my wife likes to occasionally use them for removing staples from Amazon packages.)

Also, you can run bamboo and/or maple cutting boards through the dishwasher every now and then when there is a build up of organic film on them without any deleterious effects. It limits them from absorbing and transferring strong flavors (like garlic and onion) and the strong alkali dishwasher detergent kills whatever microorganisms might be sticking to them.

How about marble cutting boards? I used to have one. A slab of it was gifted to me when myself and my then partner were delivering the marble to a mosque that was being built.
I currently use pine boards and they only occasionally go through the washer.
Rainbows
Jane

We use Bamboo here...$15 for a pack of a Large, Medium and Two Teenie Tiny ones for snacks.

They clean up quick and easy, have longevity, and Bamboo is environmentally friendly.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk

My late brother cut Corian from countertops into shapes for cutting boards. Scratch free, heavy as hell...then he passed before going into selling them.

He MADE HIS OWN TEETH partial..told nobody...then almost choked on them snoring!

Cya Clay ...stay good...MS

a reply to: Boomer1947

If my wife used one of my Shun knives to remove a staple I would use her fabric scissors to cut the toughest thing I could find.

Also use bamboo exclusively for my cutting boards, have had no issues out of them in the 20 years I've been using them.

a reply to: Flyingclaydisk
Wood is the best material for a cutting board… imo.
Plastic has been shown to harbor live bacteria longer than wood, then there is the already mentioned problem of microplastics.
Glass and metal dull knife blades quickly.
Particulars of wood include how hard or brittle the wood is. The harder the wood, the longer the board will last, but it will dull your knife more quickly. Some wood is brittle and splinters easily, making it a bad choice.
Check the Janka wood hardness scale to find a wood that is mid-range. Maple, depending on species can be harder or softer, but falls in the middle of the range, making it a good choice ( that, and the fact that it is readily available ).