Cutting Boards

[Peter B Wolf]

If it es a nice one, like my Solid Maple ( 23"X14"X2" ), 25 years old, I never use for cutting Onions or Garlic, I use a cheap smaller plastic one.

Every five years or so I take my board to a wood working place or lumber yard, and ask them to 'shave' / 'plain' about 2 to 3 millimeter off each side.

Otherwise, a scrub in the bathtub with "salsoda" ( A hydrated sodium carbonate used as a general cleanser, a product by Arm&Hammer ) and BOILING water.

[jsolomon]

I clean with a spray of hydrogen peroxide and a spray of vinegar.  I read somewhere that this can kill germs as good as bleach, it's non-toxic, and I rather like the smell.

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Non-toxic is a significant misnomer. If it weren't toxic, it wouldn't kill the bacteria and/or fungi. However, hydrogen peroxide degrades quickly (especially in the presence of peroxidase-producing bacteria) and acetic acid is a volatile acid.

[Bombdog]

I have read all the replies and most are helpful.  I would encourage a dilute clorox spray to sit for awhile on both sides.

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Exactly what I do.

My block is a nice chunk of Boos maple that came from the sink cut out when I installed Boos counter tops in my old kitchen about 11 years ago.

[SMW]

Isn't everything toxic in the right circumstances/quantities?

This mixture can also be sprayed on fresh fruits and vegetables, which can be immediately eaten with no ill effect (except for maybe a slight vinegar taste)!

[CharityCase]

Washing with hot soapy water seems to work for me. When it gets a bit messy I'll leave a layer of club soda and salt on a wet board for a few hours and that seems to pull up odours and help get out some stains.

This summer I gave mine a sand with 100 and then 120 grit, and oiled it with mineral left super saturated over night and rubbed off the next day. It's back to new.

[gini]

Kosher salt and half a lemon or the sponge then rinse. And or a good scraping with the back of a knife.

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Kosher salt for me too.

[Dave Hatfield]

Soapy water immediately after use, then good old white vinegar about once a week or so depending upon use.

Just pour a bit of vinegar on & rub it in with a clean sponge. Rinse with cold water.

I find bleach & peroxide too harsh on the wood.

[dario]

g'day,

my wife bought me a new cutting board which had a sticker stuck on its top. After removing it there was a large area of glue left on it. After washing it several times using soapy water, lemon, vinegar, etc we got rid of most of the sticky substance but still have some matter on its surface which you can feel when rubbing your hand on it. Is this substance potentially nocive? I really would like to remove it. Anybody can tell me how?

thanks

Dario

[Octaveman]

The best way to get the glue off is to get a sheet of 400 grit sandpaper and just sand the area until it's gone. It won't take much effort...just light sanding for a minute until it's off. Of course, that's assuming your board is made of wood.

Edited September 27, 2006 by Octaveman (log)

[sadistick]

If you have a wood board, please dont use chemicals! When you first get your board oil it up really well and let it sit overnight, then oil it up again, let it sink in.

Regarding the garlic/onion issue, simply take a knife, make a few stars on the corner of one side of the board, and use that side for garlic/onions and other savoury items, and use the other side for other ingredients.

Works like a charm.

[scubadoo97]

If you have a wood board, please dont use chemicals!  When you first get your board oil it up really well and let it sit overnight, then oil it up again, let it sink in.

Regarding the garlic/onion issue, simply take a knife, make a few stars on the corner of one side of the board, and use that side for garlic/onions and other savoury items, and use the other side for other ingredients.

Works like a charm.

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for those wondering what kind of oil, it's mineral oil easily found at your local pharmacy where laxatives are found. I found a top grain board and I think I put a whole bottle of oil in that board when I first got it. It just soaked it up in no time. Try and keep your boards well oiled.

[Varmint]

I bought one of the 1" thick Sani-Tuff Cutting Boards shortly after Ms. Hesser's review in the NY Times.  It's nice and heavy, doesn't move around, cleans up nice, but it's a little pricey.  On the other hand, I've had it for almost 7 years now, and it's not showing any signs of wear.  It's probably the last cutting board I'll ever buy...

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I still don't know why these boards haven't taken the culinary world by storm. They are the best cutting boards around. They're made of a hard rubber that still gives like wood when cutting (i.e., much softer than the white plastic boards). They can be sanded down like wood. They can be put in the dishwasher. If they warp, put them in a warm oven for a few minutes and all will be flat again. They last forever. Sure, they're heavy and a bit expensive, but there's really nothing like these.

I've had mine for years, and I hate it when I have to use anything but this cutting board.

[dario]

thanks for the reply, octaveman,

that's what I suggested and she nearly jumped down my throat.

BTW, can someone please explain what mineral oil is? I am not sure what it is called here in Oz....

thanks

Dario

[Octaveman]

Yeah, light sanding is no problem at all. Matter of fact, you should sand the surface of your board every six months but at least once a year to keep your surface fresh and it removes all your knife marks.

I'm not sure how to describe mineral oil but if someone doesn't get you a decent description, then I suggest two things. Go to a drug store or pharmacy and ask them if they have it. If not, you can always buy it on the internet pretty cheap. What I've been using on my board is Boos Mystery Oil. Boos is the maker of awesome cutting boards and they have their own oil to use and I like it a lot. Below is a link to getting it on Amazon but you can do a Google search and see it being sold everywhere.

John Boos Mystery Oil

Hope this helps,

Bob

p.s. What or where is Oz?

[Maliaty]

Oz - if I'm right - is Australia.

Mineral oil i think is available at hardwares here, if it's not in pharmacies.

cheers

Maliaty

[scubadoo97]

you should sand the surface of your board every six months but at least once a year to keep your surface fresh and it removes all your knife marks.

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What grit sandpaper do you use?

[Octaveman]

What I use is usually an 80-100 grit to start to remove the marks then go up the ladder to 220 or so then to a 400 grit or whatever I have on hand. This is for the annual maintenance. Don't want to sand too hard. Just go lightly/comfortably until the surface is smooth. Then follow up with higher grits to refine the surface . If grit numbers aren't available, then Coarse, Med and Fine would work. I use all three and the surface is as smooth as a baby's butt. Norton sanding pads are good for this if you don't have an electric sander.

Edited September 28, 2006 by Octaveman (log)

[dario]

thanks for the info, and Maliaty is right, Oz is our abbreviation for Australia (and aussies is the abbreviation for australians)

thanks mate

Dario

[Veena]

Are maple or other hardwood cutting boards suitable for Japanese knives? Or should I be using plastic/poly when I use these knives?

Veena

[C. sapidus]

Are maple or other hardwood cutting boards suitable for Japanese knives?  Or should I be using plastic/poly when I use these knives?

Veena

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End-grain hardwood cutting boards work just fine with Japanese knives. End-grain is very forgiving because the knife blade can penetrate the cutting board between the wood fibers. When the blade is removed, the fibers seem to resume their original position, more or less. Some folks here swear by soft plastic cutting boards, but I haven't tried them.

Japanese knife blades tend to be very hard, which allows them to be very sharp. Harder steel is also usually more brittle. Japanese knife blades are often thinner and lighter than German knife blades. You can reduce the chances of damaging the blade by not cutting bones or hard-frozen hunks of meat, and not twisting the blade when cutting. We are slowly replacing our old Chicago Cutlery set with Japanese knives.

[andiesenji]

thanks for the reply, octaveman,

that's what I suggested and she nearly jumped down my throat.

BTW, can someone please explain what mineral oil is? I am not sure what it is called here in Oz....

thanks

Dario

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you have to get it in a pharmacy (chemists/drug store) it might be labeled as "Food-Grade" liquid paraffin.

It is also used as a laxative in this form and is safe to ingest. It is part of the mixture that goes into waxes for coating cheeses, etc.

Do not use any of the paraffin oils used for lamps, etc. They have additives that are harmful.

If you can't find anything else, you can melt beeswax (carefully) which shouldn't be that difficult to find and while it is still liquid, rub it vigorously into the board. Some woodworkers use a commercial product that is a mixture of beeswax and mineral oil on bowls and wood utensils but I don't know if it is available in OZ.

Edited October 21, 2006 by andiesenji (log)

[dario]

thanks for the reply, if I find the liquid paraffin I better keep it separate from my beer......

[Dora S]

I'm looking at getting a new wooden cutting board, preferably a large one that can fit over the sink. Does the type of wood matter, and what makes a good board? The ones that I have seen cost approximately $40 - $70.

Advice appreciated!

[Reefpimp]

Maple is traditional as it's hard and flavorless. It's not terribly dimensionally stable, though, so expect to see splits in the gluelines after a few years of use. Try and get an end-grain model for true chopping-block effect.

[kristin_71]

May want to think about one that is made of some other material too, for cutting meat.