Cutting Boards

[Shel_B]

That company is ok, but, that's not a great board. You want end grain wood,not sideways wood. Check out this thread on choosing a cutting board. BoardSmith boards are the best.

I know it's not a great board, but I already have a couple of end grain boards, and this board is perfect wrt size and price for the task I want to use it for. I cannot afford a Boardsmith in this size for its intended purpose.

[andiesenji]

Have you considered a bamboo board. I have one like this (upper left corner) which is slightly smaller 23 x 16, and very durable. I use it outside next to the barbecue.

I've also got one of the big end grain chopping blocks, which has held up well.

Edited February 20, 2014 by andiesenji (log)

[Shel_B]

Have you considered a bamboo board. I have one like this (upper left corner) which is slightly smaller 23 x 16, and very durable. I use it outside next to the barbecue.

I've also got one of the big end grain chopping blocks, which has held up well.

No, I had not considered it as I couldn't find a bamboo board this size. I'll double check my measurements, but I think this size will suffice. If so, I'll order it when I get home tomorrow evening. This may be perfect for my needs. Thanks!!!

[Shel_B]

Consider 12" x 18"

Why?

You can use a regular super market plastic bag to fit over a 12" x 18" board, when you are preparing chicken, pork and other "dirty" tasks you don't have to wash a very heavy board.

I failed to mention in my earlier post, those plastic bags are no longer used in our counties. They have been outlawed since Jan 1st. In any case, we haven't used such bags for years as we always carry our own reusable shopping bags

[dcarch]

Another thing to consider, depending on your cooking habits, it is very important for me to be able to use my board both sides, one side for pork, chicken etc., the other side for clean salad, fruits, bread, etc.

So weight and size is important.

I also use my board on the dinning table to carve roast beef, turkey, chicken, etc.

dcarch

[weinoo]

A 12 x 18 board is too small for the task for which I'm considering the board.

Oh? Do tell...

[boudin noir]

I also ordered a Boardsmith 16 x 22 Walnut Butcher Block. I wont have it for a few weeks since he has to source enough walnut for the board. I love the dark color of the walnut.

How do you like the feet on the Burcher Block? I was wondering if I should add the feet on the board. I figure without the feet I can atleast use both sides of the board. What do you guys think?

Octaveman...How do you like your board? I love the look of your board.

I have a large boardsmith butcher block with feet. I love it. It seems to heal knife marks. I would have no reason to use the underside. I store beneath it some plastic cutting sheets that I put on top when I am cutting meat. It makes cleanup easy.

[weinoo]

I've had a Boardsmith board for a few years now, and it's great. Sure it's heavy, but I rarely move it from its permanent home on my countertop.

When I cut raw meat, I simply place a thin plastic cutting board on it, and that can go in the dishwasher. Otherwise, it just gets wiped down with a damp sponge. If I feel it needs a better cleaning, I wash it with a scrubbie where it sits and reoil it after it has dried off.

I had David make mine without feet so I can use both sides - it sits on a dry bar rag. And it's 14" x 18", which in my kitchen is the perfect size.

[dcarch]

Not trying to go off topic, I found the following tools extremely useful for my cutting board:

1. A window glass squeegee (spelling?), a couple of quick motions and the board is clean and dry.

2. A carpenter's wood scraper. to scrape the surface fibers off. The scraper can give the surface a shiny flat surface, fewer places for germs. I am not a believer that wood kills germs. Most wood rot like crazy, mushrooms grow well in wood.

dcarch

[Norm Matthews]

I can clean my large rubber cutting board in the sink but often scrub it in place with coarse salt (kosher) and a cut lemon. I've been told that butchers clean their boards with watered bleach and salt. Every few years I go over it with a sander. I have had it for around 10 years. When I had a wooden cutting board, I scraped it with a bench knife. I have never seen a wood cutting board rot.

[paulraphael]

The cutting board thread resurfaces ...

I've had a maple Boardsmith board now for five years, and love it. I prefer it to my giant maple countertop, primarily because cleaning it is easier. The endgrain construction also resists getting marked up, and is supposedly easier on knife edges.

Dave's advice is to get the biggest board that you can clean in your sink. For me that was 16x22— I had a restaurant pot+pan sink in my kitchen. I've downsized now, and can use the new sink (a more pedestrian 16 x 21 home sink) with just a bit of awkwardness. I'm still happy to have the big cutting board but sometimes use a small one for small tasks.

Some thoughts on nice endgrain boards:

-get a bench scraper. It's the best tool for cleaning as you go, and for keeping the surface smooth. Sanding is required for removing serious damage (I haven't had to do this). Never use a wire brush.

-a good board conditioner will preserve the looks and health of the board. A new board will be incredibly thirsty for the stuff; eventually you may only need to wipe some on every month or two. Board conditioner contains mineral oil and wax (usually bees wax, sometimes some carnuba wax). Dave sells his own, or you can make it, or you find other brands. I've made my own, and am now using Howard brand, which seems a bit better than my homebrew and is pretty cheap on Amazon.

-sanitizer solution is a good idea, especially if you cook for strangers and don't know who might be immune compromised. Sanitizing comes after washing; it's not a substitute. You can't sanitize a dirty or oily board. The idea is to kill most of the last remaining microbes. Bleach solutions aren't very good on porous or semi-porous surfaces like wood. They're actually ineffective here. They also smell, irritate mucus membrains, and will spot your clothes and disintegrate your towels. Vinegar / lemon juice is also ineffective ... there's a lot they won't kill, including viruses like norovirus. The best thing I've found is restaurant sanitizer that contains quaternary ammonium compounds. They're odorless and non-toxic and don't irritate skin or damage fabrics. Just spray a dilute solution and let it dry. The same stuff is used in rinse water when hand-washing dishes. You can pick it up at any restaurant store.

-These cutting boards are not for use with a heavy cleaver or serrated blades. By heavy cleaver I mean ones used to break joints and behead fish and poultry. These will hack up the surface of anything, so use a cheaper board. People disagree with me on the serrated blade part. It is ok to use, say, a good scallop-edge bread knife if you're very careful with it. Just keep in mind that a serrated knife is a saw, and it will carve grooves in your board if you use any pressure at all. I don't want to have to sand my board every month just to keep it sanitary, so I use a different board for bread (the only thing I have a serrated knife for).

[weinoo]

These cutting boards are not for use with a heavy cleaver or serrated blades. By heavy cleaver I mean ones used to break joints and behead fish and poultry. These will hack up the surface of anything, so use a cheaper board. People disagree with me on the serrated blade part. It is ok to use, say, a good scallop-edge bread knife if you're very careful with it. Just keep in mind that a serrated knife is a saw, and it will carve grooves in your board if you use any pressure at all. I don't want to have to sand my board every month just to keep it sanitary, so I use a different board for bread (the only thing I have a serrated knife for).

Yes to all.

I cut bread on my IKEA wooden counter top but try to stop before I go all the way through the bread.

When I want to hack up a bird or something similar, I pull out my old Boos board or one of those industrial plastic ones we used to carry around to catering jobs.

[Robenco15]

Good point about the sink. I'll have to measure but I'm sure an 18x24 board is probably too big for it. I'd rather deal with some awkwardness at the sink though to have more cutting room on my countertop.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I now have a new Boos 20"x30" edge grain board. I did not get it for cutting, however. I am using it as a kitchen work surface, for which it is very nice. I'm still considering a Boos end grain board for use as an actual cutting board. My two concerns are the not insubstantial cost and weight.

There are colloidal silver containing sanitizer solutions. Has anyone used these with wood cutting surfaces?

[paulraphael]

Everything I've read suggests that colloidal silver is an obsolete antimicrobial. It's become a trendy miracle substance in blogs and natural health articles, some of which advocate uses that the medical community considers unsafe (ingesting it!).

Here's a rundown on sanitizers that are common commercially.

[andiesenji]

Everything I've read suggests that colloidal silver is an obsolete antimicrobial. It's become a trendy miracle substance in blogs and natural health articles, some of which advocate uses that the medical community considers unsafe (ingesting it!).

Here's a rundown on sanitizers that are common commercially.

When I was a newly-minted lab technician, back in 1958, we used colloidal silver in the lab to isolate some pathogens in cultures in petri dishes. It was NOT effective against all strains of E-Coli - nor some of the other pathogens. We were also warned to keep from prolonged contact with it because even then it was known that it could cause damage to the kidneys if ingested and it could also be absorbed through the skin. Things have not changed during the ensuing 55 years.

It can be DANGEROUS - Like what happened to this man.

Like so many other things, some people get enthused about a product and believe they can make money on it and excessive self-promotion turns it into a fad that costs the GULLIBLE money and does no good at all.

Read this. before wasting money on something that does not work and can cause problems.

[JoNorvelleWalker]

This is the product I was thinking of and wondered if anyone had experience with it on cutting boards:

http://www.foodqualitynews.com/Innovation/Antimicrobial-worth-its-weight-in-silver

[paulraphael]

That product uses ionic silver, not colloidal silver. It's new .... I don't see any tests besides the manufacturers.

It may be good stuff, but by the company's own description, it's for "hard, non-porous environmental surfaces (painted, glazed tile, plastic, non-porous vinyl, metal, glass)," which would not include wood.

[dcarch]

Why not just get a germicidal UV light?

100% clean, no poison.

dcarch

[JoNorvelleWalker]

I have impared vision due to cataracts (among other things). I try to minimize exposure to UV.

As I recall Boos recommends a vinegar solution.

[paulraphael]

Vinegar's better than nothing, but there's a lot it doesn't kill.

[dcarch]

I have impared vision due to cataracts (among other things). I try to minimize exposure to UV.

As I recall Boos recommends a vinegar solution.

When I use my UV light, I use an extension cord so that i can turn it on/off from another room.

dcarch

[Porthos]

That product uses ionic silver, not colloidal silver. It's new .... I don't see any tests besides the manufacturers.

It may be good stuff, but by the company's own description, it's for "hard, non-porous environmental surfaces (painted, glazed tile, plastic, non-porous vinyl, metal, glass)," which would not include wood.

From the product label:

SANITIZATION OF FOOD CONTACT SURFACES: Do not use this product on utensils, dishes or glassware.

I think I'll stick with my bleach solution on my plastic cutting boards. Still the first method (of 5) listed in California's CURFFL for manual sanitizing. YMMV.

[paulraphael]

Quaternary Ammonium sanitizers are fine for dishes and silverware glassware. There's no bleach (which can pit stainless steel). Most of them are made with wetting agents, that keep the solution from beading up on the surface, so it dries without leaving spots. They're the standard for a final rinse in hand washing. Dunk your plates and wine glasses in the quats and let them dry. You're done. They're sanitized and they dry without spots and streaks.

[Shel_B]

Have you considered a bamboo board.  I have one like this (upper left corner)  which is slightly smaller  23 x 16, and very durable. 

 

I didn't want to leave this hanging, as I mentioned that it looked like a perfect solution to my problem.  As it turned out, 23-inches is just a scosh too narrow - I really need the 24-inches.  Bed, Bath and Beyond has one with the requisite dimensions, and I'll check it out in the next day or so.