Cutting Boards

[Soup]

build your own cutting board.

teak wood, your local store, cut it to desired size and put in non slid buffers on the other side.

enjoy

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Does it warp or do you mean glue bunch of pieces with the end grain up?

[Soup]

BTW, I bought an MIU France Bamboo board.

[scubadoo97]

I'm in the market for a new cutting board. I have been using a std. long grain farberware board which is starting to seperate. I've been looking at the John Boos boards and wonder what people here recommend and currently use. I would love the end grain boards but they are typically very thick and heavy. Are they worth the difference in price?

[Octaveman]

Boos maple boards are very good. Edge grain or end grain boards can be very heavy depending on the size and the thicker the better. You complained that your current board is warping. A board that will not warp over time needs to be at least 1.5 inches thick. End grain boards are preferred because they are more gentle on your knives. Your edge will be cushioned between the wood fibers rather than cutting those fibers with edge grain board. The wood fibers also absorb and kill bacteria more effectively than edge grain boards. This is not to say edge grain is not good...it is. End grain is just better all around. My board is 2.5" thick edge grain. I now wish I bought end grain but the Boos board I have is super nice and is a custom design no longer available.

Go with Boos and get as thick as you can afford. I gaurantee it will last a very long time.

Cheers,

Bob

[fifi]

I have several cutting boards, including a Boos end grain, a Boos long grain, a large cheapy from Ikea, a small cheapy from Ikea. My ancient and venerable medium sized long grain that I got from my father about 30 years ago finally split.

I actually find myself reaching for the cheapies more often. The Boos boards are uncomfortably heavy for my aging wrists. If I had the counter space, I could just leave one out but I don't so they all live in a stand up space at the end of one counter. Also, the Boos long grain has really sharp edges that come alarmingly close to lacerating my hands. Yes . . . I could and should sand them down but, don't forget, I am unapologetically lazy. Besides, with what I paid for the darn thing you would think that they could at least sand the edges down. So, I guess I feel a bit of rancor toward that board and I hiss "pfui" at it as it languishes in its slot. (I have been reading too much Nero Wolfe.)

I have drooled over some of the really pretty end grain boards and may actually get one when I get the space to leave it out and laying around. But in my "grab and go" situation now, I will stick with the Ikeas. As soon as the madness of their semi-annual sale ends, I will be venturing there to get a couple of more sizes. I oil them three or four times when I first get them then occasionally as they live here and I happen to think about it. If they split or break . . . so what.

[sanrensho]

We just received an Epicurean cutting board from a well-meaning friend. This is made from a wood composite. My first tendency is too believe that this board is far too stiff and unforgiving for my motley collection of mostly consumer-grade (read: not expensive) Japanese knives.

Right now, our main cutting surface is the large, heavy Ikea "butcher block" cutting board. We're perfectly happy using that combined with some plastic surfaces for the messier jobs.

Is the Epicurean board going to dull my knives? Should I discreetly "put it away" in some dark place where other family members can't find it and accidentally use it?

[JAZ]

I've had one for quite a while and haven't noticed it being at all hard on my knives. It seems about the same density as a wood board. My only complaint about it is that because it's so light, it slides around a lot unless you put down a damp towel first.

[torakris]

I picked up an Epicurean last summer and wouldn't trade it for anything! I am far from knowledgable on knives but I actually think it dulls my knives less than my old wood one.

[skyflyer3]

I love my Epicurean board, too! I have the biggest one, and it's great for kneading bread, chopping up chickens and cauliflower heads, and absolutely fantastic for cutting up chocolate, because it is so easy to clean. And I love that you can throw them into the dishwasher. I plan to get a bunch in different sizes, budget permitting.

[Octaveman]

I've given these boards some thought in the past when I was shopping around for a new board but a man I know that sells them on his website HERE gave some advice about them. He also has a food/knife forum HERE. The subject of these boards came up and he does not recommend them. This is a quote from one of his posts.

Wood is best. It always has been. End grain would be first choice and edge grain would be second. Next would be poly then bamboo and that's it. Bamboo is a little tough on edges. The Epicurean boards are definitely tough on edges and not recommended. I have a big one for rolling out dough.

It seems they have their recommended uses but a main cutting board shouldn't be one of them. Hope this helps.

Cheers,

Bob

[Kent Wang]

And I love that you can throw them into the dishwasher.

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This is the biggest sell for me. That's why I'm using plastic right now.

[sanrensho]

Thanks for all the opinions. Using the link that Octaveman provided, I found some comments about the Epicurean board, which suggest that they are a little too stiff and hard on knives:

http://www.foodieforums.com/vbulletin/show...light=epicurean

http://www.foodieforums.com/vbulletin/show...light=epicurean

However, the low maintenance factor is attractive, so I will use this board for chopping chocolate and other jobs that tend to stain my regular wood board. For now, I will stick to using my dullest knives on this particular board, rather than my main knives.

Thanks for the help everyone!

[JAZ]

Thanks for all the opinions. Using the link that Octaveman provided, I found some comments about the Epicurean board, which suggest that they are a little too stiff and hard on knives:

http://www.foodieforums.com/vbulletin/show...light=epicurean

http://www.foodieforums.com/vbulletin/show...light=epicurean

However, the low maintenance factor is attractive, so I will use this board for chopping chocolate and other jobs that tend to stain my regular wood board. For now, I will stick to using my dullest knives on this particular board, rather than my main knives.

Thanks for the help everyone!

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I guess I don't see an overwhelming reason to discount these boards based on those threads. There are basically three comments there from people who don't like them, without much to back them up. Most of the comments are actually on bamboo boards.

My personal experience with the Epicureans has been that they don't dull my knives. My feeling is that if your knives scratch or cut your boards, then the board is softer than the knife and, thus, it's not hard on your knives. My Epicurean has as many scores as my wood boards -- more, probably -- although not as many as my poly board.

[Kent Wang]

Do they warp in the dishwasher at all? My plastic ones do a little bit. Are there higher quality plastic boards that won't warp at all or must I upgrade to the Epicurean?

[EdS]

...Are there higher quality plastic boards that won't warp at all or must I upgrade to the Epicurean?

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I picked up a 1-in. thick rectangular poly cutting board at a Chinese restaurant supply house. Most poly boards are thinner than this. They even had thicker round poly chopping blocks. I use my poly board for raw poultry and then toss the board in the dishwasher.

[sanrensho]

I guess I don't see an overwhelming reason to discount these boards based on those threads. There are basically three comments there from people who don't like them, without much to back them up. Most of the comments are actually on bamboo boards.

My personal experience with the Epicureans has been that they don't dull my knives.

Thanks for the input. I'm pretty happy with the Ikea butcher block I'm using now, so I'm not that motivated to switch at the moment.

I can see some of the advantages of this board, but it is clear to me that this board is much stiffer than what I'm using now. I'm familiar with wood composites so this doesn't surprise me. For now, I'll use it for limited duty until I get more experience with its qualities as a cutting surface. Yours and the comments of others have at least encouraged me to give this board a try.

[Joe Blowe]

I picked up a 1-in. thick rectangular poly cutting board at a Chinese restaurant supply house. Most poly boards are thinner than this. They even had thicker round poly chopping blocks.

Actually, if you picked up what I think you did, it's made of rubber.

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...

[Jean Blanchard]

I love my Epicurean and I don't feel that it is dulling my knives any faster than my other boards. The fact that it goes into the dishwasher (and doesn't warp) and a huge plus.

[DerekW]

Caveat: I don't own one of these boards.

That said, the Epicurean boards are made of 'Richlite' which is a resin bond paper fibre product. and according to the manufacturer's website is "significantly harder than wood". That's assuming that Richlite have not made a different, softer, product for the cutting boards.

cheers

Derek

[edit for fat-finger typing]

Edited March 7, 2006 by DerekW (log)

[Chad]

My personal experience with the Epicureans has been that they don't dull my knives. My feeling is that if your knives scratch or cut your boards, then the board is softer than the knife and, thus, it's not hard on your knives. My Epicurean has as many scores as my wood boards -- more, probably -- although not as many as my poly board.

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I'm with Janet on this one. I have one of the Epicurean boards. I don't use it much because it does tend to slide around a bit, even with a damp paper towel under it. But I certainly haven't noticed any dulling or rolling of my knife edges from using it, and I'm pretty particular about my knives. As hard as Richlite may be, I don't believe it's anywhere near 55-56 on the Rockwell C scale, which is about where the average kitchen knife scores.

With that said, I still prefer my big end grain block from Michigan Maple, one of the best bargains out there.

Take care,

Chad

[Octaveman]

I guess I don't see an overwhelming reason to discount these boards based on those threads. There are basically three comments there from people who don't like them, without much to back them up. Most of the comments are actually on bamboo boards.

The three comments from people who don't like them are the only three people who have used them. So 100% of the people who've tried them and made a post said they don't like them and use something else. There was no need to back up the reasons with definitive evidence of their conclusions. It's a knife forum. People who have a large amount of knowledge about knives and how to sharpen them and keep them sharp say these boards are too hard on knives. There are more posts on bamboo boards because they are close enough to wood boards in their hardness and feel that it warrants additional discussion. Why discuss the epicurean boards if all the knife fanatics who have used them agree they suck?

My personal experience with the Epicureans has been that they don't dull my knives. My feeling is that if your knives scratch or cut your boards, then the board is softer than the knife and, thus, it's not hard on your knives. My Epicurean has as many scores as my wood boards -- more, probably -- although not as many as my poly board.

What? Doesn't dull your knives? Not hard on your knives? First of all, whether you use a board or you cut a cucumber in your hand, your knife will get dull and they do so beginning with the very first use. It's impossible to keep this from happening. There are some boards that are harder on knives than others and those boards will dull your knives faster than others. The Epicurean is harder on your knives compared to end-grain maple, for example, but I guess you can say it's easier on your knives than a granite countertop. The object is to find a happy medium between softness (where you knife gets stuck in the board) and hardness (when your knife bounces off the board). The epicurean is closer to the latter. All boards will leave marks from the knife if your knife is sharp enough and hard enough. That should not be how you judge the boards quality or whether it's good or bad for your knife. End-grain boards are the best for not quickly deforming your knife's edge with soft poly's and bamboo in close proximity.

If your happy with these boards then keep on using them. They're great looking boards and are easy to move around. Just know that they are harder on knives than most boards out there. There are a lot of people that think Cutco are great knives too but they're not.

Joe: I've seen those boards before and am seriously thinking of getting one. I think they're made to just stay on your counter. Good to hear what someone thinks about them and after 7 years that's a sound recommendation. They have them with different hardness levels too. Many sushi bars use them as their counter tops.

[EdS]

I picked up a 1-in. thick rectangular poly cutting board at a Chinese restaurant supply house. Most poly boards are thinner than this. They even had thicker round poly chopping blocks.

Actually, if you picked up what I think you did, it's made of rubber.

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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Oh yeah, I know about those boards. No, this one was the straight white poly like you'd find at Target but thicker. I think it was about $15.

[Richard Kilgore]

I received a Michigan Maple edge grain cutting board and it is tonight soaking up Boos oil. It's a 15 X 20 X 1 3/4 with a carving ring on one side. It is a substantial chunk of wood; shipping weight was 14 lbs, and the shipping carton probably accounts for less than a pound of that.

[Pallee]

In a different thread, a cooking instructor was saying that she teaches her students never to cut onions on a wood cutting board as their odor won't come out. I've never heard of this before. Any one else follow this advice? (I sure don't)

[Smithy]

In a different thread, a cooking instructor was saying that she teaches her students never to cut onions on a wood cutting board as their odor won't come out. I've never heard of this before.  Any one else follow this advice?  (I sure don't)

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Naah.