Wood that are too hard - Hardwoods like mahogany, teak, or rosewood (too hard) are not acceptable choices for cutting boards. 2. Soft woods - Avoid all softer woods such as pine or cedar. These woods tend to splinter easily, and they're too porous so they harbor bacteria more easily.
Glass and granite cutting boards are not recommended. Wood cutting boards should be made from hard, tight grained woods; rock maple, walnut, cherry, teak, bamboo, ash and birch. End grain checkerboard style wood boards are preferred.
So do not use Teak, Purple Heart, and other tropical hardwoods, these are not food safe woods. They may look good, and add a nice pop of color to your projects, but they're unhealthy. Many people does not realize it, but another type of wood which is better to stay away from it, is walnut.
Dense hardwood lumber with a closed grain like maple, walnut and cherry are among the best cutting board materials. The choice of wood should be free of warps, have a flat surface and doesn't have any blemishes or excessive knots on the surface. The ideal cutting board thickness should be 1 1/4 to 2 inches.
Indeed, black walnut wood has been used to make dishes for centuries without any strange side effects. For this reason, manufactured black walnut wood is not considered toxic and is completely safe for cutting boards.
Avoid using your knife on surfaces made of glass, granite, marble, or ceramic.
Walnut wood is also totally safe for food as it is free of toxins that could eventually end up in your food as well. As long as you season your board as soon as you get it, it will resist odors, water, and will last longer.
Teak cutting boards rose to popularity a few years ago. A tropical orange-brown hardwood grown in Southeast Asia, teak's resistance to mold and warping — even in wet environments — makes it perfect for boat fixtures, outdoor furniture, and recently, kitchen cutting boards.
Rusabl Bamboo Chopping Board
The natural anti-bacterial properties of bamboo make it safer for food preparation. The board is also safe for expensive knives, because bamboo wood is as strong and dense as hardwoods, but will not dull the blade like plastic or glass cutting board does.
Woods with small, tight grains and pores like acacia, maple, cherry, and beech are considered the best options. These cutting boards are durable and will hold their shape and quality for years, while softer woods like pine and oak will show too many knife scratches and nicks.
Yes, it's perfectly safe to cut meat on a bamboo cutting board. Bamboo is a dense, moisture-resistant surface that is well suited for use with fruits, vegetables as well as meat and fish. Just make sure to wash it with warm water and soap in between uses!
For cutting boards that will be used daily, Jess, stick with tight-grained domestic hardwoods, especially maple, birch, and beech. The small pores on these dense hardwoods leave fewer hiding places for foodborne bacteria than an open-grained wood, such as red oak. (Bamboo, actually a grass, offers another safe option.)
So theres a lot of wood out there to carve. For beginners, this can be a little overwhelming. You can narrow down your selection with the following sweeping statements. Don't use softwoods (e.g. pines and spruces), don't use ring porous species (e.g. oaks and ashes).
Plastic cutting boards make it easier to prevent cross-contamination. Unlike wood, plastic is not porous so bacteria can't easily hide in cracks and crevices. Plastic boards are also dishwasher friendly, making the cleaning and sanitizing process extremely manageable.
Wooden cutting boards have natural antibacterial properties, whereas the others mentioned don't. This makes them the preferred choice for being the most hygienic cutting board. Moreover, they are gentler on the edges of kitchen knives, especially end grain wood cutting boards.
Bamboo Cutting Boards
Bamboo absorbs very little moisture and resists scarring from knives, so they are more resistant to bacteria than other woods. Clean bamboo cutting boards with hot soapy water; sanitize if desired. Rub with mineral oil to help retain moisture.
Wood has antibacterial properties, and if bacteria is trapped in the grains, it cannot survive and replicate. Wooden cutting boards also don't dull your knife edge as much as a material like hard stone or glass. What types of wood are best for cutting boards? Look for maple, walnut, cherry, beech, or teak wood.
Hardwoods like cherry, maple and walnut are more durable and sanitary than softwood cutting boards. And, although it's not technically a wood, bamboo is less porous and absorbant than hardwood. These characteristics make it an excellent sanitary option.
However, sheesham wood is a better bet because its has more flexibility than teak. As mentioned above, teakwood is high in density. Teakwood has a downside; due to its hard and dense structure, wood cutting tools bear the brunt and wear out easily.
Teak wood is more durable and has a luxurious appearance, but it's also more expensive. Bamboo is a more sustainable and budget-friendly option but may require more maintenance.
One of the most prominent drawbacks of teak wood is its relatively high cost. If you are working within a certain budget, investing in teak furniture may not be your best option.
Due to its premium quality, unique beauty and durability, walnut is considered a high-end wood. In fact, walnut is considered one of the most luxurious non-exotic woods available for home furniture. Walnut is highly desired for its rich, chocolate-brown color, and lends a feeling of luxury to any space.
Allergic reactions to tree nuts, like walnut, are due to the nut protein. Given this, the use of tree nut-based wooden cutting boards or other kitchen items is likely extremely low risk for someone with a tree nut allergy.
That said, there are a few tells associated with fake walnut wood. For starters, an authentic piece will generally have some color variation, even within the individual boards, simply because walnut is not usually stained. Additionally, it will have a straight grain, perhaps with some curls.