American black walnut scores mid-range on the Janka test—lower than the hardest woods, but higher than other species, such as pine and fir. Most importantly, walnut resists shrinking and warping from water exposure, making it ideal wood for the hard (and frequently wet) life of a cutting board.
Walnut is a softer wood than Maple. The benefit of this is that a knife will be much less likely to dull when using this wood, but there is a tradeoff since the softer wood is easier to scratch or dent. Its medium to large pores offer some resistance to bacteria and moisture but not as much as Maple.
Pros: Walnut is a very strong and stable wood that can take intricate carving. The color can be beautiful. Cons: Some may not like the variation from dark to light that's sometimes found on a single wide board. Walnut is also one of the more costly woods.
They're Made From Better Materials
These aren't the most expensive woods out there, but the boards have to be straight and without blemishes in order to combine them into a high-end cutting board, making the raw materials for well-made boards costlier than their bulk lumber counterparts.
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.
The chopping board brand Gordon Ramsay uses is John Boos Block.
They are packed with essential fats, antioxidants, fiber, and plant compounds that improve overall health. However, one must also be aware of the side effects of walnuts. Overconsumption of walnuts may cause digestive issues and allergies, lead to weight gain and choking in children, and aggravate ulcers.
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.
The Black Walnut is one of the most expensive and lucrative trees to sell, thanks to its high-quality dark wood. The tree ranges from $5- $10 per board foot, although it can cost more depending on other factors. In most cases, your 20-inch tree can fetch you $700- $800.
Look for maple, walnut, cherry, beech, or teak wood. Second best: If you need a large cutting board surface, you may not be able to find a big enough solid wood piece.
Hardwood wood boards – boards made from maple, Walnut, or cherry, for instance – are easier on kitchen knives than bamboo boards. A chef who is keen on keeping their knives sharp for long cannot go wrong with a wooden board – particularly wood species like cherry, Walnut, and maple. Wood kills bacteria and is hygienic.
The Meat and Poultry Hotline says that consumers may use wood or a nonporous surface for cutting raw meat and poultry.
I've been treating end grain walnut cutting boards with mineral oil. Twenty-four hours later, I seal the boards with a 4:1 hot mineral oil/beeswax mix and let it dry 24 hrs.
Hand wash your cutting board soon after use with dish soap and water and rinse the board thoroughly when you're done. Use a scourer or scraper to remove any hardened residue. If the board smells off or has a lingering strong scent like a garlicky smell, you can take care of the smell with: Baking soda.
The high cost of walnut wood can be attributed to a number of factors. The key issues are a paucity of supply due to the slow growth of these trees and high demand from woodworkers and hobbyists, which I'll go into more detail about in this article. Woodworking has also become a more popular hobby in recent years.
Following are the reasons why Walnut wood is expensive.
The tree takes around 50 years to mature, it is longer than most other trees. It is in high demand due to its desired characteristics such as durability, strength or aesthetic making it one of the best wood species around.
The wood of black walnut is dark, hard, dense, and close-grained. Woodworkers value it for its strength, texture, and color. It polishes to an extremely smooth finish and ranges in color from milky white sapwood to dark chocolate heartwood. Natural walnut wood develops a beautiful patina over time.
The juglone toxin occurs in the leaves, bark and wood of walnut, but these contain lower concentrations than in the roots. Juglone is poorly soluble in water and does not move very far in the soil. Walnut leaves can be composted because the toxin breaks down when exposed to air, water and bacteria.
The researchers concluded that walnuts improve sperm quality by reducing peroxidative sperm cell damage, though recommending further studies to determine which specific nutrients in walnuts are responsible for this improvement.
Walnuts help maintain healthy cholesterol levels and decrease blood pressure, two of the major risk factors for heart disease. They are also a rich source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) which is the plant-based omega-3 fatty acid. Walnuts contain 2.5 grams of ALA per ounce.
Not only is the John Boos maple wood cutting board our top pick, but it's also loved by many celebrity chefs, including Ina Garten and Giada De Laurentiis.
Wood is the best material, here's why
Additionally, wood is an ideal surface for meat preparation because the bacteria that may get into the board die quickly below the surface, keeping it safe and clean. Finally, wood boards come in a variety of types, such as teak, maple, walnut, and cherry.
A pro chef cutting board is a kitchen essential, providing a safe and durable surface for chopping, slicing, and dicing ingredients. Wood cutting boards are a popular choice among professional chefs, as they offer a number of advantages over plastic or other materials. However, not all wooden boards are created equal.