A cutting board is a durable board used as chopping platforms for food preparation. Every kitchen should have at least one cutting board, It's not unusual to have more than one. They also can used as a protective hot pad for food presentation.
Traditionally, cutting boards were mostly made of hardwoods, but over the past few years, a new generation of boards has emerged. Made of various substances, each type has its own benefits and drawbacks.
Generally, plastic boards are the most affordable and can be found in various colors, hard or flexible, thick or thin. Testing has shown that the softer surface of plastic boards is scored by knives, and the resulting grooves and cuts in the surface harbour bacteria even after being well washed.
However, unlike wood, plastic boards do allow rinsing with harsher cleaning chemicals such as bleach and other disinfectants without damage to the board or retention of the chemicals to later contaminate food.
Plastic boards are generally considered the 'safest' as they are the easiest to clean and sanitize, and the smaller ones can be placed in the dishwasher.
 |
| Tempered Glass Cutting Boards |
Glass boards are beautiful and patterned to suit every decor. They are very durable, resistant to heat, and are the most sanitary and easy to clean.
However, glass cutting boards can damage knives because of the high hardness of the material, Cutting on glass tends to dent, roll or even chip knife edges in a rapid manner, and the sound produced by slicing on these boards, can be very aggravating. They are mostly heavier than other boards.
Additionally, if used for chopping instead of slicing, glass can shatter or chip itself, contaminating food. The tops of glass cutting boards are slippery, meaning the food can slip when you cut food on them, leading to hand injuries. Alternately, washing can be difficult because of the possibility of dropping and shattering the glass.
 |
| Wooden Cutting Board |
Wood has some advantages over plastic in that it is somewhat self healing; shallow cuts in the wood will close up on their own. Wood also has natural anti-septic properties.
Wooden boards were usually made of maple hardwoods. Teak's tight grains and natural coloration make it a highly attractive cutting board material, both for aesthetic and durability purposes. The natural oils in this tropical hardwood allow it to repel moisture, warping and microbes.
Today, other woods and patterns are used, and bamboo, which is actually a grass, has become very popular due to its hardness and resistance to bacteria. The best feature of wooden boards, is that they are the easiest on knife edges, and many people prefer the sound of chopping on wood as opposed to other types.
Wood boards need to be cared-for with mineral oil to avoid warping, and should not be left in puddles of liquid. Wooden boards are generally harder to clean, and are not dishwasher friendly. Wooden boards are very affordable. Bamboo cutting boards are more expensive, but have a longer lifespan.
Steel
Steel shares the advantages of the durability and ease of cleaning with glass, as well as the tendency to damage knives. Depending on the exact steel and heat treatment used, at best a steel cutting board will wear the edge on knives quickly, at worst chip, dent, or roll it like glass.
 |
| Marble Cutting Board |
Most marble “cutting boards” are not actually intended for cutting, but for rolling dough or use as serving boards, such as for cheese. Aside from sharing the edge damaging properties of glass and steel, marble is also subject to chemical wear, and when exposed to some food acids such as tomato juice or vinegar, will slowly dissolve.
