But even if you want to chop onions, spread butter on your toast or slice up a pile of sarnies, this is a versatile board that will slot right into place in any kitchen. When not in use, it looked good hanging from a wall peg and makes a welcome alternative to the usual square choice. This little board soon became a firm favourite. It has a handle, is reversible and keeps firm on surfaces without slipping thanks to rubber corners.
Of course, that means lots of fruit or meat juice can leak off the board, so best to avoid using for cutting the Sunday joint. Nevertheless, this bargain performed well, cleaning like a dream in the dishwasher and stashing away snugly in the narrowest of cupboard spaces. The useful grab handle means it can be hung from a meat hook-style rack — a nice to option for storage. In a world of oblong chopping boards, be pebble-shaped.
It looks great on display in the kitchen or used to present food on the dining table. Staying unscored after hefty knife use, it wiped down easily and seemed more water resistant than others when given a thorough hand-wash. However, to avoid any warping, we followed instructions to dry it straight afterwards and made sure not to soak or immerse it in water. Solid oak with a food-safe oiled finish, this felt lovely to handle, with soft, tapered edges. We tried the 32cm version, which was a good size for making and serving lunchtime sandwiches.
We tested a representative sample of chopping boards made from wood, bamboo, plastic and eco-friendly recycled material and scored them using the following criteria.
Extra functions and aesthetics: boards come in all shapes and sizes — some with spikes to secure meat, others with knife sharpeners and folding sides. We poured water over boards with moats to check whether the groove captured all the liquid — in an everyday kitchen, a substandard moat equals wasted meat juices. No marks: we put each board through a rigorous test of chopping and hacking with a sharp knife to check whether the surface was left with irremovable marks.
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Back to Recipes Chicken slow cooker Veggie slow cooker See more. Back to Recipes Cheesecakes Cookies See more. Both wood and plastic have their perks when it comes 21 hygiene. This is a BETA experience. You may opt-out by clicking here.
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Forbes Vetted. Jen Murphy. Instructions should come with any good board. As a rule of thumb we oiled ours with boiled linseed oil once a month for the first 6 and now only do it about twice a year. It is also believed that wood has antimicrobial properties and enzymes that make for an inhospitable environment for bacteria to grow. This belief was supported by research carried out by Cliver and Kaspari The antimicrobial properties of wood published in the Journal of Food Protection and supported by the World Health Organisation.
Plastic boards were inoculated with e. Aside from the knife protecting properties and hygiene benefits of wood boards, they really can be a beautiful addition to a domestic kitchen, especially end grain.
If cared for correctly will last a lifetime and probably beyond to pass down the generations. Bamboo boards are sold as the 'eco friendly' chopping board due to bamboo being fast growing, biodegradable, it's cultivation being free of pesticides and not having a negative impact on pandas. Due to its fast growing abilities bamboo is cheap compared to end grain hardwood. However, bamboo is really hard and there is no grain for the knife to go into. As a result it gives the knife a hard time when cutting on it and will quickly lead to a blunt knife.
Manufacturers claim that bamboo is tougher than maple and oak, it is lightweight lending itself to easy transfer to sink for cleaning , strong and durable and that knives won't suffer friction blunting as can happen with wood or plastic. The strength of the bamboo means that heavy duty cutting can be done without shattering or splintering the surface of the board. It is also claimed that bamboo is a hygienic option as due to the hardness of the wood, it sustains very few grooves and gashes from knives which may harbour bacteria.
Some knife manufacturers do not recommend bamboo boards for their knives due to the hardness of the wood and its potential to damage the blade as it does not absorb the impact of the knife unlike end grain wood boards.
Bamboo does have a tendency to absorb stains and will warp if immersed in water. Plastic polyethylene boards do have a number of benefits in that they are light weight so food is easily transferable to cooking pot or bin. They are also highly recommended by food hygienists especially in commercial kitchens to reduce the risk of food contamination linked with wood boards see section on wood boards for further information on this.
Plastic can withstand exposure to water including being placed in a dishwasher. It can also tolerate harsh chemical cleaning by bleach and will not retain such chemicals to later contaminate food. However, it is believed that the softer nature of plastic is susceptible to scoring by knives and the resulting cuts and grooves can harbour bacteria, even following thorough cleaning.
Knives are also prone to friction blunting as the plastic does not absorb the impact of the blade as seen with end grain wood boards. Plastic boards can be unstable and are therefore prone to slipping increasing the risk of hand injuries.
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