- CUTTING BOARDS
There are many shapes, sizes and materials used in the manufacture of cutting boards. So the first consideration is space, then style of work you do and then material.
Determine the size of the board you will need by cutting a piece of cardboard to the sizes available from catalogs and select a thirty-five dollar standing rib roast and hack at it. That will determine the size that best suits you're cooking needs and also creates a lot of beef stock cubes for your slow cooker...just kidding. See if the cardboard size matches or is close to available products, this narrows the search.
The next determination after size and space is material. There are three basic purposes for a cutting board.
• Prevent you from ruining the edge of your kitchen knife
• Sanitation
• Protect your counter top.
I have three main boards; a heavy 2" wood chopping block for most veggies and fruits and two plastic boards about 5/8 thick. I recommend you use have at least 2 boards. I use the plastics for meats, poultry and fish that can hold up to strong dishwashing and the wood cutting board for everything else. Forget glass, ceramic or other hard surfaces, they are for cutting cheese as most cheeses stick to glass and stay in one place while cutting, otherwise they will kill and ruin the edges on your knives.
WOOD-
You will get what you pay for. Cutlery and More has a great selection. The Boos line is quit popular with advanced culinary specialists. The soft wood does less damage to your cutting edge. The best boards with the end grain facing up (butcher block) allows the knife to slide between the vertical wood fibers. There are liquids to keep the boards tendency to kill germs working.
BAMBOO-
Totally Bamboo makes excellent quality cutting boards out of bamboo which is a renewable resource. Their boards are made using end grain bamboo which is very stable and holds up to lots of use. Banboo is becoming very popular as it is a renewable resource and in theme with todays green thinking.
Totally Bamboo Kauai Bamboo Cutting Board:
This handcrafted board is made from flattened strips of bamboo that are bonded together. Its natural beauty comes from the natural sugars in the wood which caramelize to a beautiful honey color. Harder than maple, it's a superior cutting surface you'll enjoy for years to come. 11.5 x 14.5-in. Handwashing recommended.
HEALTH WARNING:
A recent report found that 80 percent of all grocery-store chickens in the U.S. are contaminated with Salmonella, Campylobacter or both. Clean, clean, clean, the board after any chicken or meat. Cutting a head of lettuce after slicing chicken breasts is just looking for trouble and a good gastroentonologist or trauma room physician will have on hand the chemicals needed to prevent "praying to the porcelain god". The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that there are between 76 million and 81 million cases of food poisoning each year, the vast majority of which go unreported because they didn’t require a trip to the hospital or doctor’s office.
PLASTIC - The best utility cutting surface are the large soft plastic cutting boards, white and made from recycled materials. These boards are relatively easy on knife edges and are practical to use. They can be cleaned and sterilized in the dishwasher to sanitize it. These cutting boards range from small to counter-top, and two of mine cover a 4x2 foot NSF table in my kitchen. I use either Clorox spray clean or Vinegar and water after every use.
NO-NO - Never use good knives on glass, marble or plastic acrylic cutting boards. They will ruin even the best knives. And wash, wash, wash, Salmonella will ruin the best meal.