This food-safe, closed-grained hardwood has smaller pores than even the alternatives listed below, making it superior to those in blocking bacteria, moisture, and stains. Measuring 1, lbf on the hardness scale, this food-safe, closed-grained hardwood is non-damaging to knives and offers stellar scratch and impact resistance outdone only by hard maple. Its small pores make it nearly as effective as maple and more effective than teak or walnut at warding off bacteria, moisture, and stains.
However, its cream to pink or brown color more easily shows stains than either teak or walnut. Boasting a hardness rating of 1, lbf, teak holds up better to scratches and impacts than walnut but less so than beech or maple.
Teak shrinks less than any of the other three wood options for cutting boards, so you can get by conditioning it quarterly to biannually. But its large pores make it more vulnerable to bacteria, moisture, and stains than walnut, maple, or beech.
Since cutting boards are indispensable in the kitchen, you have to have a good one that will work perfectly with your knives. Even with the rise of plastic cutting boards, wood cutting boards are still wildly popular. But what type of wood is used for cutting boards? Are wooden boards safe? Let's see. It's all in the wood. Wooden material has to meet certain standards to make a good cutting board.
These are:. You probably know all about hardwood and softwood trees. Softwoods grow faster and are mostly evergreen cone-bearing trees. Think pine , cypress , cedar. Their wood tends to be soft. Hardwoods grow slower and are harder obviously , meaning their wood is denser than softwood. Think maple , teak , walnut , etc. This makes them better choices for cutting boards because hardwood scratches less easily than softwood. The wood shouldn't be too hard though, because then it would make the knife dull with frequent use.
This refers to the size of the pores very small holes in the wood. Porosity is determined by the wood grain. Woodgrain is the size , direction , and appearance of the wood cell fibers of a cutting board. The best wood for a cutting board is closed-grained wood. It has small pores and feels smooth. Small pores prevent liquids from getting into the wood, keeping the cutting board safe from bacteria and other germs.
Open grain wood has large pores and feels rougher. Larger pores allow liquids and other bits of food into the wood, which can in turn encourage the growth of bacteria and other germs. Open grain wood also warps more easily as it absorbs and holds more water. Cutting boards come in direct contact with food, so they cannot be made from toxic wood. Some tree species are known to produce poisons for reasons best known to them. Avoid these for use as cutting boards as any natural toxins in the wood could be absorbed into the food.
For example, some species of tropical hardwood trees produce lots of toxins to keep predatory microbes and insects from eating them up. Cookware Sets.
Dinnerware Plate. Coffee Teacups. Dinnerware Sets. Coffee Sets. Gift Card. When choosing a good cutting board, you should consider dimensions, wood hardness, type of wood grain, and toxicity. All wood cutting boards are made from one of three types of grains: face grain, edge grain, or end grain.
The main types of wood for cutting boards are maple, walnut, cherry, beech, teak, and bamboo which is actually a hard grass. What to Look For in a Good Cutting Board Wood Consider the following key attributes of a wood species before deciding on the best woods for cutting boards or butcher blocks: 1. Janka Hardness Rating The higher the hardness rating of wood, the harder and more resistant it is to scratches, dents, or dings from knives.
Wood Grain Porosity Choose closed-grain woods pores invisible to the naked eye to keep liquid or bacteria from entering the cutting surface and cause mold growth, wood warping, or stains. Toxicity Stick to woods that produce edible fruits, nuts, leaves, or sap; these are considered to be food-safe. Cost The prices of store-bought cutting surfaces vary widely depending on the wood used to make them. The best wood species for this can be whittled down to the following few: Maple Maple is the industry standard when it comes to wooden cutting boards — specifically hard maple or sugar maple wood.
Pros It's among the most durable woods you can get Dense and heavy, to handle all forms of cutting in the kitchen Known for being scratch resistant Known to have very subtle grain Measures 1, lbf on the Janka hardness scale.
Cons Maple tends to show stains easily, thus can be limiting Requires regular conditioning, to maintain it and ensure it lasts longer Walnut Walnut is another heavy favorite and is almost the exact opposite of maple. Pros Does not stain too easily like others such as maple cutting boards Offers you a chic and stylish look Gentle on knives because of it's softness Makes an impressionable and nice presentation board Works greatly as a chopping block Cons Needs regular conditioning It's longevity may reduce with rough kitchen cutting Cherry If going by color alone, cherry is the pick of the bunch.
Pros Cherry requires little maintenance It will not dull your knives Gives an impressionable look in your kitchen Cons Not very durable, because of the softness Can get stains easily This wood is rather soft for hard kitchen cutting Beech Beech is a tree that hails from Europe and has many similarities to maple. With the darkening as time goes by, it means beech is good at hiding deep marks and stains. Pros Gets more attractive and beautiful with age Features small pores and tight grains Known to keep bacteria away Drains water effectively A measure of 1, lbf on the Janka hardness scale.
Cons Needs regular maintenance and conditioning This wood type is prone to shrinking over a long time Teak Teak cutting boards rose to popularity a few years ago. Pros Teak retains oil well. Requires minimal upkeep or maintenance It's scratch and dent resistant Masks stains rather well Features a tight and dense grain. One of the most sturdy wood for cutting board. Face-grain Face grain is considered the most attractive because it shows the full wood fibers. End Grain Cutting Boards Four to fifteen times more expensive than edge-grain surfaces, end-grain cutting boards and butcher blocks are made by fusing together cut wooden boards so that the short ends of the boards form a level surface that faces up.
Edge-grain cutting surfaces Edge grain cutting boards are made by fusing cut wooden boards so that the side edges of the boards form a level surface that faces up. What will you be cutting? How often will you use it? Do you want your board to double as a serving platter? How long do you plan to be using the cutting board? What tools and skills do I have with respect to making cutting boards? What best wood is readily available? How do reputable cutting board makers do it?
Do you want to purchase a cutting board or buy a ready made one? How to Clean and Maintain Your Cutting Board Now that you've known the best wood for cutting boards and butcher blocks, it helps to know the recommended cleaning and maintenance routines to ensure optimal functionality and longevity.
Even with a rather durable type of wood with poor maintenance will be short lived. Wooden cutting boards are not water friendly. A dishwasher is not a good idea Kitchen boards made from wood should not be cleaned in a dishwasher. Consider Conditioning as a Regular Routine Conditioning is the process of applying cutting board mineral oil on the board to reduce drying and shrinking.
Daniel Plante November 04, Thank you so much for a clear, concise article with valuable information. D Reisinger March 05, Leave a comment Name.
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