Chopping boards - wooden or plastic?

[Badgers]

This is my current chopping board portfolio.

The white plastic one was about a quid four years ago as a 'temporary' board. To be far it is still in good nick.

I prefer a wooden board myself. The one in the pic was a Christmas present a couple of years ago. Not a high quality item but does the job.

At some point I plan to get some decent ones but it is not high on my lengthy need/want kitchen wish list at this time.

Would really like a decent bread board. Something like this one although probably a bit cheaper.

 

[farmerbarleymow]

Got a wood one and four colour-coded plastic ones. The plastic ones have added silver or something to kill bacteria.

I don't like chopping boards with writing on them as they annoy me - sorry Badgers

 

[platinumsage]

Have a wooden block one but got relegated to the underneath corner cupbaord years ago because it can't be used in the dishwasher.

There's something very satisfying about chopping raw poultry on a plastic board and slinging it straight in the dishwasher with no worries about catching a disease and dying.

 

[Lord Camomile]

Saw something along these lines in a charity shop for a tenner once, but was on travels rather than close to home so didn't pick it up. Still regret that

 

[UnderOpenSky]

I use plastic but as I'm reading more about knives it seems like wood is the way to go. Apparently end grain is the way to go.

Needs to be light though as well as I'll be the only bugger who cleans it if it's a big heavy thing. Just spent a silly amount on a sharpener though so may have to wait a month or two.

 

[wtfftw]

I use plastic but as I'm reading more about knives it seems like wood is the way to go. Apparently end grain is the way to go.

Needs to be light though as well as I'll be the only bugger who cleans it if it's a big heavy thing. Just spent a silly amount on a sharpener though so may have to wait a month or two.

What sharpener did you get?

 

[Badgers]

Saw something along these lines in a charity shop for a tenner once, but was on travels rather than close to home so didn't pick it up. Still regret that

View attachment 221781

In time I plan to get a butchers block but if I see something like that ^ second hand I am grabbing it.

 

[maomao]

I have two cheapish bamboo ones that have lasted like nothing else ever has. One of them is this (you can't read the words anymore) :

Fred The Obsessive Chef Chopping Board

Size: 30.5 x 23 x 1.5cmMade from beechwood

www.hartsofstur.com

Plastic ones seem really rubbish and unhygienic but I don't have a dishwasher. Somewhere I have a glass one which was a terrible idea unless you like blunt knives and headaches.

 

[campanula]

I have chunky wooden worktops - I made them out of hardwood planks on top of pitchpine, leftover from some flooring job. Lazily, I often just chop away without bothering with a board (also same hardwood) but I do have a bread board for use with serrated knives. I oil the tops and occasionally get the belt-sander out when they get gnarly. Suspect this is not he most hygenic method.

 

[UnderOpenSky]

What sharpener did you get?

One of these

Work Sharp Multi Sharpener, Ken Onion Edition

Electric sharpening machine for, among other things, pocket knives and kitchen knives.

www.knivesandtools.co.uk

 

[Badgers]

One of these

Work Sharp Multi Sharpener, Ken Onion Edition

Electric sharpening machine for, among other things, pocket knives and kitchen knives.

www.knivesandtools.co.uk

View attachment 221806

Woah

 

[wtfftw]

Corr. I'll go watch some videos.

 

[Cid]

As someone who can easily make wooden chopping boards, mine are all plastic.

 

[moose]

Saw something along these lines in a charity shop for a tenner once, but was on travels rather than close to home so didn't pick it up. Still regret that

View attachment 221781

I have a very thick, circular version of that. The fact it's end-grain makes it very hard-wearing, and my fears about pieces falling off were unfounded. It's almost too heavy to lift, though.

 

[BristolEcho]

View attachment 221779

This is my current chopping board portfolio.

The white plastic one was about a quid four years ago as a 'temporary' board. To be far it is still in good nick.

I prefer a wooden board myself. The one in the pic was a Christmas present a couple of years ago. Not a high quality item but does the job.

At some point I plan to get some decent ones but it is not high on my lengthy need/want kitchen wish list at this time.

Would really like a decent bread board. Something like this one although probably a bit cheaper.

View attachment 221780

Motivational/funny quotes on my chopping board? Fuck that.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Wood... The thought of putting decent knives near plastic makes me cringe.

 

[Cid]

Wood... The thought of putting decent knives near plastic makes me cringe.

Really? Wood is pretty bad for sharp metal things... Timber has a bit of a tendency to accumulate silica in the medullary rays. Though obviously this varies from species to species. Something like an HDPE cutting board is at least going to be consistently less hard than the knives you use on it.

 

[weltweit]

I have a very nice wooden board turned out of a single piece of wood and with my name carved on the outside. Every few months I rub olive oil into it, the only downside is that has the name of my ex-wife also carved into it as it was a wedding present.

 

[oryx]

We have an assortment of both, but I prefer to use the plastic ones as they go in the dishwasher.

 

[Reno]

Plastic, because it can go in the dishwasher. I find wooden boards unhygienic, especially for meat and they get more so with ongoing use. I have a knife sharpener.

 

[Saul Goodman]

Really? Wood is pretty bad for sharp metal things... Timber has a bit of a tendency to accumulate silica in the medullary rays. Though obviously this varies from species to species. Something like an HDPE cutting board is at least going to be consistently less hard than the knives you use on it.

A proper end-grain wooden chopping board is much better than any plastic. A plastic one that's soft enough to keep knife edges as good as a decent wooden one will suffer from much deeper cuts, resulting in nice crevices for bacteria to linger in.
And wood looks better.

 

[moose]

I have a very nice wooden board turned out of a single piece of wood and with my name carved on the outside. Every few months I rub olive oil into it, the only downside is that has the name of my ex-wife also carved into it as it was a wedding present.

Can you cut it in half?

 

[Saul Goodman]

I have a very nice wooden board turned out of a single piece of wood and with my name carved on the outside. Every few months I rub olive oil into it, the only downside is that has the name of my ex-wife also carved into it as it was a wedding present.

Olive oil turns rancid over time on wood. I definitely wouldn't use it on a food prep surface. Mineral oil is the job on a chopping board.

 

[StoneRoad]

Wood for preference, I have several. Also looking for another end-grain one (or the material to make it)

They get sanded smooth & re-oiled when they need it.

I have had several plastic ones, because I'm a touch heavy handed when chopping, the only that survived for long was actually made from a product called "Corian" - I did like the colour-coding and being able to sling them in the dishwasher ...

 

[maomao]

Linseed oil. Like a cricket bat.

 

[maomao]

I have had several plastic ones, because I'm a touch heavy handed when chopping, the only that survived for long was actually made from a product called "Corian" - I did like the colour-coding and being able to sling them in the dishwasher ...

This is my experience too. I don't think any plastic board would put up with me mincing cabbage for dumplings. They tend to get clusters of very deep gashes. At least wood expands back after cooking.

 

[StoneRoad]

In recent months, I've become concerned about the tiny bits of plastic that get scored off chopping boards, at least timber is a form of cellulose and biodegradable.

 

[Reno]

In recent months, I've become concerned about the tiny bits of plastic that get scored off chopping boards, at least timber is a form of cellulose and biodegradable.

The things people worry about. I'm pretty sure it just comes out at the other end.

 

[quiet guy]

Aldi will have some bamboo wood chopping blocks in store from 16th or online from tomorrow (12th). Can't vouch for the size or the quality of the items.

 

[Badgers]

Aldi will have some bamboo wood chopping blocks in store from 16th or online from tomorrow (12th). Can't vouch for the size or the quality of the items.

I have some bamboo socks, tshirts and cup/mug things. Is bamboo a good chopping platform?