Cutting Boards

[SmokeOCD]

How bad do you let them get? Assuming you regularly wash/oil the board, how many knife marks before it's retired?
Do you sand a wooden board and keep going? What about the plastic-y ones? The glass ones suck to High-HE!! .
I have the full spectrum - I have my favorites - other than based on looks, I was wondering when to replace or if there's more maintenance than just wash and oil.

 

[azray007]

I use plastic ones and so far they've lasted a long time. If you get white, they can stain, but I like white so I can visually see where I might need to do a bit more scrubbing.

 

[Jim6820]

My current bamboo cutting boards—I have a medium-size one and a large one—have held up great for the past two+ years with just an occasional oiling. They do get washed and dried after each use. Over the years, I have found that drying the boards immediately after washing rather than letting them air dry helps keep them in good condition.

And, I still have and use a laminated maple cutting board that my FIL built about 40 years ago and it is still in very good condition. It has been lightly sanded 3-4 times over the years, and is oiled monthly, or as needed.

Finally, ”we” do have a couple of thin plastic cutting surfaces—I wouldn’t call them “boards“—that my wife prefers. They work OK and get washed after each use as well. About all I can say about them is that they keep the knife edges off the granite counter top. Oh, and they are inexpensive, so can be tossed whenever they start showing signs of wear.

Oh, and a trick I learned years ago is to put a slightly dampened paper towel or two under the boards; it keeps them from sliding around on the granite counter top. YMMV

 

[Pacman]

I have a small stack of the NSF rated plastic ones that I picked up form a restaurant supply place. After over 10 years, they still look new unless I do something that stains like chipotle peppers. Then I hit them with a little Dawn Powerwash spray, give them a quick scrub, and toss them into the dishwasher clean and sanitized.

 

[Greg Jones]

I make my own cutting boards and I’ve never sanded one that sees heavy use in my kitchen. This one has a depression not visible in the picture of about 3/16” from years of use. I’d be careful about sanding a cutting board as you may remove the knife marks, but the undulations across the surface will still be there. I do use mineral oil on it 1-2 times a year to condition it.

i do have two boards that are used as charcuterie/table side cutting boards that I did resurface last year just for presentation purposes. However, I ran them through my planer rather than sand them as I wanted them to remain dead flat.

I also use 3 OXO plastic cutting boards on top of my wooden boards to eliminate cross-contamination poultry, etc. These boards are excellent and if I wasn’t a wood snob, they would be my go-to boards for everything.

 

[Greg Jones]

Oh, almost forgot. I use a foam-like hex pattern material under my main board made for lining kitchen shelves and it keeps the board from shifting and almost never needs replaced.

 

[Jim6820]

Oh, almost forgot. I use a foam-like hex pattern material made for lining kitchen shelves and it keeps the board from shifting and almost never needs replaced.m

I prefer the dampened paper towel because it can just be discarded after each use. This is important to me in case I get any run-off from the board that gets underneath it. I suppose one could do the same with the kitchen shelf liner, but it is a more expensive option and I always have paper towels and water at hand in the kitchen. YMMV

 

[Greg Jones]

I know what I’m about to say can be controversial, but my opinion is that 99% percent of the time there is enough run-off on the board or the board needs ‘juice grooves’, it’s because the protein didn’t get rested enough. My wife fights with me over this all the time-she wants the meat served HOT even if it loses some juice. She’s been known to take a perfectly cooked and rested steak and throw it in the microwave to heat it back up. I still love her, just the same!

 

[Jim6820]

I know what I’m about to say can be controversial, but my opinion is that 99% percent of the time there is enough run-off on the board or the board needs ‘juice grooves’, it’s because the protein didn’t get rested enough. My wife fights with me over this all the time-she wants the meat served HOT even if it loses some juice. She’s been known to take a perfectly cooked and rested steak and throw it in the microwave to heat it back up. I still love her, just the same!

I hear you, @Greg Jones; my spouse of more years than either of us care to admit also gets in a rush at times. I am a confirmed advocate of resting meat to let the juices reabsorb. OTOH, she is in the “it’s cooked, let’s eat” camp. And, like you said, “I still love her, just the same!”

 

[BigDan]

I know what I’m about to say can be controversial, but my opinion is that 99% percent of the time there is enough run-off on the board or the board needs ‘juice grooves’, it’s because the protein didn’t get rested enough. My wife fights with me over this all the time-she wants the meat served HOT even if it loses some juice. She’s been known to take a perfectly cooked and rested steak and throw it in the microwave to heat it back up. I still love her, just the same!

My wife does that with everything!!!

 

[Jim6820]

My wife does that with everything!!!

My condolences.

 

[Gonefishin]

I use a pair of US made Epicurean composite boards, some sort of paper product they call Richlite, whatever that is. I like the way they clean and withstand cuts pretty well. Thin and light so they store easily. Pretty darn close to plastic. Work well for me.

have had a number of DIY wood boards, I treated with mineral oil when new but that was it. Some split after a number of years, some just got really beat up.

The wood would seem to be better for the knives, the composite is easier to keep clean. As I sharpen my knives before each use getting dull isn’t a concern for me.

I made some nice boards for the kids. Kind of a shame when we’d go over for dinner and I’d see the board floating in a sink full of water. They don’t last long like that.

 

[kennethk]

Boos Block thick wood and four sized Oxo and 4 thin plastic sheets. Use the Boos block almost daily. Others depending on what I'm doing. Oil the wood once a week and use board cream once a month.
I make bread a few times a week on the Boos. (Oh My Goodness)
Have two Boos bought on Amazon for almost half price - I don't mind scratch and dents

https://www.johnboos.com/product/care-and-maintenance-pack-boos-mystery-oil-cream-applicator/

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00063QBK4/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1

 

[opus]

I got my cutting board made locally. There are several local makers on facebook. I went this route so I could get the exact size I wanted and also wanted the juice grooves and it has rubber feet on it. I probably don't oil it as often as i should but then I don't use it that often. My wife uses it as a place to put things like empty cups, the mail, etc. I basically have to spend 10 minutes putting things up in order to use. I also have a cheap wood board I got at a local overstock store. I think I paid $12 for it. I use it all the time. Since it is cheap it only gets oiled once or twice a year. It is a lot smaller so I can use it where ever I need it, the nice board is big so it stays in one spot.

I personally only use the Howard cutting board oil and their conditioner.

 

[Motodad1776]

I have gone the bamboo route mostly and it has juice grooves on the perimeter, also still have 2 nice hardwood boards that have served me well for years.

 

[Buttah Butts]

Boos here had them for years and they get used daily. I just oil them monthly