Choose a Wood or Plastic Cutting Board?

You may have noticed cutting boards made of plastic in different colors and wood cutting boards with varying designs. The great news is that both plastic and wood cutting boards are safe to use as long as they are sanitized correctly. Nonetheless, each type of cutting board comes with its own features. Let's explore them further so that you can pick the ideal cutting board for your kitchen or restaurant.

Plastic Cutting Board

Firstly, let's talk about the assortment of vibrant plastic cutting boards. While it is not mandatory to possess and utilize color-coded cutting boards, they are an effective way to avoid cross-contamination among various ingredients. It is advisable to prepare raw meats and vegetables on separate boards, whenever feasible.

Plastic cutting boards are often less expensive than wood. However, some plastic boards can dull your knives quicker than wood (although not as bad as glass) and are less forgiving on sharp edges. In addition, you’ll want to keep an eye out for excessive wear and tear.

The more scarred plastic boards get, the more difficult they are to clean. Knives can also cut deeper groves in plastic cutting boards designed to be easier on knife edges. Unlike wood boards, plastic doesn’t have “self-healing” properties. When a plastic cutting board gets too scarred up, bacteria can hide in the deep crevices, even after washing.

On the other side, plastic cutting boards are almost always less expensive, easier to replace, and can go through the dishwasher for sterilization.

Wood Cutting Board

Many people tend to prefer wooden cutting boards over plastic ones due to their perceived better quality. However, it's important to note that wooden cutting boards also have some drawbacks alongside their benefits. It is handwashing only and is easy to wrap with moisture. Besides, frequent maintenance and seasoning is required.

There are 3 types of wood cutting boards, including face grain, edge grain and end grain.

Face grain cutting boards can be more prone to warping, and are usually thinner by design. Face grain cutting boards are great for cutting and serving bread. They can also be used as your primary cutting board, although they are more likely to warp under heavy use.

Edge grain boards are known for being more durable than face grain. And they are a great option for all the slicing and dicing that needs to be done to prep your venue’s ingredients. Edge grain boards will still scar over time and need to be properly washed and sanitized.

End grain cutting boards are the ability to “self-heal”, which means the cuts made on the board seal up when the board is maintained and oiled properly. The feat of self-healing is achieved because the vertical wood fibers separate as the knife glides across the surface. Afterward, the fibers come back together naturally, sealing the scar.