Chopping boards are one of the things we use in our kitchen every day, so it makes sense to have a good one. Actually it makes sense to have a few. You need the big main one which does most of your work and sits on the sideboard, and don't forget that wooden boards are safer and more hygienic than plastic ones. Then some people prefer a polythene one for things like fish, and some like another for meat, its up to you really. 

Some Chopping Board Facts… Sanitation with cutting boards is delicate, because bacteria can reside in grooves produced by cutting, or in liquids left on the board. For this reason, it is often advised to cut raw meat on separate cutting boards from cooked meat, vegetables or other foods. A very dilute Bleach solution is best for disinfecting cutting boards.

Wood boards should never be placed in the dishwasher, or left immersed for long periods. A light food grade Mineral oil (try our Wood Oil, its great) is a good preservative for wooden cutting boards as it helps keep water from seeping into the grain. Alternatively, one may also use a food grade drying oil such as poppyseed oil, tung oil or linseed oil. The first two dry much faster than linseed. In general, edible savory vegetable or olive oils are not recommended because they tend to go rancid and cause the board to smell and your food will pick up that taste as well. Cutting boards should be treated when they start looking dry to prevent cracking. A standard recommendation is 5 times a year, or as needed.

When heavily or deeply scored, wood or plastic cutting boards should be resurfaced as scoring can harbor excessive bacteria, or mildew in the case of plastic boards. Wood can be easily resurfaced with various woodworking tools, such as scrapers or planes. Sandpaper is to be avoided however, as it leaves residual abrasives in the surface, which will dull knives. Resurfacing a plastic cutting board is more difficult and it is recommended to just go out and buy another one.

In choosing your cutting surface, there are pro's and con's to each depending on your application. Wooden boards Wood has some advantages over plastic in that it is somewhat self healing; shallow cuts in the wood will close up on their own. Wood also has an advantage over other materials because in general, it has a natural anti-septic property. Good hardness and tight grain helps reduce scoring of the cutting surface and seepage of liquid and dirt into the surface. Red Oak for example, has large pores so it retains dirt, even after washing, making it a poor choice for cutting board material. Although technically a grass, laminated strips of Bamboo also make an attractive and durable cutting board material.

Plastic While theoretically more sanitary than wooden cutting boards, testing has shown this is not always the case. Mildew can even form in deep scoring. Semi-disposible thin flexible cutting boards take little skill to transfer their contents to container. Plastic allows a complete rinsing of cleaning chemicals such as bleach and other disinfectants.  

Want to know more about choosing and caring for your wooden chopping board?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cutting_board

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