Hi, I was wondering if it was important to have two cutting boards: one for meats and one for veggies. I read in some places about cross contamination issues and I've heard two boards recommended some times. I was also wondering why one couldn't simply use one side of the board for meats and the other for veggies. Thanks.

Especially for fatty and slimy proteins such as poultry and fish, a second board is a good idea. I actually prefer the thin plastic ones for fish and poultry as they can go through the dishwasher or handle harsh detergents very well. For my veggies, wood is the way to go, simply because the knife works better on it. If using only one board, do all your veg prep first, then the protein.

Hope this helps.

I'm using a wood fiber board it's something between wood and plastic , it's dishwasher safe , knife friendly, heat resistance, and ( if you care ) eco friendly . They say that it's actually used in professional kitchen's .

I used to use wood and plastic cutting board's but I hated wood because it can break or bent easily, and plastic is just not comfortable like wood , wood will also need some special care as you need to use oil from time to time. The wood fiber board has another side that you can use for carving which is actually a great thing.

Thanks for the responses. Tony I'm going to take your advice and go buy a plastic board for my meats to add to my wood one.

Restaurant supply stores sell very good cutting boards, thick plastic or wooden. Most (if not all) of the restaurant supply stores, sell to the general public.

We have many many many of the thick plastic cutting boards and they never warp or anything. We have had them for years, and they are dishwasher safe. They also come quite clean when bleached. I think we only paid about $10 each for them. They also come in a variety of sizes.

We actually have a separate board for onions. We also have a bamboo one that I like a lot.

One more note as Dawn mentioned definitely buy the thick ones. I've put up with thin (1/4 - 1/2") wood and plastic boards that either warp or break. Its terrible (read impossible) to hold that warped plastic down while it spins and slides around, just increases the chance of a knife slip.

Since most home cooks, like me, are space limited go with wood or plastic and, as recommended above, do produce first if you can. Hot soap & water are your best friend otherwise. In commercial kitchens color coding is becoming more standard for cutting boards as well as knifes and other tools. Does anyone have any more info about the reported natural anti-bacterial properties of wood boards? verses the crevasses that occur with plastic boards?

End grain chopping blocks will last for decades if taken care of properly.One should invest in one at least two inches thick.I have a good wood board and three cheap paper thin plastic boards for pork,chix,beef.Dawn is correct about the color coded boards.Every restaurant I've worked in uses this system.Boos blocks are good if one can afford it but not necessary.
Have fun creating.

I do agree with Dane, the one point I will give to the thicker plastic ones is that they can go in the dishwasher. With the amount of cooking I do, I do appreciate this about my plastic cutting boards. And yes I say "boards" as I have at least 4 of them and use them all on a very regular basis.

I like to use a heavy, large, laminated bamboo board for most of my cutting. They're very easy to clean up and the knife loves them.

That being said, I keep a different plastic board for red meats, poultry and fish. I just took a sharpie and wrote on the side of each of them (not the broad sides you cut on) to label them for even less cross contamination. I love the fact that they can go through the super hot dishwasher...

Dawn, you mentioned that many restaurant supply stores will sell to the general public, are there any in/near Vancouver BC that you would suggest/recommend?

Thanks,
Dave

Here is another post that links to a couple of Vancouver restaurant supply stores. You might also want to google or maybe check out the yellow pages for "Restaurant Supplies". Funny I can't remember the last time I used the yellow pages :-) Good luck!

My thick wooden board feels nice. But with a sharp knife, it always leaves marks on the surface no mater cutting or chopping. Do you have any suggestions to remove or avoid these?

You can give the board a light sanding. I did a quick google search and found a few links for you that may help.

http://www.ehow.com/how_5549426_sand-wooden-cutting-board.html

http://www.wonderhowto.com/how-to-clean-wooden-cutting-board-271632/

Cheers!

Good thoughts all - I also find that with marble worktops or similar, a board without rubberized feet slides all over. I use some rubber matting underneath like that which is used as carpet gripper - works a treat and can be cut to size to suit your boards. Good chopping!

Alternatively, a cheaper (possibly simpler) option is to place a damp tea-towel under your board. This will also prevent it from slipping around. Will also work for those thinner plastic boards that may have warped slightly.

If you have a wooden cutting board that someone coated with vegetable oil, thinking that was a good idea, what is the best way to clean it and prevent it from becomming gummy or the oil going rancid? Should you use mineral oil right away or wait for 6 months to apply the oil?

I would wash and scrub it with hot, soapy water and apply a good coating of mineral oil as shown in the video on cutting boards. Cheers!

Which types of cutting boards are the most sanitary?

The major factors to consider when buying a kitchen cutting board are your stomach, your fingers and your knives. You want a board that you can keep free of bacteria, that won't slip dangerously around the counter as you try to slice food, and that won't destroy your knives.

Experts disagree on whether wood or plastic cutting boards are the most sanitary. Most governmental agencies in the United States recommend plastic, while other experts say scarred, rutted plastic cutting boards can harbor just as much bacteria as wood. In either case, cutting boards need to be cleaned and maintained, and care must be exercised to avoid cross-contamination. For example, you'll need to disinfect a cutting board between chopping raw meat and cutting vegetables for a salad, or have separate cutting boards each task.

Other cutting-board materials include bamboo, composite, plastic and glass. Bamboo cutting boards offer many of the advantages of wood but are more eco-friendly since bamboo is an easily renewable natural resource. Composite or plastic cutting boards are dishwasher-safe, unlike wood and bamboo. Wood, bamboo and plastic are better for your knives than composite boards, and harder boards like glass, metal, stone and ceramic will quickly destroy knives, experts say. Eventually, even the best wood, bamboo, plastic and composite cutting boards will develop too many gouges and should be retired. Consider that when weighing costs. Also, look for a cutting board that is either heavy enough or has counter-hugging qualities so the board will stay reasonably still as you work on it.

On the farm I had two four-foot-long butcher block counters (rock maple) and learned how to take care of them. About every 6 months - or as needed - I would use a sharp, straight-bladed knife and scrape the entire surface, alway6s scraping with the grain. This would remove most of any scoring caused by chopping or abusing the wood. Then wipe it with a clean damp cloth before applying mineral oil with a very warm cast-iron skillet ( Apply a thin film of oil to a small area at a time, wipe with a piece of clean cheesecloth, then apply a warm skillet to the wood until the oil sheen disappeared.) It helped to have a wood-burner toi heat the skillet up between applications.

I used one for baking and the other for just about everything else, except poultry. For that I had one of those thin plastic sheets that could be scrubbed and bleached.

Enjoying the forums!

Is white vinegar and water a good cleaning agent for cutting boards or should it be something stronger?

Yes white vinegar can be used as a disinfectant. Here is an interesting article from readers digest called "6 Effective Ways to Clean Cutting Boards" that you might find helpful. Cheers!

Thanks Dawn,

That was interesting and I have read similar things. Just checking with the Pro's on Rouxbe.