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For cutting boards, other than wood, is plastic OK? Is glass OK?

Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Eric Wynkoop - Ask Me Anything (Office Hours)

Recorded

This event was on September 10, 2024

Join Chef Eric Wynkoop in his virtual office as he welcomes all of your questions. This event was created for you and we encourage you to Ask Anything – from cooking techniques to course-specific questions, to how to turn your cooking passion into profit or simply hearing the perspective of a professional chef, Chef Eric is ready to answer them all.

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Question

Rosalba Bernholz

For cutting boards, other than wood, is plastic OK? Is glass OK?

Answer

Ah, um, for cutting boards, plastic is certainly fine. Uh, they're, they're very popular. They have been for a long time. They're different types of plastic. And, uh, if you're curious, you might, you know, take a look at some of these different materials. Um, but otherwise, generally speaking, sure, um, you know, plastic provides a surface that's pretty easy to maintain, you know, in, in terms of cleaning and sanitation. Uh, it provides a surface that is, uh, firm, but not, uh, you know, in most cases, not too hard, you know, in terms of preserving the cutting edge of your knife. Okay? Um, glass on the other hand is pretty hard. And, uh, you know, glass will start to wear out, uh, your blade, um, in my opinion, prematurely. And, uh, if you can, you know, opt for something a little bit softer than glass, uh, then that's gonna put you in a good position, I think, of, um, extending the, um, the, the life right of the cutting edge, right, of your knives.

Eric Wynkoop

Director of Culinary Instruction

Eric Wynkoop previously served as a founding faculty member at The International Culinary School, instructor in anthropology at Portland State University, and Senior Instructor at the Le Cordon Bleu program at Western Culinary Institute, in Portland, Oregon. He holds Master’s Degrees in postsecondary education and cultural anthropology, as well as credentials in Ayurveda wellness and cooking. Eric has spent more than twenty years in the food and beverage industry. His experiences include banquet management, catering, personal chef, winery cellar hand, educator, textbook contributor, consultant, and ethnographer. He also brings food and cultural insight from nearly a decade of residence in Japan, studies in Mexico, and research in India as a Fulbright Scholar. After graduating from the University of Oregon with a dual degree in Japanese and Asian Studies, he went on to receive his formal culinary training at Western Culinary Institute, in Portland, Oregon. Eric’s role with Rouxbe is central to enhancing the student experience through quality course content and new course development at Rouxbe. Eric is also the lead instructor in Rouxbe courses, a role which he has enjoyed since 2016.