Wood or plastic cutting boards?

Discussion in Food & Drink started by prettycolors • Apr 28, 2014.

  1. prettycolors

    prettycolorsActive Member

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    What are you using right now, a wood or a plastic cutting board?

    The plastic ones are cheaper and most people consider them better for your health because they can be washed properly. But I was reading recently that cutting boards made out of wood develop some sort of anti bacteria substances and that makes them a healthier choice than plastic. Personally, I'm using wood cutting boards but I don't like them that much. If you don't dry them properly they tend to become moldy pretty fast :(
     
  2. LindaKay

    LindaKayActive Member

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    I love my wood cutting boards. I've never had a problem with them getting moldy at all. I do clean them well and rub them down with oil every now and then. I get that plastic is easier to clean more thoroughly and everything, but I think washing your cutting boards well should be just fine.
     
  3. Lostvalleyguy

    LostvalleyguyActive Member

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    I have both wood and plastic boards. The advantage to the plastic ones is that they can be thrown in the dishwasher but wooden ones can't. You can clean the wooden ones by hand but don't keep them immersed in water. If I am serving on a board, it must be wood as it looks better.

    Like all things in the kitchen, the key to bacteria free surfaces is dry surfaces. You need to let those boards get dry before moving on to the next cutting task especially if you have been cutting meat. Ideally you need 3 cutting boards meat, vegetables and fruit, and finally breads. If you know which is which, it will avoid the potential for cross contamination. If you have only one then use it in this order: 1. bread, 2. veggies, and 3. meats. Wash it immediately and let it drip or air dry. Do not reuse it until it is completely dry.
     
  4. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    I have both but I use the plastic one a lot more. I'm more comfortable with my white plastic board where I can see if there are any particles and it also requires way less maintenance. I mostly prefer to just use steel or plastic items in my kitchen and rarely reach for wooden ones like wooden spoons or bowls. I'm very paranoid about germs and I even boil my wooden spoon whenever I use it, though I'm not really sure if that helps much further than just washing it properly.
     
  5. ohiotom76

    ohiotom76Well-Known Member

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    I had a couple of wooden cutting boards, and did the whole rubbing down with salt, and seasoning with oil thing - but honestly, it's a pain in the butt, plus it's a waste of time having to wait until the board is entirely dried out and cleaned between each step when cooking. There were times where I would inevitably find myself just scrubbing it down with some soapy water so I could use it again, which probably wasn't the safest thing. Either that, or I would have to chop everything else in advance before I cut up any raw meats on it. Not worth the hassle.

    Instead I just prefer to keep several plastic cutting boards on hand. The other nice thing is you can buy them in different colors, to only use one for raw meats, another for veggies, and so forth. Plus I feel safer using them as long as I give them a good scrub under hot soapy water.

    I would say the only drawback is because they are so light, they tend to slide around a lot.

    You know what might be kind of interesting, would be to make a plastic cutting board that looked like wood, so it would be nice for presentations but also have all the benefits of plastic.