I have one of those cabinets in the kitchen next to the sink that is 8inches wide and tall full counter height. Holds sheet pans and a few cutting boards. One is a big thick carving board with the juice trough. Used a couple times a year if that. Rarely have big roasts to carve. An epicurean I never developed an ounce of love for. Mine is black and used 1/2 a dozen times a year for small carvings? Dishwasher is nice being so thin and lightweight... and looks near brand new.

My main prep next to the stove is set up 24/7. No countertop appliance, no toaster, no microwave, no elec coffee pot.

Big love for my new Ikea cutting boards. Just replaced my old ones.

I can slide this cutting board closer to the stove and put my prep bowls on the other side. Great prep bowls being square and they stack...

I have the cheap white ones and they go in the dishwasher every day and have for the past 20 years. I have small medium and large- most of them get used everyday. They have not warped or buckled and have not overly discolored- a little teeny orange in areas but they're easily bleached out. I have probably bleached them once a year at most.

I also have big wooden boards for serving and carving big meat pieces and large breads but they don't get used daily.

Also they weren't dirt-cheap,the large one which I'm guessing is in the 14 by 18 inch size was over $20.

I recall Consumer Reports did a study many years ago that found bacteria did not survive for very long on wooden boards, but did on plastic ones.

I can't imagine any kind of wood board surviving a dishwasher for very long.

I have a couple of wood boards, a small one made from acacia wood that I use mostly, and a large bamboo one I use for extra big jobs. They get hand washed with hot soapy water. I also have a small hard (melamine?) plastic board I like to use for raw meats and stuff that I don't want to pick up garlic or onion-y flavors, and it also gets soaped, scrubbed and rinsed with hot water after every use. I've been known to use a ceramic dinner plate or Pyrex casserole lid for cutting meat as well.

Every so often, I scour my wooden boards with baking soda and rinse with hot water. I usually let the moistened baking soda sit on the board for some time before washing it off.

I also have a tempered glass board which is very large and fairly heavy, so I don't use it much.

I wash my hands often during food prep as well. I try to be vigilant about cross contamination, and I esp. don't touch seasoning containers - or anything else - while cooking unless my hands are clean & dry. I can't stand scummy salt shakers, etc. and it bothers me greatly to find smears of food on things after hubby's been busy in the kitchen😟

I also wipe clean my small appliances after every use 🙂

Wood cutting boards are safe. They do not harbor bacteria. Plastics with sharp knives cutting groves will hold bacteria. Air/oxygen gives no life for harmful bacteria to bloom and reproduce. A minute cut/grove in plastic cannot dry out. Bacteria gets trapped. Microscopic fibers in wood will always dry given air time.

Just keep veg and meat/poultry separate. I prep all meat in my sink. I often put my epicurean in the bottom of the sink if it involves knives. Do all cutting and toss the cutting board into the dishwasher. All raw meat contained in the sink...easily cleaned.

Soap and water is fine. I might do a diluted soap/bleach after a big meal prep. But that is a big clean all counters all things off including stove...usually after a big holiday.

I like the white rigid plastic and the melamine boards for cutting raw meat and wash in DW. I'm not as concerned about raw meat, unless it's ground and that doesn't usually require a cutting board. If its poultry, I usually try to contain in the sink and clean anything raw poultry has touched with a soapy Clorox solution.

I am more concerned about eating from a kitchen that uses sponges. The latest research (published in NYT) indicates you can't really get rid of all the bacteria, just the weakest and the rest multiply rapidly. I have a huge supply of dishcloths and use a fresh one daily, if not more often.

I have multiple wooden boards. One is designated for raw meat only. Also have 2 bread boards, a multi use board, and a couple smaller boards for serving. The large Boos sits on the peninsula and is used daily for everything else.

I also wash my hands a lot. Never wear gloves.

The only synthetic boards I like are the textured nylon. They're very easy on my knives, don't get sliced up like the harder plastics, and go well in the DW. I have a white one for everyday use and a large brown one that barely fits in the DW for breaking down large meats.

For chopping, I prefer maple, but it has to be properly constructed, not just glued together. Maple is hard enough not to get all cut up all the time and require sanding. It's not so hard as to bother the knives. While wood is naturally antibacterial, I don't put raw meat on my wood cutting boards because they don't go in the dishwasher, and I don't want to work hard at washing them. When I was younger and less lazy, I didn't think anything of it.

I also have a wood carving board with a channel and a not too large Boos double sided with a channel on one side. The Boos is too thick and makes the work surface too tall, and is heavy which makes washing a chore. It mostly sits there taking up space since I don't have a good place to store it. It was a gift. The one great use I've discovered for it is as a good surface to clamp the pasta roller machine to. The weight makes it easy to cantilever over the edge of the counter. There's no way to clamp directly to my counters. If I had a different kitchen and were processing meats daily, I might like the Boos for that, if it came up to the right height, next to the sink.

Can someone give me links to studies showing wood is more sanitary for chopping boards?

It seems to me everyone refers to the same study by UC Davis food researcher Dean O. Cliver. Has his conclusion independently confirmed by others?

All I know is that most wood rot quickly unless they are pressure treated or preseved.

dcarch

I dunno. It's been a long time since I read up on it. Regarding the wood, however, if it's constructed properly (like with biscuits and not just glue), and oiled occasionally, it lasts pretty much forever or until it can't be sanded down anymore. I've never seen a wood cutting board rot. Delaminate, yes, if they get dried out (long term storage is not a friend), but never rot. you wash, stand on end to dry, remove from wet spot before the edge gets gnarly, and put away. Okay, yes, if you leave it in the puddle, it will rot, but that's from the puddle, not use. If you don't leave it out in the rain, your cutting board doesn't have to be made out of decking.

All I know is that most wood rot quickly unless they are pressure treated or preseved.

Really? That's a bit bizarre.

My oldest wooden board, the one used for raw meat only, is more than 40 years old. It was neither pressure treated or preserved.

I only use the plastic or melamine (Cutco) boards. I've never measured them but the 2 clear ones are probably 12 X 14, I have a hanging set of 3 that are pink, orange and green that are strictly for bread or fruits/veggies and they all go into the dishwasher no matter what but I am so freaky I have a spray bottle of bleach water so if I've cut meat I actually spray the board, scrub it with a scrubbie and then put it in the dishwasher. When the plastic boards get too scratched up they get replaced. If you can't tell, I have OCD and I really can't help needing to feel like germs aren't crawling everywhere.

I seem to recall they were testing specific pathogens like e-coli & salmonella, not all bacteria. That was decades ago, so my memory is foggy, and it could've been debunked by now, for all I know.

However, I don't like to use wood to cut meat on anyway - skeeves me out, since it's absorbent. My wood boards do not get used for meats or cheeses.

I have a couple of very nice wooden boards, one very large Boos Board and one very fancy one that was a gift from Readinglady. The fancy one gets used for serving more than for chopping. Plus my island has a butcher block top and I love, love, love it, wish I'd have put it everywhere and I will when I need to replace counter tops. No matter what happens, I run a sander over it, oil it up and it's good as new.

I chop vegetables, slice bread, etc on the big Boos board and I wash it with soap and water. I remove it when I bake bread or roll out pastry on my butcher block "baking station" which is the shorter end of my kitchen island. For raw meat, I use those disposable plastic cutting board things, and I put them in the dishwasher. When they get cut up, I take them to the recycling center, or I use them for things like sitting my Kitchen Aid mixer on so I can pull it easily forward on the counter, it slides. Also useful for lining wire shelves to keep small pots from falling over when starting plants in the spring and for putting between platters when stacking to prevent chipping. They actually last quite a long time as cutting boards, though, I was pleasantly surprised.

Annie

I must have high density white plastic boards as they have no deep groves at all. That somewhat perplexed me reading all this here but a quick google showed high density boards in different thicknesses on amazon and in the $18-30 range.

A bulletin from the CSIRO (the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation):

Wooden boards less likely to harbour germs

I don’t wear gloves either, they give you a false sense of having clean hands.

That bulletin also says "--Some wooden boards have been reported to exhibit antibacterial properties.--"

Reported, not tested.

dcarch

Tested!

https://www.rowandsons.co.uk/blog/myth-fact-antibacterial-properties-wood/

"Tested!" ?

That's exactly what I am talking about. Everyone refers to that one test, the same test.

I am wondering has anyone else done the same test to confirm the same result.

dcarch

“Some wooden boards have been reported to exhibit antibacterial properties. After a short period of time, fewer bacteria have been recovered from these boards than from identically treated plastic ones.”

The second sentence implies some kind of testing was done.

But, even if word and plastic rate the same (and it does say that scarred plastic is harder to clean manually than wood is), I’d still go for wood as it’s better for the knives.

My chopping board it a big sheet of steel.

Testing is carried out all the time by those 'Opra people', lol. Daytime tv banter. NPR, BBC. Usually around Halloween? They test everything. From bottom of ladies purses to sponges, coffee pots, cutting boards, toilet handles.

The first know writings about bacteria in the home in the 1670's by Leeuwenhoek were due to the use of a very powerful microscope. We can purchase similar on Amazon that snaps onto our cellphone camera.

To me it is just simple common sense thinking microscopically. Just look at our dishwashers. Heat at the end of the cycle is radiating from the glass and ceramic. Mine are dry except for any plastics. A grove in those plastics will take forever to dry. Bacteria multiplies at room temp in moist environments. (sponges, shudder).

Raw meat forced into a grove in plastics may not receive any soap or cleansers. Natural wood fibers open up when wetted then dries remarkably fast. Easily scraped/sanded and oiled. A rubbed oil barrier on a dry wood surface is enough confidence for me.

Testing is elementary these days. Why we see so many re-calls.

I am NOT cutting anything in my sink and my wood cutting board is NOT going in the dishwasher.

Stainless steel sinks/counters are used commercially for meat/fish prep. An easy surface to clean/sterilize.

Wood cutting boards will not survive a dishwasher. Epicurean are not wood. They are dishwasher safe, approved NSF certified for commercial kitchens, ...but obviously break down over time. FOAS, have you looked into why it is not holding up? Contacted Epicurean? I did not know they have a 'shelf life'. Bummer.

Bottom line is use what you feel most comfortable using. I can't imagine opening a cryovac package of chicken thighs anywhere else than the sink and someone else equally OCD might open that juicy mess on their counter...

I have two of the Ikea cutting boards, one one each side of the stove. They get very heavy use. I also have several of the plastic [?] ones that I use for raw meat, then they go in the dishwasher after I have soaped them and scrubbed with a green scratchy. There is also a thin bendable board that is handy for vegetable cutting. You slice the veg and the roll/bend it a bit and pour into a bowl/pan/crockpot/etc. also have a largish marble thing that I use for bread dough and tempering chocolate ...

Lots of ideas here, I think I’ll adjust a bit. Might try one of those IKEA boards. Not sure where though. I’ve been in this house almost a year and while I have a decent amount of counter space, I’ve not settled on the best place to prep. Kinda weird. I could flank the stove. Or the cooktop. Or one side of one of those. Hmmm.

Bamboo isn't the best for knives but either is the Epicurean. The Ikea ones do feel right and not so hard as another bamboo one I have.

I had a full butcher block island in the old place. loved that. And have a 3ft long butcher block at the beach house. I would prefer end grain but like many, they are so thick, it changes the counter height. My giant thick round one I just use for serving cheeses and charcuterie.

I did put little silicone tabs under mine. Just to keep them off the counter surface a 1/4inch.

Thanks for finding & sharing those links!

FWIW, I keep packages of raw meats double bagged in plastic bags and do not remove them to open the packages & I always use the plastic bags at the store before even putting meat in my cart.

I just cut open the top of the package while it's still in the bag and the meat never touches my counter or sink. It goes right into the prepared pan or onto the cutting board, and the wet packaging stays in the bag, then goes in the trash.

I also use aluminum pie and cake pans to hold smaller packages of thawing meat in the fridge and on the counter. I never put packages of raw meat in direct contact with anything.

I often use tongs to handle raw meat as well so I don't have to keep washing my hands.

I pretty much do the same. Double bagged, designated meat tray from the car, a high sided tray for thawing. Both lined with parchment because I have had leaks on occasion. Why it goes in the sink once upstairs. I don't really 'butcher' at home much. Why my Epicurean board still looks brand new. I'll roast two whole chickens maybe 2-3 times a year indoors for stock and multiple meals. Summer grilling/smoking is all outdoor prep on newspaper/parchment/sheet pan. The only other chicken dish we like is braised boneless/skinless thighs. Purchased that way. I still try and keep it in the bag then to the cooking pan...next to the sink just incase of minor leaking.

If I do have some crazy big prep for a party, I have 5 big sheet pans way too big for my oven out on the deck off the kitchen on a shelf under my outdoor table. (yard sale purchased)

We all have different kitchen set-ups. My kitchen is tiny on paper but extremely efficient. Easy to keep OCD clean.

Solved the sponge issue a few years ago. These come out to about 3 cents each. not compostable but I have some coconut coir sheet from a greenhouse supply that might work. I just need to do the math. (health food store sells them $$$) ...cutting the sheets might be the ticket.

I cut a slit for a small sink hook.

Back to cutting boards. I have meant for years to pick up a commercial, thicker than home store, white board for meats. Just don't cut meats often.

A couple non-cutting board things I picked up on here. Sponges, I microwave the heck out of them but see now that this doesn’t kill everything. Read the referenced article and I’m not sure how big a deal it is, but still. Perhaps next time I run to the restaurant supply I’ll pick up a package of bar rags. I don’t have much to throw in my infrequent hot laundry with bleach, so I might as well accumulate a bit more. And who knew there was such a thing as a cutting board scraper!

1. Easy for me to keep things clean in my kitchen. Every time I need to cut meat, I always put a small pot of water to boil. After cutting, wash knife in boiling water then pour boiling water over cutting board.

2. Yes to scrapers. I have a few cabinet maker's scrapers. Great to keep wood or plastic boards in good shape.

3. Get a fancy and big cutting board for your kitchen, You will be surprised how much better and impressive your kitchen will look. Even you don't have a need to use a big fancy cutting board.

dcarch

Did someone state they were using disposable pans and discarding them after use? I guess I missed that. My pans get washed and reused and are not disposable anyway. I use aluminum because it helps thaw frozen foods.

And I prefer wood cutting boards for chopping by hand because I would rather risk teeny tiny bits of wood in my food than teeny tiny bits of plastic.

I always split whole chickens right in the pan, not on a board.

LOL dcarch I don’t think my kitchen would impress anyone, even with a nice big cutting board. Maybe the twin SZ’s, they look nice and hold a lot of food. But that’s about it. They along with the rest of the mundane appliances are just kinda struggling along. I actually love the space, but literally can’t figure out where to work. I just rearranged everything but I don’t think it’ll last. Maybe I’ll start a new thread with pictures and ask, “where would you prep?” Probably belongs on a different forum though.

Carol - I got a piece of aluminum for Christmas. For thawing. That’s what I need to do, find a piece of metal to sell. Thawing sheet and baking steel already taken; what else do we need?

"---I have absolutely NO need to impress ANYONE.---"

I am the same. I don't try to impress anyone but myself. Problem is I am too cheap. So I make my own cutting boards.

dcarch

I am thawing chicken thighs now in the microwave on a Corelle platter.

That gives me the heebie jeebies. Microwaves heat poultry to a temperature between 40 and 140ºF (4.4 and 60ºC), which bacteria thrive in. I'd much rather thaw under cold running water in the sink --- chicken placed in a plastic bag and sitting in a bowl.

Dcarch, that cutting board made from ends is gorgeous. What to you adhere them with and then seal with?

I am surprised by a few things here as I have never gotten sick from my cooking although eating out, a few times yes. Wooden cutting boards get washed with soap and hot water, plastic ones go in the dishwasher along with the sponge each day and I regularly defrost chicken breasts in the microwave on a corelle plate. I open chicken packages on the counter and wipe it clean with soapy towels that get used that one time then washed.

I dunno, but systemic infused fruits and veggies are scarier than my kitchen practices.

I use an acrylic cutting board for chopping onions, and then I put it in the dishwasher. Before doing this, I had cut onions on one corner of my large island cutting board, and if I cut an apple there, I could always taste onion, no matter how well I had scrubbed that wood board.

FWIW, you do not have to run the water to thaw frozen meat, just place in a deep enough container, protected by a leakproof plastic bag, and it will thaw pretty fast.

And I have an aluminum stovetop griddle I use for thawing large amounts of frozen food.

I have Epicurean boards, but when I'm cutting raw meat it's on a white plastic board from Ikea. I have flexible mats and those white boards for the nasty things. I also have one small OXO cutting board that I use for a quick cut that can be tossed into the dishwasher. If I need to sanitize an Epicurean board, I usually wash it with a soapy dishbrush and spray it with a diluted bleach kitchen spray. Occasionally I'll put it in the dishwasher, but not often. One last thing-- I have disposable vinyl gloves by the box. I use them for all raw meat, fish etc. Definitely cuts down the ick factor and keeps germs off my hands.

ediej1209 AL Zn 7

Dcarch, that cutting board made from ends is gorgeous. What to you adhere them with and then seal with?

Thanks.

Food grade epoxy, sealed with mineral oil (also food grade)

dcarch

I had cut onions on one corner of my large island cutting board, and if I cut an apple there, I could always taste onion, no matter how well I had scrubbed that wood board.

Try a fresh lemon and kosher salt.

When we installed our arborite counter tops many (many) yrs ago, we kept the cut outs from the sink and over hangs for cutting boards. The counters are long gone but I'm still using the same cutting boards. I have no idea if they're considered a health issue or not but I'm still alive and have never found any store bought ones that worked any better. They aren't pretty but I don't leave them out on my fancy dancy granite counters so who cares 😏.

Meat does thaw more quickly in aluminum, apparently, I just read that somewhere in the last couple of days.

I raise my own beef and chicken, and buy local pork, so most of my meats are vacuum packed and frozen in bulk, and thus must be thawed. I don't use disposables any more than I have to, so I have a stack of those white bar mops that I get a dozen at a time from Gordon Food Service, and I use those with some bleach to clean up any mess I might have, then toss the towels into the washer with hot water and more bleach, I seldom use paper towels.

I thaw meat in a deep aluminum pan if I'm in a hurry, or in a Pyrex bowl, which then gets put into the dishwasher. I do sanitize my countertops and sinks, but I'm definitely not OCD, and I'm relatively complacent about the safety of my own personal food supply. I'll eat my own homegrown beef raw, but not the commercial stuff, or ground meat.

Annie

I have the most amazing larch wood , self healing board I use for everything, absolutely everything, but raw meat. Is Is beautiful and it really does self heal .

Not cheap but mine is 5 years old and looks brand new, you can't see a single cut mark . Gift from the kids. It is so beautiful I leave it on the end of the island counter for all to see. I have the large one but medium would be fine

For meat I use three cheap plastic sheet type " boards" that I can use boiling water and bleach on and easily toss.

The Larch Wood Large Cutting Board is the perfect board for cooks
with ample counter space at their disposal. The large, robust,
self-healing end grain construction is a pleasure to work on while being
kind to your knife’s blade and makes the board a practical choice for
chefs in busy commercial kitchens or for daily use at home. The size and
thickness of this end grain board also allows it to be used as a
chopping block if needed and the rubber feet attached to the bottom of
the board makes it easier to pick up than other boards without feet. The
beautiful patterns of the wood’s growth rings have been arranged with
great care by our talented craftspeople making each board a unique piece
of functional art. The lumber for all of our boards has been kiln dried
for several weeks to reduce the chances of the wood cracking and
warping and also gives our cutting boards a consistently superior,
quality finish. If you are looking for a cutting board without having to
make compromises, this is the board for you"

https://www.larchwoodcanada.com/

Those are pretty, Nana!

A few years ago a fellow was advertising home-made cutting boards on Kijiji. I went and spoke to him, and he made me what I wanted. $30

I love it, and it's on the counter all the time. I only use it for bread and veggies, I don't want to stink it up with onions/garlic etc.

I've since bought a bamboo one for other veggies, and I use a white plastic/nylon those type of ones for chicken and meat.

Last week one of the tenants who lives in my building, my nemesis threw out 2 cutting boards. They were in great shape except for a few scratches. It was the size that I loved!

I wiped bleach on it, sanded and oiled it. The lighter coloured, smaller one. Such a handy size, 10x15". I can honestly say it's my go-to one now.

Nana, never heard of larch. Those boards are gorgeous! If I didn't already have a Boos on my counter I'd seriously considering buying one of those.

Chiplote, Larch is commonly found in central and eastern Canada. It's an evergreen that actually looses is needles every fall.

The board is beautiful and I am being very honest when I say it never shows a mark . It truly " self heals" . Something to do with the way they cut and alternate the wood.

I love mine so much I have taken to giving them as my standard shower gift.

Wow Nana, I've never heard of them. I'm in Ontario. The price is pretty equal to the Boos boards that our local restaurant supply store sells. I'll have to see if they've ever heard of these. Self-healing is pretty awesome.

Gorgeous. larch is also tamerac in Canada. We have one in our front garden in Newfoundland that I can't wrap my arms around.

For a while, I lived in a nice town in NY, Larchmont.

I was not able to find any larch trees in Larchmont.

dcarch