subject: Cutting Board - Wood And Plastic [print this page] The kitchen is home to many tools and accessories as we utilize them to cook food. While some people's idea of a kitchen may simply be a fridge and a microwave, other people have a more complete room containing ovens and stoves, knife racks, various cooking and baking paraphernalia to allow them to create their own meals. What may become an issue is finding the right accessories for your kitchen, as they all provide different benefits as with many other household accessories. While looking through every possible kitchen accessory would take an amazing amount of time and space, we'll look at the cutting board to determine what's best for you.
Wood
The most traditional and oldest of the board materials, wood has been in use since the dawn of chopping boards. This is likely due to the very accessible material and easily manipulated shape. The different woods provide varying levels of quality, both for factors that improve its uses, but also to find a match for your kitchen aesthetically. The lifespan of a wooden chopping board can span up to several decades with decent care.
One of the best features of wood is that small and shallow cuts can close up on their own, giving it somewhat of a self-healing aspect. Combined with its natural anti-septic factor, it's an excellent option and preferred by both experienced and inexperienced cooks. Hardwood is ideal due to its tight grain and small pores, meaning there will be less scarring and less likely to absorb liquids, which could cause it to rot if left in water for too long. Traditional woods such as red wood might appear nice, but can be difficult to clean due to the large pores in some specimens. Exotic woods like teak can contain toxins and allergens, so do your research beforehand.
Plastics
While initially plastic might more sanitary than wood, over time the cutting and grooves that are made by the knives result in locations where bacteria can reside. Even after cleaning, a significant amount of bacteria can remain and multiply, making it somewhat worse than wood. However, plastic can also be cleansed with harsh chemicals such as bleach without damage or retention of the chemicals. Furthermore, due to the material, plastic boards are generally cheaper and even disposable versions can be purchased.
