I need a good cutting board. Any suggesions?

Chappy

My cheap cutting board is not big enough. I would like to get a bigger one. Are you guys and gals using wood, plastic, composite? I haven't really started looking except the other day in Bed Bath and Beyond. Some of them get pretty expensive.

What do the eggsperts recommend?

Focker

I'm no eggspert(yet :laugh: ), but I like bamboo. I've had a good sized block thats held up for awhile.

lowercasebill

http://www.theboardsmith.com/

zippy biscotti and espresso on the boardsmith



my son did this





prices are good quality is superb and custom work is availabe
i will ask jl to post pics of his custom made board . it is beautiful

Focker

Nice board bill, and food

lowercasebill

i have some bamboo but bamboo and teak both are very hard woods that have a high silica content and will dull knives and tools quickly.

Broc

Agreed --

Bamboo is "the thang" these days -- because retailers make so much profit from it.

But -- It's real hard on knives!

I measured my counter top, then decided I wanted a board to get from here-to-there, and ordered a custom board accordingly... maple...

Cutting board can't be too big!

:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

lowercasebill

makes a great background for food pics too. thanks
bill

Fidel

I use an end grain cherry and walnut 18"x24" board and it is great. Self healing, easy on the blades, and a cinch to clean.

Ozark West is where my wife got me mine for father's day a couple years ago.

gdenby

Let me suggest a "Sani-Tuff" rubber cutting board. They are not cheap, just about as expensive as a nice J. Boos maple board. The advantage is that, being a super dense rubber, they don't need to be oiled after washing.

They are remarkably heavy for rubber, the one I have is easily three times heavier than either my wood or bamboo boards. I've only had it for a few months, but there are only 2 noticable slice marks on it. I hope that after 35 years, it will still be flat, unlike my old side-grain maple board, which is cupped about a half inch now.

Altho' dense, it prevents my blade edges from getting dull as fast as on bamboo. The bamboo seem to be the least expensive, but I dislike having to sharpen my blades, and I avoid using ceramic knives on the bamboo all together.

JLOCKHART29

Another vote for The Boardsmith! :woohoo: I desighned this board on Microsoft paint and David made it for me out of black cherry and walnut. End grain boards are much better for good knifes as the knife slips between the grain reather than cut it as bad as long cut boards do and also do not show cuts on the board as bad.

Focker

Good point on the background bill. I'm happy with the bamboo, and especially the price I paid for it. But eventually, I might have to look into another type of wood. I just got my first Shun the other day

The rubber boards are interesting too.

gdenby

Beware Good knives are addictive. And expensive... Just razor sharp isn't good enough.

Focker

Yes they are. I just ordered an angled 4" Shun paring knife on Amazon. It was priced fairly well at $34.
Thanks for the info on the rubber boards .

Nature Boy

Not read the other response yet, but I really like wood. Boos makes a real nice maple butcher block. Get one with a deep groove for juices. We all know how juicy egged food is.

I have some bamboo ones that I like, but they don't feel as nice with the knife as the wood.

Plastic is nice for the raw stuff.
Beers!
Chris

Focker

gdenby,
How are the ceramic knives? Pros, cons? Thanks

Nature Boy

That's a beautiful piece of equipment.
Cheers
Chris

Regis

JL, that is one beautiful cutting board. I am definitely looking into the Boardsmith. Thanks for sharing the pic.

Regis

gdenby

I have an earlier ceramic blade. It is extremely sharp. but just as fragile. Absolutely not for using with anything that has bones, or tough outsides like squash. For anything soft, it will cut wonderful thin slices, and there is little sticking to the blade.

Mine came with a 1 time professional re-sharpening, but I lost the coupon. So, I have some nicks. Still will shave arm hair, tho'. No corrosion problems, it is just very delicate.

I've read that Kyocera now makes a 2nd generation blade that is even harder, but i haven't read if it is any tougher.

[Deleted User]

NOT glass (hard on knives)... NOT plastic (holds bacteria).

WOOD. I prefer boards with a vertical grain, it is less wear and tear on your knives and it absorbs "fair oil" much better than horizontal grained boards.

Whatever you decide on be sure to keep it oiled. The best oil to use is called "Fair Oil", which is a refined linseed oil and LASTS a long time unlike mineral oil, which does not last long at all, or vegetable oil, which goes rancid. Pour the oil on the cutting board and rub it in with your hands until completely absorbed, then add more oil and repeat until the board will absorb no more oil and the oil "pools" on top. Then leave overnight to let the pooled oil soak in. In the morning, wipe whatever oil might be left off with a rag. I repeat the procedure with the opposite side of the board. You only have to do this the first time you get the board so the surface becomes saturated, then every three or four weeks give it a light coat of rubbed oil and let it sit overnight.

"They" say not to use the same board for raw meat, especially poultry, and anything else... due to cross contamination.

Catskill Craftsmen make really good butcher block oil: http://www.catskillcraftsmen.com/butcher_block_oil/

These guys do three packs: http://www.superkitchenislands.com/shop/3011133.shtml

Lab Rat

I swear by my Boos Butcher Block cutting boards. I have three (at last count) and am looking at more! (My wife just doesn't understand...)

I am lucky that I frequently travel to Effingham Illinois for business and almost always stop in at the Boos Factory Outlet store. I've also purchased several components for my outdoor kitchen and rolling prep table from Norb - the sales manager at the Outlet store. Great prices (way below retail) also.

Little Chef

Thanks WPB - A new item for me! In the process of curing/saturating my new Christmas present/board, and have been using Mineral oil. I will order this. Something you may find useful as well is, when I oil the board and the oil pools on top, I completely cover it with plastic wrap...as if it is a laminate. (I try to get all air bubbles out, etc) I feel this eliminates any evaporation, and have never found more than just a bit of oily residue the next day. Don't know if its really proven to be beneficial, but it makes me feel like I've done a good thing giving my board a good drink of oil! :laugh:

BoardSMITH

May I add my two cents worth?!

"Fair Oil", a combination of linseed oil and mineral spirits; the same stuff paint is made out of. Do you really want to put paint on your cutting surface where you prepare your food?

Linseed oil doesn't dry naturally so heavy metal driers are added which are not safe. Mineral spirits is the same stuff that thins paint and is a thinner for parrafin, smell lousy as well. :ohmy:

Bamboo is grass and is quite hard. The added resins and the amount of glue used is tough on your edges. As well, being made in the orient, the sanitation conditions they are made under and the oils they are treated with are somewhat suspect.

Boos makes great boards.....But, they do treat them prior to shipment with a hardener which can make the board tough on your edges. (Have a customer whose Carter blades were chipping constantly. Now he uses a cherry board I made and the chipping ceased.)

Ozark West does make great boards but they are extremely pricy.

Stick with wood!

Call me or email me if I can make one for you.

fishlessman

is 24 x 48 big enough, i didnt have a counter in the kitchen so i bought this table instead. boos cusina rustica with drawers and shelf. you want an end grain board if you can find one you like done in maple, it doesnt dull your blades like most of the others will. my tabe has a varnique finish which means that i only need to oil it occasionally, once or twice a year. thinking big, that bed post in the photo is actually a pepper mill

Focker

Fishlessman,
:ohmy: :ohmy:
That is one beautiful table

Chappy

Wow! I posted this before I went to bed last night. Great responses. I love this forum. Those are some great looking boards. Looks like wood is the way to go. I'll do some research on the links you guys provided. Thanks again.

Gotta go watch my Gators beat up on some Sooners...I hope. It should be a good game either way, but my staff hopes the Gators win so I will be in a good mood tomorrow.

RRP

WOW - as a woodworker myself that Boos site has some pretty impressive chunks of trees! Is that outlet store in Effingham fairly well stocked or will it just have this or that? Also you said the store prices are much better than the Internet site prices. I'm just thinking maybe a road trip is in order!

Chappy

Well, I'm still trying to figure out where I'm going to get a large cutting board, but I just won a small one on Ebay.

Here is the link. Total of 22 bucks, winning bid of only 7.50. I think it was a steal. Don't know about the quality though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&item=250351689197