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  • Focker
    Focker Posts: 8,364
    edited November 2014
    BRush00 said:

    I really like the concept of wooden cutting boards, at least to the degree that I can say it looks nicer in my kitchen, but I've never really understood them..

    Can somebody educate me?  Are they sanitary?  How do you clean?  How do they not soak up all meat juice like a sponge?  Why are they better/worse than plastic?

    In 1993, Dean Cliver, Microbiology professor at the U of WI tested 10 different species of wood vs 4 types of plastic.  Contaminating all with E. Coli, Listeria, and Salmonella.  With wood, the bacteria were killed off in 3 minutes after contact, that didn't happen with the plastics.

    http://butcherblock.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/Univ_of_Wisc_Study-2.pdf

    Recommendations with wood were normal hygiene(soap and water).....for plastics,  bleach and/or a diswasher.   

    For juice/water repelling, the standard is mineral oil and/or beeswax.  I use both.  The wood will absorb bacteria, but their numbers are still less than plastic.  Woods' porosity inhibits their ability to reproduce/flourish.  Those knife scars on plastic are ideal areas for this.    
    Brandon
    Quad Cities
    "If yer gonna denigrate, familiarity with the subject is helpful."

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  • blind99
    blind99 Posts: 4,974

    I had been told that wooden boards are bacteriocidal (bacteria actually die off on the board) where plastic are bacteriostatic (they don't multiply or die off, but they can survive).

     

    re what @focker said, here's a page with the guy's work:

    http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/docliver/Research/cuttingboard.htm

    Chicago, IL - Large and Small BGE - Weber Gasser and Kettle
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  • THEBuckeye
    THEBuckeye Posts: 4,232

    Big Greed Needless Markup
    New Albany, Ohio 

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  • Biggreenpharmacist
    Biggreenpharmacist Posts: 4,343
    Heres some I have. Sure wish they said "big green egg", though.

    http://eggheadforum.com/discussion/1166268/ot-new-breadbox-and-cutting-board

    Little Rock, AR

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  • BRush00
    BRush00 Posts: 367

    hmm... both very interesting reads - thanks @blind99 and @Focker!

    It seems SO VERY strange to me however, that the NEW plastic boards actually seemed more difficult to cleanse of the bacteria in the first place.... very strange indeed...

    So it sounds the rule is, "care for your wooden block properly, wash immediately after use, and you're good to go.  Just don't cut the block open and lick the insides.... there might be e-coli hanging out in the middle."

    I don't exactly want to toss all my plastic cutting boards, but deinitely think i'm going to look into some new wooden blocks too.

    [Insert clever signature line here]
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  • SmokeyPitt
    SmokeyPitt Posts: 10,490
    $40 cutting board, $55 BGE logo  :D

    Which came first the chicken or the egg?  I egged the chicken and then I ate his leg. 

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  • Lit
    Lit Posts: 9,053
    I got a large boos edge grain block like 22" by 18" or so from the william and sonoma outlet in North Georgia. I think they were $80 on sale for 20% off. Its probably the best you will do in that price range. If you ever watch the food network cooking shows its the one they use there. I had issues with a block splitting before and it turned out it was my fault. Wood bboard need to be taken care of properly. Do not soak them in water then wipe them and put them back they will crack. If you put raw meat on them and need to use soap and water then afterwards they need to be dried really well then put somewhere that air can get to them on all sides. I let mine sit over night on the stove burners before I put them back. If you just cut veggies on them just spray them with some white vinegar and wipe. My boards look so much better since I started keeping a spray bottle with white vinegar around to clean with instead of spraying them with water.
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