If you’re like most home cooks, your cutting board is a staple of your kitchen. They can be used for everything from chopping fresh fruits and vegetables to slicing meat and cheese.
When choosing a board, consider the size and thickness of the product. Smaller boards are ideal for casual cooks, while larger ones are perfect for more serious tasks.
They’re easy to clean
Plastic cutting boards are easy to clean, making them a popular restaurant choice. In addition, they’re more likely to survive high-heat cooking than wooden cutting boards.
They’re also less expensive and easier to replace. Plus, they can go through the dishwasher for sanitization.
However, they can be tricky to keep clean if they become scratched or marked by knives. This can be difficult to sanitize and lead to bacteria build-up, so it’s best to regularly check for visible signs of wear and tear.
If you want to make your cutting board extra durable, season it with food-grade mineral oil or beeswax. This will protect it from stains, keep it looking new, and prevent it from becoming brittle or warping in the heat.
Another way to freshen up a plastic cutting board is to slather it with lemon juice and baking soda. This natural cleaning solution can help remove odors and tough stains.
Alternatively, you can use a sanitizing spray containing vinegar and water on your board. Vinegar is an all-natural antimicrobial that will get rid of germs and keep your cutting boards safe to use.
You can also sanitize your plastic cutting board with bleach and hydrogen peroxide. Both are effective at disinfecting, but bleach is very corrosive and can damage the surface of your cutting board. Hydrogen peroxide is non-corrosive and can kill harmful bacteria without damaging your plastic.
One of the most important things to remember about using a plastic cutting board is that it should always be sanitized after each use. This will help prevent cross-contamination and protect your customers from dangerous bacteria.
It’s also important to regularly check your plastic cutting board for knife marks, scratches, and other signs of wear. This will help you know when it’s time to replace it. If your board is brittle, warped, or damaged in any way, it’s probably time to invest in a new one.
They’re durable
Whether you’re a professional chef or simply a home cook, choosing the right cutting board is important. The best option is one that can withstand daily use and is designed for the type of food you regularly prepare.
Plastic cutting boards are popular in professional kitchens, as they’re non-porous and easy to sanitize. They’re also durable and can hold up well under heavy use.
They can also be color-coded, so you can easily switch between cutting different foods without having to worry about cross-contamination. For example, if you’re a pizzaiolo, you can have a blue cutting board for raw seafood and a red one for meats.
You can find a wide range of colors, from black to orange, and you can even get ones that have a special texture. These features can help you distinguish between types of foods and make cleaning and sanitizing the board easier.
Another benefit of these materials is that they’re cheaper than other types of boards. They’re also lighter and more space-efficient, which makes them easy to move around the kitchen.
Wood cutting boards are also popular in the kitchen and are a good choice for home cooks who prefer natural materials. They’re cheaper than plastic and are often available in sets.
However, wood is harder to sanitize than plastic. It also isn’t as resistant to bacteria, so keeping a wooden board free of germs can be difficult.
If you’re concerned about your health, wooden cutting boards can be sanitized in the dishwasher. Just be sure to check the manufacturer’s guidelines for the best way to sanitize your board.
The most common plastic cutting board is HDPE, a high-density polyethylene. This type of plastic is FDA-approved and has proven to be more resistant to stains, mildew, and moisture than other plastics. This makes them perfect for food preparation and sanitizing in restaurants, grocery stores, and commercial kitchens.
They’re easy to sanitize
Regardless of the cutting board you use, it’s important to clean and sanitize it regularly to prevent cross-contamination. Food-borne pathogens are easily transferred from the cutting board to the food you prepare. If your board isn’t cleaned and disinfected properly, it can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria that could result in sickness.
Plastic boards are easy to sanitize because they’re nonporous, making them easier to remove harmful bacteria than wood or bamboo cutting boards. You can put your plastic board in the dishwasher or wash it with hot water and soap by hand.
You should always sanitize your board after you cut raw meat or poultry. If you don’t, the cutting board will become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, which can make anyone using it sick.
If you have a plastic cutting board that has developed knife cuts or other damage, you should sanitize it by washing it with a solution of bleach and warm water. This will kill off all the bacteria on the board and help it withstand more use and tear.
Another way to sanitize a plastic cutting board is by mixing baking soda and vinegar and applying them to the surface. This removes stains and returns the board to a clean, shiny state.
A final option is to sanitize your cutting board by soaking it in a mixture of 1 tablespoon of bleach per gallon of water. This will kill all the harmful bacteria on the surface and will also sanitize the grooves in the board that comes from cutting and slicing food.
Cleaning and sanitizing your plastic cutting board is relatively simple, but it should be done as often as possible. If you have a large kitchen, it’s best to keep several different cutting boards so that you can always have one on hand for preparing food.
It’s also important to clean and sanitize your wood cutting board on a regular basis. Wood is a natural anti-microbial, so it will naturally inhibit the growth of bacteria on the surface. However, if your wood board has been used extensively, it may have developed gouges or other crevices that can trap bacteria.
They’re cheap
A cutting board is an essential piece of kitchen prep equipment, and finding the right one can be difficult. It has to be an ideal size and the right material, and it needs to look good. And because they’re used so often, picking one safe for daily use is important.
Plastic boards are popular in professional kitchens for a reason: They’re cheap, tough, and dishwasher-safe. They’re also non-porous, which makes them perfect for chopping raw meats and veggies.
However, they can be harder on knives and won’t last as long as wooden ones. So if you’re looking for a sturdier alternative that’s more resistant to damage, choose a wood or bamboo board.
Some wood cutting boards are made using a technique called end grain, which is when short pieces of wood are arranged vertically and then fused together to make the surface. This gives the board a checkerboard-like pattern that allows your knife’s edge to sink into the fibers instead of hitting resistance like plastic boards.
These board styles are also known for being durable and easy to clean, and they come in a range of colors to help you keep track of what you’re cutting. For example, blue boards are for seafood, yellow for raw poultry, red for meat, and green for produce, so it’s easy to keep them organized and prevent cross-contamination.
If you’re a beginner cook or a busy family, consider investing in a larger-sized plastic board that can hold more than just a few small items. This way, you can keep all of your chopping tasks on one surface without having to worry about moving the ingredients around too much when you need a break.
They’re also a good choice for people new to cooking or with limited space in their kitchens. Plus, they’re inexpensive to replace if they get damaged.
If you’re a serious cook, you may want to go for an expensive butcher block made from wood. They tend to be thicker, more stable, and comfortable for long-term use, but they’re not always affordable.
