Buying a New Cutting Board? Find Out Which Material is Best

There will always be food to cut for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Choosing the right material for your new or replacement cutting board is important for health reasons, aesthetic reasons and reasons of convenience.  The most common materials for a cutting board are usually wood, plastic, glass, steel, ceramic, corian and marble.  But how do you know which one is right for you?

The first consideration when selecting a cutting board is health.  Microscopic bacteria can be left behind in cut grooves in certain types of chopping boards, making a marble cutting board your best bet if you plan to use it to frequently cut bacteria-laden food items such as meat. 

However, some people believe that wood (when properly treated) possesses special anti-microbial properties.  Furthermore, a wood cutting board can be a cheap option because it is inexpensive to replace when it gets badly marked.  There are also other practicalities to consider.  For instance, a wood cutting board cannot be left for a long period of time in water, nor can such a cutting board be placed in a dishwasher.  If you are using wood, maintain the cutting board with quality mineral oil, for it acts as a preservative.

A plastic cutting board is more healthy as it is non-porous, meaning that no bacteria can soak into the board like it can with a wooden board.  Instead, all bacteria can be washed off with soap and water.  The FDA currently maintains that the non-porous nature of plastic is best for reasons of health.  This cutting board material is even used in commercial food preparation.  A plastic cutting board is also lighter, cheaper and easier to work with.  They can be washed in dishwashers and are available in more different sizes than wooden cutting board products. 

What about ceramic material or other special materials like glass or marble?  These cutting board examples are not as popular because they tend to damage knives.  This makes them far more inconvenient than plastic and wood materials.

Overall, it would seem that plastic cutting boars are best, but most professional kitchens have a selection of each type of cutting board, so the chef can choose which board to use for each food item you prepare.  All in all, this might be the best approach for you.