Cooking For Engineers

Terje · Guest

Two Norwegian chefs have created a cutting board with Ipad socket, watch this:
http://www.osloby.no/shopping/Hva-med-en-fjol-med-plass-til-nettbrett-7121541.html

guest · Guest

I'm a beginner in Wood Working and just discovered End-Cut cutting boards that are frightfully expensive, but worth every penny. I intend to make one for myself, and the wood alone, will cost about $50, not including my time to make. For completness sake, you should also provide this very expesive cutting boards in your reviews.

Baz · Guest

Hi Michael
Great blog. We scrub plastic and wood boards with mild detergent and then put them in the sun in a sheltered place (no bird droppings!) and the ultraviolet light in the sun sanitizes them. We live at a moderate altitude where there is a high UV light level.

This method also works for any kitchen gear, and should also be used with scrubbers, klitchen cloths and sponges. AND it's cheap!

Regards
Baz

EricIndiana · Guest

Aaag! I just ruined my wooden cutting board by microwaving it. The smell of cooked resin or glue still pervades the house. The microwave caused what had looked like one solid piece of wood to fall apart. Maybe it works with really thick boards, but I am here to warn you NOT to try to sanitize your beloved wooden chopping board in the microwave. I feel like an idiot, especially since my wife was asking me what I was doing and I was reassuring that I read all about it on the internet, so not to worry. Sad

Michael Chu · Joined: 10 May 2005 Posts: 1654 Location: Austin, TX (USA)

Oh no! How long did you microwave the board and how powerful was the microwave oven? I'm going to remove the mention of microwaving as a potential sanitization method as I haven't recommend it in years (because it can dry out and split a wooden board if not careful... and apparently melt resin/glue in the case of your board). I can't believe some of these articles are ten years old now.

Jim Cooley · Joined: 09 Oct 2008 Posts: 377 Location: Seattle

I'll throw in another tip for wooden cutting boards (not end-cut).

When washing them, wash BOTH sides, even if you've only used just one. Water makes wood swell and if you repeatedly wash just one side even that tiny bit of swelling will eventually cause the board to warp. So get both sides wet when you wash.

julianmre · Joined: 08 May 2024 Posts: 1

Thanks for sharing your insights! It's great to hear from someone with hands-on experience in the kitchen. The comparison between wood and plastic cutting boards is definitely an interesting one, especially considering the research you mentioned. I appreciate the link to the study—it’s always helpful to have data to back up our choices.

I completely agree about the importance of avoiding cross-contamination, especially with raw meat and poultry. Your cleaning routine sounds solid, and it’s nice to know that your wood board has held up well after five years.

Also, your point about the impact of cutting surfaces on knife longevity is spot on. It’s essential to use materials that won’t dull our knives too quickly. For anyone looking for a high-quality cutting board option, I’d recommend checking out the selection of custom cutting /wood drainboards available. They can be a great addition to any kitchen!