When talking about cutting boards, one can never underestimate their importance among kitchen amenities. Some home and professional cooks in fact prefer Wooden Cutting Boards Oak, maple, or walnut since they are more durable and are kinder to knives. A large variety of wooden boards is available abut to make an appropriate choice, what factors should you consider. In this how-to guide, we shall take you through the factors you need to keep in mind as well as helpful tips for making a smart choice.

Why Choose a wooden cutting board?

The wooden cut boards have the advantage of preserving the sharpness of knives. Unlike plastic or glass boards that require too much cross pressure with cooking a knife, wood reduces and minimizes the quick dulling of the blades making it less stressful for high end knives. As if that weren't enough, wooden boards are also self-sanitizing, which helps control bacterial growth when the cutting board is dry.

Types of Wood for Cutting Boards

The wood you choose for your cutting board has an important impact on its lifespan and its knife-"friendliness". Below are the most commonly used ones:

Maple: Maple is the most prevalent timber used for making cutting boards. This is because the cutting board wooden cutting board is quite dense, tough, and has a smooth fine grain that does not result in deep knife cuts. In comparison to other hardwoods, it is also pretty cheap.

Walnut: The selection of walnut can be pricey, but its dark color and high resistance towards damage is worth the extra cost. The stash of its fine grained structure easily offsets the edge of the knife.

Cherry: Cherry wood is slightly softer than the maple tree and walnut trees but still provides a suitable surface to use a knife be it during chopping or cutting. It does darken over the years but this is a pleasing sight for a number of users.

Teak: Thanks to its water-resistant properties, teak is a strong alternative as I mentioned before, considering cutting boards as an example. Because it is less likely to split or deform due to moisture, it can be used by individuals who frequently use moist items on their cutting boards.

Re Classification of wooden cutting boards: End Grain and Edge Grain

In the market for wooden cutting boards, you may come across two varieties of wood grain types which are: the edge grain and end grain. Each of them has distinct advantages and disadvantages:

End Grain: End grain cutting boards are particularly made by vertically placing all the end pieces of wood, in most cases they are referred to as “vertical grain”. These boards are tough and relatively uncuttable since the material cut in these tends to be fibers that can close in on themselves hence cutting will be minimal. Cutting boards that have end grain cut also allow sufficient damage to knives which maintains their sharpness.

Edge Grain: Edge grain on the other hand can be found on cutting boards made from long planks of wood glued together at the edges. While they are generally cheaper than most end grain boards, edge grain cut boards are incredibly too strong. Deep cuts into the board made by knives are however prone to happen which with time could become an issue.

Maintenance of Wooden cutting board

In order to maintain the integrity of the wooden cutting board, it is important to maintain it and that can be easy to do if you follow the tips provided below:

Regular Maintenance: After using the wooden cutting board, do make sure to wash it rather than soaking it in water, this can cause the wooden cutting board to bend which will make the use of the cutting board rather ineffective.

Oiling and Maintaining: In order to avoid the wood on your cutting board from swelling and cracking, apply food grade mineral oils or beeswax on it from time to time. This will also help preserve its sheen.

Refrain from Strong Chemicals: Strong chemicals including bleach should never be used on your wooden cutting board since they can be unsafe for your food preparation.

Conclusion

When choosing a wooden cutting board for knives, it is essential to pay attention to the cutting board maintenance needed such as the wood type and the cutting board grain. If, on the other hand, the right board is chosen and properly maintained, it would serve as an ideal cutting surface that would be gentle on the knives and be useful in all culinary aspects. It would not matter whether you select a maple wood, walnut, or any other wood types; a wooden cutting board of good quality will be worth having in any kitchen.