Cutting Boards – The Best Looking Boards Are Also Best for Your Cutlery
When shopping for a new cutting board, you absolutely should judge based on appearances. Not only is a cutting board an important part of your kitchen visually speaking, but cutting boards are one of those rare instances where the old phrase “what you see is what you get” applies in terms of quality.
Fortunately for interior designers, cutting boards with the most visual appeal also tend to rate the highest when it comes to performance. So don’t miss an opportunity to take advantage of one of life’s little no-brainers.
Hardwoods
It’s true that teak, maple, cherry and walnut cutting boards are generally some of the most beautiful on the market, but that’s not why they’re so highly regarded by serious cooks. A good cutting board must be both strong and gentle.
Hardwoods have the ability to yield to blades as they pass, keeping cutlery sharper longer. Sure, you could make a cutting board out of stone, but that would turn your knife collection into a bunch of useless pieces of flat metal with handles on one end.
Another little-known fact about hardwood boards is that they possess natural anti-microbial properties. Unlike plastics that harbor bacteria in hard to clean knife marks and scratches, according to a study from UC Davis, wood actually prevents bacteria from reproducing.
End Grain
It also just so happens that the most beautiful and intricate of butcher block designs isn’t for looks. End grain construction makes for a visually stunning board, it’s true. However, in keeping with our theme, end grain is the most gentle on your knife blades.
The end grains are prized for their ability to separate and allow knife blades through with minimal friction, and thus minimal dulling. In some ways, it’s analogous to splitting a log from the top (aka the end grain), except that the goal is not to split your cutting board in half, obviously.
Sustainability
When it comes to sustainable hardwoods, your two failsafe choices are plantation teak and bamboo… except that bamboo isn’t technically a hardwood. Though bamboo is sustainable and durable, the glues and resins used to hold it together wreak havoc on knife blades.
Plantation teak cutting boards are a excellent combination of beauty and sustainability. The contrasting checkerboard pattern of golden and brown tones makes a striking visual statement, while many of these boards are FSC certified, so you can feel good about your board each time you use it.
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To learn more about plantation teak cutting boards, please visit Proteak.com
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