Among cooking equipment, the cutting board, apart from a knife, is one of the most-used tools. Having a good quality cutting board for the kitchen matters as much as the quality of ingredients and utensils you cook with. It offers a solid base for chopping, peeling, resting and gathering ingredients, that you might typically need for a recipe. As a handy tool to have while meal prepping, the cutting board, with a little bit of care and caution, can be a long-term kitchen investment. Here are a few measures to take, depending on the type of cutting board you own, in order to do so.
Wood
Perhaps one of the most popular kinds of cutting boards, wooden boards are quite durable and sturdy, and are the perfect foundation to get the job done. Due to its antibacterial and antimicrobial properties naturally, a wooden board is always a great option to own. When used for meal prepping or cooking purposes, wooden cutting boards must be washed and patted dry immediately, in order to prevent it from deteriorating in quality. For stains or spots that remain as a result of cooking, using a mixture of baking soda, salt and water; and white vinegar to remove odours, is ideal.
Bamboo
Image Credits: Cuisine At Home
Similar to wooden boards, bamboo cutting boards also possess naturally antimicrobial properties. Bamboo cutting boards are also resistant to moisture, along with being less expensive when compared to their wooden counterparts. Although bamboo boards are also not likely to rot easily, washing and pat-drying them like wooden boards, is important. Use the solution of baking soda, salt and water, as for wood and oil at periodic intervals.
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Plastic
Image Credits: Core77
Plastic, or high-density polypropelene boards, is as popular as their wooden alternatives, due to being low in cost and maintenance. Due to the multiple colours and shapes these boards are available in, chances of cross-contamination with food are much lesser. Although less durable than wood and needing to be replaced more often, using a mild dishwash soap and soft cleaning sponge is the best way to keep this type of board clean.
Stone
Image Credits: Stone Solutions Sydney
Those aesthetically appealing charcuterie boards and cheeseboards that you lay out on the dinner table, also double up as cutting boards, on occasion. Since stone boards are denser and harder than wooden boards, chances of your knife dulling frequently are much higher than usual. Hence, using these boards once in a while for light cutting purposes is preferred. Washing them gently by hand and wiping them clean after each use, and storing them in a dry place is the only maintenance that is needed for this type of board.