Me And My 18" x 24" Love

[jyl]

I may be alone in my affection for wood cutting boards. But many of us here like our kitchen knives, and sharp knives go hand-in-hand with good cutting boards. And, even if man and cutting board is a love that dare not speak its name, I figure that with vash getting all wet-eyed about ballet and light beer, I might escape banning. Might.

So, about my 18" x 24" of end-grain two-inch hard maple - I love it! This was the only XMas present I asked for, and getting it for $50 at a restaurant supply store was icing on the cake. Its like the Jaguar motto - "grace, pace, and space". My cutting board is beautiful, even with the fine web of cuts beginning to weather its shiny surface. My cutting board is fast, very fast, makes cutting on plastic boards feel like slogging through wet slush. And my cutting board has room, room to wield my favorite 10" chef's blade without disturbing the surrounding tidy mounds of already-chopped ingredients. It's like having a whole balance sheet on one board - raw materials, work-in-progress, and finished goods, all present, audited, and ready for heat.

The only thing my cutting board needs is feet. Yes, I believe all serious cutting boards should be raised 1" above the counter. This allows plates to be placed under the board and ingredients easily swept thereto, prevents moisture from lingering under the board, and - parent talk here - when friends' dangerously curious kids visit the kitchen, very sharp knives can be tucked under the board. So, I need to visit the hardware store and buy some rubber feeties.

My old cutting board has been honorably retired to cheese slicing duty. Sorry, but after you've tasted the pleasures of 18 x 24, the old 12 x 16 just can't get the juices flowing.

Maybe I should have posted this anonymously. I promise, I don't have gigabytes of cutting board photos stashed on the computer. And even if I do, they are all over-age.

[TimT]

Boos block?

[jyl]

Not a big name brand. Not sure it even had a brand or any identifying marks. The restaurant supply store had all sizes (this wasn't even the largest).

I have a Boos board too, but its just a trifle, too small (12 x 12). Think someone gave it to me.

[126coupe]

I always install rubber feet to my cutting boards, this keeps your board from moving around the counter.

[vash]

i love cutting boards. when i (if i ever) remodel the kitchen, i am going to get a big farm style sink installed so i can wash a huge wood board. i figured the kitchen sink is what limits the board size.

i have a pile of teak in my garage. i want to make a huge teak board for myself. something big enough to break down huge piles of veggies, and work bread dough...

cliff

[TerryH]

To give your cutting boards a long life treat them with a light coating of mineral oil 2-3x a year. No more drying out and cracking. We have 2 rather large built-in boards. Took the belt sander, resurfaced, and oiled them last year. They must be 40 years old and still look great.

[masraum]

some random porn for you gents

[jyl]

vash, there's your inspiration, get building. I like the third one, you could do a Porsche theme. Strike that, do a ballet theme.

[vash]

laugh it up, chopping block boy...!! J/K.

for the record, the best place to shop is the restaurant supply store. i love it.

[HardDrive]

Originally Posted by TimT

Boos block?

I bought one at William Sonoma. Nice board. But I'm sure you could get the same thing for less at a restaurant supply store.

[peppy]

jyl, you are not alone.

I took 3 days oiling my maple board. My wife thinks I am nuts.

[Don Plumley]

I love a huge cutting surface. I picked up a trio of huge boards, prolly 18 x 24 or more - they really don't fit in the sink for washing. I place a non-skid shelf liner under the board to keep it stable. Better than rubber feet as you can flip the board.

[RWebb]

Originally Posted by jyl

...and - parent talk here - when friends' dangerously curious kids visit the kitchen, very sharp knives can be tucked under the board. ...

"Dada Dada!! Look what I found under the cutting board!!"

- OOOOPS!

[Dutchie]

I took 3 days oiling my maple board. My wife thinks I am nuts.

Have to agree you are nuts

[JMPRO]

When I was in the butcher supply business most of the butchers perfered wood boards to poly but the current laws required the poy boards in new installations. Almost all butchers and cooks will tell you that wood is easier on the knives than poly board. Many of the older shops still have the wood blocks that are "Grandfathers in" but still battle the health inspectors over there use. I have my work bench that is made out of a 24" x 96" x 4" maple block. It was slightly used when I got it but the inspectors wouldn't approve it for use in a remodel so the owner asked if I could dispose of it when I sold him the new tables. Ya, I disposed of it right to my garage.

JMPRO

[RWebb]

a recent study found that wood had bacteriostatic properties

so, it's now a toss-up as to which is safer

[304065]

We are thinking alike, I got one of those bamboo boards with a juice groove, I like it so far.

Gotta figure out where to store a boos block, though. Cooks illustrated tested the wood boards, they are no more prone to bacteria than poly (and they don't rotate on you like a bowed poly board will).

I may take the router and expand the juice groove into a well. I let things "rest" and invariably there is a lot of juice.

[peppy]

Originally Posted by Dutchie

Have to agree you are nuts

You have to let it soak in.

[jyl]

I found this link, on maintaining and disinfecting wooden cutting boards.

http://whatscookingamerica.net/CuttingBoards/AllAbout.htm

Says to treat w/ mineral oil, and disinfect with vinegar plus, optionally, a dilute bleach solution.

And this link on the anti-bacterial properties of wooden boards.

http://www.naturalhandyman.com/iip/infxtra/infcuttingboard.html

Personally I don't do the vinegar, just clean with soap and hot water, then dry. I use the same board for everything, including poultry, though I do clean well after cutting up a chicken. Unsanitary? I've never had a problem. Being Chinese, I believe that the Western mania about cross-contamination is a bit overdone.