Suitable Wood for Cutting Board

 

There are various types of wooden cutting boards available that you can choose and they are all durable, practical and have the capability of creating a touch of rustic elegance to your kitchen. Wooden cutting board is not only being used daily in the kitchen of most of the household in the world but also used as décor to create a more natural appearance to the kitchen area. The wooden cutting board is commonly used among famous chef whether they are amateur or professionals. There are various types of wood for cutting board that you can choose and below are some of the types which are ideal for most household and capable for long term usage even for generations to come.

 

Knowing the type of wood for cutting board:

  • Rock maple wood
  • Beech and cherry wood
  • American black walnut and white oak
  • Teak wood
  • Bamboo
  • Birch wood
  • Hickory or ash wood
  • Mahogany, purple heart, bubinga and other exotic tropical hardwoods
  • Olive Wood

 

Type of Wood for Cutting Board

Suitable Wood for Cutting Board

  • The most common wood used for creating cutting board is the rock maple which is a dense North American hardwood.
    • The rock maple wood is often laminated from small cross-sections thus making its hard end grain to become its work surface.
    • The rock maple wood helps you seals any of its surface very well if you use mineral oil and care it properly.
    • It is also durable and capable of withstanding years of heavy usage in your kitchen.

 

  • Apart from rock maple, you can even use other American and European hardwoods that have almost the same quality such as beech and cherry wood.
    • These types of woods are also durable and having similar density to rock maple but its color is much deeper than rock maple wood.
    • However, cherry is a soft type of wood and it you use it heavily; you will notice the wear and tear on the surface of the wood thus you will have to sand it quite often.
    • The advantage of the wood is that it is very gentle to your knives and this type of cutting board is suitable for cutting cheese or other dairy products.

 

  • American black walnut and white oak can also be use for making cutting boards but it needs much more care in terms of sealing due to its pore structure which is more open.
    • You will also find that white oak is moisture resistant. However, it is quite difficult to glue the wood.
    • It is also soft and gentle to your knives but due to its open-grained type with large pores, it can easily absorb bacteria and germs.
    • This type of wood is suitable for cutting fruits and vegetables.

 

If you like to add natural flavor to your food, both the walnut and white oak woods produces distinctive aromas that can help you flavor your food naturally.

 

  • The teak cutting boards are considered having a balance between its attractive looks and also durability.
    • This tropical hardwood is much softer than maple and does not dull your knives like any other hardwood.
    • The wood also provides you with a gripping surface that helps your food from slipping while you cut them.
    • The teak wood also looks even better throughout the years but it is much expensive than other type of woods.

 

  • For those who is more environmental friendly bamboo which is the most renewable resources that you can use for cutting board.
    • It provides you with charming appearance and also reasonable cost, plus also durable even if it are being used with intense beating and chopping of your butcher knives.
    • The disadvantage is that you need to sharpen your knives regularly and also treat the board using mineral oil just like any other wooden board.

 

DO NOT USE vinegar if you intend to disinfect your bamboo board.

  • Another heavy duty type of wood is the birch wood suitable for doing lots of chopping.
    • It is extremely durable but less expensive than other types of wood available in the market.
    • Due to its hardness, your knives might not be able to withstand very well when used against the board and will dull its blades much faster than other types of wooden boards.
  • Other option which is considered as inexpensive is the hickory or ash types of woods. Both of these woods are light in terms of color and weight compared to maple wood as well as other types of woods.
    • These woods have a fibrous structure which provides resistance to splitting and works well with glue.
    • Both of the woods cross grain as well as end grain are durable.

  • If you like exotic types of woods, then you should go for mahogany, purpleheart, bubinga and other exotic tropical hardwoods. These types of woods are beautiful but they sometimes provides stability problems and also resistant to glue.
    • You will notice that some of the tropical woods have lignin or other resins which does not work very well against glue. If you have a damp kitchen area, the combinations between tropical wood boards and glue will definitely fail.

  • Finally, there is the olive wood cutting boards which is an active grain wood that is capable of handling sharp knife.
    • Over time, this type of wood will turn into even richer in color and able to add much more beauty to your kitchen appearance.
    • In addition, it is also capable of resisting bacteria and you will not need lots of efforts in terms of maintenance.
    • The olive wood is known for its oily variety thus you are not required to season it like any other wooden cutting boards.
    • Olive wood cutting board is most suitable for easy usage of preparing foods as well as ideal to be used for presentation.

    Always remember that whenever you want to choose suitable type of wood for your cutting board,

    • However, you will notice that softer woods such as birch and soft maple that you maintain and seal them with hard epoxies which is suitable to be in contact with food will eventually penetrated and absorb through its protective layer if it is being used heavily.

 

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