 Neither plastic nor wood has been proven to be reliably more sanitary than the other material when it comes to cutting boards and because bacteria can reside on boards for many hours, many sources recommend using multiple cutting boards, designating each for an individual task to avoid the possibility of transferring bacteria from raw meats to veggies and other foods. A good scrub in hot soapy water or in a very diluted bleach solution should be able to rid a cutting board of the majority of the bacteria lurking on its surface, so having multiple cutting boards is not strictly necessary.
That said, they can help keep you organized in the kitchen – especially if you tend to work with multiple cooks around who compete for boards. And there are many well-designed cutting boards out there that pack a lot more appeal than a plain plastic one. For example, these foodie cutting boards, featuring “faces” of veggies and kitchen utensils, are charming without even being used and make the idea of having a few around that much better.
Maggi
June 1, 2007Oh my… these are not for use with like a real knife, are they?
I think these are more trivets than cutting boards. The boards are made from tempered glass. If you use your knives on these be prepared to damage your knife’s edge as well as the probability of the knife’s edge sliding on the surface as you cut.
Bad idea. Cute, but definitely not truly functional.
Jason
June 1, 2007I think it’s just a matter of staying sanitary. Don’t cut raw salad vegetables on the same board immediately after cutting up steaks, that sort of thing. Hot soapy water will take care of all your worries. A spray bottle with a bleach dilute solution is also a great way to keep things clean as you go. Other than that, what board you choose is up to you; wooden boards are kinder to your knives but require a little more upkeep (oiling, etc…). Plastic boards are no hassle but your knives will go duller sooner.
Jason
Eve
June 6, 2007Just to say (as a matter of interest!) if you’re looking for a natural, environmentally friendly solution, ditch the bleach etc and opt for rock sea salt and fresh lemon juice. Simply soak the board in hot water, sprinkle with rock salt, then cut a lemon in half and work over the salt/surface cut side down. Together they act as an antibacterial agent and are a great way of using up lemons that are past their best.