Wood Vs Plastic Meat Cutting Boards

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A cutting board is a primary work space for everyone in the kitchen, which is why it is important for one to choose the best and safest cutting board which they can their meat on. Here are some of the facts which will help you decide on which meat chopping board is the safest. For more information, visit Hyper Meats.

A wooden meatcutting board is gentle on knives, especially one that is made from maple and walnut. It is soft enough not to dull your knife, except if it be made from bamboo. The meat cutting board made from plastic is not as gentle as the wooden one, hence it is bound to dull your knife faster than would.

A wooden meat cutting board isinteresting to cut on and it is durable, meaning it can last longer than plastic. Wood is hard and so it will be long before it is scratched enough to leave tiny channels on it. Even when the surface gets ruined, you can sand the scratches away and the board will be good to use again. A plastic meat cutting board is riskier, since nothing can really be done once it is increasingly scratched by knives, leaving tiny grooves in which bacteria cangrow in if the board is not sanitized. You will be exposed to the risk of cross contamination as you repeatedly use the cutting board for different types of food. A plastic meat cutting board will need to be replaced more often.

Research has gathered that a wood meat cutting board traps salmonella bacteria and kills it within three minutes of exposure, contrary to what people think that wood is porous; it actually pulls down the fluid and traps in the bacteria.Warm soapy wateris enough towash away the grease-borne bacteria that builds on the wooden cutting board after cutting meat on it, which means it is safe to cut meat on and any other foods. However, soft wood meat cutting boards pose a food safety risk since they split more easily leaving grooves in which bacteria can thrive and though easy to disinfect, a weathered plastic board holds onto bacteria.

Wood is an organic material, to ensure that the wooden cutting board lasts longer, it requires some upkeep. A wooden meatcutting board needs to be conditioned with food-grade mineral oil which keeps it from staining, drying out and cracking. Salt and lemon juice can also be used in place of theoil conditioner. It is also important to note that even after being conditioned, the wooden meat cutting board can still warp and crack. This becomes a disadvantage, seeing you cannot cut your meat on a warping cutting board.

A wooden meat cutting board gives you more work to do since it should not be put in a dishwasher and at the same time it should not be soaked as that shortens its lifespan. It should not be exposed to high heat and water for long. You need to wash it in warm water gently, quickly but thoroughly.Unlike the wood meat cutting board, a plastic one can handle the high heat of a dishwasher without warping, hence it can be thoroughly sterilized.

You might have realized how a wooden meat cutting board is heavy and thick, hence if you do not like carrying heavy things around the kitchen, you might want to avoid it. Plastic on the other hand is lightweight and space efficient, occupying less space than a wooden would. Moving around with a plastic cutting board is easy, which makes it easy for one to clean it thoroughly without getting tired from carrying it.

However, expects advice that a wooden meat chopping board be used for safer foods such as fruits, vegetables and starches while plastic meat cutting boards be used for meat. This is because of how plastic meat cutting boards can be placed in a dishwasher and sterilized thoroughly easily.Alternatively, regardless of which board you use, you can separate cutting boards for raw meat and poultry with that of vegetables, fruits and prepared food. This way you will have lowered the risks of cross contamination.

Why Are Glass Cutting Boards Discouraged?

A glass cutting board is very noisy, with every cut echoing inside your kitchen, but that is not the reason why people are discouraged from using it. Though it has a strong surface which a knife cannot leave a groove on, a glass cutting board is not gentle on knives; all your knives will turn dull when used on a glass cutting board. If you have one, you can use it for kneading dough, rolling out pie crust and cutting out cookies, this will keep your countertop clean while you bake.

How to Properly Sanitize Your Cutting Board

If you have a plastic cutting board, you can place it in a dishwasher so that it can be cleaned at high temperatures. If you are washing by hand, rinse the dirt off the cutting board, making sure not to splatter contaminated water all over the place. Scrub the cutting board with warm water and a chlorine based sanitizer like bleach, getting everything out of the groves on the board if any. Dry the board and place it in a place where air circulates.

For a wooden board, you follow all the above steps except for the use of a chlorine based sanitizer. Chlorine binds very easily to organic materials, therefore, you will have to use a quaternary ammonium sanitizer like a Mr Clean solution. Dry your cutting board and place it where air circulates since bacteria thrives in moist places.Sanitize your kitchen sponge which you will have used to scrub the cutting board to avoid contaminating the next utensil you clean using the same sponge.

Properties of the Best Cutting Board

  • It lays flat on the counter and stays put.It can have an in-built grip or a wet cloth can be placed beneath it to ensure that it does not move.
  • It is easy to clean.
  • It does not warp or retain odor.
  • It does not dull tour blades.
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