Cutting Boards...wood Or Synthetic?

By Author: Shawn Parker
Total Articles: 138
Comment this article

One of the great questions which has been tossed around for years in the cooking world is whether a Cutting Board should be made of Wood or Synthetic materials. Since both types of cutting boards have both good and bad qualities, neither can be considered superior in every situation. In the case of a cutting board, one kind does not fit all, and good cooks might want to consider the merit of owning two, a wooden cutting board and a synthetic one.

The greatest benefit of a wood cutting board is the ease with which it accepts a knife. Because the wood gives, it is much easier on the blade of the knife. Preserving a set of Wusthof knives and maintaining the quality of the blades for a lifetime of easy food preparation is a great reason to choose a wood cutting board.

Wood cutting boards are also aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Left on a kitchen counter they add an old fashioned charm to the room, and many are passed from one generation to another. Nothing is more nostalgic than owning grandmother's wooden cutting board.

Modern synthetic cutting boards, however, are considered more ...
... sanitary wooden ones. The thinking is that after chicken or meat has been prepared on a wooden cutting board, some of the juices may sink into the knife marks and, when the board has not been properly cleaned, bacteria may begin to grow. This means that if the cook chops any fresh uncooked vegetables on the board, these could be contaminated. Synthetic boards are also stain resistant, but they can dull a good knife very quickly.

A good solution to this dilemma, then, is to keep two cutting boards in the kitchen, a wood cutting board for meats and a synthetic cutting board for other foods.
As you can see, there are severald different styles of Wusthoff Kives. If your in the market for a Wusthoff Knife Set come stop buy!