cutting boards?

A place to discuss sharp and pointy things from the kitchen.
Montanaman

Re: cutting boards?

Post by Montanaman »

All of our kitchen cutlery is high end, we only use wood, wouldn't use anything else. We have an entire counter top made of end cut maple squares.
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treefarmer
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Re: cutting boards?

Post by treefarmer »

Montanaman wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 2:33 pm All of our kitchen cutlery is high end, we only use wood, wouldn't use anything else. We have an entire counter top made of end cut maple squares.
Montanaman, I would love to see a picture of your counter top! We are talking about redoing our counters and real butcher block is something we have discussed but have made no effort to explore. It would be so handy to be able to do some meat cutting just on the existing counter top rather than bringing in the Lexan to create a "cutting room" in Miss Joy's kitchen.
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Montanaman

Re: cutting boards?

Post by Montanaman »

treefarmer wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 4:27 pm
Montanaman, I would love to see a picture of your counter top!
Treefarmer
This top was made by my FIL, he is a one armed man(lost his right arm in the Vietnam war) and it was not an easy task. Lots of waste making end cut maple, but it is awesome. It is detachable, so I bring it out to the shop when we slaughter a pig, easily fits half a hog. I keep it up with heat treated walnut oil and a walnut oil paste.
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Our island is also a butcher top, heavy use. I don't take as good of care of it, but I clean it daily with a mild cleaner containing essential oils, once a year walnut oil paste. We have quite a few wood cutting boards too, that are used often.
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I personally love wood counter tops.
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treefarmer
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Re: cutting boards?

Post by treefarmer »

Very nice and to have been made by your FIL, very special! ::clapping:: You must be a favorite Son-in-law.
Thanks for taking time to show the pictures.
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FRJ
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Re: cutting boards?

Post by FRJ »

Cutting boards. One of the most important tools a cook can have. I have three that I use all the time. I made them.
They are made of Maple. Nothing fancy, just good serviceable cutting boards. My knives love them.
The smaller one is 10" X 17" X 5/8". Next larger is 11" X 16" X 1 1/8". The largest is 21 inches square and 1 3/8" thick.
Nice and heavy. I can't imagine using anything but wood for a cutting board.

Montanamans cutting boards are absolutely beautiful. To have one in end grain is really top shelf, and so big.
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Joe
Montanaman

Re: cutting boards?

Post by Montanaman »

Thanks treefarmer, my FIL does not have much choice, as I married his only daughter.

Good looking boards, Joe, don't have to be fancy to work. The wood is what is important, IMO. Thanks for sharing.
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Re: cutting boards?

Post by cudgee »

Montanaman wrote: Tue Dec 08, 2020 11:09 pm Thanks treefarmer, my FIL does not have much choice, as I married his only daughter.

Good looking boards, Joe, don't have to be fancy to work. The wood is what is important, IMO. Thanks for sharing.
When you say the wood is what is important, what do you mean by that?
Montanaman

Re: cutting boards?

Post by Montanaman »

cudgee wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 12:04 am
When you say the wood is what is important, what do you mean by that?
The species of wood and how it is cut is important in a quality cutting board. Joe's are maple, which is preferred by many.
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cudgee
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Re: cutting boards?

Post by cudgee »

Montanaman wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 12:38 am
cudgee wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 12:04 am
When you say the wood is what is important, what do you mean by that?
The species of wood and how it is cut is important in a quality cutting board. Joe's are maple, which is preferred by many.
Thanks. ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
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FRJ
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Re: cutting boards?

Post by FRJ »

cudgee wrote: Wed Dec 09, 2020 12:39 am Thanks. ::tu:: ::tu:: ::tu::
I like maple because it has such close, tight grain and it is readily available.

I wouldn't use a soft wood like pine or fir with resins throughout the grain and it would wear too quickly.
Neither would I use Oak which is very porous.
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Re: cutting boards?

Post by Dinadan »

Interesting comments here. I like wood best. I still remember my mother slicing the bacon off the side on an oak board that was close to two inches thick. I have had a few wood boards split over the decades, probably because they were not really quality made. For the last few years I have got a bit lazy. I only use stuff in the kitchen that I can put in the dishwasher. So it is plastic boards for me. I have several of varying sizes, including one big enough for a ten pound Redfish. But the ones I use daily are these thin, lightweight boards.
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stumpstalker
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Re: cutting boards?

Post by stumpstalker »

Dinadan:

If your wood boards over the years had been splitting, it may not have been on account of quality, but rather the wood species.

Oak, as opposed to maple, for example, is an unstable hardwood.
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Re: cutting boards?

Post by marinaio61 »

My previous wood boards have been Maple glue-ups which tend to eventually split along the glue seams. My current board is Bamboo, so far so good. The Bamboo is very easy on my knives, especially the fine edged Chef's knife, cleans up well and doesn't seem to retain odors any more than the Maple did.
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Re: cutting boards?

Post by mrwatch »

I bought my Bamboo board at Home Goods and they had several sizes. A chain of stores that seem to sell odd lots at discount prices. Have good prices if you have one in your area. Never know what they will have next time. A couple of J. A. Henckels kitchen knives to. I have no connection to them.
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Re: cutting boards?

Post by Challenger007 »

I prefer wooden kitchen boards. Although, if the wood is of poor quality, the board deforms. There are no such problems with plastic. well, it depends on the goals. For meat, plastic is better (for my taste). In general, it is best to choose a good quality board.
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