Stainless steel cutting boards

[WilliamMunny]

I never thought so, until a chef explained to me (in detail) that the above is the current state-of-the-art thinking, and chefs have largely gone back to wood.

In the hallowed name of Science, I call shenanigans on this Old Wives' Tale.

I don't want to sound unduly cynical, but in my experience, if something looks like ħœřşẽpøø, and smells like ħœřşẽpøø, then there's a fairly good chance that it's ħœřşẽpøø. It could be zebra, but you don't see too many of those stripped beasts roaming the streets of SoCal. Regardless, the anecdotes of the antibacterial properties of wood cutting boards leave me holding my nose.

I refer you to "Bacterial adherence and viability on cutting board surfaces," in the April 2007 Journal of Food Safety.

Abstract
The adherence and viability of Escherichia coli inoculated onto the surfaces of plastic cutting boards and new and used wood cutting boards were evaluated. Most of the inoculum was recovered from all surfaces after resident drying times of 5 min and from plastic surfaces at 24 h. When the exposure time was extended to 2 h, > 90% of the cells placed on new and used dry wood surfaces were not recovered after vigorous rinsing. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the bacteria resided within the structural xylem fibers and vegetative elements of the wood. After resident drying times of up to 2 h, almost 75% of the adherent bacteria on the wood surfaces were viable, as defined by a nalidixic acid direct viable count procedure. Microcosm studies showed no intrinsic growth-supporting or toxic properties of the cutting board materials. Bacteria that adhered to plastic surfaces were more easily removed by low-temperature washing than were cells that adhered to wood surfaces. These studies demonstrated that bacteria adhering to wood surfaces resided within the structural and vegetative elements of the wood's xylem tissues and were viable; wood was more retentive than plastic; penetration of the inoculum liquid promoted cell adherence to the wood matrix; and conditioning of wood with water before inoculation interfered with bacterial adherence.

Full article:
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... d_surfaces

P.S.
I don't care what anyone says. I'm still keeping my wooden cutting boards.

Well, not sure I would call 2007 cutting edge science...

The new theory that I have heard pitched is that specifically end-grain wood boards are anti-microbial because when used in that way, any moisture and bacteria is drawn deep into the grain where it's suffocated and then dried over time as the air wicks the moisture out. Conversely, using a board with the side of the grain exposed means shoving bacteria in under long, lateral stretches of material that stay moist longer because they're lawyered on top of each other.

Though, wouldn't you know it, end-grain boards are a lot harder to manufacture and everyone saying all that is selling some.

The only issue that makes end grain boards harder is that they tend to get ripped apart if you run them through a planner. The blades on the tool can catch the grain tearing it out. Most woodworks have a planer readily available and is a go to tool for flattening.

If you have a drum sander it’s an easy task, but most hobbyist woodworks don’t have these. If you don’t it just takes more time to finish with something like a belt sander.

End grain is better as the board is much harder, resisting knife cutting into the board just due to grain orientation.

[Mage7]

I never thought so, until a chef explained to me (in detail) that the above is the current state-of-the-art thinking, and chefs have largely gone back to wood.

In the hallowed name of Science, I call shenanigans on this Old Wives' Tale.

I don't want to sound unduly cynical, but in my experience, if something looks like ħœřşẽpøø, and smells like ħœřşẽpøø, then there's a fairly good chance that it's ħœřşẽpøø. It could be zebra, but you don't see too many of those stripped beasts roaming the streets of SoCal. Regardless, the anecdotes of the antibacterial properties of wood cutting boards leave me holding my nose.

I refer you to "Bacterial adherence and viability on cutting board surfaces," in the April 2007 Journal of Food Safety.

Abstract
The adherence and viability of Escherichia coli inoculated onto the surfaces of plastic cutting boards and new and used wood cutting boards were evaluated. Most of the inoculum was recovered from all surfaces after resident drying times of 5 min and from plastic surfaces at 24 h. When the exposure time was extended to 2 h, > 90% of the cells placed on new and used dry wood surfaces were not recovered after vigorous rinsing. Scanning electron microscopy showed that the bacteria resided within the structural xylem fibers and vegetative elements of the wood. After resident drying times of up to 2 h, almost 75% of the adherent bacteria on the wood surfaces were viable, as defined by a nalidixic acid direct viable count procedure. Microcosm studies showed no intrinsic growth-supporting or toxic properties of the cutting board materials. Bacteria that adhered to plastic surfaces were more easily removed by low-temperature washing than were cells that adhered to wood surfaces. These studies demonstrated that bacteria adhering to wood surfaces resided within the structural and vegetative elements of the wood's xylem tissues and were viable; wood was more retentive than plastic; penetration of the inoculum liquid promoted cell adherence to the wood matrix; and conditioning of wood with water before inoculation interfered with bacterial adherence.

Full article:
https://www.researchgate.net/publicatio ... d_surfaces

P.S.
I don't care what anyone says. I'm still keeping my wooden cutting boards.

Well, not sure I would call 2007 cutting edge science...

The new theory that I have heard pitched is that specifically end-grain wood boards are anti-microbial because when used in that way, any moisture and bacteria is drawn deep into the grain where it's suffocated and then dried over time as the air wicks the moisture out. Conversely, using a board with the side of the grain exposed means shoving bacteria in under long, lateral stretches of material that stay moist longer because they're lawyered on top of each other.

Though, wouldn't you know it, end-grain boards are a lot harder to manufacture and everyone saying all that is selling some.

The only issue that makes end grain boards harder is that they tend to get ripped apart if you run them through a planner. The blades on the tool can catch the grain tearing it out. Most woodworks have a planer readily available and is a go to tool for flattening.

If you have a drum sander it’s an easy task, but most hobbyist woodworks don’t have these. If you don’t it just takes more time to finish with something like a belt sander.

End grain is better as the board is much harder, resisting knife cutting into the board just due to grain orientation.

Yeah, I have heard people suggest end-grain boards were better for other reasons, but that was the first I had heard the anti-microbial idea.

[JBoone]

Reminds me of more than one Airbnb that provided granite cutting boards. I pulled out one of the knives and told my wife to look as I sawed it across my arm. I pack at least one kitchen knife and a plastic board when on driving vacations.

Also my wife is not allowed to use the couple of chef knives of mine after seeing her cut on our stone countertop. I called her a knife abuser as it made me cringe.

I do 90% of the cooking and more importantly 100% of the sharpening so she gets her own big box knife set to use and abuse. I sharpen them on a 1X 30 belt sander which only takes a few light passes on a fine sic belt every so often.

[RustyIron]

Make your own cutting boards like I do. Harder for her to say what you make is “junk”. Gets worn, sand it down, recoat with board oil, just like new.

That's gorgeous!

[RustyIron]

Well, not sure I would call 2007 cutting edge science...

The new theory that I have heard pitched is that specifically end-grain wood boards are anti-microbial because when used in that way, any moisture and bacteria is drawn deep into the grain where it's suffocated and then dried over time as the air wicks the moisture out.

Ummm... if you had read the article, know that the original publication was in 1993.
Please understand that the passage of time does not negate science.
"Pitching" a "new theory" is not science.
It's mumbo jumbo not worthy of consideration until verifiable scientific citations are provided.
YouTube, Tick-Tack, and Snapplechat are not scientific citations.

[Landshark99]

with wood boards end grain is better because it is easier on your knife edges. I use end grain wood boards for most prep, but also prep a lot of ourraw fish and meat on a Japanese rubber board. If I am serving cooked meat, I use a wood board that is only used for that. I would never use glass, ceramic, stainless steel or our granite counter top, all will ruin your knife edge and gain no other advantage.

[Mage7]

Well, not sure I would call 2007 cutting edge science...

The new theory that I have heard pitched is that specifically end-grain wood boards are anti-microbial because when used in that way, any moisture and bacteria is drawn deep into the grain where it's suffocated and then dried over time as the air wicks the moisture out.

Ummm... if you had read the article, know that the original publication was in 1993.
Please understand that the passage of time does not negate science.
"Pitching" a "new theory" is not science.
It's mumbo jumbo not worthy of consideration until verifiable scientific citations are provided.
YouTube, Tick-Tack, and Snapplechat are not scientific citations.

I refer you to "Bacterial adherence and viability on cutting board surfaces," in the April 2007 Journal of Food Safety.

Besides, read my whole post again

Though, wouldn't you know it, end-grain boards are a lot harder to manufacture and everyone saying all that is selling some.

I suppose I under-sold my incredulity lol

[pippi]

There's a specific reason that nearly all restaurants use those ubiquitous white LDPE boards of a certain size.
They fit in the industrial dishwasher, and those things absolutely nuke all contaminants.

If you hand-wash your dishes at home, the choice is a lot murkier.

[standy99]

Been to a few up scale sushi restaurants in Japan and they all used Titanium chopping boards for preparing the fish

Nothing wrong with wood in my book….have the biggest chopping board here I think



Always funny when guests ask where our cutting board is…

As a ex-butcher we always used to scrape and flour brush wooden blocks daily and wire brush weekly.

[Brock O Lee]

My wife just tried to give me some Stainless steel cutting boards as a late Christmas present.

Stainless steel, granite, glass, titanium "cutting boards". It boggles the mind.

I've had "The Cutting Board" discussion many times in our home. It took some effort, but my wife and daughters are now fully on board. Two choices only, wood or plastic.

If I had to convince someone, I'd do a simple demonstration for them:
- slice up half a tomato with a screaming sharp knife
- make one slice into a stainless steel cutting board to dull the whole edge instantly.
- fail hard to slice the rest of the tomato

Sanitising the plastic/wood/bamboo cutting boards is a different discussion.

Edit: spelling

[Bearcat1]

We HAD a granite cutting board in the house until my wife told me about it.

[pippi]

There's a specific reason that nearly all restaurants use those ubiquitous white LDPE boards of a certain size.
They fit in the industrial dishwasher, and those things absolutely nuke all contaminants.

If you hand-wash your dishes at home, the choice is a lot murkier.

[RustyIron]

We HAD a granite cutting board in the house until my wife told me about it.

Hopefully it's still around. It would make a great improvised surface plate... assuming it's not too hacked up from using it as a cutting board.

[Bearcat1]

We HAD a granite cutting board in the house until my wife told me about it.

Hopefully it's still around. It would make a great improvised surface plate... assuming it's not too hacked up from using it as a cutting board.

It is still around. I have a glass plate for truing up stones but that is a great idea!!

[Bill1170]

A stainless steel cutting board makes about as much sense as a bouncy castle made from barbed wire.

[PMBohol]

Been to a few up scale sushi restaurants in Japan and they all used Titanium chopping boards for preparing the fish

Nothing wrong with wood in my book….have the biggest chopping board here I think



Always funny when guests ask where our cutting board is…

As a ex-butcher we always used to scrape and flour brush wooden blocks daily and wire brush weekly.

The thought of a really nice sushi knife being used on a titanium surface is cringe worthy but having watched them work that blade just glides through the fish and it may not even touch the cutting surface.

But I agree, wood is best and that might be the issue as not all maple or whatever hardwood used is the same.