What Kind of Cutting Board is the Best to Use?

[3lynns]

I have heard that wood cutting boards are better but than somewhere else I have heard that plastic ones are better? Which one is it?

[summeranne]

My mom told me something like that plastic cutting boards hold germs after washing... I never looked into it beyond her saying that because I usually just end up doing my cutting on a dinner plate.

[ryans_mom10]

I like plastic ones so I can put them in the dishwasher.

I used to use a wood one and even though I cleaned it with hot soapy water I was afraid it would keep the bacteria down in the slits of the pieces of wood.

jmo...

[Happymom]

I have always heard that the wood ones hold bacteria and are not as sanitary as the plastic ones. I always use the plastic ones and put them in the dishwasher.

[bonna9182]

I use plastic for meat so I can run it in the dishwasher or spray it down with disinfectant. I use wood for fruits & veggies. I never mix the two, just something icky about it to me.

[3lynns]

I have 2 plastic one for the exact reason that bonna9182 said to seperate veggies/fruits and meats but we are moving at the end of the month and we will have a pull out wood one. I think that I will just use that for veggies.

[Cookie2]

The best cutting board to use is one in decent shape. You don't want any place for those food born contaminants to hide! So toss any cutting board with deep nicks, scratches or cracks.

Plastic boards do tend to hold bacteria longer but they are more easily washed and disinfected.

Wood boards for some reason don't hold bacteria and there are several theories. One is that there are natural elements in the wood that fight bacterial growth.

No matter what cutting board you use, it is important to not mix them during the same cooking session - one board for raw produce, bread or cheese and another for meat. Avoiding cross-contamination is important.

Once they are washed AND dried, it doesn't matter. Bacterial doesn't live long on a dry surface.

[Oregano]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Happymom I have always heard that the wood ones hold bacteria and are not as sanitary as the plastic ones. I always use the plastic ones and put them in the dishwasher.

This is what I've read as well...

As for plastic, it probably depends on how porous the plastic is...I go for a harder, less porus board and run them thru the dishwasher after every use. I also don't mix the boards I use for meat/fish and the ones I use for fruit/veggies.

[mommy2mercedes]

I have a plastic one...and yes just one...but each side is marked 1-veggies 1-meat

[Rythlynx]

I use the thicker plastic cutting boards (I have two) for cutting up produce and meat. Obviously if I've used fish or chicken (the only meats I work with) on one, I'll either rinse it off in hot soapy water and then flip it over, or use the second for veggies. I confess that if I cut up veggies first, I'll normally just use the same surface for meat, but then I wash my veggies first, so I'm not too afraid of cross-contaminating under those specific circumstances. The plastic boards then get washed in the dishwasher.

I have a wooden board for cutting up bread. It's pretty enough to put out on the dining room table when we have company, but gets daily use too. I'll wash it in hot soapy water. Every couple of months it gets oiled with mineral oil, which does nothing for anti-bacterial properties, but much towards extending the board's useful life.

I also have a 4th wooden board that only gets used for rolling out pastry. It too gets washed in the sink and occasionally oiled.