3. Cutting-boards Essentials

Continuing with the cutting and chopping subject we pass to cutting (or chopping) boards

Chopping board – very important component of your kitchen arsenal and you must thoughtfully approach to its choice.

There is a huge choice of chopping boards presented on market. The main basic distinction, complicating a choice, the material of which the boards are made of. Each version has advantages and shortcomings.

So, the first rule, common for all versions:

You should have several chopping boards

Necessarily separate for crude meat and separate for a crude fish. By the way, according to sanitary-and-epidemiologic rules, you should also have a separate chopping board for poultry. As a preventive measure for infections. Further, separate board for cutting vegetables which will go then to thermal processing. A separate board for the vegetables going to salad and greens.

In conclusion, I recommend very much, a separate small chopping board for garlic. Why: the working surface of a board in due course inevitably becomes impregnated with smells from the undressed products. Probably, it will not be good if, say, a slice of cheese would suddenly get a smell of prorancid garlic. And this can be even worse.

After cutting meat or a fish, even in spite of the fact that there is nothing more to be cut on these boards — do not be too lazy, scald the boards with abrupt boiled water and carefully wash out with a sponge with soap

Salmonellosis — extremely unpleasant thing. I recommend doing this periodically also with other boards — besides disinfection to delete smells.

Remark: not applicable to boards of glass. Those will burst!

About the sizes and the form

Here you will need to find a compromise between the area of your table, the size of your kitchen knifes and presence of a place in your kitchen for warehousing.

Advice: it is better to store the chopping boards not inside the closed boxes, but opened, ideal – hanging on a suspension bracket. This way helps to avoid decay and promotes aeration of extraneous smells.

The biggest size should have the chopping boards for vegetables. I shall explain: cutting of vegetables usually demands most a hard work with knife and, on the other hand, the greatest quality of work. Hence, it is necessary to create the most comfortable conditions for yourself. A large chopping board in this case is vital. It is good, if the width of this board is at least equal to the length of the knife’s blade, and better if the board is slightly wider than the blade, to not hold down your movements at chopping. Also it is desirable for the chopping board to be thicker, so that your hands do not touch the table — this hinders strongly.

As a variant it is possible to get a board on a support (like those on two supports from below), this type is especially convenient if you prefer cutting technique and use a Japanese type of knife.

Advice: before beginning of the work it is recommended to spread a napkin under the chopping board. In this case the board will not skip on the table, and less noise.

Now about material chopping boards are usually made of

The first type (and the most widespread on domestic kitchens — wooden chopping boards. Obvious advantages — wood does not blunt knives, knocks less, and as a whole is more comfortable — wood is rather soft material that improves interaction of such board with knife. Personally I prefer wooden chopping boards. Lacks: in due course the working surface wears out and dent is formed. Also, wood actively absorbs liquids and smells.

There is only one way: chopping boards should be updated periodically

Second type — plastic chopping boards. Basically, pluses are similar to the wooden boards, but in general plastic boards are worse. Knocks more loudly, blunts the knife more actively. The same lacks, plus the look of the worked board is more slovenly. In addition — plastic crumb in your food.

Third type, recently become fashionable — glass. Generally, I see only one positive side — obviously hygienic boards. Neither smells, nor crumb. Serves eternally. But those will cripple knifes and mentality :).

If you cannot stand gnash of metal over glass, do not buy glass chopping boards

That is all about the chopping boards. I shall not mention the boards for work with dough as I assume, that your table has a wooden table-top.