Introduction: It's time to upgrade. Bigger is better.
Part 2 of a longer form blog post found here [ADD LINK].
->Skip if you have read part 1. <-
After deciding to take cooking more seriously, I thought it would make sense to start by upgrading my kitchen equipment. First, are foremost the knife. A good knife can change your whole cooking experience. But what good is a fancy knife without a good cutting board? For the longest time I overlooked my cutting board; I had that $20 plastic one from Target- I mean yeah, it’s not exactly the ideal, but it gets the job done. What I didn’t know is that old plastic cutting boards can actually harbor bacteria that are near impossible to clean out of the groves left by the knife cuts. A chef friend directed me to a study the NCBI posted this study that says,
“At least some of the work with knife-scarred plastic indicates that the surface is very difficult to clean and disinfect … Further, one of these studies indicated that use of plastic cutting boards in home kitchens is hazardous, whereas use of wooden cutting boards is not.”
And that's when I knew I had to get something better. After significant time and money spent searching for the perfect board, I could not find one. Thus began my journey to create the perfect wood cutting board. Who would have thought there were so many decisions to be made regarding a cutting board? What size is best? Do I get one for meats specifically? What kind of wood is best? How does one season a cutting board? Do I need one with grooves to catch juices? How do I properly clean a cutting board? What oil do I use to coat the board? Each of these topics is complex enough to solicit its own blog post, so for this one, we will focus on size.
But because I like you, here is the gist:
A large wood cutting board is your best option. Before using the board and once every month, coat it with a ratio of 4 coconut oil to 1 beeswax. And absolutely do not dish-wash or soak a wood cutting board.
Upgrading to a large cutting surface is an integral step in becoming a better cook for several reasons. The first of which is safety.
Safety
When it comes to cutting boards, bigger isn’t just better, it's actually safer too. A crowded cutting surface makes injuries more likely. Give yourself some room to breathe (and to cut)! When designing this cutting board I wanted to make sure I would not have to assemble a leaning tower of meat or veggies in order to make more room to cut. With the easy access tray and 135% larger surface area than the average cutting board, my board makes any size job easy. And with greater size comes greater weight - which means less slipping and sliding on your counter-top.
All in one
When preparing a meal for any group larger than one, it’s likely that you will use more than one cutting board. Instead of purchasing several small boards, I think it makes more sense to use one large board for all of your cutting needs. Think of it like this - if you are going on vacation, you could either pack two small suitcases or one large one.
Food can be big.
When its time to carve the Thanksgiving turkey, you will realize why it’s important to own a large cutting board. A mid-size Thanksgiving turkey averages at 16’’ by 13’’ - so make sure to get a board that is at least that big. I usually get an extra large bird which is why I made my board 20’’ by 16’’. And more than just turkeys, I wanted a board that would fit any size food - watermelon, spaghetti squash, fresh loaves of bread, pumpkin, you name it, this board can handle it.
Finding the right board is be a journey and for me, it turned into a passion. So take some time to figure out what is important to you! If you think my cutting could be better in anyway, I love hearing feedback!