Ok, I admit it! I’m addicted to several TV shows about interior design including: Love It or List It, Good Bones, and No Demo Reno. If you have seen ANY of these programs, or countless others where kitchens are remodeled, you may have noticed that wood cutting boards are now a big design trend. In almost all the kitchen renos lately, stacked cutting boards are showing up. They display them standing on the kitchen countertops, up against the backsplash, in graduated-sized groupings. Stacked cutting boards are not only a kitchen essential, but are a real design trend in 2022. It’s easy enough to get the look. The price points start very reasonably and go from there; it all depends on your design aesthetic and your budget. However, because these design elements are also essential to good cooking, there are a few technical things you should know before buying.
Why Wood Cutting Boards Are Not Just A Design Trend
Wood Is Good For Cutting Boards
Wooden cutting boards are a design trend AND a cooking essential. Wood boards are the best for chopping most things, except for meats and fish, because the material allows for smooth cuts. They have the longest life of the board options (wood, plastic and glass) so you won’t have to replace them as often. Also, they are the best for your knives because they are a more malleable material, which does not dull knives as quickly . So your kitchen can look great with these stacked wooden cutting boards and you can use them every day, as well.
What About Plastic Cutting Boards?
Plastic boards are the easiest to sanitize, so they are your best bet when it comes to meats and fishes. They can be placed in the dishwasher and the heat of the water will kill any bacteria. They don’t last as long as wooden cutting boards, however, so you will have to replace them as they mar and crack. Plastic boards are also harder on your knives.
NEVER Use Glass Cutting Boards
Glass cutting boards come in so many design choices. In my store we see them come in with every holiday and décor theme imaginable. You should consider glass cutting boards purely decorative, however. Please do not use these glass boards to cut anything! Glass cutting boards are so hard that they pose a danger to both you and your knives. Knives tend to roll on glass surfaces and this not only dulls them but can chip or break them and cause them to harm you. Use them to make things pretty, if you like, but don’t count on them as a cooking essential.
“You don’t have to cook fancy or complicated masterpieces—just good food from fresh ingredients.”
Julia Child
How To Clean and Maintain Your Wood Cutting Boards
Ok, so now you’ve decided that wooden cutting boards are a practical, useful and beautiful design trend that you will embrace. You will stage your counter with them AND use them every day in your cooking. So, how do you safely use these babies, you may ask? It’s actually fairly simple.
Cleaning
According to The Kitchn.com, “when cleaning wooden cutting boards (or any wooden utensil, for that matter), you should never stick it in the dishwasher. Why? Because wood is an organic material, too much exposure to blasts of hot water and dish detergent can strip off oils and cause it to warp or crack.” They “recommend washing (them) with a bit of soap, rinsing (them) in hot water, wiping (them) clean, and then allowing (them) to dry in an upright position.”
Real Simple adds that “when you’re scrubbing the board, you should make sure to give any areas with knife marks, scratches, or inconsistencies in the wood a little more elbow grease. Also, you should clean, scrub, rinse, and dry both sides of the board. You may cut ingredients on one side, but juices, such as those from meat, can drip and end up contaminating the other side.”
Although it’s not advisable, if you do use a wooden cutting board to cut meat or fish, you can clean it to remove bacteria. The best method is washing it in a solution of bleach and water (1 tablespoon bleach per 1 gallon of water). Soak in the board is solution for few minutes, then rinse and dry it standing upright. You can also mix one part white vinegar (or hydrogen peroxide if vinegar is not available) to four parts water instead of the bleach solution.
And Care
If you want to give your boards some extra love and attention, rub them with a food grade mineral oil once a month, and let it soak in overnight. The oil keeps water from entering your board and shortening its lifespan. According to Kitchn.com, you can “use beeswax, walnut oil, almond oil, or pure tung oil. Olive oil or vegetable oils, however, should be avoided, as they go bad quickly.”
Wooden Cutting Boards – A Design Trend That’s Here To Stay
So you can see that not only are stacked wooden cutting boards a beautiful way to accessorize your kitchen, but these boards, with a little love and care are among the most useful kitchen essentials. By-the-way, unless these boards are completely unused, I never recommend buying them second-hand. It’s just not a healthy choice. If you’re dying for more information on kitchen gadgets, check out my blog on The Unsung Heroes of the Kitchen. Or if you’re more into trends try: 2022 Hot Color: Mustard Yellow or Hot Design Trend For 2022: Wallpaper.
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