Everything you ever wanted to know about cutting boards

Having first learned to cook as a college student with very limited funds, I’ve had my fair share of crappy cutting boards. Moreover, as a novice cook, I did not know how to take care of these cutting boards, thereby contributing to their crappiness. My first cutting board was wooden, and although I knew not to run it through the dishwasher—oh wait, my first college apartment didn’t have a dishwasher—I had no idea wooden boards needed to be oiled to keep from splitting.So for a long time, I used these dry, cracked wooden boards, ignoring the idea of bacteria teeming from within. I sliced raw beef on the same board I’d use to chop spinach. I left the board sitting in the wet sink until my roommates and I had our weekly argument about whose turn it was to do the dishes.As years passed and I blossomed into an intermediate cook (and had a nominal spending account upon graduating and starting my first job), my cutting board collection was also movin’ on up: I bought new wooden boards and some plastic ones, too, because I’d learned you should keep your meats and produce separate when it comes to cutting surfaces. My wooden ones remained dedicated to fruits, veggies, and herbs, while the plastics were solely for raw meats and seafood. Because plastic was dishwasher safe, I figured it meant the extremely hot water and scrubbing action within the machine could take care of the lurking salmonella.This worked fine for many years, but I still didn’t properly care for my wooden boards. (I barely maintained a sharp edge on my knives, let alone oil and condition my boards.) Yes, I was indeed the lazy cook. I guess that’s what happens when you don’t have nice stuff—you don’t really care about them because you figure you’ll have to replace them soon anyway.

Why John Boos?

Then came my stint on “MasterChef” season 3. It was then that I was introduced to the Boos block, the Cadillac of cutting boards and butcher blocks. The Boos block was so ingrained in professional chefs’s brains that they don’t even refer to the piece of equipment as a cutting board anymore—just like how we say “Q-tip” for cotton swab or “Kleenex” for tissue, the chopping block was a Booz block.“You’ve got your mystery box on your Boos block.”“We’ll get you a clean Boos block in a second.”Pretty soon, I found myself tossing around the lexicon too: “Culinary! I bled on my Boos block!” (Okay, I only split skin twice on the show, and it was never enough to bleed all over my Boos block, but you get the idea.)I left the MasterChef kitchen with a whole new appreciation for John Boos and his products. Personally, I liked how the blocks were sturdy and didn’t move around when I minced onion under the pressure of a ticking clock. I tried to do this on my thin boards at home, and they slid around on the counter, making it hard to get a grip, literally. I also liked how the Boos block provided a large surface area so I could chop a whole onion without having bits and pieces spill on to the counter. Oftentimes, I could chop and gather several piles of ingredients on the board all at once.For this past Christmas, the hubs bought me the beautiful 20”x15”x1.5” Boos block in maple. I posted a photo of me prepping Christmas lunch on the block on my social media, and to my delight, John Boos (his company, not Mr. Boos himself) reached out and gifted me additional boards and their Boos mystery oil and Boos board cream—now I have no excuse not to keep my boards well maintained.Oiling and conditioning became a priority once I had high-quality boards that I knew could last me a lifetime. And while it’s not cheap, you get what you pay for. Now I have large, sturdy, easy-to-use cutting boards vertically stacked on my counter: one 18”x12” and one 20”x15” for produce prep and one 24”x18” for raw meat prep. It’s nice to have multiple cutting boards since the hubs and I cook together in the kitchen all the time, and now we don’t have to fight over who gets the better board. Now everyone gets a John Boos block!

Which wood do I get for my cutting board?

Cutting boards are made from all kinds of woods, the most common being maple, walnut, cherry, and bamboo.I personally opted for maple because it is strong yet gentle enough on the knife blade. It is also versatile for any type of food prep and approved by the National Sanitation Foundation (NSF) since hard rock maple contains a natural enzyme that inhibits bacterial growth.Of course, walnut and cherry are perfectly acceptable woods, too, and their beauty makes them the choice for many. However, walnut and cherry are slightly softer, thereby making them a little more compromising for heavy-duty use.Even though it’s a grass and not technically a wood, many people like bamboo for being environmentally friendly and a renewable resource. I have a bamboo cutting board myself for smaller projects like garnishings and small fruits, and it’s withstood the test of time and hard use, but something about the maple surface feels better on my knife’s edge.Be wary of any other natural materials besides maple, walnut, cherry, and bamboo. Never cut on glass! Those will kill your knife edge faster than you can slice an orange.What about plastic? You ask. My plastic boards are still handy for smaller meat and seafood jobs like slicing chicken for ga luc lac or mincing shrimp for cha gio. It’s still nice to be able to throw them in the dishwasher. The gigantic 24”x18” block is reserved for more ambitious endeavors, like filleting a hunk of yellowfin tuna or deboning a big bird for sous vide turkey. The oversized block keeps everything together on top of a single sanitary work surface. In addition to being made of wood, it’s too large to fit into a dishwashing machine anyway, so you gotta clean these by hand, which brings me to our next topic…

How do I clean my wooden cutting board?

Okay, now you are convinced, and you have a nice Boos block. Here’s how to take care of it so it virtually lasts forever.Never put them in your dishwasher. The incredibly hot water, harsh detergents, and long exposure to water will warp and ruin your board with a quickness. Trust me, I was lazy once and threw a bamboo cutting board in the dishwasher, and after one cycle, it came out mottled and ugly. Not only did the finish wear off, a whole outer layer was stripped, too. Doh!Because you should try to keep the water exposure to a minimum, and because my Boos blocks are too big to fit into my non-farm kitchen sink anyway (hello? Hubs, are you reading? That’s what you can get me next Christmas), this is how I clean my blocks:

1. Scrape off all the food bits using a bench scraper. This simple action actually takes care of a majority of gunk and liquid on the surface.
2. Wipe down with a clean wet rag. Use a little mild dish soap if needed. For stubborn stains, add a little salt and scrub with a lemon wedge; let sit for a few minutes before wiping clean. If your board still reeks of that fish you fileted for dinner, try repeating the salt and lemon method with more gusto. You can also add some vinegar into the mix.
3. Wipe down with a clean dry towel. Wood should not remain wet for long periods of time or it will warp and split. And after you’ve dropped good money on a board, you definitely want it to last as long as possible, if not forever. (Yes, it’s possible if you care for it.)
4. Salt the surface and let sit overnight as needed. I do this mainly with the board reserved for raw meats as salt helps draw moisture and bacteria out of the porous wood grain, but I’ll do it to my vegetable boards, too, whenever I use extra water to clean them or if the oil and cream have worn thin but I hadn't had time to re-oil and condition.
5. Dry upright. This way, both sides of the block can get some air and dry thoroughly. I’ll prop the board up against the backsplash overnight before moving it back to its vertical position on a raised shelf next to the stand mixer. The mixer acts like a bookend, and all the Boos blocks are lined like books. (It’s the writer in me—everything’s gotta revolve around books.)

What’s the best way to maintain wooden cutting boards?

To keep our boards shiny and like new, we oil it with Boos mystery oil, followed by a layer of Boos board cream. The boards come out of the box oiled and conditioned already, but you can tell after using and cleaning it, the wood is not as slick and supple, making regular oiling and conditioning important. It’s recommended you oil and condition your wooden boards every few weeks, depending on how often they’re used. We do it every time we sharpen our knives—it’s an easy way to remember. Your knives and boards will last you a lifetime if you give them a little TLC.Here is how to oil and condition your wooden cutting board:

1. Make sure your board is clean and dry. Hopefully this is pretty obvious, and you don’t need an explanation. I mean, it just doesn’t make sense to oil a board that still has a bloody slab of meat on it.
2. Pour some oil on a clean rag and buff the board on all sides. Start off with a few drops until you get the hang of how much you need for one side. Remember, like with cooking, you can always add, but it’s much harder to take away. Don’t forget the side edges. Buff the oil into the wood as best as you can, and let it rest upright overnight. Then wipe away any excess—you don’t want your board looking like it just came out of the fryer.
3. Repeat with conditioning cream. Use a clean towel, cover everything, leave it alone overnight to absorb all that TLC--let it be in its zen moment. Then wipe off any excess.

If you want more tips, read the care and maintenance for Boos blocks or their FAQs.So there you have it, folks. The lowdown on Boos blocks and cutting boards. Are you a fan of John Boos products too? What kind of cutting boards or chopping blocks do you use? Any additional points I’d missed that you’d like to share? Any questions? Please comment away.

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