When is your Cutting board due for replacement?

Discover all about the different materials and their maintenance in this blog post! Every kitchen cupboard should contain a number of kitchen tools. One of them is the cutting board! Handy for cutting vegetables, meat, fruit, and other ingredients. Within the culinary world, there are debates about which material is best for a cutting board. From wooden to plastic cutting boards: the choice is endless.

To ensure hygiene, you can also choose a color system: a red cutting board for raw meat, a green cutting board for vegetables, and so on. In this guide, we'll help you navigate the world of cutting boards. Which cutting board is best for you?

When is your Cutting board due for replacement?

It doesn't matter if your Cutting board is made of plastic or wood and whether you clean it by hand or dishwasher; bacteria quickly settle in the grooves of your Cutting board. Usually, after a year of cutting and chopping, quite a few grooves are visible. And that's when you know it's time to replace your cutting board!

HACCP Cutting Board

HACCP stands for 'Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points' and is the collective name for the food safety system. It is a useful tool for preparing food in the most hygienic way possible. This is a must in the catering industry, but of course you also don't want to take any risks at home either. With these cutting boards you work with a to prevent cross-contamination. The HACCP cutting board is usually made of plastic. This means that they are easy to maintain and you can clean them in the dishwasher.

The colors can be used as follows:

Red: raw meat
Blue: fish, shellfish, and crustaceans
Green: vegetables and fruit
Yellow: raw poultry
Brown: roasted meat and sausage
White: cheese and bread

Pros and cons
The advantages of a HACCP cutting board are: it prevents cross-contamination, promotes kitchen hygiene, and is organized.

A disadvantage of HACCP cutting boards is that you have to purchase multiple boards. We sell the HACCP cutting boards as a set, so you always have all the colors at hand!

Wooden cutting board

A wooden cutting board: handy and also looks great on the table!

You can choose from different types of wood, such as: bamboo, acacia, olive wood and rubberwood. Bamboo is one of the strongest types of wood: this makes them less susceptible to moisture and cracking. Wood is a natural product, which means a wooden cutting board requires a little more maintenance than a plastic cutting board. It is best to clean a wooden cutting board with a cloth or rinse it under the tap.

If you have cut raw chicken on the board, you can also use dish soap. Dish soap is a degreaser: this can dry out the wood somewhat. Due to frequent use, a wooden board can become somewhat duller after a while. You can treat this with wood oil: a natural, odorless and colorless oil that creates a new protective layer.

Rub the board with the wood oil: after this, you will see that you bring back the deep, warm color and the board will no longer feel dried out!

Pros and cons:

The advantage of a wooden cutting board is that it also works well as a serving board. Just put some appetizers on it and it's ready to go! The soft material also keeps your knives from blunting quickly. The downside of a wooden cutting board is that it's not dishwasher-safe.

Marble Cutting Board

A marble cutting board is a gem among cutting boards. Just like a wooden cutting board, it can also be used as a serving board. Marble is a natural product. This means that every marble cutting board has a unique pattern. Marble is naturally very temperature-sensitive, which may quickly make this cutting board feel a bit colder. A marble cutting board does not absorb any moisture at all: this means the board will not warp or crack. It is, however, somewhat more sensitive to dyes or acids (such as lemon juice).

Plastic Cutting Board

A plastic cutting board is a real must-have in your kitchen cupboard: they always come in handy. As described above, you can purchase a plastic cutting board in different colours. In addition to different colours, you can also choose from different sizes and shapes.

Handy: we also have cutting boards in our range that you can 'fold': this way you can slide your ingredients more easily into the pan and not next to the pan!

Maintaining a plastic cutting board is not rocket science. Plastic is easy to keep clean because it is dishwasher safe. Very pleasant after cutting raw meat!

Advantages and disadvantages

The advantage of a plastic cutting board is its user-friendliness: it is easy to maintain. The different choices in colours allow you to work hygienically.

The disadvantage of a plastic cutting board is that you are less likely to use it as a serving board. The appearance is somewhat less spectacular than a wooden cutting board.

Glass cutting board

A glass cutting board looks stylish, but it's also very hygienic. The smooth surface is easy to keep clean. The board usually has non-slip feet to prevent it from sliding around. A glass cutting board is available in various colors and with different prints. You can safely leave this board on the countertop: it certainly won't look out of place!

The glass cutting board can be cleaned in the dishwasher or by hand.

Pros and cons:

The advantage of a glass cutting board is its extremely hard surface. This reduces the risk of scratches, which can harbor bacteria. The board is also resistant to dyes, which a plastic cutting board is more susceptible to.

The disadvantage of a glass cutting board is that the hard material is somewhat more susceptible to cracking. As with a marble cutting board, falling off the board is somewhat more dangerous.

You should replace your cutting board if:

The cutting board has many cracks/grooves
It is difficult to get the cutting board really clean
It no longer smells fresh or it smells very musty and you can't get rid of this smell

Have you come to the conclusion that your cutting board needs to be replaced? Then take a look at assortment for a good alternative!

You should replace your cutting board if:

How to enjoy your cutting board for longer

Go for a good quality professional cutting board. These are often made of polyethylene, a plastic suitable for the catering industry. This ensures that the board does not wear out quickly, even with super-sharp knives. As a result, grooves do not easily develop and there is no space for bacteria to nest.

Do you have a wooden or bamboo cutting board? Then nourish it regularly with oil. This fills the pores and prevents bacteria from developing. You can read how to do this here. It also helps prevent the cutting board from drying out. If you don't do this, a wooden cutting board can warp or, in the worst case, split (where bacteria can then establish themselves). For this reason, a wooden cutting board should never go in the dishwasher!

Consider a marble or glass cutting board. A marble or glass cutting board naturally doesn't absorb moisture, so it's less likely to warp or crack. This keeps it nice and flat, and bacteria don't have a chance to settle.