In a design house, you cannot do without beautiful and useful accessories for the kitchen, starting from the cutting board: which are the preferable materials, and which ones are right for us?
We use cutting boards every day to cut meat, chop vegetables, fillet fish or slice cheese and salami. But to know which is the right cutting board for us, we must know the goods and bads of the materials they are made of: marble, wood (which wood?), glass, steel, plastic, rubber or silicone.
Wooden cutting boards
They are the most common and the ones we are used to seeing and using in our kitchens..
PROS
They are among the most versatile and long lasting.
They are hygienic because wood has antibacterial properties.
Wood is a “self-healing” material: the cuts caused by the knives tend to heal.
They do not damage the blades of the knives.
CONS
They require more attention as they can absorb the smells and colours of many foods.
They absorb water, and therefore cannot be washed in the dishwasher.
Given the porosity of the wood, it is good not to wash them with invasive detergents, and choose woods (such as bamboo) which are less porous and therefore absorb less liquids and dirt.
The recommended purchase: a 100% natural bamboo cutting board
Plastic / polyethylene cutting boards
Plastic cutting boards are very common and mainly made of polyethylene. Dimensions and use may vary: we can find them solid, flexible, disposable, or comfortable to travel, etc)
PROS
Easy to wash, even with aggressive detergents (such as bleach), and easy to rinse.
Can be washed in the dishwasher..
CONS
They do not have self-regenerating properties like wood, therefore once engraved by a knife, germs and bacteria can get out of the cuts.
They wear out quickly and need to be changed frequently.
The recommended purchase: a simple white polyethylene cutting board, suitable for modern kitchens
Glass cutting boards
Elegant but more useful as a tray than as a cutting surface.
PROS
Aesthetically very satisfactory (especially for a modern kitchen).
They do not retain germs and can be washed with a sponge.
CONS
They are easy to crack and break – in which case glass residues can mix with food.
The glass surface affects the blade of the knives.
The recommended purchase: a set of Stoneline glass cutting boards with marble effect
Steel cutting boards
Little present in home kitchens but almost essential for professionals.
PROS
Extremely hygienic because they are virtually impossible to scratch.
Very easy to clean (with any product and in the dishwasher).
CONS
Their hardness leads to a tendency to ruin (bend or chip) the blades of the knives.
The slippery surface is a source of risk for those who are not used to handling them.
The recommended purchase: some stainless steel cutting boards
Marble cutting boards
As like as glass cutting boards, marble cutting boards are also more suitable for use as trays.
PROS
They are very impact resistant.
They are not porous and therefore very hygienic.
Few cutting boards can be more beautiful than marble ones – especially if you have a classic, country or vintage kitchen.
CONS
Despite the non-porosity, marble is a very sensitive material: exposure to very chemical substances or other degree of acidity (lemons, vinegar, tomatoes) is enough to ruin the surface.
As with steel, marble cutting boards also damage the blades of the knives.
The recommended purchase: a cutting board in white Carrara marble by Marmolove
Silicone cutting boards
The silicone (or rubber) cutting boards are among the most comfortable and versatile on the market. The only disadvantage: their inevitably “cheap” aspect.
PROS
Resistant and non-slippery.
They are able to “restore” their surface (like an organic material) so as to be less exposed to wear from cuts.
They are easy to wash (with any cleaning product) and do not retain odours.
CONS
Elegant silicone models are very hard to find. Impossible to combine in a classic kitchen.
The recommended purchase: a nice and colorful Brabantia silicone cutting board
Target Point, Italian Ideas.