skip to main content
Photos
Photos
Advice
Stories From Houzz
Houzz Discussions
Houzz TV
Sign In
Houzz Logo Print
Explore Discussions
Polls
isidora_markovic90

Chopping boards - wooden or plastic?

Isidora Markovic
7 years ago

In the world of chopping boards there are two main competing kinds - wooden and plastic.

Most wood-made things have a charm and warmth to them, but I'm not always convinced that when washed they are as clean as plastic, though that's just me! Plastic can be more flexible in terms of colour, if you're the colourful kind.


Contemporary Kitchen · More Info

So - which do you prefer? Or do you have both depending on what it is you are cutting? Share all chopping board related thoughts with a vote and comment below!


Plastic
Wooden all the way
Why not both?
Featured Answer
  • Victoria
    7 years ago
    Glass chopping boards blunt knives quickly.

    Comments (28)

    • PRO
      FPA architects
      7 years ago

      what about a glass chopping board?

    • Heather Griffin
      7 years ago

      Both, of course. :) I love my bamboo boards, they clean nicely. I use plastic for meat-products.


    • PRO
      Saku Design Studio
      7 years ago
      I use my wooden one for sconces and pastry making coz I don't want knife marks all over it and plastic for everything else. I find that veggies like carrots and butternut stain the boards so you either have to give them a thorough scrub or clean with bleach every so often.
    • UK Busy Man
      7 years ago
      wooden are supposed to be more hygienic
    • PRO
      Meistrauju.LT
      7 years ago
      we use three of them. Glass one - for raw meet. Wooden - for bread, cheese, sousage or alike. Plastic, when the rest of them are used or not cleaned.
    • Tidy Towers
      7 years ago

      Wood, but I scrub with steel scrubbie after each use if raw meat.

    • tiredoldwoman
      7 years ago

      Wood for bread , I love the sound . Anything bloody or smelly gets chopped on my plastic ones . Then I spray with bleach cleaner . My glass one is way too noisy !

    • Harriet
      7 years ago
      I use wooden for vegetables and plastic for meat
    • t_abbott
      7 years ago
      Standard kitchen hygiene practices dictate plastic for meats and wooden for all other.
    • robrory1
      7 years ago

      I have a set of different coloured plastic chopping boards. I think they are much more hygienic as I can put them in the dishwasher.

    • Kit O
      7 years ago
      Wood does have natural antibacterial properties. I have an immense dislike for plastic, it's a blight on the environment so I prefer to use bamboo (sustainable product) and for cleaning I use diluted hydrogen peroxide (1%) food grade.
    • Ellie Telford
      7 years ago
      One colour plastic board for fruit or other colour plastic for vegetables and use meat scissors first wash it by pot after warm when cook.
    • Daisy England
      7 years ago
      Glass for hygiene purposes.
    • Susan Jamieson
      7 years ago

      Nothing but wood - never had a problem with raw meat over 53 years. Just scrub it off with the sink scrubbie.

    • Chris Goodchild
      7 years ago

      As Kit O says some woods such as beech have natural antibacterial properties. I make my own from scraps of wood left over from projects, I prefer to use beech or iroko, iroko is very water resistant and resists cut marks. The best are end grain boards which you will always see in butchers shops and the best professional kitchens, particularly beech, end grain also closes around a cut so it always looks good unless it suffers the kind of wear and taer that a butcher gives it.

      Plastic tends to suffer from cut marks that hold residues and become difficult to clean, glass as mentioned is death to the cutting edge of a knife and marble is to some degree porous, blunts knives and is heavy, so wood every time for me.

      I have to confess I am a little biased as I am a carpenter.

    • dorisanddoris
      7 years ago

      Wood has natural antimicrobial properties. http://faculty.vetmed.ucdavis.edu/faculty/docliver/Research/cuttingboard.htm

      Try not to increase demand for endangered hardwood products by making sure it's FSC approved.

    • Joanna Biddolph
      7 years ago

      Wood or bamboo for me. And I find it really useful to have one small one - for slicing lemons for my G&T..

    • rosebud1969
      7 years ago
      I use both and just wash with Ecover washing up liquid - no need for harsh chemicals.
    • Sonia
      7 years ago

      I have two wooden ones. One just for meat, and the other for veg etc. I've tried plastic but they get very tatty, developing deep knife marks. Glass should not be used as it will blunt your knives in seconds. I scrub the wooden ones with washing up liquid, and I'm still alive so must do the job!

    • Anne
      7 years ago

      My polythene chopping boards go straight into the dishwasher after use. Life's too short for hand-washing. I do have a heavy, end-grain wood block that looks great but requires care - it only gets used as a cheese board these days.

    • karencarter44
      7 years ago

      glass blunts knives, plastic cuts easily and harbours germs, wood (particularly beech) has antibacterial properties - thats why it used to be used for loo seats.

    • PRO
      Bio Fires
      7 years ago

      Wood is more homely and authentic.

    • spittle71
      7 years ago
      I have a wooden chopping board that stays out on the kitchen counter (£12 from IKEA) and plastic trays (£1 from IKEA) which I use todo most of my chopping. I renew the plastic trays (hygiene) often as their so cheap.
    • User
      7 years ago
      OMG I can't believe I haven't killed anyone!
    • User
      7 years ago
      What is 'end grain board'?
    • PRO
      The Engraved Oak Company
      7 years ago
      I have to say Oak, I do make them after all.
    • PRO
      Crystal Woods
      7 years ago

      Wood certainly has a lot more to offer in both style and feel and practicality, you can not put a hot pan on to a plastic chopping board.

      There are various designs of chopping boards you can produce with wood, as well as enhancing the natural beautiful grain and colour of the various wood species. The three species most ideal and compatible for a kitchen and food environment are Beech, Maple & Sycamore, The most beautiful and admired chopping boards are the ones that are also Spalted (showing scattered black lines) It is possible to get Spalted Beech, Spalted Maple & Spalted Sycamore, Also ripple back and birds eye Maple are exquisite.

      Not a great picture but these two boards are Spalted Beech


    Sponsored
    More Discussions
    How to position a TV in this living / dining room?
    0
    Hi, how to plain for the kitchen
    1
    Singapore
    Tailor my experience with cookies

    Houzz uses cookies and similar technologies to personalise my experience, serve me relevant content, and improve Houzz products and services. By clicking ‘Accept’ I agree to this, as further described in the Houzz Cookie Policy. I can reject non-essential cookies by clicking ‘Manage Preferences’.