Guides
Wood or plastic chopping board: which is better?
The short answer: for everyday chopping, a good hardwood board is better. It is kinder to your knives, it lasts for decades instead of a year or two, and washed and dried properly it is as hygienic as plastic. Keep a separate board for raw meat; if you want one that goes in the dishwasher, choose wood fibre rather than plastic.
Which is more hygienic?
Both are safe if you look after them. Research led by food microbiologist Dean Cliver at the University of California, Davis, found that bacteria applied to hardwood boards declined quickly and were hard to recover, while knife-scarred plastic boards held on to them in their grooves, even after washing. Plastic's advantage is that it can go in a dishwasher; its disadvantage is that every cut leaves a groove that is hard to clean by hand.
What matters most is the routine: scrub with hot soapy water after use, rinse, and stand the board on its edge to dry. Never leave wood soaking.
Which is better for knives?
Wood, clearly. Hardwood gives slightly under the blade, so the edge stays sharp for longer. Glass, stone and hard plastic dull an edge quickly. An end grain board is the kindest of all: the knife slips between the wood fibres instead of cutting across them, and the board closes up behind the cut.
Which lasts longer?
A plastic board gets scarred, stained and warped and should be replaced when it is deeply grooved. A hardwood board, oiled every month or so, lasts for decades and can be sanded back to new at any point in its life.
If you want a board for the dishwasher
Choose wood fibre, not plastic. A Season Wood Fibre Chopping Board is made from wood fibre bonded with a little food-safe resin: a natural material that is non-porous, knife friendly and dishwasher safe. It is ideal for raw meat and fish, and for beetroot, turmeric and other things that stain. If it ever gets deeply marked it can be sanded back, so it will last a lifetime. Thin (0.6cm) and light, with non-slip grips on the larger sizes, from £15.
Choosing a wooden board
- Hardwood, close-grained: teak, walnut, maple, acacia. Avoid soft woods.
- End grain for daily chopping; edge grain for bread and serving.
- Size: as large as your worktop allows. Room to work makes cooking calmer.
- Weight: a heavy board stays put while you chop.
Our boards: the Season Teak End Grain Chopping Board and the Season Walnut End Grain Chopping Board, both from £70, in wood sourced from FSC-approved suppliers. Keep them nourished with Season Chopping Board Oil. Full care guide: how to look after a wooden chopping board.
Questions people ask
Can you cut raw meat on a wooden board? Yes, if you scrub it with hot soapy water straight afterwards and let it dry. Many cooks keep a separate board for raw meat; a wood fibre board can go straight in the dishwasher.
Can a wooden board go in the dishwasher? No. Heat and water split and warp it.
How often should I oil a wooden board? Every month or so, and whenever it looks pale and dry.
When should I replace a plastic board? When it is deeply scored or stained. Grooves are where bacteria hide.
Cook it with
Cook like it matters.
From the cooks at Season, a London cookshop since 2005.