Posted by Mostcutting boards are made from trees classified as hardwoods. If you have been using a cutting board made of maple or beech, you are likely to notice a little shrinkage. While teak is more exotic and often used in Asian furniture and smaller projects like cutting boards, Maple is readily available in North America and relatively affordable wood. Maintaining Teak Wood The best materials for wood cutting boards are hardwoods with tightly grained wood and small pores. Teak You may already know that Teak is a valuable tropical hardwood that is quite beautiful and … Both soft and hard maple make for excellent cutting surfaces. ECO-FRIENDLY. #1: Always popular, the John Boos R02 reversible maple cutting board. They were also constructed in two different ways: Three of the models were end-grain boards (made by gluing together blocks of wood, each with the grain running vertically), and four were edge-grain boards … Final Thoughts How Durable is Teak? All wood cutting boards are made from one of three types of grains: face grain, edge grain, or end grain. Perum Perhutani, an Indonesian state run company, oversees the countries forest with a well managed sustainability program that replants each teak tree that is harvested. The main types of wood for cutting boards are maple, walnut, cherry, beech, teak, and bamboo (which is actually a hard grass). The demand in teak has also created teak plantations in Mexico, Central and South America, many of which are sustainable and have certifications from the #2: Awarded "Best Cutting Board" by America's test kitchen, the Proteak Model 107 teak cutting board. Is Poplar a Good Wood for Making Furniture? #3: John Boos end grain butcher block with American maple… Also by John Boos. It is adequately hard to provide a suitable surface for cutting. Hard maple or sugar maple are two similar types of hardwood that make good cutting boards. Don’t Be Confused or Misled Soft woods and plastics are hard to keep clean. At CuttingBoard.com, we only sell teak cutting boards that were plantation harvested and are environmentally responsible. both bamboo and teak contain silicates which make them less acceptable as cutting boards–not as bad as glass or ceramics, but in the wrong direction for sure. Rubber cutting boards such as those from the Sani-Tuff brand are another option in this price range, and they may be a better fit for someone looking for a board that that they can run through the dishwasher.. End Grain. Easy to work on but tends to burn with high-speed cutters, Secretes natural oils that preserve the wood, The tree yields a resin that produces maple syrup. If you’re concerned about cost, maple cutting boards are less expensive than other woods like pecan and walnut. John Boos RA03 24 x 18 x 2 1/4-Inch Reversible Maple Cutting Board available at Amazon. Tectona grandis species or even close. The other bonus is that teak is generally more resistant to scarring the other woods, but will still scar with regular use or heavy butchering. Obviously, you should always wash and disinfect your cutting board after each use, but as far as wiping down with oils, it is unnecessary. Browse our selection of  After all, if we just wanted a board that would repel water, we would get a NSF plastic board or even (cringe) glass cutting board and be done with it. And finally, a good maple or beech cutting board is somewhat self-healing, and won’t scar as easily as a plastic board. So having just a small fraction of silica inside teak gives it a natural boost in hardness that still doesn’t destroy your knife edge. Visit our sister site. Think maple,oak, and birch. Some examples are “Rhodesian Teak”, “African Teak”, “Brazillian Teak”, all of which are not of the $119. #3: John Boos end grain butcher block with American maple… Extra large with 24" x 18" surface. Known as being a durable natural wood, teak has commonly been used in wet environments such as boat fixtures, outdoor furniture or spa benches. A teak cutting board can be a little pricey, though, but you will be guaranteed a long lasting product. Mineral Oil Mineral oil (sometimes called liquid paraffin) is a non-toxic, non-drying product derived from petroleum that is colorless, odorless, and flavorless. Whereas even other hardwoods such as cherry, maple and walnut need to have oils applied to keep water out, teak is one (if not the only) wood that retains it’s natural oils even after being processed. #1: Always popular, the John Boos R02 reversible maple cutting board. Teak Cutting Board Teak is known for being a very durable and water resistant form of wood, and for this reason, it’s a popular choice of cutting board. Below we’ll give more information on teak vs. maple wood and … While this… Top-Rated Maple Cutting Boards. And many boards are actually made from waste wood (i.e., leftovers at the mill that would have been otherwise thrown away). Let's break this down. The boards we chose were made from bamboo or one of four types of wood (maple, birch, teak, or hinoki, a Japanese cypress). It did not help that teak from Burma (known as “Burmese Teak”), was often touted as having superior qualities versus renewable, plantation grown teak; though studies showed these claims to be invalid for the most part. The grain is sharp, fitted and uniform in texture, making it very appealing for modern applications or design. Because of its close-grained structure, this wood offers excellent durability and resistance to bacteria. The Last Cutting Board … If you opt to buy a hardwood cutting board, we our boards here at Wood Cutting Boards are the ones to choose. On the political side, some of the world’s largest remaining natural teak forests are located within the borders of Burma, a country that has history of human rights abuses that exploited people and resources to fund their brutal regime. While glass is often used for cutting boards due to it’s durability, it’s hardness also has a bad habit of turning your sharp chef’s knife into a dull butter knife after a few uses. In addition to it’s natural tectoquinones oils, teak also is dense in silica, which is the material glass is made out of. For this reason, teak has been coveted by marine ship builders for over the past century. Extra large with 24" x 18" surface. We're proud to design products that you could feel gratifying while cooking. While we at CuttingBoard.com haven’t tried the dreaded washing machine experiment with our teak boards, we definitely do NOT recommend you put your cutting board in dishwasher ( #8: John Boos Mystery Oil, made for butcher blocks, countertops and cutting boards. salt water and don’t treat the wood, which is a true testament to the natural attributes of teak. Grant Chen Teak and Scarring read here for more information). Extra large with 24" x 18" surface. You can choose between maple, cherry and walnut boards that are both durable and aesthetically pleasing. For a classic board that will last a lifetime, we love this John Boos edge grain cutting board . In fact, ship hands often wash their teak decks with The sticking point with teak products may be the price, a large board can run upwards of $100, though smaller cutting boards can be had for a mere $20. I’ve been using a cutting board made of solid pine and another made of glued up maple … Due to teak’s surging demand and popularity, like many other industries, there’s been a trend toward marketing other woods as “teak” even when they aren’t. This classificationis a bit confusing as it doesn't depend on hardness, but the type of tree.Hardwoods are angiosperms aka flowering plants with broad leaves. To test this, I ordered a bunch of identical chefs knives, … Its properties prevent water absorption, which makes food-grade mineral oil (as determined by the Federal Drug Administration) a popular choice for wooden kitchen items such as wooden spoons, bowls, and, of course, cutting boards and … With all the advantages listed so far, you were probably wondering what is the downside? The Sustainability Question The greatest beauty of teak wood is that it is virtually maintenance free. This beautiful, eco-conscious teak board requires more careful cleaning than a plastic board, but it feels better under a knife and is easier to maintain than the other wood … What’s more, a heavy softwood board is kind to knives, and will keep them sharper longer. As with most woods though, depending on the segment or board used, a teak cutting board can either look uniform or have a knotty texture like traditional boards. View all products. This type of cutting board is resilient and durable, as well as sanitary and knife-friendly. Maintaining a cutting board is a quick and easy task that will keep your board sanitary, looking new and extend the life of your board. #5: Exquisite American Black Walnut made by John Boos, the most famous name in cutting boards and butcher blocks. As for durability in the kitchen, Cooks Illustrated #2: Awarded "Best Cutting Board" by America's test kitchen, the Proteak Model 107 teak cutting board. banned under sanctions from the US government until just recently, when some sanctions were lifted due to a change in the regime. So the answer is, if you like natural woods, teak will suit your tastes just fine. Outside of Burma, Indonesia is one of the largest producers of teak. In theory, an end-grain board will be gentler on your knife than an edge-grain board will, and teak will wear down a blade faster than maple. Wood cutting boards are available in walnut, cherry wood, ash, oak, maple, and teak. End grain hard woods like maple … The history of the wood cutting board … The crème de la crème of cutting boards … Visually, teak is quite beautiful, with a medium brown color tinged with gold and orange hues. Need wood countertops? Just wash the board with soap and hot water after every use and allow it to thoroughly dry on all sides (Photo 3). #1: Always popular, the John Boos R02 reversible maple cutting board. Absolutely spot on: no finish needed. Bocote 2200 Maple, Soft 999 Brazilian Tiger Mahogany 3840 Teak, Plantation 1000 Brushbox, Northern 2045 Cherry, Africa, Makore 1010 Bubinga 1980 Ash, Victorian 1010 Butternut 490 Walnut, Domestic Black 1010 Camaru (Brazilian Teak) 3540 Oak, Tasmainian 1010 Cherry, Africa, Makore 1010 Aniegre 1110 Cherry, Brazilian 2820 Teak… Now that we’ve revealed that maple is the best wood for cutting boards, it’s time to get your hands on one! The disadvantage of making a wood cutting board … Wooden cutting boardsshould generally be made from hard, tight-grained woods. #4: For the knife afficionado, hinoki is regarded as the best wood to use for cutting. Historically, it was a prized tree as it naturally resisted rain, termites, rot, fungus and warping, making it an excellent material for the region. As a home chef though, there are important factors for a cutting board besides simply being water resistant, such as: the visual appeal, durability, knife scarring, maintenance and sustainability. Michigan Maple BlockMichigan Maple Block is yet another traditional cutting … 1½” maple … #9: Clapham's Beeswax is a famous name in the woodworking industry, known for their museum quality waxes and finishes. If you've paid any attention to culinary magazines or shows in the last few years, you’ll know that teak cutting boards have made their way onto many a kitchen aficionado’s “must have” list. While outdoor teak will patina and turn a silvery gray color, left inside out of the UV exposure, your cutting board should have no issues preserving its color. I’ve had a cutting board for about 30 years that was part of the butcher-block top of a dishwasher that was probably just about as old when it was decommissioned (they *really* don’t make ’em like they used to!) #2: Awarded "Best Cutting Board" by America's test kitchen, the Proteak Model 107 teak cutting board. #7: Our exclusive all-in-one cutting board maintenance kit, with mineral oil, wood wax and applicator cloth. Copyright © 2021 CuttingBoard.com | Built with care in Norcross, Georgia, Sister Company Featured on Margaret of York Blog, Martha Stewart gives a shout out to CuttingBoard.com. teak cutting boards here at CuttingBoard.com. Unfortunately, the teak trade is a source of both political and sustainability issues. With a teak board, you can rest well knowing you will have a beautiful kitchen piece that will last for years! They certainly have many positives and few drawbacks. Know More. All in all, are teak cutting boards worth the hype? on 14th Jan 2014. 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If you’re hunting for a great wooden cutting board but on a budget, we liked the Grip Acacia which retails for $29.99 and comes with two boards, one 8 inches by 11 inches and an 11 inches by … Forest Stewardship Council. recommended teak wood after putting a variety of cutting boards through the series of chopping, washing and durability tests. Exclusively imported by CuttingBoard.com. Lunar Teak Cutting Board set of 3 908. Why Teakhaus? Visually, teak … What gives teak it’s water restive properties is a combination of natural wood oils, tight wood grain and tensile strength. #3: John Boos end grain butcher block with American maple. Teak has it’s roots (no pun intended) in tropical South-East Asia, where it is grown in regions such as India, Indonesia, Myanmar (Burma), Malaysia and other nearby countries. #6: Premium 2-1/4" thick American Maple with side handles. 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