Protect Your Kitchen Workbench with a Chopping Board

Posted by Kitchenwaresuperstore on July 8th, 2015

Chopping boards are critical tools in the kitchen. Not only do they provide a nice, even surface for cutting up food, they also help protect your workbench from the damage that sharp knives can cause. They shield your expensive kitchen surface from scratches and eventual damage while also protecting it from stains and odours that usually come from raw ingredients, particularly meat and fish. Apart from acting as a shield for your kitchen workbench, the right cutting board can also help keep your knives sharp while also maintaining sanitation in the kitchen.

Experts say that your choice of chopping board is just as important as your choice of knives. The right chopping board can help make your cutting, chopping, and slicing tasks go smoothly and quickly. Wood and plastic cutting boards are better than other options like marble, glass, and ceramic. While the latter do offer great aesthetic appeal, they accelerate the dulling of your knives' edges while plastic and wood help keep your tools sharp for longer.

There are different factors that you should consider when shopping for a good cutting board. First is size. While you can always cut smaller items on large boards, it is quite difficult to handle large items on smaller boards. Choose a chopping board that is large enough for your general chopping and cutting tasks and is wide enough to provide ample protection for your workbench when you are wielding your kitchen knife.

Remember to buy separate chopping boards for raw meats and vegetables. The Cross-contamination is a real danger when using the same board to cut up raw protein like salmonella ridden-chicken and dice or mince salad ingredients. To minimize the chances of contaminating the food you serve your family, purchase a separate cutting board for meats, vegetables, and bread.

Cost is another factor to consider when shopping for chopping boards. These kitchen items don't usually cost as much, except when opting for expensive hardwoods. Plastic cutting boards are almost always the most economical choice. Sanitation and protection from bacteria should also be considered. Some say that wooden boards offer natural protection against bacteria that seep into the board after cleaning, while others prefer the promise of plastic's non-porous surface, which prevents juices from penetrating the board surface.

Cutting mats are good alternatives to chopping boards if you want the ultimate protection for your kitchen workbench, mats are usually made out of a thin sheet of tough yet flexible plastic, specifically designed for cutting. Their flexible design makes them very handy for chopping large quantities of ingredients, picking them up and slightly folding the mat and paring the items into your pots and pans or into the garbage for quick and easy cleanup.

About The Author:

This article is written by Carla Penn is who is the Managing Director at Kitchenware Superstore. Kitchenware Superstore is an Australian owned and trusted company offering the biggest ranges of cookware and kitchenware from the leading brands such as Scanpan, Riedel, Le Creuset, Global, KitchenAid, Wusthof, Breville, Cuisinart and more at unbeatable prices.