The Cook’s Kitchen

We recently made the switch in our home kitchen to bamboo cutting boards. They seem to be the new thing because you see them everywhere. They are beautiful with the contrasting light and dark wood. Are they all form, or is there some functional benefits to these trendy little items dressing up kitchens across the country?

Wood cutting boards typically have been a hard maple. The wooden strips are laminated together which increases the hardness of the board which directly impacts durability. Laminated strips warp less than a solid board. Wood fibers on a solid board cut easier allowing for places for bacteria to take root and grow. This is why most butcher blocks use end grain, which slices into the fibers instead of across and cutting them. Maple is often used because it is a dense wood, unlike most oaks which are very porous. Porous woods invite bacteria.

Bamboo boards are structred with long thin laminated strips. Bamboo is harder and more dense than even maple. Though a sharp knife will leave cut marks, they are less noticable than the maple counterpart. The densely packed fibers leave little room for bacteria to find a home.

A great benefit of bamboo boards is that they are environmentally friendly. Bamboo is one of nature’s gifts. It grows very easily and rapidly in the right climates. Common bamboo species grow 90 feet in a year. That’s a lot of cutting boards. Renewable and natural resources like this are wonderful for our environment and the demands that our growing population places on it.

The two boards pictured were purchased from two different stores. The first is about 19″ long and cost about $30 at Bed, Bath & Beyond. The smaller 12″ board is a Chefworks from Target for $9.99. So bamboo is food safe, inexpensive, and renewable. We’ve made the switch for good. Other bamboo kitchen products like cooking utensils, bowls and platters are also available. Make the switch to bamboo for beauty and function.