You want to keep your new knife purchases in top shape. You might be wondering… what’s the best cutting board to use with ceramic knives. Here I look at ceramic knives and the choices in cutting boards to keep your purchases at their best.
What is the best cutting board for ceramic knives? A wood, bamboo, or plastic type with the right hardness is the best cutting board to use with ceramic knives. Ceramic knife blades are strong, being made of Zirconium dioxide, but using them with a downward force on rock-hard surfaces, such as glass, stone, or marble, can damage them.
Types of cutting boards for the kitchen
For your kitchen, the choice of cutting board is probably more extensive than you realize. You can choose between plastic, wooden, bamboo, glass, marble, and stone cutting boards that come in all shapes and sizes.
Timbers used in wood cutting boards:
- Maple (sugar maple or hard maple) — durable, resists bacteria, and has good amount of hardness.
- White Ash — more care needed because being light color it will show stains
- Beech — sturdy and cheaper than other woods.
- Walnut — dark color
- Other exotics that are not an eco-friendly option with wild sources being decimated.
Good alternative to wood:
- Bamboo – reasonably hard and takes in less water than many wooden types
Plastic used in cutting boards:
- PVC (polyvinyl chloride) and HDPE (High-density polyethylene) are the most common plastics used in making cutting boards.
Most hygienic cutting boards
Hygiene in the kitchen is important. The cutting board is an area that can harbour bacteria if not properly cleaned and some are more prone to this risk than others. Glass, stone, and marble types are the most hygienic but are not the best for knives given their rock-hard surface will dull even steel blades over time.
The cutting boards suited to use with ceramic knives are plastic, wood, and bamboo types. Avoid soft timbers as these need greater care for hygiene. But even the boards with the right hardness can suffer cuts to the surface. To maintain hygiene with these…
Slip the plastic boards into the dishwasher for a proper clean. For the wood and bamboo types, don’t use the dishwasher. Cleaning in hot sudsy water has been proven to work. Keep them at their best by rubbing them over with vegetable oil to seal the surface every now and then. Grapeseed oil is a good one for this. Also, avoid boards made from soft timbers.
Whick cutting board to buy
People have their preferences and may debate about what is the best chopping board. At the end of the day, it’s one that is easy to clean and has no hidden nasties.
For me, a plastic cutting board with large gouges from knife cuts is the least appealing for hygiene. It can be tricky to completely get rid the grime embedded in the roughened surface. And then there’s the risk of micro slithers of plastic getting into the ingredients you prepare when using the board with a sharp knife.
I recommend a good wooden or bamboo cutting board for ceramic knife use and to keep the cutting board sealed with a good rubbing of oil to soak in. Woods to avoid are Oak, Cedar, and pines because they are too soft, which means more sanitizing effort and greater stress on the knife blade.
When to use cutting boards
You need to use a cutting board when you chop, slice, or sliver foods for ingredients. The best ceramic knives are really sharp but using any knife on the kitchen counter can either dull the knife or mark the counter, depending on which is harder.
You might use one or two to add style to your kitchen. Wooden cutting boards with a special grain are popular to use this way. So too are marble cutting boards. Certain cutting boards can be used when you want to add a touch of elegance to your kitchen.
But what makes a good cutting board apart from food safety, durability, and style? One that doesn’t dull your knife.
Why ceramic knives need special care
I wrote about this in my article ceramic knives are fragile but….
Final thoughts
The right cutting board will keep your knives sharper for longer. The best cutting boards for ceramic knives are made of wood or bamboo.