The best cutting board material for your health and kitchen

Wood, glass, plastic or stainless steel: what is the best material for your cutting board? We explore the pros and cons of each material, also taking into account the latest studies on health risks

A cutting board is an indispensable thing in any kitchen and serves for the preparation of all kinds of food every day. Being made from different materials, the choice of a cutting board will make a difference not only in convenience and durability but also in your health.

These include some of the most common materials: wood, plastic, glass, and stainless steel. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but which is best for health and practicality? We shall look into the pros and cons of each material to enable you to make a wise decision.

Wood

Wood has always been the sweetheart in the kitchen. A decent-quality wooden cutting board will last decades if well looked after and may become part of one’s heirloom kitchen elements. But is wood the best?

Various studies have shown that wood retains fewer bacteria than plastic, which makes it safer for preparing food. In fact, one such study led by microbiologist Dean Cliver reached the same conclusion. But here’s the caveat: the board should be made from raw, high-quality wood-beech, oak, walnut, or maple-but never softwoods or glued boards that could leach chemicals.

It can be cleaned by scrubbing with hot water and soap after use, for instance, can help retain cleanliness in a wood-cutting board.

Glass

If hygiene and ease of cleaning are your top priorities, then a glass cutting board would be the perfect choice. Glass is non-porous and easy to clean, leaving no food residues or bacteria. You can safely wash it in the dishwasher, and its smooth, transparent surface makes it perfect for quick and convenient use.

There are, however, some drawbacks. Glass is fragile and may shatter if dropped. Its hardness also can affect knives, which will lead to a dull blade after some time. Considering these slight disadvantages, glass is still one of the most hygienic choices.

Stainless steel

Among all other materials, stainless steel is widely recognized for being exceptionally resistant and antibacterial by nature. The stainless steel cutting boards resistively guard against destruction, are easy to clean, and do not absorb bacteria. Besides all this, they highly value the modern look of design, which is appropriate for a modern kitchen.

Like glass, stainless steel is easy to clean and can be used with no risk of bacterial contamination. But its hardness makes it noisy to work on when trying to cut, which some people may not appreciate. And also, such a tough surface is not great on knife blades.

Plastic

Plastic is among the most common materials for a cutting board, but recently several studies pointed out some risks for health. A few days ago we were referring to an American Chemical Society study that underlined the fact that plastic cutting boards, especially those made of polyethylene and polypropylene, can release microplastics into food.

With each contact of a knife with the surface of a plastic board, very tiny particles can break off, make their way to food, and eventually into our bodies.

This has not been associated with toxic effects immediately; however, it is possible that microplastics could build up over time inside the body and inflame it, or interfere with hormone activity.

Plastic cutting boards worn out have to be changed regularly to reduce risks; and proper maintenance, such as not exposing them to high temperatures, is advisable. Though plastic seems so practical, microplastic contamination is one risk that pushes the scale and makes wood, glass, or stainless steel alternatives very viable-indeed much safer to use and more ecological.

The best choice

All these materials have definite advantages and drawbacks; hence the choice of the appropriate cutting board relies on your conditions of use. Among those who really want a nature friendly long-lasting material, wood is decidedly the best of all. Mind you, right type is to be selected; then only high quality, raw woods alone were allowed for use safety and durability – reasons.