If you have expensive, cherished knives, or your knives dull quickly with your current cutting boards, then end grains are your best choice.
End grain cutting boards are made up of many smaller pieces of hardwood that are put together vertically & glued together, forming one large board. If you were to cut a tree down & look downward at the rings, you would be looking at the "end grain". End grains are beneficial for 3 major reasons.
When your sliding your knife across an end grain, the blade is cutting into the fibres of the wood, causing those fibers to slightly separate, meaning less woodcomes into contact with the cutting edge - your knives stay sharper, longer.
Since you're cutting into the fibers, those same fibers of wood are also able to heal themselves by moving back into position as a blade moves across it - you'll notice significantly less marks on an end grain board, making it more visually appealing for a longer period of time.
Peace of mind. Bacteria from raw meats, are captured by the fibres of an end grain cutting board, keeping bacteria from freely moving, and helping to prevent cross contamination.
Warm, Soapy water and a light scrub will remove this bacteria.
Comments