Wood or plastic cutting board---which is better?

Question

Is one better than the other or is it just personal preference?

Answer 1

Wood.
1. There is substantial amounts of proof out there that wood has natural properties that help ward off or even kill bacteria, so from the health standpoint it is safe.
2 Wood is softer, and therefore more gentle on your knife blades.
3. Most boards are either heavy enough, or have rubber feet mounted to them that help prevent slipping during use.
Plastic -Hard.
1. Plastic can harbour harmeful bacteria.
2. Easy to clean.
3. Come colour coded, so you can designate the red for meat, the green for produce the white for cheese, the brown for fish, etc.....
Plastic - Flexible
1. very easily dameaged, can harbour harmful bacteria.
2 Easy to use, can be bent to help pour chopped foods into pans, etc.
Glass
1. Easy to clean.
2 Hard on knives.

I use all of them escept for glass.
Wood is my favorite because I feel I get a better knife feeel from them.
The felxible plastic ones are great if your are doing lots odf vegetables or herbs for soups, or very detailed recipes.
All in all it is a matter of preference, all have their shortcomings and strongppooints.

Answer 2

I learned in a cooking class that there is no more sanitary board. The plastic is easy to clean off in the sink and with bleach, but then so is the wood board. The plastic will get 'fuzzy' as it is used, where the wood wont do that. You can sand the wood board down too. But the wood is porous and may hold bacteria.

Use bleach in a 1/10 solution with water and spray and let set on either clean plastic or wood board you use.

Just dont jump up on it like Bobby Flay did in Japan on Iron Chef...how embarassing.

Answer 3

All three are options, but I recommend wood or even glass over plastic. Glass and plastic have the advantage over wood that you can just pop them in a dishwasher to wash them. Wood, you should wash manually with soap and hot water. However, glass is hard on your knives. Bacteria do grow on plastic cutting boards, in the grooves left by cutting, but wood actually has chemicals in it that fight bacteria. However, don't use the same cutting board for meats and also for vegetables which you will eat uncooked.

Answer 4

Plastic no doubt about it. Ive been a chef for 10 years and have come to the conclusion that wood is just for show. The wood can hold germs, is harder to clean and also holds flavors in it like garlic, onions.

Answer 5

well wood is more sturdy, but bacteria can grow in the cuts. Plastic can break but is easier to keep clean, but bacteria can get in any cuts or nicks on the board.

Answer 6

Plastic would be the better choice. even if you scrub a wooden one they will still breed bacteria. There is no way to sanatize a wooden one. whereas a plastic one wash it or throw it in the dishwasher and it is sanatized. Glass is the best choice, but if it is between wood & plastic plastic is best.

Answer 7

Definitely plastic!

Answer 8

They serve two different purposes. Wood is for vegetables. Wood absorbs the germs etc. of meat. Plastic is for meat, chicken etc.

Answer 9

Both are okay. l'm using plastic (an old one for 9 years now). l'm thinking of buying wood so l'll have two. l've read that its better to have 3 cutting boards; one for meat, one for fish and one for fruit and veggies. lt's more hygienic that way. l might try that,too.

Answer 10

I'd go for the plastic because it will last longer, is easier to clean and remove the germs and bacteria.