Cutting Board Types every kitchen needs
Cutting Board Types every kitchen needs – one of the most important utensils in the kitchen! I hammer this home to everyone I talk to, as it is not thought about all the time, but needs to be. From the best board for your knifes to keeping you safe when cooking and having different boards for meats, veggies and seafood!
Cutting Board Types every kitchen needs
Why you need a few different kinds of cutting boards
You need at least 2 boards, but I always have 4 on hand. One of the most important things to keep in mind when cooking is Food Safety! We all never really think about it until the next day when we are having some fun times running to the bathroom (we have all been there)! Food born illness is a real and occurring hazard in all our kitchens daily. I always have 3 to 4 boards specifically for cutting raw meats, poultry and fish and seafood. We all know some Chicken are contaminated with Salmonella, you don’t want to mix that with your veggie salad, or anything else your cutting raw. (or it could be a fun day in the bathroom or worse)
Here are the different Cutting Boards I have and why:
- A board that is used for fruits, vegetables, bread and anything that is safe to be eaten raw.
- A board that is used for cutting raw meats, poultry and pork.
- A board that is specifically (and solely) for cutting seafood and fish.
- The fourth to hold the meat after cooking to be carved
Cutting Board Types every kitchen needs – Here is the Breakdown:
There are a few different kinds of cutting boards, wood (including bamboo), plastic, hard rubber and the Dreaded glass or granite. Let me go on record to say please NEVER use Glass or Granite as your knives will HATE you forever! Yep I call them Knife Killers!
Wood or Bamboo or Both – AWESOME and must have. Keep one on your counter and clean and oil it often. You can use this for slicing bread or anything. Use your second board to carve your cooked meats. Always Clean your cutting board thoroughly after each use even when cutting fruit or veggies. You can use soap, hot water and a wash cloth to clean your board. Make sure to air dry before stacking as this will help to eliminate bacteria.
I would also invest in a GOOD board as it will last longer. Having a good wood or bamboo cutting board with a gutter also is handy to keep the juice from vegetables and juice from the cooked meat off your counter top.
Plastic – Great to Awesome as you definitely should have a few of these on hand. I like the plastic boards for preparing raw proteins, seafood and fish and veggies, Make sure you wash your board often and after every use. Preferably with hot water, soap or in a dish washer. Make sure to air dry before stacking as this will help eliminate bacteria. I even have a plastic cutting board for each application.
Vegetable Cutting Board (I even go with the Green color so the family knows which one to use for Veggies)
Meat Cutting Board (I even go with the Red color so the family knows which one to use for Meat)
Seafood Cutting Board (I go with the Blue color so the family knows which one to use for Seafood)
Cutting Board Types every kitchen needs – I would also invest in a GOOD board as it will last longer and not get cut up by your knifes. Having a good plastic cutting board with a gutter also is handy to keep the raw blood or juice from the protein off your counter top.
WHAT NOT TO — USE – Knife Killers
Glass or Granite – Don’t even think about it (THE KNIFE KILLER)! But if you do and use one, make sure you wash your board often and after every use. Preferably with hot water, soap or in a dish washer. Make sure to air dry before stacking as this will help eliminate bacteria.
CUTTING BOARD sanitation
When washing your boards, try to wash them before you put anything else in the sink. Remember to wash your counter top with hot water, soap and I use bleach just to make sure I got any protein spatter off the counter. I have seen people follow all the rules and then set a piece of fruit, lettuce etc. in chicken blood that was never wiped off the counter and that is GROSS!
PEOPLE sanitation
Germs are everywhere and yes especially in our homes. One of the other big reasons food contamination occurs is because we forget what Mom would always say before eating WASH YOUR HANDS! You touch a chicken breast, cut it, cook it and even switch cutting boards GREAT you read this blog post. But if you don’t wash your hands before handling the raw veggies you might as well use the meat cutting board.
Cutting Board Types every kitchen needs – I always try to cut all my Veggies first, and yes WASH my hands after each. Then move to the Protein at least I am bypassing a potential hazard by cutting the meat last.
Chef Reilly’s 5 Spoon Review:
Food – 4 Spoons
Ambiance – 4 Spoons
Service – 5 Spoons (Cutting Board Advise)
Taste – 4 Spoons
Chef Reilly’s F.A.S.T. Review total average: 4 spoons!
See Ya On The Road – Chef Greg Reilly
