# Which cutting board would you get of the following?



## monkiboy (Jul 11, 2016)

I currently don't want to spend too much on a new cutting board but will need to get one with a new Gyuto I'll be getting.

I've narrowed it down to the following choices which are all around 18x12 inches unless otherwise stated, which one would you get? Or do you have another one that is better for the same price? I would love a boardsmith but it's out of my price range, =).

John Boos Chop-N-Slice Maple Cutting Board - $35
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00063QBFE/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

John Boos Reversible Maple Cutting Board - $60
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00063QBDQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Shun Hinoki Cutting Board - $60
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KXAVCFO/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Kodai Hinoki Cutting Board 20x12 - $80
https://www.cuttingboard.com/hinoki-cutting-board-large-20-x-12-x-1/

Burl & Blade Walnut Cutting Board 16x12 - $65
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CHIQQJQ/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

Some of my thoughts:
- if I go with one of the John Boos boards, is it worth spending an additional $25 to get the reversible version versus the chop-n-slice? I don't see a big difference.
- similarly, if I go with one of the Hinoki options is it worth spending an additional $20 to get the Kodai one vs the Shun one
- I like how the Burl & Blade Walnut one looks but board seems to be on the smaller end

Thanks!


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## zetieum (Jul 11, 2016)

I would go for none on those a get a end-grain, the biggest that fit your kitchen and that you can afford.


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## ThEoRy (Jul 11, 2016)

Boardsmith endgrain.


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## MAS4T0 (Jul 11, 2016)

My favourite board to cut on is edge grain Acacia, I have end-grain Maple and end-grain Walnut but I always find myself preferring edge grain as the knife edge doesn't sink in.


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## monkiboy (Jul 11, 2016)

Lol, if Boardsmith endgrain fits within my budget I would have gotten it already. Unfortunately, it's not.

I also have troubles finding a good endgrain board that is within $70-$80. I feel like at that point I'm better off getting a $50-$60 reputable edge grain board, correct?


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## havox07 (Jul 11, 2016)

Sometimes you can find end grain boards are your local costco or sams club. My last board purchase was quite a large 1.75-2in thick end grain maple board, price was like $40.


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## daveb (Jul 11, 2016)

Of the boards you cited I would go with the Kodai Hinoki. An inch thick will help reduce warping. "Prime" day is coming soon - you might catch a good deal then.


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## TurboScooter (Jul 11, 2016)

monkiboy said:


> I currently don't want to spend too much on a new cutting board but will need to get one with a new Gyuto I'll be getting.
> 
> I've narrowed it down to the following choices which are all around 18x12 inches unless otherwise stated, which one would you get? Or do you have another one that is better for the same price? I would love a boardsmith but it's out of my price range, =).
> 
> ...



I have one of these.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00009OWEC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

New it feels like the finish is a little rough - it used to catch on and kind of tear up my cloth when wiping down in use. Now the side that's been used is more smooth and I can wipe it down without that problem, and there's a noticeable texture difference with the side I don't cut on. I'm guessing just hitting it with some fine sandpaper would alleviate the issue. I oiled the crap out of it before I started using it, and it sucked down a pretty good amount.

I chose this over a Boos because the price is affordable, and the Boos boards have a lot of not so great reviews. You do have to consider that the problem is the user, not the product, but the Boos boards have enough negative reviews from people that claim that they care for the boards and it still fell apart on them quickly that I was hesitant to buy one.

The Sweet Home included the Shun Hinoki in their review - http://thesweethome.com/reviews/best-cutting-board/ - they didn't like it because it stained and retained odors. I picked one up when the price dropped to $59.95 (it used to hover at $79.95), but haven't actually tried it yet. It's much thinner, and way lighter than the Michigan Maple of the same surface dimensions.


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## Pirendeus (Jul 11, 2016)

I would choose a hinoki, and save for a Boardsmith board in the future. At home, I have those two boards; if I'm doing meat and vegetables, I'll use my smaller hinoki for the protein (easier to get it to the sink for thorough scrubbing) and use the larger Boardsmith board for the rest of the prep. The tandem fits my needs well.


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## aboynamedsuita (Jul 11, 2016)

Id get the hinoki but note that it is light and may slide around on the counter (put a lightly dampened cloth underneath). I'm also in Cananda and my first good board was the shun hinoki (wish I knew if Kodai at the time because the extra 2" length would be nice) have a BoardSMITH too but the shipping is expensive because of the weight. I have a custom end grain coming soon from a local company in Winnipeg free shipping lol


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## Lucretia (Jul 11, 2016)

Another one to consider that's in a similar price range is a Hi-Soft board if you're willing to consider synthetics. (Shown here at Korin.) It's a fairly soft plastic board, easy on your wrists and on your knives. You still have to wash it by hand and it will show some cut marks over time, but it's a really nice board.

I like mine enough that I'm considering getting a second one (looks like they're on a little sale.)


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## richard (Jul 12, 2016)

I have a smaller Shun Hinoki I use for sushi/sashimi. It does stain and I can't say yet about retaining odors, but I have to say I'm not fully used to it's natural pine scent (pretty strong), so I'm glad it's not my primary board.


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## Hianyiaw (Jul 12, 2016)

There's a ebayer by the name of 227wood that makes very decent end grain boards at a great price. You could check him out. Have one of his walnut board and it was great. Although I don't have a boardsmith to compare with but hey it works.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jul 12, 2016)

"biggest that you can fit" is good or bad advice depending on how you intend to store (or permanently place) it, and whether you want to be able to quickly rinse it - a big one is awkward to wash down under the tap, tends to splash you with water, and uses up a lot of towel dryness. 
I'm one of these people who want any utensil no longer used either in the dishwasher or cleaned AND DRIED and back on its hook NOW. Not because I love cleaning but because I hate it. Wet things standing around are just grunge magnets.
One massively big board is certainly great to have around for pastry work though. Also, having a few dishwasher safe polys around for peeling over/handling unsanitary raw ingredients/... is useful. 

PS, a few screw hooks along one side of a board, and a matching row on a wall or shelf, make boards easy to hang without drilling big holes in the business surface.


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## Mucho Bocho (Jul 12, 2016)

I'm with you on this one life-al-la-cut, are you a Virgo too?



LifeByA1000Cuts said:


> "biggest that you can fit" is good or bad advice depending on how you intend to store (or permanently place) it, and whether you want to be able to quickly rinse it - a big one is awkward to wash down under the tap, tends to splash you with water, and uses up a lot of towel dryness.
> I'm one of these people who want any utensil no longer used either in the dishwasher or cleaned AND DRIED and back on its hook NOW. Not because I love cleaning but because I hate it. Wet things standing around are just grunge magnets.
> One massively big board is certainly great to have around for pastry work though. Also, having a few dishwasher safe polys around for peeling over/handling unsanitary raw ingredients/... is useful.
> 
> PS, a few screw hooks along one side of a board, and a matching row on a wall or shelf, make boards easy to hang without drilling big holes in the business surface.


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## TurboScooter (Jul 12, 2016)

daveb said:


> Of the boards you cited I would go with the Kodai Hinoki. An inch thick will help reduce warping. "Prime" day is coming soon - you might catch a good deal then.



LOL Prime Day. Amazon is already broken.

Even if you found a deal, you're going to get the message:
"Add to cart failed... Retrying..."


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jul 12, 2016)

Not at all. 

But yeah, I was rambling - just wanted to question the one oversize fits all idea


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## Keith Sinclair (Jul 12, 2016)

The Kodai Hinoki is worth the few extra $ because it is thicker. They are light so can wash under tap. Easy on your knives.

The Gecko silicone grip strips are sanitary for stabilizing your board.


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## panda (Jul 13, 2016)

+1 hisoft


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## Forsberg (Jul 13, 2016)

Just bought this one. 
End grain teak. Will last the rest of my life i guess.. The teak is of good quality and you can smell the oil from it when you unwrap it. Its big and heav, but its the best ive ever had.

http://www.koekkenmagasinet.dk/trip...unner&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pricerunner


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## Mprin002 (Jul 13, 2016)

I had a sapele edge grain custom made! 

http://m.imgur.com/Y18z8p4


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## Chef Doom (Jul 13, 2016)

+1 for hi-soft. Hi-soft is the truth. Or if you can find rubber boards at your local kitchen supply, that is also much better than edge grain. Break away from the Wood Cutting Board Cult my friend. You only have to close your eyes and jump.


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## Jkts (Jul 13, 2016)

Here is another hinoki board, slightly shorter but also slightly thicker which is nice. I have several boards- boos, boardsmiths, and others. I usually grab the hinokis because they are light and easy to handle...

http://www.hidatool.com/umezawa-bra...nese-sawara-cypress?filter_name=Cutting board


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## DeepCSweede (Jul 14, 2016)

Forsberg said:


> Just bought this one.
> End grain teak. Will last the rest of my life i guess.. The teak is of good quality and you can smell the oil from it when you unwrap it. Its big and heav, but its the best ive ever had.
> 
> http://www.koekkenmagasinet.dk/trip...unner&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=pricerunner



Just an FYI, Teak contains silica which will add extra wear and tear to your knife edges.


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## Mprin002 (Jul 14, 2016)

Mprin002 said:


> I had a sapele edge grain custom made!
> 
> http://m.imgur.com/Y18z8p4



Actually my bad, it's end grain.


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jul 14, 2016)

Which would be best for working on with usubas, mukimonos and other sub-12 dps edges - non-warping, non-abrasive but also hard enough not to trap the edge easily?


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## rick alen (Jul 17, 2016)

If you are looking to get your dollar's worth don't buy anything Shun, better still, just don't buy anything Shun period.

LifeBy, if you are worrying about burying your Usuba or any sharp knife in a board, maybe you best not have any decent knife till you learn how to use a sharp one.


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## aboynamedsuita (Jul 17, 2016)

I made the mistake of getting the shun hinoki boards a couple of years ago, thinner than I would've thought and overpriced IMO.

I actually recently ordered some of the Kiso hinoki boards from cuttingboard.com and got a nice discount! I won't give up my end grain maple like BoardSMITH or the custom 12x20 made locally by Beard Brothers woodworking, but these should be nicer than the cheap/thin shun hinoki boards


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## LifeByA1000Cuts (Jul 25, 2016)

@rick alen not "burying it in the board". More like "easily developing grooves from rougher work, that might grab onto more delicate tools."


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## Krassi (Jul 25, 2016)

Damned.. now im starting to get interested in the hi-soft boards.. i have a big maple boos , but i dondt like to hit on hard wood.. i had a paper thin soft manaita thing i use for Sashimi and not wrecking my doi yanagiba.. 
this korin offer looks damned good.. brrrr  

thanks for the infos, daniel!


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## chuck_d (Jul 25, 2016)

What about this end grain Acacia board? It is within your budget.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TZ0IQC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20


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## DanHumphrey (Jul 26, 2016)

chuck_d said:


> What about this end grain Acacia board? It is within your budget.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TZ0IQC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



Do note all the reviews saying there are globs of hard glue left on it from the construction process. They can probably be sanded off, but it's something to be aware of.


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## monkiboy (Jul 26, 2016)

chuck_d said:


> What about this end grain Acacia board? It is within your budget.
> 
> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000TZ0IQC/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20



Thanks for the reco. I saw that too earlier but wasn't sure if all end grain boards were created equal. I don't know much about Acacia wood so was afraid that it wouldn't be as good as other woods like maple/walnut/etc for knife protection.

I ended up getting this hinoki board. I quite like how it's slightly bigger with 20" in length and I heard great things about Hinoki/cypress!
https://www.cuttingboard.com/hinoki-cutting-board-large-20-x-12-x-1/


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## chuck_d (Jul 26, 2016)

monkiboy said:


> Thanks for the reco. I saw that too earlier but wasn't sure if all end grain boards were created equal. I don't know much about Acacia wood so was afraid that it wouldn't be as good as other woods like maple/walnut/etc for knife protection.
> 
> I ended up getting this hinoki board. I quite like how it's slightly bigger with 20" in length and I heard great things about Hinoki/cypress!
> https://www.cuttingboard.com/hinoki-cutting-board-large-20-x-12-x-1/



Acacia is an OK wood for boards. If you scroll down towards the bottom of this link you'll see that it's actually quite soft, softer than maple or walnut in fact. The issue with acacia is that our can have voids which need to be filled in.

I actually got that board, 20"x14" which fits perfectly on our counter. I also love the look of acacia. I'd like to learn that hardness of Koa as that is favorite wood. Mine doesn't have the glue issue that one reviewer on Amazon posted, but this is a $50 board, not a Boardsmith or MTM Wood board, so quality control isn't going to be at the same level and I'm sure that some people do get bunk boards. With Amazon though you can just send it back if you get a bad one. Mine also soaked up oil just fine, I kept covering it in oil, returning an hour later and adding more, flip the board and do the bottom. I spent almost a day and a half oiling the board, then let it rest a day before putting my homemade board cream on it. One side of the top is perfectly smooth, but the other half does have a few rough patches where a little grain it poking out. I washed the board before pulling, but forgot to sand it. It's not a huge deal, but I'll sand it in a few months or so when I've got time to mess around with the board again.

That board you chose looks nice. I hope you enjoy it. You almost doubled your budget huh? And went edge grain. That wood though is super soft, again see the chart. Some day it would be nice to save up for a Boardsmith or MTM, maybe have them do a counter top when we buy a house.


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## Keith Sinclair (Jul 27, 2016)

monkiboy said:


> Thanks for the reco. I saw that too earlier but wasn't sure if all end grain boards were created equal. I don't know much about Acacia wood so was afraid that it wouldn't be as good as other woods like maple/walnut/etc for knife protection.
> 
> I ended up getting this hinoki board. I quite like how it's slightly bigger with 20" in length and I heard great things about Hinoki/cypress!
> https://www.cuttingboard.com/hinoki-cutting-board-large-20-x-12-x-1/



Good choice portable easy to wash & kind to your knife edges.


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## rick alen (Jul 27, 2016)

monkiboy said:


> Thanks for the reco. I saw that too earlier but wasn't sure if all end grain boards were created equal. I don't know much about Acacia wood so was afraid that it wouldn't be as good as other woods like maple/walnut/etc for knife protection.
> 
> I ended up getting this hinoki board. I quite like how it's slightly bigger with 20" in length and I heard great things about Hinoki/cypress!
> https://www.cuttingboard.com/hinoki-cutting-board-large-20-x-12-x-1/




Cyprus is very rot resistant, and some species at least are dense and hard. But I doubt very much the "Hinoki" boards are actually Hinoki Cyprus, a very slow growing, and expensive, ornamental.


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## Chef Doom (Jul 28, 2016)

Sadly, no one ever goes for the Hi-Soft boards. Is it the ugliness? The lack of information? Lack of reviews? Lack of availability?

It's the only thing I prep on when I'm not in my own kitchen. Que Sera Sera.


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## richard (Jul 28, 2016)

They've been on my radar for a little bit, but just Googling again, they're not cheap. I imagine people who are willing to spend close to a couple hundred bucks on a board would rather get a good end grain one first.


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## chuck_d (Jul 28, 2016)

Agreed, I didn't realize the price. I was thinking of getting a hi-soft, sani-tuff or epicurean for my meat or onion boards. I use my end grain for most everything, but when both of us are working in the kitchen it's nice to have a dedicated board for meat and I don't want to cut smelly things like onion, garlic and shallots on my wood. Currently I just have two poly boards for that purpose: red for meat and white for onions, garlic, etc.


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## daveb (Jul 28, 2016)

Chef Doom said:


> Sadly, no one ever goes for the Hi-Soft boards. Is it the ugliness? The lack of information? Lack of reviews? Lack of availability?
> 
> It's the only thing I prep on when I'm not in my own kitchen. Que Sera Sera.



I heart the hi-soft, picked up one for commercial prep and hope to never go poly again. Just north of 100 bucks on Amazon. Wouldn't call it ugly but it's not pretty either.

At home Epicurean works well for me on proteins, end grain for everything else. No problems with onions/garlic on wood.


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## Marek07 (Jul 30, 2016)

chuck_d said:


> I also love the look of acacia. I'd like to learn that hardness of Koa as that is favorite wood.


According to The Wood Database (http://www.wood-database.com/), koa has a Janka Hardness of 1,170 lb f (5,180 N).


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## aboynamedsuita (Jul 31, 2016)

Got my new hinoki boards from cuttingboard.com







I got the Kodai large 20x12x1 and also the small 14x9.5x1. They are much nicer (and thicker) than the shun ones I also have which will become "travel boards".

I initially ordered their Kiso line including the giant 18x24, but came to the realization that I wouldn't be able to make good use of yet another large board, and could make better use of a small one for the little tasks instead. Since only Kodai had the smallest size I asked if I could switch the others for consistency. It was no problem to switch out my order as it hadn't shipped yet, and the shipping by DHL to Canada was very fast (in the typical DHL fashion) and surprising very reasonable in cost.

Overall I'm pretty happy with the customer service, transaction, and products :thumbsup:


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## chuck_d (Jul 31, 2016)

Congrats, those look nice.

Can you add a photo of that knife rack in the back? That looks awesome. Where'd you find that?


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## aboynamedsuita (Jul 31, 2016)

chuck_d said:


> Congrats, those look nice.
> 
> Can you add a photo of that knife rack in the back? That looks awesome. Where'd you find that?



Here's a pic I took when I first got it:





I had it custom made locally by www.beardbrotherswoodworking.com they also made my end grain board I posted here:




tjangula said:


> Some new additions
> 
> 
> 
> ...


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## chuck_d (Jul 31, 2016)

Man that is an awesome magnetic board! Very cool. That's definitely going on my list for when we redo our kitchen. I want to build a custom kitchen cart with a 2'x3' end grain butcher block top on casters with some shelving. And since that is a freestanding magnetic board it would be perfect for putting on that. Thanks for sharing.


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## Chef Doom (Jul 31, 2016)

richard said:


> They've been on my radar for a little bit, but just Googling again, they're not cheap. I imagine people who are willing to spend close to a couple hundred bucks on a board would rather get a good end grain one first.



I can see how the price can throw people off. Especially if you never held one before or had the opportunity to test it out.


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## monkiboy (Jul 31, 2016)

tjangula said:


> Got my new hinoki boards from cuttingboard.com
> 
> 
> 
> ...



Wow, nice Kodai boards! Can't wait to get mine, =). Just curious, why did you initially want the Kiso boards over the Kodai boards (assuming the same sizes are avail for both)?


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## aboynamedsuita (Aug 1, 2016)

I discussed the Kodai and the cuttingboard.com brand Kiso with them and apparently they are are both made by Kodai. They have the manufacturer pay a bit more attention to detail for the Kiso line in terms of wood selection and sourcing.

This really appealed to me and also the fact there was an extra large 18x24, so in the interest of having them all match I went with Kiso. After some additional thought and budgeting I realized I overextended myself with the giant board (katos aren't cheap lol), and went back to what I had initially thought of getting in the first place before discussing the differences between the two brands a large board (12x20) and a small one (9.5x14). Since only Kodai made the small (both lines had a medium 10.5x16, but that is a bit larger than I like for the really small tasks), I decided to go with Kodai all around for consistency.

I wouldn't hesitate to get either brand, if they had a small Kiso I would've gotten it. I wouldn't mind the giant 18x24, but realistically I'm not sure if I'd really use it to its full potential my 16x22 BoardSMITH seems bigger than necessary sometimes too


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## Mucho Bocho (Aug 1, 2016)

I'm a huge fan of modest sized cutting boards for home cooking. I have a 14" X 2" square that perfect for most things. Sure I also have a 24X18 but rarely break that one out. I see the cutting board as just that, a place to cut. I then transfer those ingredients to a prep bowl and on to the next ingredient. I like the fact that can just risen the board with cold water and put it up to dry, or on to the next ingredient. I find it interesting that so many KKF have large boards. 

While I'm at it, I'll also say, I prefer boards with corners as close to 90 degrees without being sharp. Most boards have chamfered corners, this create a lip that catches food when sliding it off the board. Looks nice but reduces functionality a bit I think. Kinda like shoulders on a primary bevel, don't like those either.

Like the Beards Brothers board, smart functional design.


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## toddnmd (Aug 1, 2016)

Mucho Bocho said:


> I find it interesting that so many KKF have large boards.



My 20x15 Boos end grain maple lives on my counter (on a grippy mat). It's my main board. It gets cleaned by wiping, then by vinegar and water solution. 
Having a big board makes cutting MUCHO (sorry, couldn't resist ;-) more pleasant to me, as I like having the work space to give me some freedom to have work space, waste space, etc. Not that I regularly need that much space, but it's nice to have.
I also have a high soft, think it's 12 x 16, which I use for meats (or anything else) that needs a hot, soapy water wash afterwards. Much easier to wash in the sink, dry, etc.


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## Mucho Bocho (Aug 1, 2016)

Todd, I don't have anything against large boards, I just find them over kill most of the time. 

I'd say that if you're cutting both raw and cooked meat and veg on your large board, I'd question if a spritz of water and vinegar is going to remove the food film entirely. 

I guess you could oil the board between uses but that's a PIA. Its like your pickling the wood and that mixed combined with all that food. Ida-know T. Good thing the wood does have its own antibacterial properties. 

But I know you Todd and I'm sure whatever method your using to clean your board is proper and perfect safe.

I will say that having a large board is nice when using a large knife, but I've learned to just work-off-the-board. 



toddnmd said:


> My 20x15 Boos end grain maple lives on my counter (on a grippy mat). It's my main board. It gets cleaned by wiping, then by vinegar and water solution.
> Having a big board makes cutting MUCHO (sorry, couldn't resist ;-) more pleasant to me, as I like having the work space to give me some freedom to have work space, waste space, etc. Not that I regularly need that much space, but it's nice to have.
> I also have a high soft, think it's 12 x 16, which I use for meats (or anything else) that needs a hot, soapy water wash afterwards. Much easier to wash in the sink, dry, etc.


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