Bamboo Cutting Boards and Others

Bamboo, a Love Affair Gone Bad

Bamboo cutting boards have become the eco-friendly answer of the new century and bamboo is quite a wonder. It looks super cool and is lightweight but strong. It’s tight-grained and dense, so it’s easy to clean. What’s not to like?

I’d used my two smaller-size bamboo cutting boards for years and swore by them—until I saw a negative comment on the web and asked one of my professional sharpening services their opinion. I already knew bamboo was roughly 15 percent harder than hard maple which is the standard—but 15 didn’t seem that far out of line.

I can’t recommend bamboo as the material of choice for your main cutting board.

Turns out hardness is not the main problem. It’s all about consistency. “Maple is far more consistent in hardness whereas bamboo is super hard at the nodes and soft in between,” my sharpening guy said. The nodes will kill you. Or the soft in between. Or, more accurately, the uneven wear between them tends to shred the edge of your blade. Especially if you’re doing a whole lot of chopping. (Photo above: KKG’s three bamboo cutting boards.)

So, in good conscience, I can’t recommend bamboo as the material of choice for your main cutting board. But it seems fine as a supporting cast member. That’s how I use my bamboo cutting boards, anyway—for lighter roles like slicing up an apple or serving cheese. Especially since bamboo is so pleasing to the eye. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bamboo board I didn’t want to buy immediately just to take home and look at.

Bamboo Cutting Board Picks

Here are links to a few of my favorites—I own the first two models by Totally Bamboo and the last is made by them as well. I have never used mine for heavy chopping—but plenty of slicing (tomatoes, red pepper, etc.). I wash them regularly with soap and hot water (NOT submersed) and they have held up very well. (Below: Totally Bamboo’s 3-Piece Cutting Board Set, their Kauai single board, and their w/Silicone Holes, Set of Three.)

Other Types of Cutting Boards

There are three other types of cutting boards worth discussing—the last of which, like bamboo, I don’t recommend for heavy usage. But you see it marketed on a lot of kitchen gear websites, so I thought it would be worth covering.

Hard Rubber

Hard rubber boards, the Sani-Tuff® brand specifically, are big in the food industry. And for good reason—they’re as pliant yet durable as wooden boards, won’t trap bacteria like plastic boards, are easy on knives, and can even be resurfaced by sanding. And to top it off, they can go in the dishwasher.

So where’s the rub? The biggest downside is that they’re not that attractive—unless you have a thing for industrial beige. They look like they belong in exactly the place they were designed for—a commercial kitchen. They also lean toward larger sizes (which can be cumbersome and heavy), tend to grab your knife blade more than wood or plastic, and are not cheap.

It’s up to you. If you don’t mind the look and heft, they are worth looking into. But whatever you do, don’t order anything thicker than the 3/4 inch—unless you like to weightlift while you cook! (Disclosure: I have no hands-on experience with these, but am relying on my own research.)

Sani-Tuff® Boards

You can buy them on Amazon—a single page allows you to buy a plethora of sizes and shapes. Just don’t miss the smallish drop-down menu button.
NoTrax Sani-Tuff Natural Rubber Cutting Boards.

Thin, Flexible Plastic Mats

Although their thinness varies according to the manufacturer, the big appeal of these plastic cutting mats is that they are ultra-light and ultra-portable. Which means you can stow them away anywhere—in a drawer, behind your knife block—and quickly whip one out whenever needed.

Converts rave about the fact you can use the board itself to funnel whatever you’ve chopped up directly in a soup pot. Kuel. And they come in all sorts of festive colors like regular plastic boards, so you can easily code them for different foods if you like. I’ve never used them, but I can see the appeal.

“Mats are not designed for heavy-duty jobs.”

Please be aware though—depending on the thinness—you should, ideally, use them over something with some give in it like a wooden cutting board. If you put a mat that’s only a couple of millimeters thin over your granite counter and mince away with your favorite newly-sharpened chef’s knife, you will quickly fold over the cutting edge (i.e dull it).

And please don’t even dream about chopping with a cleaver on one of these—you’ll slice right through. Mats are not designed for heavy-duty jobs. Also, be aware that, in general, they won’t hold up to sustained dishwasher use, but will warp and curl.

Perhaps the best way to approach them is as a disposable accessory that might last for a year max. (They’re extremely affordable, depending on the brand.) Use them when you’re in a crunch—like slicing some fruit over a board you just smashed a garlic clove on—and once they get cracked and scarred, buy a new pack.

Cutting Mats — Top Picks

Yes, along with traditional plastic cutting boards (see above), Dexas also manufactures the thinner mats. So I would start with them and then branch out. Here are two links: one to Dexas Heavy-Duty Grippmats and a second to the “plastic kitchen cutting mats” search page on Amazon. Happy shopping!