Hey all, are there unknown (to me) reasons as to what makes a cutting board a cutting board? Are they only so you don’t cut and scratch up your own countertops or tables? The reason I ask is because I have access to old metal office desks. Steel frame, 2 drawers on the right side and a LARGE surface area to cut and prep. I think I could trick it out pretty cool in my head..... but am I missing something? Would this not be good for either the knives, the food, etc? Obviously I’d clean and sanitize before and after uses but is there something that you could share as to why this may not be a good idea?
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If you are cutting on metal you'd better be prepared to sharpen and replace knives. TAP plastics sells food grade plastic you have custom sized to fit on your tops, I have one for a SS prep table I use for butchering. -
Cutting boards protect your tabletops AND your knives.
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My first guess would be paint and possibly metal shards from cutting on metal contaminating your work.
Wood or plastic cutting boards, kept clean of course, have much less chance of contaminating your work.Comment
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I’m not a chef, but I play one on tv. I’m also not a knife expert, but have some decent ones. Ditto on cutting boards, but have the ATK recommended best board for what it’s worth (Teakwood). I trust what some of the peeps around here along with ATK etc. Me thinks using some kind of desk top probably would not be kosher fer yer knives. Usually wood cutting boards are recommended for cleanliness & wear on yer knives. Some plastics are ok. I would stick with wood cutting boards. As they are used in all restaurants kitchens. There will be many folks here that will tell you their’s is the best. They will all be pretty good. Do some research & find what trips yer trigger. But do stay away from used office furniture. Something tells me that you won’t be busting a myth using boss Charlie’s used desk. 🕶Comment
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I have that same teakwood cutting board from Cook's Illustrated/America's Test Kitchen. That sucker weighs a ton. I store it in my pantry, so I get a workout bringing it to the counter. It's great to keep on the prep table (aka glass top outdoor dining table) on the deck when smoking meats, though. Protects the glass and provides a nice sized work surface when staging, wrapping, etc.
Kathryn
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Cutting boards protect the sharp edge of your knife. Either wood or plastic work fairly well, but wood has a slight anti-microbial action while plastic doesn't, so you need to be more careful cleaning plastic boards although I'm very careful with either.
There are a lot of domestic hardwoods that work well as cutting boards, but some imported woods may be slightly toxic, and teak contains silica which can dull blades faster than other woods.
End grain cutting boards show cuts less than edge grain boards
And a large, heavy wooden cutting board is a great surface for handling dough for people who make bread.Comment
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That metal desk will dull you knives faster than a hound dog chasing a coon up a tree. If you want to make it into a cutting board go to a lumber yard and buy some clear maple and epoxy it to the desk. Clamp each piece to the next piece with Tite-bond 3 water proof glue. You may have to plane or joint the pieces so that they are tight. Make sure the pieces do not have any gaps. When done sand smooth and apply mineral oil several oil it will take several applications before it stops soaking it up. Then reapply occasionally.
The other options is to buy some of the big Booz cutting boards and epoxy them to the desk. https://www.johnboos.com/Index.asp?s=rLast edited by mountainsmoker; August 12, 2019, 09:09 PM.Comment
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Your correct RonB I was trying to get the board built on the desk and did not mention any way to treat it out side. The top will be to heavy to move made out of 1-1 1/2 thick maple. So he should have it under a porch and have a cover over it.
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My rule is wood boards for vegetables and plastic boards for animals. The wood gets a quick soap, rinse, and dry, and re-oiled every few months. The plastic boards go in the dishwasher.Comment
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Cutting boards are multi functional. Besides protecting the edge on your knife and the countertop, a good cutting board is also easy to sanitize. When cutting raw meat this is especially a thing. Next time I go to restaurant depot I’m getting a set of color coded plastic boards to help minimize cross contamination. Also I’m tired of not having boards large enough to hold multiple full racks of ribs (restaurant supply store has decent size boards that will easily hold 3 or 4 full racks of ribs, or 1-2 packer briskets).
Is the desk going to be indoor or outdoor? If outdoor if there is a lot of humidity it may have rust problems. So before I put a lot of work into pimping it out I would wait to see how it holds up.Comment
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jecucolo they will fit in the dishwasher. And sort of fit in the sink. Not flat but standing up. Wash one half, flip, wash the other half, then rinse. The color coding thing is an actual established food safety scheme used in commercial kitchens. You can buy sets or get them individually.
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On the wood/plastic question, when I worked in USDA inspected sausage production plant, we used plastic exclusively. I also worked in a butcher shop where we had one of those old wood blocks that you would scrape the top off when you were done cutting. The inspectors (state) would only countenance it being in the shop if we had it on display in the customer area and not in the cutting area.Comment
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I am not crazy about plastic boards, they dull knives faster than wood boards by about 1/2. I can go a year just honing on a wood board but have to drag out the Chef's Choice 130 when I use plastic boards after about 6-7 months.Comment
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if your'e cutting cooked meat, a deep groove to catch the drippings is very useful.Comment
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If you want a nice big board to work on see if you have any restaurant supply stores in your area. I picked up this one for less than $100.
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Joe or Joey, which do you prefer? In SmokeyGator ‘s post he mentioned color plastics of different color. On Amazon, there is ATK’s color coded plastics in. 4 Pack cheap, I think 12 or 14 bucks. With the color code it will help from cross contaminating. You can also roll em & put them in the dishwasher for sanitization.
I also checked out rubber mats which are also frequently used in rest. kitchens. But hold onto yer wallet. The one I was looking at from a reference was $130, a Hasekawa.
I checked, 19 $ change.Last edited by FireMan; August 13, 2019, 05:20 PM.Comment
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Right now I just have plastic, but I am jonesing for a wood board. I have used them in the past, and they are easier on the knife edges. I want to get one from this guy: https://d.facebook.com/Eds-Shape-Sha...0710373294609/, but I'll probably pick up a cheaper one first.Comment
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