Bamboo Cutting Boards – Are Bamboo Cutting Boards Better Than Wood? Pros & Cons

The debate on which of the chopping boards are better, wood vs. bamboo cutting boards, is ongoing. While many will tell you the benefits of bamboo, others will side with wood. Then there are others who prefer the plastic, steel, or glass versions of cutting boards. The truth is that both these materials have their own pros and cons, their own strengths and weaknesses.

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Bamboo is more sustainable, lightweight, and durable, with higher moisture resistance reducing the chance of bacterial growth. Wood, on the other hand, is more knife-friendly, self-healing, and has an aesthetic beauty to it. How do you choose which one to go for? Key question: Is bamboo better than wood for cutting boards? Read more to find out.

Understanding Bamboo Cutting Boards

How are bamboo chopping boards manufactured?

Bamboo, in its natural form, is cylindrical with a hollow interior. They are highly sustainable. Bamboo older than 3-5 years is harvested to manufacture chopping boards. India is the second-largest cultivator of bamboo, and since it’s a renewable source, the plants will naturally regrow after harvest to their full size in 3-5 years.The harvested bamboo is stripped and boiled. The stalks are split into strips and boiled to remove starch that attracts bacteria. Boiling also softens the wood to easily flatten them.The next step is to dry the bamboo and glue them together.

If you are one of those who are concerned about chemicals, this may be off-putting. Food-safe adhesives are used to create solid, sturdy boards.The next step involves pressing the boards under high pressure. The process requires anywhere between 10 minutes to a day, depending on the technology used to manufacture the boards.The final stage is to clean up the board and give it a final finishing. Beeswax application and normal oil are used to enhance durability and water resistance.

Eco-friendly cutting boards: Is bamboo truly sustainable?

Not all bamboo boards are perfect. Not all bamboo boards are sustainable. Not every bamboo board is safe to use. That’s true. Bamboo, though sustainable, has been overutilized with extensive commercial farming in certain areas. Mass production is not sustainable in certain farming conditions and can harm local ecosystems. Imported bamboo too has a carbon footprint. To make things worse, the manufacturing process of bamboo chopping boards is not always safe.

Use of formaldehyde-based glues that are not food safe, unhygienic working conditions add to concerns in bamboo-based chopping boards.When choosing bamboo boards, ensure you know the source of the product. Products from China may be cheap, but ascertaining the quality of the product and how they were manufactured could be difficult. With China being the largest producer of bamboo-based chopping boards, some boards are extremely good and come from reliable sources. Finding the right board and the manufacturer is key.

Understanding Wooden Cutting Boards

Commonly used wood in India includes mango, which is very sustainable, teak, which is hard, beautiful but less sustainable, acacia, which is readily available, and tamarind. Each of these wood types has its own pros and cons. Some wood is hard and tough, while others are relatively soft. Wood like teak and acacia are beautiful to look at and add an aesthetic value to your kitchen and home, while tamarind and mango have a rustic look which may not be the most preferred.

When it comes to construction, wooden chopping boards come in edge grain and end grain. Edge grain chopping boards are hard on the knives and show knife marks easily but are more affordable. End grain chopping boards look more aesthetically pleasing, are soft on the knives, and have a longer life.The best wooden chopping boards are the ones constructed from a single piece of wood. The use of glue and adhesives usually tends to give away over an extended period of time.

Single block chopping boards are also food safe with no toxins if selected from good wood.With the right maintenance, wooden chopping boards are usually longer lasting than bamboo, plastic, and even glass chopping boards. They are a hygienic cutting board option with antibacterial properties.

Pros & Cons of Bamboo Cutting Boards

Bamboo cutting boards have become popular lately due to their availability and affordability. Below is a breakdown of the pros and cons of a bamboo cutting board.

Pros of Bamboo Cutting Boards:

• Sustainability: Bamboo is a sustainable material, which is a renewable source, maturing in 3-5 years, making it an eco-friendly alternative to traditional hardwoods.
• Durable surface: The natural density of bamboo makes it resistant to knife marks and increases the life of the board.
• Moisture resistance: Bamboo has low porosity and prevents water absorption. This reduces the growth of bacteria in your chopping boards, making it food safe.
• Lightweight: Bamboo is relatively lighter than hardwood and is easy to handle and store. This makes bamboo a preferred choice of cutting boards for regular kitchen use.
• Affordability: Bamboo chopping boards could cost 10% – 20% of the price of a good wooden chopping board. With most bamboo chopping boards ranging in the price between 250-500 Rs, wooden chopping boards could easily cost 1000 Rs to 5000 Rs depending on the variety of wood and the construction.

Cons of Bamboo Cutting Boards:

• Hardness on knives: While bamboo boards are cheap, they are not knife-friendly. For those who use professional chef knives which are prized, a bamboo chopping board is probably not the best choice. Bamboo boards do tend to dull your knives faster.
• Maintenance requirement: Bamboo boards do require regular maintenance. Unlike popular belief that bamboo chopping boards can be easy to maintain, they actually require the same care and maintenance as wooden chopping boards.
• Limited healing properties: Bamboo boards are not self-healing. Unlike end grain wood boards, bamboo is not self-healing, and the knife marks are more permanent, often resulting in poor hygiene, lodging food particles over time, and harboring bacteria.
• Potential chemical use: No bamboo chopping boards are fully without chemicals. Unlike single block chopping boards made from wood, bamboo chopping board manufacturing process makes it essential to use adhesives.

Pros & Cons of Wooden Cutting Boards

Wooden chopping boards are known for their aesthetic appeal and durability. Below are some pros and cons of wooden chopping boards:

Pros of Wooden Cutting Boards:

• Knife friendly: Wooden chopping boards are gentler on knife blades and help your knife stay sharper for longer.
• Self-healing properties: Wooden chopping boards, especially with an end-grain construction, are known to have excellent self-healing properties, allowing shallow cuts to close, maintaining a smoother surface for a longer period.
• Aesthetic appeal: The beauty of wood with fine textures and grains adds elegance to your kitchen and home. Hardwood cutting boards are especially known for their beauty when constructed from the right material with rich grains and colors.
• Longevity: With proper care, most wooden chopping boards will outperform bamboo, plastic, glass, and steel, retaining their original beauty and aesthetics. While scratches on steel and glass are not reversible, wood can be renewed to its original state with a few hours of work.

Cons of Wooden Cutting Boards:

• Maintenance: Wooden chopping boards require regular maintenance. They need oiling at least once a week. Keeping the board clean ensures it lasts longer. Also, it is important not to soak the board in water or leave it in direct sunlight for extended periods.
• Porosity: Wood is naturally porous and will absorb water. Keeping the board dry is crucial for food safety purposes and the extended life of your chopping boards.
• Weight: Most high-quality wooden chopping boards are between 1 inch and 2 inches thick. Wood that is naturally dense, like teak, could be heavy, restricting movement. Though this is a disadvantage, a heavy board often tends to last longer than lighter counterparts. A wooden butcher block made from teak, for example, will last 15 years, while a 1-inch chopping board will last 5-8 years.
• Cost: A premium wooden chopping board from aged wood will often cost a lot more than plastic, bamboo, glass, and steel. Wooden chopping boards are often 3-4 times more expensive than their counterparts.

Bamboo vs. Wood Cutting Boards: Which One is Right for You?

Choosing the right chopping board depends on your personal preference, sustainability, maintenance, knife maintenance, durability, and cost.

Best cutting board for sustainability → Bamboo

If you are conscious about sustainability, bamboo is definitely the best choice for your chopping boards. Compared to wood, bamboo is more sustainable and eco-friendly. Bamboo is known for its rapid renewability, making it the best material for those conscious about renewability.

Best knife-friendly cutting board → Wood

If you are a chef and are looking for the best chopping board that ensures a longer lifespan for your expensive knife collection, a wooden chopping board is far better than bamboo boards. Wooden boards are self-healing, and especially the end-grain boards ensure fewer scratches and knife marks on the surface. It’s a win-win solution for people who own expensive knives.

Most durable chopping board → Wood (with care)

Wooden chopping boards are more durable than bamboo cutting boards, provided you choose the right wood type. With teak, you can expect your chopping boards to last more than a decade. Teak, mango, and tamarind provide a hard surface to chop meat or vegetables without damaging the surface.

Best for long-term investment → Wood

Wood is definitely expensive, but when you look at longevity and aesthetic appeal, wood outperforms bamboo by bounds. Most bamboo chopping boards last anywhere between 2-4 years, while a wooden chopping board will last 10 years and more, depending on the material of the wood and the construction. A single block chopping board with proper maintenance will last anywhere between 10-20 years without cracks or warping.

Conclusion

If sustainability is your concern, bamboo is the best material and an excellent choice for chopping boards. If you are looking for aesthetics, durability, and quality, we definitely recommend a wooden chopping board.