You just can’t beat the look and feel of a quality wood cutting board.  There is a huge difference in the feel of a knife as it comes into contact with a good wood cutting board.  Yes, plastic is cheaper and lighter, but plastic will not last anywhere near as long as a well built wood cutting board. I view wood cutting boards like cast iron skillets.  With proper care, they can be passed down to future generations.

There will always be discussions on wood versus plastic and which one is the best.   Well, I can tell you that once you use a good end grain board to prepare your meal, you will never go back to plastic.  But to all the naysayers, draw your own conclusion from the following information:

Plastic cutting boards use to be considered superior to wood because the grooves cut into a wooden board by the knife harbored bacteria that would infect the next food that was cut. The argument was plastic boards were harder than wood, developed fewer grooves, and were less likely to harbor bacteria. Over time however, studies have shown that wood cutting boards harbor fewer bacteria for these reasons:

Plastic is not water-absorbent and stays wet longer which promotes longer bacteria life.
Wood is water-absorbent and dries faster which shortens the bacteria life.
Wood contains natural agents that retard bacterial growth.

Chicken carries the highest risk of cross contamination.  This comes from cutting chicken on any type of board and not thoroughly wasing it before preparing a salad or other side dish.  This means there is a higher risk of food poisoning.  So it is best to use two boards, one for chicken and one for every thing else.  Of course, a separate board for meats and one for vegetables is the ideal and safest situation.  Once you properly cook the meat, any cross contamination bacteria will be killed.

A wood cutting board can be properly disinfected by washing it with a solution of two tablespoons of bleach to a quart of water.  Then wiped with vinegar to remove the bleach.  Don’t leave the bleach on the board too long because of potential permanent stating of the board.  Here again, dedicating one board to meats and one to vegetables, will eliminate having to deal with this step.

Plastic and glass cutting boards are harder than wood, so they will dull a knife faster.  However, you can put plastic and glass cutting boards in the dishwasher without having to worry about whether they’ll warp and crack. Wood is easier on knives but requires regular care in order to last.

Rinse the cutting board off under the faucet using regular dish washing soap.
Dry the board immediately.
Once a month, rub the board with mineral oil, or use our board conditioner which contains beeswax that imparts water-resistance properties to the board.