Kitchens are a flurry of activity…chopping, mincing, slicing, dicing a variety of vegetables to prep for the cook, figuring out how to present the food and keeping everything clean and tidy. And right in the middle of it all is that essential kitchen element – a cutting board. One of the most important tools, a cutting board is the foundation on which a delectable meal is built and that’s why getting the right vegetable cutting board is necessary.
But how do you figure which chopping board is the best for you? Lets tackle that in a few easy steps:
Material Girls (and boys!)
When the pop icon, Madonna sang that forever hit, she probably had something else in mind. We are, right now, wondering about what materials are the best for chopping boards!
Although plastic vegetable chopping boards are easily available, you should consider the long-term value you get from a good wooden cutting board. These sturdy pieces not only last a long time, they also perform several jobs and are much more hygienic!
The Problem of Plenty
There are several options for cutting boards available in the market; different materials, sizes and shapes. Right from vintage-style wooden cutting blocks to stylized vegetable chopping boards in plastic and wood or even bamboo cutting boards, your choices are plenty. But how do you know which cutting board to choose? Here are a few things to consider:
- How often do you cook?
- How much time can you spend in the kitchen?
- What kind of cuisines do you prefer picking recipes from?
- What is your budget?
If you are an occasional cook, a lightweight, simple chopping board would do the job and help keep the kitchen clean. For those who love hosting big gatherings often, a hard worker like our sous chef multi utility platter would be godsent!
You also need to consider what kind of recipes your kitchen sees; complex recipes may need something sturdier and simple ones may need a minimalist chopping board.
Finally, set a budget. Decide beforehand how much you are willing to spend. A good vegetable chopping board or a meat cutting board would fall in the range of Rs. 1000 – Rs. 3000.
Going Micro
Let’s go micro and get into it a little deeper to figure which cutting board should earn a place in your kitchen. Here are a few things to consider:
Is it a hygienic choice?
Plastic cutting boards are all over the place and so affordable. But should you let a plastic cutting board into your kitchen? Most researches say no! Bacteria can easily populate in the tiny grooves made by a knife on a plastic surface and we know it only goes downhill from there!
Our recommendation: pick a wooden chopping board made from Indian woods like Mango, Arjan, Indian Oak or Acacia.
Can it do more jobs than one?
What Makes Your House a Home
A multipurpose cutting board is a more sustainable choice! Being able to do several jobs makes a vegetable cutting board so much more. Though it is also advisable to have separate meat cutting boards and vegetable cutting boards to keep the kitchen high on food safety.
Our recommendation: pick a set of sturdy butcher boards and another one to use as vegetable cutting boards.
Is it durable?
How often will you have to replace the cutting board you’re picking? If it is a wood fibre composite or a plastic one, probably more often than you have the time for. Wooden chopping boards on the other hand are far more durable, protect your knives from dulling and are aesthetically pleasing.
Our recommendation: Durable Indian wood chopping boards like the sheesham wood cutting boards from our newest collection Laimai
Is the size good for my kitchen?
If you are lucky you live in a house with a huge space for the kitchen. Go all out and get large meat cutting wood blocks and separate vegetable cutting boards. But if like most of us you work out of a compact kitchen (urban realities? Check!) chose a compact sized wooden cutting board or a cutting pad that fits easily in your space.
Our recommendation: Go in for smart designs like our Twiggy chopping board set that comes with its own marble stand.
Is it easy to clean and maintain?
With precious little time to spend in the kitchen, we all ideally want things that magically self-clean. That’s not going to happen! Which is why you need cutting boards that require minimal effort to clean. Once again wooden cutting blocks and chopping boards trump plastic!
Our recommendation: pick any ellementry wooden chopping board! All our boards are washable, they simply ask to be treated with a little kindness.
Let’s See Your Chopping Board Chops
Once you’ve got answers to all these questions and have considered the different factors, you will know what kind of a cutting board you want in your kitchen. Done? Click here to see what’s in store for you!
Let’s insist on hearing what you have to say about this story!