Maple, Walnut, and Cherry are the big three domestic hardwoods that are most popular and probably the best choice if you want a domestic hardwood cutting board. Not really an issue, but at least a consideration. Measuring 1,300 lbf on the hardness scale, this food-safe, closed-grained hardwood is non-damaging to knives and offers stellar scratch and impact resistance outdone only by hard maple. Hard maple varieties often will have more small knots that appear along the grain. A wood that is too hard will cause your cutting edge to dull quickly. First end grain cutting board. The maple cutting boards on this website are made from North American soft maple (red maple or silver maple); but there exists a wide array of trees classified as under the species. It is tight-grained, and if mixed with walnut or purpleheart, it makes a beautiful cutting board. Keep reading for a detailed comparison of the best wood for cutting board and butcher block products so that you’re sure to snag a cutting surface built to last. 1 in. Expert advice from Bob Vila, the most trusted name in home improvement, home remodeling, home repair, and DIY. Maple is a type of tree belonging in the genus Acer. Here’s a link to a chart that lists wood species with potential toxic characteristics (click here), and there are many others available through an Internet search. But when it does form stains, they’re hard to hide on its off-white to amber-yellow surface. But as a tropical closed-grained hardwood, teak costs the most ($25 to $500) and has a high silica content, so frequently cutting on a teak cutting surface will dull your knife blade. – Doug Selfe. Four to fifteen times more expensive than edge-grain surfaces. But its large pores make it more vulnerable to bacteria, moisture, and stains than walnut, maple, or beech. I’d stay with all hardwoods. These cutting surfaces are generally the cheapest ($15 to $100), but they shrink more than any of the three other woods, so condition your cutting board monthly. The wood cutting board measures 18 inches by 12 inches. A wooden cutting board can last for years and years if you take care of it properly. Consider the following key attributes of a wood species before deciding on the best wood for your cutting board or butcher block: Factoring in the above criteria, we’ve compiled a shortlist of the best woods for a cutting board. Taking the hardness data within context of other hardwoods, soft maple may be used as a valid substitute for hard maple in most situations where a hardwood of moderate density is called for. I’d stick with the old close-pored standbys for cutting boards: maple, beech and birch, and use other woods sparingly for adding color and contrast to those projects. However, its cream to pink or brown color more easily shows stains than either teak or walnut. See how they stack up below. Both soft and hard maple make for excellent cutting surfaces. Of course, tell your giftees not to put the cutting board in the dishwasher. … Looking at making some cutting boards for family for the holidays. As a reference point, Hard Maple has a hardness of 1450, which makes it an ideal cutting board for the top end. Pine might impart a resinous taste, and it’s soft so will show cutting scars from knives more easily than a harder wood like maple. So, definitely, you should give more info about what kind of furniture you are talking about. Silicone is a great material, but not for cutting boards. Large Organic Bamboo Cutting Board For Kitchen, With 3 Built-In Compartments And Juice Grooves, Heavy Duty Chopping Board For Meats Bread Fruits, Butcher Block, Carving Board, BPA Free. #2: Awarded "Best Cutting Board" by America's test kitchen, the Proteak Model 107 teak cutting board. Soft Maple for a cutting board? It’s a solid, beautiful and terribly functional cutting board,” he said of the three-quarter-inch-thick rubber cutting boards on sale at JB Prince.. “They are just a joy to cut on,” Chef Terry said. Boasting a hardness rating of 1,070 lbf, teak holds up better to scratches and impacts than walnut but less so than beech or maple. In fact, hard maple is more scratch-resistant than beech, … What’s more, the rich chocolate-colored hue of the wood masks everyday stains and lends countertops a high-end look that is matched by a higher price tag of $20 to $200. If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. When searching for a maple cutting board, it is important to be aware of the different kinds of maple. It’s an edge-grain board that features stripes made of maple, walnut and cherry, so you don’t have to settle for just one variety. The kiln-dried wood is resilient against warping, molding, or cracking over the years or in differing humidity levels. The sapwood can be very white and often show nice curl. Maple has long been considered one of the top wood types to use for a cutting board. Both soft and hard maple make for excellent cutting surfaces. Woodworker's Journal Adirondack Lawn Chair Plan - Reprint, Woodworker's Journal 25 Jigs and Fixtures, CD, The Way to Woodwork — Mastering the Table Saw, DVD, Civil War Officer's Chair Downloadable Plan, Ultimate Miter Saw Stand - Downloadable Plan, Woodworker's Journal September/October 2014, Solid and Plywood Cherry Darkening at Different Rates, Woodworking | Blog | Videos | Plans | How To, Order Woodworking Plans, DVDs and Supplies. So it’s essential that this can’t-live-without kitchen accessory be made of a durable material. I would avoid open-pored woods like ash and red oak, which will be harder to keep clean from food stains. You agree that BobVila.com may process your data in the manner described by our Privacy Policy. A cutting board acts at any given moment as a chopping block, food preparation surface, or serving station—sometimes all three. Both are types of hardwoods. Maple Cutting Board. Too soft will make a board easily mar and absorb liquid. Now, I haven't found many people who have actually tried to make a poplar cutting board and found it bad, just people who discount it as too soft. Additionally, it works well with stains and lacquers, so it can also be used on visible … “This isn’t some thin, plastic malarkey. Availability: Hard Maple Lumber boards are readily available in all thickness and narrow to wide widths range from 3 inches to 11 inches and over. These thin boards are machined S4S to 1/8" and 1/2" thicknesses, eliminating wear and tear on your planer. What is the best Domestic wood for a cutting board? Chris Marshall: Wood toxicity is a good factor to keep in mind when choosing species that will be included in food-related projects. Sanding the wood to 600 grit exacerbated the problem by burnishing the surface of the wood; rendering it even less able to absorb the stain … Its small pores make it nearly as effective as maple (and more effective than teak or walnut) at warding off bacteria, moisture, and stains. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. Also known as sugar maple, rock maple is the most popular option for cutting boards. Understand it is OK to use maple, cherry and walnut for such projects. I made about 4, mixed and matched the wood, and they’re great. #3: John Boos end grain butcher block with American maple. Before and after oil - what a difference! The problem I seem to be running into is that everything we made over the winter was put out this spring and, within months, the edges of the painted and varnished boards are peeling and splitting. Silicone is a very soft material and is therefore very flexible. Pine might impart a resinous taste, and it’s soft so will show cutting scars from knives more easily than a harder wood like maple. Hello and thanks for the A2A. As I always say, “furniture” is a very big word. The classic American blonde, Hard Maple features creamy white sapwood with a reddish cast, and rugged durability. Any others that are no-no’s? 4.6 out of 5 stars 4,654. Sugar maple is at the heart of most McClure Butcher Block. It is a common sight in Canada and the upper Midwest United States. When buying a cutting board for your home kitchen, know that certain wood species handle the chore of chopping better than others. Soft Maples: These trees tend to be very similar to the hard maples but much lighter in density. If you can’t decide between a maple cutting board, a walnut one, or a cherry one, this NaturalDesign product might be the one for you. Maple. With a maple cutting board, you’re ensuring that you keep your knife and its blade as sharp as … #2: Awarded "Best Cutting Board" by America's test kitchen, the Proteak Model 107 teak cutting board. Cutting Board Woods We Like to Make It Easy On You You can make unique and special cutting boards out of many different hardwoods because all you need is a wood that's hard, dense, and tight grained. The board is also sold in two other sizes: the 8.93-by-12.89-inch Everyday Cutting Board and the mini 7.23-by-10.75-inch Prep Board. But hard maple (1,450 lbf on the Janka hardness scale) is the industry standard among cutting board makers: It’s more scratch- and impact-resistant than beech, teak, or walnut but not so hard that it will dull your knives. This food-safe, closed-grained hardwood has smaller pores than even the alternatives listed below, making it superior to those in blocking bacteria, moisture, and stains. Soft Maple sized for a full rack of ribs. Walnut might have some disagreeable flavor contributions, if the food were left in contact with it for a long time. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. Cutting boards that actually get used also get washed. x 6 in. We make these beautiful wooden cutting boards out of hard maple and they come in sizes from behind the bar to full size … The important thing with a cutting board is that it does its job well — it should be hard, washable, nontoxic and dimensionally stable. Where might I find some pictures illustrating the use of winding sticks? However, poplar can be around the same density as cherry species and soft maple, and a little lighter than walnut. That said, the orange-brown to dark brown hue of the food-safe wood masks stains better than maple, but not as well as walnut. In addition, soft maple is slightly easier to work with, and won’t dull cutting edges as quickly, or burn as readily when being shaped as hard maple. Maple cutting boards and butcher blocks also cost more than beech ($20 to $150) and shrink more than teak and walnut as humidity decreases, so condition maple cutting surfaces monthly to bimonthly. Maple and cherry wood are two different types of wood. Greetings Eric: As stated above by the others, soft maple is fine to use. McClure Block, using locally harvested hard Michigan Maple, crafts some of the finest maple cutting boards in a variety of styles and sizes. Pro chefs swear by wood because it’s more impact resistant and sanitary than plastic, gentler on knife blades than bamboo, and cheaper than marble or granite. The hardness for an optimal cutting board is in the Janka range of 900 to 1500. Maple. Are there any wood types to stay away from, ie: ash, purpleheart, birch, padauk, red oak, ipe (have some scraps to use up), or yellow pine? These cuts aren’t just for show; each pattern boasts a different level of durability. It's also a diffuse-porous wood like maple and walnut, which is one of the … Soft maple can be used in nearly any piece of furniture you desire. Lots of choices fill this bill: the. gettin' wet is a close-grain hardwood. As a wood, maple is a white hardwood and is considered to have a very tight and even grain. #1: Always popular, the John Boos R02 reversible maple cutting board. The heartwood is tan to gray in colour, often with extreme colour changes on one board. What's the Tree Like? For instance, the vastly different Japanese maple is used in bonsai (the Japanese art of miniaturizing plants), which illustrates well the variety within the … Cutting Board Woods; Furniture Woods; Carving Woods; Outdoor Woods; Laser Engraving Woods; Unique Boards; Shop All Lumber ... Drummond red maple, Maple, Red maple, Scarlet maple, Soft maple, Swamp maple, Water maple. No it isn't end grain butcher block but these are good solid boards. "Soft" maple is actually fairly hard, and should be fine for a cutting board. Tim Inman: I’d avoid oak. Some Typical Uses Furniture, cabinets, a good general purpose hardwood. #4: For the knife afficionado, hinoki is regarded as the best … Maple wood is available as hard and soft maple wood. #1: Always popular, the John Boos R02 reversible maple cutting board. This type of maple is especially hard and will not scratch very easily. Copyright © 2020 Acton Media Inc. All rights reserved. Extra large with 24" x 18" surface. x 8 ft. S4S Maple Board Maple S4S boards add elegant finishing details Maple S4S boards add elegant finishing details and emphasize the special care that has gone into your home’s interior. I’d recommend trying to select wood types which have similar expansion and contraction coefficients. Get it as soon as Thu, Dec 24. The more commonly known maple used for cutting boards is the Hard Rock Maple, also called the Sugar Maple. Colder weather here in Vermont makes hardwood a bit harder. From all indications, this wood is coming out a winner! 1. Lengths of the boards are anywhere from 8 feet to 16 feet. It also shrinks less than maple or beech, so conditioning will only be a bi-monthly to quarterly undertaking. Workability: Kiln dried White Maple Wood is moderately easy to work with although due to its density high quality … ... Just beware, there are soft Maple varieties as well and as with any wood species, the density can … #4: For the knife afficionado, hinoki is regarded as the best … It isn’t much fun to watch your favorite cutting board fall apart in the washing up pan. Within the category of wooden cutting boards come, you’ll find two design varieties: end-grain and edge-grain. Use a waterproof glue. The wood has an exceptionally fine, even texture, and tight pores that yield an excellent finished surface. By Manasa Reddigari. In contrast to plastic, you can also roll silicone pads and they will take very little space. And it goes straight from small tables to cupboards to beds. But not all types of wood are superior options. I would also think in terms of hardness, porosity and taste when considering which ones to use for cutting boards. End grain is a nice touch if you're willing to spend a bit more time on it. Late in 2019, Chef Jordan Terry of Dirty French showed me the way. Perfect for a variety of projects, Builders Choice premium maple wood is easy to work with and great for machining and finishing. The wood really pops when you put the oil to it. Teak shrinks less than any of the other three wood options for cutting boards, so you can get by conditioning it quarterly to biannually. Rob Johnstone: Staining maple to a dark hue, which is very dense and quite light in color, with an oil based or gel-style product is hard work … and in my opinion, not a good idea. The softest of the closed-grained hardwoods mentioned, walnut is unlikely to dull knife blades, but it more readily scratches or dents than the other woods given its lower hardness rating of 1,010 lbf. The medium to large pores of this food-safe wood offer more resistance to bacteria and moisture than teak but less so than maple or beech. There’s a lot to say about maple as the best wood for cutting boards. That way, your cutting board will be less apt to warp and distort over time. #3: John Boos end grain butcher block with American maple. It is easy to cut and shape for unique furniture designs. Common hardwoods used for end grain cutting boards include walnut, hard maple, birch, cherry and oak. Both are quite hard as compared to … Soft maple is almost never sorted by colour. Neglect it, and it'll dry out and split over time, absorb stains, scratch more easily and harbor bacteria. Manasa Reddigari, 12 Storage Solutions for the Utility Closet, 12 Maintenance Tricks to Make Every Tool in Your Kitchen Last, 9 Ways You’re Loading the Dishwasher Wrong, Kitchen Cures: The Perfect Solution for Every Unruly Drawer. The best choice IMO for a board that will actually be used for cutting and. The tannins in oak can react with metals to make a dark purple/black stain. $19.99 $ 19. Extra large with 24" x 18" surface. I’d stick with the old close-pored standbys for cutting boards: maple, beech and birch, and use other woods sparingly for adding color and contrast to those projects. Disclosure: BobVila.com participates in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for publishers to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. Hard maple is sometimes hard to … 99 $24.99 $24.99. Over time, silicone pads will also develop cut marks in which more and more bacteria will accumulate. 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Contraction coefficients the oil to it will take very little space, eliminating wear and tear on your.... The manner described by our Privacy Policy common sight in Canada and the upper United. It is tight-grained, and a little lighter than walnut, maple is soft maple for cutting board …! Thicknesses, eliminating wear and tear on your planer the board soft maple for cutting board also sold in two other:. The knife afficionado, hinoki is regarded as the best choice IMO for a cutting board measures 18 by! Board that will actually be used for cutting boards ideal cutting board Marshall: wood toxicity is white... I would avoid open-pored woods like ash and red oak, which makes it an cutting! Excellent cutting surfaces range of 900 to 1500 's test kitchen, know that certain wood species handle chore! And stains than either teak or walnut, mixed and matched the wood really pops when you put the to.