Hi folks,
I’m a regular on the fine cooking forum and I have a couple of questions about cutting boards and I know next to nothing about woodworking.
I’m hoping someone can help me out.
My wife’s uncle, who is retiring has offered to make me a nice sized cutting board out of maple and cherry for pretty much the cost of the wood.
When I asked hime what side of the grain he would make, he said that end grain is too difficult and would be making it from the side grain.
My first question is, what exactly does “end grain” mean, and why is that preferable for cutting boards? Also, is side grain ok? And finally, is it good/bad/ok to make a board out of maple AND cherry?
Thanks for any help you folks can provide,
Cheers,
CC
Replies
CanadianCook,
You may find is more useful to do a google search and see whats out there ...pros and cons... http://whatscookingamerica.net/CuttingBoards/AllAbout.htm
My highly unscientific definition: end grain what you see when you look at the side of a long piece of wood; side grain what you see along the side :-)
Our walunt/cherry/apple wood cutting boards are side grain and are holding up very well after a year (the one we kept and the ones we gave to the rest of the family).
View Image
NOTE: People will recommend against using Walnut wood due to allergies. My wife is mildly allergic to raw walnuts but has no problems with our board, which is also sealed with Walnut oil. You should have no problems with maple & cherry. Be sure to seal it with mineral oil or walnut oil.
Edited 12/3/2006 8:33 pm by wrudiger
Don't you mean end grain is what you see when you look at the end of a board?
Alan - planesaw
I have made many cutting boards with simple side board construction.I prefer Maple and they hold up very well. Usually end grain construction is used for chopping more than cutting, but can be used for either.
Before the arrival of plastic resin cutting boards; all the meat departments and butcher shops used wood. Both side laminated and end laminated to cut and chop meat on. After years of daily use they both will show wear and almost look like bowls.
I especially like figured maple, like tiger, birdseye or quilted. Use mineral oil to season your cutting board, and re-apply it as it get worn away from washing. It will not rancid, however vegetable oils will.
It is also a good idea to have several boards for their appropriate use. I make them in the shapes of stuff they should be used for; i.e. one is shaped like a pig for meat, one like a chicken for poultry, and one simply rectagle for vegetables. This all helps reduce cross contamination by bacteria.
They make wonderful gifts and the people you give them to, love them. Best of luck!
Here's my understaning of the basics of grain direction on a cutting board.
Most cutting boards have edge or face grain on the cutting surfaces of the board.(face of the board) The best cutting boards or "high end" boards use end grain. I'll try explain why.
Think of the wood a bunch of long fibers or a long ponytail of hair tied together. This is basically what wood is like. If you take this polytail and try to cut it to length with a knife, it will cut efficiantly, and sever the hair into 2 pieces. (thats what you are doing when you cut the edge or face grain on a cutting board.) If you try to cut the polytail lengthwise from the end of the polytail, the fibers(hair) will not cut efficiantly, but the knife will slide between the fibers causing little harm.
So, if a cutting board is made with end grain on the cutting surface the knife will (to some extent) slide between the fibers and not cut them off. This leads to extended life to the cutting board. It should remain flat longer as well.
Thanks for all your help, everyone!
Chopping blocks are made from end grain wood (when you look at a cut tree stump, the cut surface is end grain). They are made this way, because end grain compresses very little when struck, and this gives a solid backing to a blow from a chopper, and does not let the chopper bounce. Cutting boards, because the motion of cutting is more back and forth, and don't need the compression strength, can be made out of long grain wood. So my granddad said.
I suspect your knives will stay sharp longer to. Also the endgrain will separate when the knive goes through it and will expel food particles when it snaps back together. I presume cleaning/disinfecting end grain is easier as the wood fibers are little straws the will soak up the cleaner cleaning solution. Also, when you treat the board with oil, the oil will penetrate deeper (down the straws). Like when you put glue on end grain and it is quickly soaked up.
It is a lot more work to do the end grain version. You have to make sure your boards are vary square and basically make building blocks out of them and glue them together long grain to long grain. If you use contrasting woods, you can get the checkerboard effect if you want or stripes or geo shapes of your choice. Depending on the 'pixel' size (how many blocks you are using), you can even do block lettering to convey a message. Significant dates or the type of food you will cut on a particular board ala a prior poster.
Bon apetit!
Regards,
Ken
"Do as you would be done by." C.S. Lewis
Woods with small pores are preferred for cutting boards. Maple is the traditional choice. Large pored woods like oak create more opportunity for food and subsequently bacteria, to get caught in the large pores because it is harder to clean the boards with the larger, more open pores. Poorer hygiene can lead to potential bacteria problems. Maple and cherry should be fine.
CC
Here's a pic of a maple and cherry side grain board I made for my sister. The cherry is used as an accent stripe, and the maple provides the desired hardness for a cutting board to hold up long term. The good news is, they're made out of wood. So, after years of use, if it becomes dished out, have your woodworker friend plane or sand it smooth and flat again, and you get to start all over again!
What's for supper!
Happy New Year,
Jeff
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