Wood and plastic don't ruin the edge
Glass and stone dull a blade very quickly, because the edge has nowhere to sink in and stops abruptly with every cut. Wood and plastic (food-safe polyethylene) both give way under the blade, which is why a knife stays sharp on them for much longer.
Wood is the kindest to the edge and gives your kitchen a rustic feel, so it is the right choice for everyday cutting and for serving. Plastic (polyethylene) can go in the dishwasher at high temperatures and is often kept separately for slicing raw meat.
It is the simplest investment you can make for your blades: the right board stretches the time between two sharpenings.
Walnut or acacia
Acacia is lighter in colour, lighter in weight and more affordable. Walnut is darker and heavier, and on the large boards the weight really shows, because the board doesn't move on the counter while you cut. There is no single right answer here; it comes down to your preference and the size you need.
How big should a wooden cutting board be?
The size of the board depends on the free space in your kitchen. All the solid wood boards are 40 cm long, and the T2 also comes in a 36 cm version for smaller kitchens. The width is where the real difference is: 30 cm on the large version against 23.5 cm on the small one, so the blade of a chef knife, which is 20 to 23 cm long, covers almost the whole width of the board.
The largest board in the collection is the T3 professional, 47 x 32 cm, the only one made of polyethylene. Among the wooden boards, the T2 in size L, the T5 and the T6 all measure 40 x 30 cm, and the burl wood T1 is 40 x 25 cm.
How do you care for it?
Solid wood doesn't go in the dishwasher and isn't left in water, because it cracks. Wash it with a sponge, dry it and oil it with food-grade oil from time to time. A knife set and a good board are the basis of any kitchen.
If you're looking after the board, look after what you cut on it too: whetstones and the honing rod are the other half of the same story.
