Hardwood vs. Bamboo - the eternal dilemma for anyone who has ever set foot in the kitchen with an intention to become a knowledgeable cook. In the bamboo forests of the Shaanxi, Sichuan, and Gansu, the latter seems to be the preferred options. However, when it comes to cutting boards, hardwood seems like the way the go. Read on and find out why!
The first thing that comes to my mind when thinking of bamboo (except pandas) is that it’s a 100% renewable resource. Once harvesting is done, bamboo will grow back every four and a half years.
Retaining water is not a problem for bamboo, and as a result, these cutting boards won’t warp or crack easily. Although, hardwoods are some of the most resistant woods you can find.
Natural colors can never be replicated which makes bamboo cutting boards some of the most attractive kitchen utensils. With this being said, Maple offers almost identical colors to bamboo.
These two are probably the most critical characteristics of hardwood cutting boards. Wooden boards are kind to knives, and most hardwood boards are self-healing, which means that it won’t scar as easy as plastic or softwood boards. Hardwood is less porous than any other given material, meaning they will absorb less water and bacteria.
Hardwood inhibits bacteria growth. According to a research conducted at the University of Wisconsin, hardwood cutting boards exhibited outstanding performance, significantly better than their plastic counterparts.
Hardwood has a distinctive rustic look that will fit any kitchen’s style perfectly. We’ve seen a lot of cutting boards, but we have yet to see an unsightly hardwood cutting board.
Unlike bamboo cutting boards, hardwood boards can be found in a vast variety of shapes and sizes. Also, at certain stores, you’ll be even able to engrave almost anything you want on your cutting board.
Although they share some properties, bamboo and hardwood are two entirely different materials when it comes to cutting boards. Our final verdict would be that hardwood cutting boards are a much safer choice because they possess all the favorable properties that bamboo has and then some. Unfortunately, unless you find a bamboo board that was manufactured with formaldehyde-free glues, bamboo can be dangerous.
On the other hand, hardwood boards are resilient, visually attractive, resistant, and provide a great value overall. All in all, hardwood boards are always our first choice, and although bamboo boards have some positive traits, go with traditional hardwood, and you can never make a mistake.
To get your own hardwood cutting board, check out our wide variety of personalized cutting boards today.
