No kitchen is a kitchen without a good cutting board or two; prepping ingredients quickly and safely for cooking is simply impossible without one.
Yet even the sturdiest, best-made cutting boards don’t last forever. Sooner or later, your cutting board will wear out and need replacement. The question is, when?
On the one hand, decent cutting boards are expensive. On the other, continuing to use a cutting board that’s obviously past its prime isn’t a great idea, either. A worn-out cutting board traps bacteria and mold, which then transfer to your food.
Signs It’s Time for a New Board
The general rule goes like this: Replace your cutting board when wear and tear compromises food safety.
Knife grooves that trap food particles, warping that makes the cutting board unstable, or splits in wooden cutting boards that harbor disease-causing bacteria are all can’t-miss signs your board needs replacing.
Wooden Cutting Boards: Wooden cutting boards typically last 5 to 10 years with proper care. Replace yours if you notice grooves deeper than 1/8 inch, splits or cracks that trap moisture and food scraps, warping that makes the cutting surface or back of the board uneven, and strong, musty or vinegary odors that persist after cleaning.
Conditioning your wooden cutting board with oil every 3 to 4 weeks helps repel moisture, and light sanding tends to remove most surface starches before they’ve turned into deep groves. But once your beloved cutting board develops gouges or splits, it’s time for it to go.
Plastic Cutting Boards: Unlike wood, plastic boards show their age more clearly through discoloration and deep knife marks. They also wear out more quickly because most cooks wash them in the dishwasher.
Replace your plastic cutting board when the grooves become deep enough to trap food, the surface itself gets heavily scratched and difficult to clean, warping prevents the board from lying flat, or stains and odors persist despite thorough cleaning.
Glass Cutting Boards: While extremely durable and nonporous, glass boards can become dangerous when damaged. Replace immediately if any cracks appear on the glass — no matter how small — or the edges become chipped. After all, the last thing you want is your glass board shattering into pieces in your hands while you’re using a sharp knife.
Maintaining Your Cutting Boards
You can extend the life of your cutting boards if you care for them properly. The fact of the matter is that most people just don’t.
Clean the board thoroughly after each use with hot, soapy water. Dry the board completely before storing it (with a lint-free dish cloth or a heavy-duty paper towel) and store it upright, in a well-ventilated area such as somewhere on your kitchen countertop.
It’s very important to use separate boards for raw meats and produce. Otherwise, disease-causing bacteria from raw meat can transfer to raw product — say, the lettuce in your salad, the fresh herbs on top of your soup, or the tomato slices in your kids’ lunch sandwiches.
Lastly, if you’re using a wooden cutting board, condition it with food-grade mineral oil just about every month, or when you can feel the wood on the surface getting dry. For tough stains, sprinkle coarse salt on the board and rub with half a lemon. Rinse thoroughly and dry.
A Smarter Cutting Board Strategy
Keep at least two cutting boards in your kitchen: one dedicated to raw meat and another for fruits, vegetables, and bread.
Consider labeling your boards clearly to prevent cross-contamination. Color-coding is how they do it in restaurants (red for raw meat, blue for fish and seafood, yellow for poultry, brown for cooked meat, green for produce, and white for cheese.
If you’re using wooden cutting boards at home, you can buy differently shaped boards, buy boards made from different types of wood, or create a system for positioning the boards differently (say, upside down for meat and right side up for produce).
And remember: When in doubt about your cutting board’s condition, replace it. The cost of a new board is minimal compared to the potential risks of foodborne illness.