Are bamboo cutting boards worth buying?
Bamboo is an extraordinary material and widely used in many sectors. But speaking of bamboo made cutting boards, many would hesitate to have one. Their concerns are likely to be:
"They are too hard for a good knife, and will dull the blade too quickly."
"They are made of many small pieces which are glued together. They simply don't last, easily warped or damaged."
"Lot of adhesive are used to hold the pieces. Is it safe?"
Here are the answers:
First concern. To some extent, ALL cutting boards dull knives. In my experience, the worst offenders are glass boards, followed by hard plastic. Softer plastic boards are not allowed in my kitchen (germs can develop in the knife cut grooves.). Partially thanks to its hardness, bamboo cutting board is more hygienic. As per Consumer Reports, over time, any cutting board (plastic or wood) can develop deep scratches or grooves that may trap bacteria, which could then spread to your food. Harder materials, such as bamboo and maple, are dense and good at keeping water and juices out, less prone to scarring than softer woods.
Second concern. Quality or durability depends on manufacturer and manufacture technique and materials. Most important is to pick a bamboo cutting board fully made of bamboo, and avoid those with soft wood or other materials hidden in between two pieces of bamboo sheets. As to manufacture techniques, there are horizontally pressured bamboo board (top one), laterally pressured bamboo board (middle one), and the latest one-piece bamboo board (bottom one). You can easily tell from the grain. Given the technique and dozens of processes to produce bamboo cutting boards are well implemented, the boards last for years without risk of warp or crack. In an all-round manner, laterally pressured bamboo board ( middle one ) is most recommended in terms of performance and durability.
Third concern. The adhesive used in bamboo cutting boards is food-grade toxin-free, applicable to tableware, made from epoxy resin, no chemicals harmful to the human body are added during the production process. Besides, the latest technique--one-piece bamboo board is made by a special procedure with bending the bamboo tube section into one flat piece under high temperature and high pressure. Two big flat pieces serve as the seemless surface of the cutting board. And there is no adhesive needed on the surface.
Getting rid of these concerns, we regard bamboo cutting board more hygienic and bamboo material superior eco-friendly and sustainable. Actually, many people choose bamboo cutting boards simply because they know bamboo is hygienic and eco-friendly.
For reasons why bamboo is more hygienic and superior eco-friendly and sustainable, please refer to our another article: Why is bamboo one of the best materials to make cutting boards.











