Every kitchen needs one or more cutting boards.
Boards are readily available in different materials, sizes, and shapes. Which is the best cutting board for raw meat?
Related: Best Knife for Cutting Raw Meat
Table of contents
- 3 Best Chopping Boards for Raw Meat
- Epicurean Kitchen Series Cutting Board
- John Boos Block CHY-1812175-SSF Cherry Wood End Grain Butcher Block Cutting Board
- Commercial Grade Plastic Cutting Board
- Commercial Cutting Board Set – NSF, 6 Colors
- Different Color Chopping Board?
- OXO Good Grips Cutting and Carving Board
- Joseph Joseph Cutting Board Set with Storage Case
- How to prevent cross-contamination when using a cutting board
- Here is how to prevent cross-contamination in your kitchen
- What Do You Look When Buying A Chopping Board?
- Frequently Asked Questions about Chopping Boards for Raw Meat
3 Best Chopping Boards for Raw Meat
Epicurean Kitchen Series Cutting Board
Key Features
- Made of wood fiber
- Dishwasher safe
- Lightweight and thin
- Available in different colors
- Can resist heat up to 350 F degrees
- NSF certified and perfect for commercial kitchens because they last for years
Epicurean Cutting boards are of high quality. They are practical and quite different from glass, wood, and poly chopping boards.
The boards come in series since 2004 and are products from a respectable company that produces various kitchen stuff.
The chopping board is durable and user-friendly. It is perfect for slicing raw meat but also comes in handy for pizza, vegetables, and other food chopping.
This chopping board can be used at home or in a restaurant. It can withstand countless rigorous uses.
Besides, the surface of the Epicurean Cutting Board does not dull your knife, so you need not worry about ruining the sharp blade. The best thing is that you can wash it in the dishwasher or use warm soapy water to prevent cross-contamination.
John Boos Block CHY-1812175-SSF Cherry Wood End Grain Butcher Block Cutting Board
Key Features
- Heavy Duty
- Used by Professional Chefs
- Beautiful addition to any kitchen
- Safe and stable chopping board
- Clean with soap and water
- Regularly condition with NSF approved Boos Mystery Oil and Boos Board Cream to maintain the life of your board for many years
- Comes with a one year warranty
The John Boos Block CHY-1812175-SSF cutting board is 18 inches long, 1.75 inches thick, and 12 inches wide. You will be able to cut large pieces of raw meat on it, and it will handle any extra force required.
This chopping board is a product from John Boos & Co. and is made of cherry wood, making it a sustainable option compared to plastic chopping boards. John Boos has been making cutting boards in Effingham, IL, USA since 1914.
Compared to plastic, wood cutting boards from do not harbor nor create a suitable environment for bacteria to thrive. Additionally, the wood board it is friendly to knives and will not dull their blades.
The chopping board is made with end grain construction. This is important because it keeps your knife from dulling and keeps the board surfaces smoother. This is because the end grain wood fibers are able to absorb the impact of the knife blade.
The John Boos Cherry board has a groove for collecting juices, and rests on four stainless steel feet that provide stability. What’s more, the board has a sleek design and looks artistic on your kitchen counter.
Boos Cutting Boards are not inexpensive, but they are elegant, functional, and gorgeous.
Commercial Grade Plastic Cutting Board
Key Features
- Excellent quality
- Dishwasher safe
- Commercial grade
- Textured surface, which provides grip
- NSF Certified
Commercial Grade Plastic cutting board comes with superior durability. The commercial carving board is high quality made of high-density polypropylene.
It is heat and wear-resistant and, therefore, safe to use in the kitchen. The surface of the slicing board has a light texture, which gives it some grip.
Can be cleaned in dishwasher.
Commercial Cutting Board Set – NSF, 6 Colors
Different Color Chopping Board?
The board is available in HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) colors codes, which include:
- White-Universal
- Red- Raw meat
- Black-Breads
- Blue- Seafood
- Yellow-Poultry
- Brown-Cooked meats
- Green- Vegetables and fruits
- Purple- Allergens
In a commercial kitchen, the colors can help you match each color for its appropriate task.
The boards have an easy to clean surface in a dishwasher. But they can also be hand washed with soapy water.
OXO Good Grips Cutting and Carving Board
Key Features
- Tapered handles for easy lifting
- Double side use for less risk of cross-contamination
- Odor resistant
- Ant-scratch resistant
- Does not dull knives
- Drip catcher juice drain with easy-pour corners
The OXO Cutting Board is made of non-porous material. The board is dishwasher safe and the best chopping board for raw meat.
It is scratch-resistant and does not scar even after countless uses. It remains smooth and doesn’t allow the development of bacteria after cleaning.
After you are done slicing raw meat, you can use the tapered handles to lift it safely. It also comes with side juice grooves to prevent any messes, which prevents cross-contamination in your kitchen. The Oxo boards grooves are unique from other cutting boards. At the corners they are shaped in such a way that makes it is easy to pour the collected liquid without spilling.
Joseph Joseph Cutting Board Set with Storage Case
Key Features
- Color Coded
- Dishwasher Safe
- Storage Case Allows air to circulate
How to prevent cross-contamination when using a cutting board
It is easy to cross-contaminate your foods through cutting boards. However, you can prevent this by cleaning the board thoroughly after use. Once you have put raw meat on a board, you must not use it for anything else until after it is cleaned. If you are chopping raw meat and other foods such as vegetables at the same time, you should designate one board for use only with raw meat. Don’t put cooked meat back on the board that had the raw meat.
Consider how busy your kitchen when selecting your cutting board. The common ones are made of plastic, wood, and glass, but can still spread bacteria from food to another.
Here is how to prevent cross-contamination in your kitchen
Preventing Cross Contamination is important because it can prevent foodborne illness.
- Always clean your board: Keeping your chopping board clean is the best way to prevent cross-contamination. Wash it the dishwasher or by hand using warm soapy water.
- Don’t Reuse a Board: Once you put raw meat on a board, do not put vegetables or cooked meat on that same board until it has been cleaned thoroughly
- Wash Your Hands after Handling Raw Meat
- Wash all surfaces that have come in contact with Raw Meat
- Buy several boards: It is to find color-coded boards in the market to cut you meat, bread, vegetables, seafood, and poultry in separate boards. However, if on a tight budget, go for a white-colored chopping board; it is easy to see food debris or stains that can cause contamination.
- Sanitizing the board: If you do not have a dishwasher, you can quickly sanitize your chopping board using chlorine solution or antibacterial dishwashing liquid.
- You should add one tablespoon of chlorine in one gallon of water. However, avoid scented bleaches with pine or lemon scents. After
- Soak your chopping board in the solution for about thirty minutes before rinsing and allowing it to dry.
- You can also spray your board generously with the solution and leave it for a few minutes before rinsing thoroughly and leaving it to dry.
- Throw away Damaged Boards: Once cutting boards become excessively worn, replace them.
What Do You Look When Buying A Chopping Board?
Shape
Most board are rectangular. The board needs to be large enough to contain the ingredients you are cutting. The board needs to lie flat on your kitchen counter and not move as you slice your meat.
You can place a towel underneath or buy a board with built-in grips to ensure that the chopping board stays put.
Material
If you only want to buy a single chopping board for meat cutting and other kitchen foods, a plastic one is a great choice.
It is easy to wash and can be used to slice both vegetables and raw meat. Glass chopping boards tend to make knives dull and, therefore, not a great option if you love your kitchen knives.
On the other hand, a wooden board is easy on your knives, does not harbor bacteria, and looks great. It cannot be washed in the dishwasher, however.
However, you likely want to have several chopping boards to ensure food safety.
Frequently Asked Questions about Chopping Boards for Raw Meat
Why is a wooden cutting board not perfect for raw meat slicing?
In fact, a wooden cutting board is a good choice for raw meat! A chopping board made of wood does not retain bacteria as long as a plastic board. Read here and here.
Additionally, wood cutting boards do not dull knives. The downside is that they require maintenance. They must be cleaned by hand and protected with oils.
How long can bacteria found in raw meat live on a chopping board?
Meat can contain harmful bacteria and that is the reason you should handle it and its packages carefully. One of the common bacteria found in meat is E-coli and can live up to 24 hours.
The bacteria are easily transferred from one food to another if the chopping board is not cleaned properly.
Which is the safest and hygienic slicing board for raw meat?
Plastic chopping boards are preferred by most people and considered as easy to clean. They are safe to run in a dishwasher, unlike bamboo and wood. However, wood cutting boards are also safe for raw meat.
However, the safest and hygienic board to use in your kitchen depends on your cleanliness; it has to be washed after use, whether its wooden, plastic, glass, or bamboo. And you should discard a cutting board once it is worn.
After how long should you replace the chopping board?
You should replace the cutting board when it becomes worn. If there are deep marks, those are locations where bacteria can get trapped. Inspect your cutting boards regularly. If you use them heavily or are in a commercial kitchen, then inspect them more often.
Last update on 2023-09-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
