Wooden and Other Chopping Boards

Chopping boards are absolutely necessary when preparing food. I remember the very first chopping board I got was after I had been watching a food show by French chef Pol Martin....in 1976, I was home on maternity leave but my babies had not arrived yet(I was pregnant with twins) so I had lots of time on my hands. We lived in North Toronto then, and occasionally went downtown to Yorkville. Well, it so happens one weekend we were in Yorkville area, downtown Toronto, and I went into the kitchen store there, that is when I saw Chef Pol Martin had a line of kitchen equipment, as early as the '70's! Anyway, I got the chopping board that was at the very least 2 inches thick, had a well for cutting roasts and chicken, and regular chopping on the other side....I continued to use that board for at least 15 years, I still have it as a reminder of my early days of disaster cooking! Trial and error are the building blocks of a good/great cook, you need to make those errors to know what works and what doesn't!
I have seen the dark cutting boards, they are really beautiful, but I can't help thinking that you will have all of those knife slashes on them, if you get one, maybe it's best to serve from, like a platter, holding meats and cheese, or polenta and saucy meatballs.
Today, I would never dream of chopping any meat on my wooden chopping board, I use a thin plastic liner that I got at IKEA, the liner is great, heat resistant, so you can put hot pots on it, and dishwasher safe, which is very convenient and sanitary. I have used that liner when canning, it's ideal for setting hot jars on and filling them before processing, then again afterward when removing hot jars from the canner. So, to say it is handy is an understatement! It is bendable, too and has acted like a funnel to move meat, veggies or fruit into a pot or other serving vessel, truly a great tool!
I have another huge chopping board, similar to the Pol Martin board, and a medium sized bamboo board I use for chopping nuts, chocolate, biscotti, and other yummy things. For small jobs, I have a thin bamboo board that also goes into the dishwasher. When I need more room,say for a buffet or cutting pizza, I have a huge board that covers my sink, very handy that, gives me extra space when I have a buffet, also hides the last minute dishes that occur when giving a party!

They say it is beneficial to use sustainable woods when considering a chopping board, but I believe you have to assess your cooking style, then choose the ideal board for you, it should be portable, easy to clean, and be a friend to your expensive knives. A coated board, (one that is shiny), is not good for the edge of your chef knife, so you will need to sharpen the knife frequently.