Taylor (uh hem) Stella Falone Ebony Cutting Boards...

[Shades of Blue]

So, my other huge hobby (time waster) is cooking. I do most of the cooking in our family, and I host most major holidays and cookouts for our family. The more I cook and grill, the more I realize that I need a decent cutting board for cooked meat, where the juices can escape into a groove or lip.

Has anyone tried one of Taylor’s sourced ebony boards made by Stella Falone? I cook enough that I want a decent board, and was looking at spending around $100, but maybe the ebony is more durable and worth it? It’s my understanding that ebony is about 3 times harder than other standard woods used for cutting boards.

Or, is it simply a waste of money where a plain walnut everyday board is sufficient?

[TRose]

I’m not familiar with ebony cut boards.
But if I were interested in a cutting board specifically used for meats I would look specifically not for a wooden one but for one made of a polymer with the channel around the edge.
I may be mistaken but my understanding is that cutting meats on wooden cut boards can lead to having an ultimately contaminated/ unhealthy work surface.
Anyone else have an opinion?

We have beautiful wooden cut boards for anything other than meat. We have polymer boards with channels specifically for meat.
Best,
Tom

[Silurian]

Taylor cutting board, I didn't know such a thing existed.

Taylor don't skimp on the advertising blurb and they know how to big up laminate. The only thing missing is "Andy Powers designed."

[mc1]

Originally Posted by TRose

I’m not familiar with ebony cut boards.
But if I were interested in a cutting board specifically used for meats I would look specifically not for a wooden one but for one made of a polymer with the channel around the edge.
I may be mistaken but my understanding is that cutting meats on wooden cut boards can lead to having an ultimately contaminated/ unhealthy work surface.
Anyone else have an opinion?

I've heard that wood is actually more sanitary, and less of a thriving environment for bacteria. However, plastic can be easier to sanitize. I think it's important to use different cutting boards for different purposes, so I have one for raw meat, one for cooked meat, one for onions/ginger/garlic, and a couple for fruits and vegetables. I also try to make sure they fully dry out between uses.

I have a couple of bamboo cutting boards and really prefer them to hardwood.

[oldwasichu]

Get a maple cutting board. I have three of them from John Boos. Not cheap, but much better than using plastic which will dull your knives. They do need to be oiled and sealed periodically.

[M Hayden]

I concur with the suggestion of a maple board - and if you can afford end-grain butcherblock, get that. It’s kinder to your knives and ridiculously tough. I have one that I made almost forty years ago and it’s still our daily go-to. It’s about 50cm x 40cm x about 6cm thick. It’s glued up with boat epoxy (it’s safe) and I resurface it every decade or so with a thickness sander at 220 grit.

[The Growler]

My wife has the large Taylor ebony cutting board. The ebony is very durable and seems to be stronger than any other cutting board we've ever seen. Most cutting boards have lots of marks and even over time ruts from the cutting. Not this one.

It is beautiful and when not in use she has it in a stand like a picture frame might be and many people think it's some art or a decoration. No kidding.

It is also thick and heavy which gives it a lot of stability, more than any other board we've ever had.

Bottom line: expensive, but really well made and beautiful. You may not want to use it, it's so nice.

[H165]

https://www.cookinglight.com/news/is...d-better-safer

Some updated info on the boards.

[jklotz]

I recently invested in a really nice chef's knife. I'm no expert, but it seems to me that ebony might be a little hard on the knives? We buy the cheap, soft wood ones at Ikea and replace them a couple times a year. The edges of our knives seem to last a long time, and I think it's more sanitary.

[buddyhu]

Originally Posted by H165

https://www.cookinglight.com/news/is...d-better-safer

Some updated info on the boards.

Good article!

Whether you choose wood or plastic, remember why we use cutting boards rather than just cutting stuff in hard countertops: harder surfaces dull knives quickly, softer surfaces absorb some of the impact of the blade making contact with the surface underneath the thing you cut. There is wisdom in the choice of woods used in the old butcher blocks.

Also: if at all possible, avoid the layered/laminated boards that are often sold (sometimes designed this way to look pretty, sometimes made this way because it is easier and cheaper to find smaller boards and glue them together). Eventually, the glue holding the pieces together will fail, and the pieces separate.

[mc1]

Originally Posted by H165

https://www.cookinglight.com/news/is...d-better-safer

Some updated info on the boards.

Originally Posted by buddyhu

Good article!

Yes, helpful, and the memorable quote from it:

In most cases, it’s safer to make a salad on a toilet seat than it is to make one on a cutting board.

Originally Posted by buddyhu

Whether you choose wood or plastic, remember why we use cutting boards rather than just cutting stuff in hard countertops: harder surfaces dull knives quickly, softer surfaces absorb some of the impact of the blade making contact with the surface underneath the thing you cut. There is wisdom in the choice of woods used in the old butcher blocks.

To be honest, I thought it was to keep the countertop from getting scratched and stained - it's a lot easier to replace a cutting board than a countertop.

As for dulling due to too hard a wood, aren't we also sharpening our knives? - or is that a different thread?

[TRose]

Originally Posted by H165

https://www.cookinglight.com/news/is...d-better-safer



Some updated info on the boards.

Thanks for the link.
I did a quick internet search when the topic came up. I found a very similar( like oddly similar)
article put out by North Carolina State University concerning food safety. The food safety researcher at NC State advised to use plastic boards for meat simply because of how they can be cleaned. But it’s certainly not as cut and dry as I thought.

https://news.ncsu.edu/2014/09/cuttin...s-food-safety/


I think having different boards for different food groups addresses the potential issues- as Mc1 said.

Thanks,
Tom

[Buzzmyster54]

IMO Ebony because it has just a tight grain would probably work just fine and it looks nice. I make cutting boards as a hobby and the only woods I use are woods that come from fruit trees...basically any wood that produces eatable food.
Walnut, cherry, maple, etc...an exception might be Teak.

[Earl49]

I showed my wife the Stella Falone cutting boards in the last issue of Wood & Steel and would happily have bought her a gift. I was met with waves of indifference..... she likes the plastic ones that can go through the dishwasher.

Back in 8th grade wood shop (remember shop class?) I made a pair of butcher block cutting boards for mom using a checkerboard of black walnut and hard rock maple. As far as I know they are still around some 50 years later, but I have no idea where or if anyone still uses them. Mom has been gone for almost 16 years, and my brother inherited the homestead.