A cutting board is an incredibly useful tool in every cook’s arsenal. Cutting boards provide a safe and clean place to cut meats and vegetables when preparing meals. Every kitchen has at least one, and it’s not unusual to have several boards to use for different types of food.
Since cutting boards are used daily, the right cutting board for your kitchen can make cutting and preparing food much easier.
Cutting boards come in various materials and each option has its own benefits and drawbacks. Traditional wooden cutting boards or eco-friendly bamboo boards can be bulky, especially if you have several different cutting boards. They also require a lot of maintenance in order to last. Glass cutting boards have a hard surface that dulls your knives very quickly. Plastic boards are affordable and easy to clean, but they will easily warp in the dishwasher. Plastic boards also are not a good choice for use with hot foods.
What is so Special about Silicone Cutting Boards
Cutting boards made of food-grade silicone, also called foldable cutting boards, are one of the recent kitchen innovations. These silicone boards can withstand temperatures between -40~260°C which makes them more durable than plastic ones. They are designed to provide the following advantages to the customers:
- Silicone is soft on knife edges: You want your knives to maintain strength and sharpness for as long as possible. You are ensured that your best knives are not quickly damaged against silicone. Marble, stone, steel, or glass can drastically reduce the longevity of your knives. Silicone creates a cushioned surface cutting mat that protects the knife edge. The silicone is an ideal surface for keeping your kitchen knives in top condition.
- Flexible: Silicone cutting boards are flexible enough to fold and this feature, allows you to easily transport staff to a pot or throw the refuse into the garbage bin. You can easily create a funnel and then just throw what you’ve chopped directly into a frying pan or bowl. This reduces food spillage and makes storage easier.
- Bacteria resistant: High-quality silicone cutting boards have a non-porous, scratch-resistant surface that will not trap bacteria, which assures safe and hygienic food preparation. Without proper cleaning, cutting boards harbor harmful bacteria and could lead to cross-contamination. You can clean and sanitize these in the dishwasher, which will reduce the risk of transferring bacteria and foodborne illnesses.
- Easy to maintain. These cutting boards can save you the time you currently spend seasoning and sanitizing your old wooden cutting boards. They can withstand exposure to water, so you can sanitize them with boiling water or by putting them in the dishwasher without worry of damaging them. Keep in mind that the dishwasher is able to clean the boards more effectively than hand washing, which is important because cutting boards come into contact with a variety of foods.
- Hygienic: You can also eliminate harmful bacteria with sterilization in the microwave. Rinse the board to remove any excess food, roll it up and place it in the microwave on full power for 1 minute to get a sterile cutting surface, for everyday, quick jobs. Silicone boards often come with a juice groove that catches excess liquid from meats or fruits and prevents juices and blood from leaking onto the countertop.
- Slip-proof: Silicone has a non-slippery surface that doesn’t shift around when you are cutting things even on very slick countertops. It grips the counter surface and stays firmly in place while in use, so no accidents or messes to deal with.
- Eye pleasing: Silicone cutting boards usually come in colors that are appealing and can brighten up your kitchen. These boards are often color-coded and have icons for each food type. You can designate each color for a different purpose to prevent foods from getting contaminated.
- Convenient storage: Their foldable feature makes them easy to store after use, which is especially helpful if you have a small kitchen. They come with a hole for hanging on a hook when not used. You can easily roll up this lightweight and flexible cutting board and take it with you in your picnic basket.
- Sturdy: Premium silicone cutting boards are highly resistant to scratches and will withstand a lot of abuse. They won’t bend and crack if you throw them in the dishwasher and leave them during the drying cycle. They won’t show wear and tear over time like plastic or wooden ones and they never lose their shape.
Disadvantages of Silicone Cutting Boards
- Knife marks: The major downside is that the soft surface of silicone cutting boards is vulnerable to damage from knives. After using it for a couple of months, the boards will get knife marks. The silicone must be very durable to resist sharp knives. Some premium cutting boards are made of silicone that is thicker and more knife-marks resistant.
- Plastic-like smell: These boards may have a plastic-like smell right out of the package. It may take several washes for that initial smell to disappear. Before you start using it, your new cutting board must be washed thoroughly either by hand or in the dishwasher.
- Flexible: Handling a flexible cutting board may be inconvenient for some people who got used to a more solid one.
- Prone to stains: On the unfavorable side, silicone boards are not fully stain-resistant. Certain foods like tomato juice and some spices may leave behind stains that are difficult to remove by simple washing.
- Retain smells: One of the negative aspects of silicone cutting boards is their tendency to retain food smells especially after cutting a lot of onions.
Is Silicone Cutting Boards Worth Buying?
Silicone cutting boards are convenient, versatile, and knives-friendly, and you can easily avoid cross-contamination. You just need to have handy several of them and use them for different purposes.
You don’t have to worry about seasoning or a complicated sanitization process. You can safely put these cutting boards in the dishwasher to make sure they are clean and sterile. Various colors and food icons can greatly reduce the chance of cross-contamination. They are aesthetically pleasing and may enhance the look of your kitchen.
When selecting a cutting board you should base your decision on your specific needs, your kitchen space, and your personal preferences. If you prefer a board that is easy to keep clean and sanitized go for silicone. However, don’t expect them to last forever. You will need to replace them with new ones from time to time. They will get cut marks over time, but this also means that your knives are safe.
A good choice is to have a traditional wooden board for major cutting jobs. In addition to it, have multiple silicone cutting boards to deal with different types of food and ensure a safe food preparation environment. This way you will minimize the risk of cross-contamination.
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Related product: Liflicon Thick Silicone Cutting Board
Greetings! Very helpful advice within this article! It’s the little changes which will make the most significant changes. Many thanks for sharing!
I have those EXVI silicone cutting boards and was wondering about the microwave sterilization for them I have washed them by hand and in the dishwasher, so after washing by hand I have dried them and then put them in the microwave for 1 minute on high power here is my question does it matter if the cutting board is wet or dry when doing this which would be better.
I think that putting them slightly wet or completely dry doesn’t make a difference. The sterilization process definitely won’t damage a board. As you know, you shouldn’t place a bowl in a microwave without any water (food) in it, because this can be damaging for the appliance. I believe that sterilizing a dry, folded silicone board for a minute is not potentially harmful for a microwave. What other people have to say?
My microwave does NOT like to run dry! Also isn’t it the moisture in foods that the micro waves heat? I sterilize my sponges often in the micro and have found that putting them in quite wet means that I can heat them on hi for 2-3 mins. which seems to me a safer bet for killing germs than just 1 minute. I would suggest at least or also, put a cup of water in with your things. When I micro yak cheese doggie treats to puff them, they tended to scorch before they were done puffing. (That smells simply awful too!) So now I always wet them & if larger pieces, put a cup of water in as well.