I recently swapped my old plastic mat for the cherry cutting board end grain , and am can't believe I waited this long to make the particular switch. There is some thing incredibly satisfying regarding the way a knife interacts with this specific type of wood surface. In case you spend any decent period of time in the kitchen, you know the "feel" of your equipment matters just simply because much because the formula itself.
When most people make purchases for a brand-new board, they usually just grab no matter what looks pretty or even whatever is upon sale. But when you dive into the particular specifics, you understand that the building of the board—and the type of wood used—changes from how often you need to sharpen your own knives to exactly how much your arms hurt following a race session of chopping onions.
Exactly what Makes End Grain So Special?
If you aren't a woodworker, the particular term "end grain" might sound such as technical jargon, yet it's actually pretty simple. Imagine a pack of drinking straws standing straight upward. When you reduce the ends of those straws, the knife blade slides involving the fibers rather compared to cutting across all of them. Which is exactly what happens with a cherry cutting board end grain .
Since the wood fibers are oriented vertically, they have a natural "self-healing" property. When your knife hits the surface area, the fibers component slightly to let the blade within and then planting season back together once the blade is raised. This is the massive win regarding two reasons. Very first, your board doesn't get covered within deep, ugly marks nearly as quick as a typical flat-grain board. Second, and probably most importantly, it's much easier on the knives. Since the wood isn't combating the blade, your edge stays sharpened for the lot more.
Why Cherry Wood Is the Perfect Middle Terrain
There are plenty of woods out there—maple, walnut, oak—so why go with cherry? For me personally, it's all regarding the balance. Cherry is definitely a hardwood, but it isn't too hard. If you utilize a board made of something like bamboo sheets or certain spectacular hardwoods, they may actually be very brittle and difficult on your knife's edge. Cherry offers just enough "give" to feel soft under the cutlery while still getting durable enough to last for decades.
Beyond the particular physics of it, let's discuss the particular look. A cherry cutting board end grain includes a warmth that you just don't obtain with maple. It starts out as a light, creamy pinkish-brown, and over period, it will something actually cool. It darkens. Thanks to ULTRAVIOLET light and oxidation process, cherry wood matures into a deep, rich reddish-brown. It's just like a piece of functional art that actually gets better looking the even more you utilize it.
The Beauty of the Pattern
Because end grain boards are made by gluing together many little blocks of wooden with the grain facing up, they will create this beautiful, mosaic-like pattern. Along with cherry, the variations in the heartwood and sapwood create a stunning contrast. No two boards actually look the identical. You might get several blocks that are usually darker and several that have a small golden hue, offering the whole thing a lot of character.
Setting Up Your own Kitchen Workspace
Something I observed immediately after obtaining my cherry cutting board end grain was just how much more stable my prep station experienced. These boards are often thick—often two ins or more. That weight isn't just for show; it keeps the board from sliding around on the table while you're functioning. There's nothing more annoying (or dangerous) than a lightweight board that shifts whilst you're trying to slice through a hard butternut squash.
The extra height is also the sneaky benefit for your posture. In case you're tall, getting that extra few of inches of clearance means a person don't have to hunch over mainly because much. It may not really seem like an issue, but your back will definitely thank you after you've completed prepping a large Sunday dinner.
Maintaining Your Board within Top Shape
I know what some individuals think: "Wood boards are as well much work. " Honestly, it's not really that bad once you get directly into a rhythm. A person can't just toss a cherry cutting board end grain into the particular dishwasher and call it a day—that's an one-way ticket to a cracked, bended mess. But the particular actual maintenance only takes a few minutes a month.
The golden rule is keeping it hydrated. Wood is really a natural material that will wants to inhale, and when it will get too dry, it'll start to crack. I actually usually keep the bottle of food-grade mineral oil or even a wood conditioner (which is usually a mix of oil and beeswax) under the particular sink. Every several weeks, or whenever the wood starts looking a small dull or "thirsty, " I'll give it an excellent coat, let it dip in overnight, and buff off the particular extra in typically the morning.
Cleaning After Use
For daily cleansing, just a bit of warm soapy water and a quick scrub is all you need. The essential is to dry it off immediately plus allow it to air dried out sitting on its advantage. You don't want water sitting on the surface for too long, specifically having an end grain construction, because the "straw-like" fibers we talked about previously will suck that water right lower into the center associated with the board.
Is It Well worth the Investment?
Let's be real—a high-quality cherry cutting board end grain isn't precisely cheap. You're going to pay more with regard to it than you would for a plastic one from a big-box shop. But here's just how I look with it: I did previously move through a cheap plastic board every single year because they'd get stained, scarred, and just plain gross.
A solid cherry end grain board is a "buy it once" kind of item. If you take care of it, you can literally pass it down to your own kids. Once you element in the money you save upon knife sharpening and the fact that you aren't changing it every 12 months, the price starts to make a lot of sense. Plus, it just makes the act of cooking more enjoyable. There's a certain "thump" sound when the knife hits the wood that you simply don't get with any other material.
Final Thoughts on Cherry End Grain
With the end during, your kitchen equipment should work intended for you, not towards you. Switching in order to a cherry cutting board end grain was among those small upgrades that had an amazingly big impact upon my daily routine. It's functional, it's beautiful, and it also snacks my expensive knives with the regard they deserve.
If you're on the fence about what kind of board in order to get, I truly can't recommend cherry enough. It's got the particular durability you need regarding heavy-duty chopping, yet it maintains the classic, warm appearance that makes your kitchen feel such as a home rather compared to just a place to heat up up food. Remember to keep it oiled, retain it away of the dishwasher, and luxuriate in the way it ages over the years. You'll probably find your self looking for excuses to chop issues just so a person can utilize it.