bamboooooooooooo
ok, I too have been wanting a Bamboo cutting board. There was a display at my local grocery store yesterday so I bought one. I paid around $18 for the XL one . After getting it home, I read the label that came with it. It says to rub Bamboo oil on it for the first 5 days prior to use, and then to continue periodically to keep its appearance.
I was too cheap to buy the $4 bamboo oil. Can I use another oil (maybe olive oil?) to preserve its natural beauty? Bork, what did you do with yours?
I have 3 bamboo cutting boards. I never knew you had to rub oil on them. I would guess any light oil would work fine though.
On the good eats cutlery show
http://www.beerorkid.com/2008/01/08/good-eats-cutlery-episode/
Alton talks about bamboo. He says he does not like it since it is “slow” being soft the knife does not glide on it all that well. I am not a speed demon and like the feel of cutting on bamboo just fine.
Mine have been used pretty good. I have one I do not care about and big time chopping or bread cutting is done on that one. The soft bamboo can get gnarled up pretty good if you get a bit aggressive. I have a really pretty one which I use for delicate stuff. Yet they are cheap enough to replace annually.
My good one is small end grain and it cracked on me the 3rd time I used it. A little oil might have kept that from happening.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/beerorkid/2152268587/in/set-72157600942686993/
I got one that made me laugh with the labeling on the back. “no pandas were harmed in making this cutting board”
Comment by beerorkid — March 3, 2008 @ 11:58 am
I did chuckle too.. Mine had the panda comment too!
thanks for the info!
Comment by ray — March 3, 2008 @ 12:44 pm
A goole search yielded these:
Q: hello,I just bought a large bamboo cutting board as a gift for my husband and it is wonderful! But we do not know what type of oil if any and how often do we put it on the board to maintain it?
A: Apply a food-safe mineral oil monthly or as often as needed. Use a soft cloth to apply the oil and allow the oil to soak in for several hours before wiping away any excess oil that was not absorbed. With a brand new board, 3 or 4 coats could be needed.
Q: if a bamboo cutting board does require oil,where can you buy it? what kind is it?
A: Use a food-safe mineral oil on the Bamboo Cutting Board. Do not use vegetable oils, olive oils, or cooking oils because they can eventually turn rancid. You can buy mineral oil at mass retailers (such as Wal-Mart or Walgreens) or at stores that carry wooden items, such as hardware and craft stores.
Comment by ray — March 3, 2008 @ 12:50 pm
Wow, you should not put any food oil on a cutting board because food oil gets rancid and sticky over time. I use “food grade” mineral oil on all my cutting boards. You can pick-it up at any kitchen store at a low price and it will last forever. About once a year I sand my cutting boards to remove the knicks and re-oil it although you can do that more frequently if you so desire.
: )
Comment by Jeanne McClymont — March 3, 2008 @ 3:02 pm
I am working on building a wooden top for my kitchen island TMCO is building. No matter what wood I go with I will be making a rock maple cutting board. Apparently those are the bomb when it comes to cutting boards. Cheapest on I could find was on amazon for $35.
Thanks for the tip Jeanne
Comment by beerorkid — March 3, 2008 @ 4:20 pm
Yeah, thanks Jeanne. I’ve never seen “food grade” mineral oil. I’ll find some this week!
Comment by ray — March 3, 2008 @ 4:42 pm
use safflower or sunflower oil, both are light and flavorless. you can also use canola oil, but use it sparingly… a little will go along way my friend.
Comment by jake rhymes with cake — March 3, 2008 @ 6:38 pm
[...] Ray had posted about caring for a bamboo cutting board. I was caring for mine all that well. Theresa picked up some mineral oil and they are looking really good now. [...]
Pingback by BEERORKID A bunch of useless crap » hey Ray I am all oiled up and ready to go thanks to you. Hmmmmm maybe I should edit this title cuz that sounded kind strange. — March 8, 2008 @ 2:48 pm
[...] Ray had posted about caring for a bamboo cutting board. Apparently I was not caring for mine all that well. Theresa picked up some mineral oil and they are looking really good now. [...]
Pingback by me make food » Blog Archive » bamboo cutting board oil — May 10, 2008 @ 3:12 pm