Titanium cutting boards

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

When my wife and I bought this house one of the first thing we did was remodel the kitchen.  The center of attention was a beautiful, finely crafted hardwood "butcher block" cutting board built into the counter top by the sink.  That was almost 13 years ago and it has been used literally every day. 

 

I got into the habit  of power-sanding it each month a rubbing it down with hot mineral oil.  It glowed like a gem.

 

About a month ago a friend came by and brought some chemicals with him just a few days after I had "dressed" it down.  His chemicals showed me very graphically that the lovely pride of my kitchen was in fact a spectacular Petri dish, swimming in germs.

 

I spent a few days sterilizing the counter top after I ordered a titanium cutting board...or so I thought.  When the package arrived I found three different sizes of heavy titanium boards.  I use them exclusively now and the chemicals Jerry left show me almost NO GERMS AT ALL!

 

They are easy to use, fit the dishwasher, and make the entire countertop glisten.

 

They didn't cost all that much and Amazon had them on my doorstep in less than a week.

 

I recommend them.

 

Comments?  Do any of you use them? 

[Subdeacon Joe]

Never heard of that.   Seems that they would really chew up knives.

 

Re: Bacteria on regular cutting boards.  Have you ever gotten sick because of it?

[Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770]

I remember seeing something many years ago comparing cutting boards for cleanliness. Bacteria on a plastic cutting board stuck around, while a natural wood cutting board tended to kill it off. Maybe yours didn't because of the mineral oil finishing.

I use a couple of plain wood boards and have never gotten sick from anything on them. And they won't destroy my cheap a$$ knives.

Edited July 23, 2025 by Sgt. C.J. Sabre, SASS #46770

[Calamity Kris]

Interesting you should bring this up.  I too was in the market for new cutting boards recently.  My old plastic ones were looking rather ragged.  I noticed a lot of non-cooking websites pushed titanium really hard.  As SDJ stated, I was concerned the metal would damage my knives.  I did my research and looked at cooking websites to see what some of the top chefs recommended.  NOT ONE of the chefs websites recommended titanium.  That was enough for me to shy away. 

[Dawg Hair, SASS #29557]

Been using one for several months.  The only problem I have is that it is too small.  I live alone with my Cocker Spaniel but when I have the kids over for dinner I have to use a bigger one made of wood.

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

7 hours ago, Subdeacon Joe said:

Never heard of that.   Seems that they would really chew up knives.

 

Re: Bacteria on regular cutting boards.  Have you ever gotten sick because of it?

1. strangely enough they don't hurt the blades of any knife I own.

2. I have no idea, but it could be.  Why take a chance,  (My garbage eater is the next thing I get to worry about.  That sucker could really be poisonous.)

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

3 hours ago, Calamity Kris said:

Interesting you should bring this up.  I too was in the market for new cutting boards recently.  My old plastic ones were looking rather ragged.  I noticed a lot of non-cooking websites pushed titanium really hard.  As SDJ stated, I was concerned the metal would damage my knives.  I did my research and looked at cooking websites to see what some of the top chefs recommended.  NOT ONE of the chefs websites recommended titanium.  That was enough for me to shy away. 

Shy back.  I really like mine.

[Texas Joker]

Plastic boards and tables allow food and bacteria to get caught in the bottom of the cuts sealed away from sterilizing wash down.

 

Oak especially is high in tanin a natural sterilization media. Any food or bacteria caught in the cuts gets killed off by the tannins. 

 

Lot of studies done about 35 to 40 years ago when nylon tables started taking over in commercial kitchens and butcher shops.

 

Does your buddy sell titanium cutting boards? Most any place in a kitchen or food prep area will show bacteria 

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

I recently got rid of all my plastic cutting boards because of reports I've read about micro-plastics getting into food. I've switched to bamboo. I hand wash each cutting board with dawn and hot water. Food service sanitizing solution is normally 1 part bleach to 50 parts, if you want to go that route. I am extra vigilant about washing and sanitizing after cutting raw chicken.

 

I'm a knife snob. Hard surfaces like glass, granite, or metal will our "murder" to the edge of any quality knife.    

[Rip Snorter]

Wood.  Keep it clean, cutting boards and carving boards that are heirlooms.  Never made anyone sick.  I can recall butcher shops as a boy with massive chopping blocks and sawdust / shavings on the floor.  The old timers knew something.  Never believed the plastic or owned one, wouldn't have metal .  I have good knives, some heirlooms as well, that I keep sharp.  There are plenty of good modern ideas, I don't believe this is one of them.

Edited July 23, 2025 by Rip Snorter
Typo

[Long Fingers, SASS#56813]

I just have the dog clean up the cutting boards when I’m done with them, doesn’t seem to be a problem. 🙄

 

LF 

[Big Sage, SASS #49891 Life]

Titanium (depending on the alloy) is actually "softer " than most knives steel. 

[J-BAR #18287]

Thanks for the topic and interesting discussion.

 

 

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

PLUS ONE for TN Mongo

 

I find there is a bunch of hullabaloo about bacteria being everywhere.  Don't look now, but it's been there for THOUSANDS of years.  With a little judicious cleaning up, you won't need a bio-hazard suit in yer kitchen.  Don't panic.  The SKY is in fact NOT falling.  

[Choctaw Jack]

Years ago, before the government became overly involved,  the great majority of professional grade butcher blocks were made of maple. With high density and  natural anti-microbial properties , a properly sanitized maple cutting surface was much safer than the man made materials that replaced them.

Good butcher blocks are constructed so that the end grain of the wood is used as the cutting surface , giving it very high density and cut resistance. 

The proper way to clean them was to scrape them with a block scraper, wash them with hot soapy water, rinse with hot water containing a small amount of chlorine beach, and scrape the surface dry with the scraper.

Dedicated, commercial cleaners are available, but bleach has long been an NSF accepted  disinfectant .

Periodically,  we would clean and disinfect the block , moisten with clear water, and spread a layer of table salt. And left to dry overnight. In the morning, scrape off the salt and wipe with a moist cloth. This left the block clean , fresh, and whitened.

I never saw the advantage of artificial cutting surfaces.

Choctaw

 

[Subdeacon Joe]

This is a "to each his own" thing.  It doesn't take all that much to keep a wooden or bamboo cutting board is safe condition. 12 years ago I bought a 3 board bamboo set, I think it was about $20 then.  My wife likes the small 9x6 board, I use the 12 x 9 the most, and save the largest for cutting up a turkey or shredding a head of cabbage.

 

I do have one large plastic cutting board that rarely sees use, only on the rare occasions when I have a largish piece of meat, and then only because it has a nice wide channel and well for collecting juices.  It has LOTS of cuts in it, and is discolored from browned meats being cut on it.  I've tried soaking it in bleach, and the discoloration doesn't come out.  A board of last resort.  

[Pat Riot]

Titanium Cutting Boards - brought to you by Fad Creators to get money out of you since you no longer use the idiotic knife dulling glass cutting boards. 

[Rye Miles #13621]

My grandfather had a small neighborhood grocery store. He was a butcher and had a huge butcher block table. I used to watch him cut the different meats on that table. It was pretty cool. I only saw my grandfather and grandmother once a year when we went to visit them in PA. My grandmother used to spoil us with candy! 😂

Edited July 23, 2025 by Rye Miles #13621

[Colorado Coffinmaker]

 

PLUS TWO for Pat Riot

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

One reason I like the titanium is I simply put it in the dishwasher at the end of each day.  Sterilizes and only requires a wipe with a towel to get the water spots.

 

It couldn't be easier unless they someday automate them to get in the washer by themselves.

[Stump Water]

Never heard of a titanium cutting board.  Despite what Big Sage said, I don't think I'll ever be using any type of metal for a cutting board.  If for no other reason than I make my own.

 

The pics are the beginning, middle, and end of the latest one I made for my sister-in-law.  White Ash, Mahogany, Walnut and Ambrosia Hard Maple.  It measures approx. 15x12.

 

ETA:  Don't have someone measure the bacteria coming out of your faucet.

 

 

Edited July 23, 2025 by Stump Water

[TN Mongo, SASS #61450]

Beautiful work Stump!

[Rye Miles #13621]

Stump, Great work indeed👍😎

[Trailrider #896]

8 hours ago, Dawg Hair, SASS #29557 said:

Been using one for several months.  The only problem I have is that it is too small.  I live alone with my Cocker Spaniel but when I have the kids over for dinner I have to use a bigger one made of wood.

Off topic, but I am curious. How old is your Cocker Spaniel? Male or female? Color? Is it wild and rambuntious? Ours is 2-1/2 black meryl male and is still very puppy. Had a black one when I was a kid, but don't recall him being quite as wild.

 

As far as titanium cutting boards are concerned, did they cut up any old SR-71's to make these? 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

6 hours ago, Colorado Coffinmaker said:

 

PLUS ONE for TN Mongo

 

I find there is a bunch of hullabaloo about bacteria being everywhere.  Don't look now, but it's been there for THOUSANDS of years.  With a little judicious cleaning up, you won't need a bio-hazard suit in yer kitchen.  Don't panic.  The SKY is in fact NOT falling.  

'Tis too.  It's just very, very slow.

[Rip Snorter]

An update - https://pjmedia.com/david-manney/2025/07/24/wooden-walls-cleaner-wards-when-science-reconsiders-the-basics-n4942065

[WD Farren]

More insidious are the micro plastic shaving one ingests from plastic cutting boards 

[Forty Rod SASS 3935]

On 7/23/2025 at 5:43 AM, Texas Joker said:

Plastic boards and tables allow food and bacteria to get caught in the bottom of the cuts sealed away from sterilizing wash down.

 

Oak especially is high in tanin a natural sterilization media. Any food or bacteria caught in the cuts gets killed off by the tannins. 

 

Lot of studies done about 35 to 40 years ago when nylon tables started taking over in commercial kitchens and butcher shops.

 

Does your buddy sell titanium cutting boards? Most any place in a kitchen or food prep area will show bacteria 

He doesn't sell them, but he uses them.  You have a suspicious nature there, old Son.  😆