Bamboo, a Love Affair Gone Bad

Bamboo cutting boards have become the eco-friendly answer of the new century and bamboo is quite a wonder. It looks super cool and is lightweight but strong. It’s tight-grained and dense, so it’s easy to clean. What’s not to like?

I’d used my two smaller-size bamboo cutting boards for years and swore by them—until I saw a negative comment on the web and asked one of my professional sharpening services their opinion. I already knew bamboo was roughly 15 percent harder than hard maple which is the standard—but 15 didn’t seem that far out of line.

I can’t recommend bamboo as the material of choice for your main cutting board.

Turns out hardness is not the main problem. It’s all about consistency. “Maple is far more consistent in hardness whereas bamboo is super hard at the nodes and soft in between,” my sharpening guy said. The nodes will kill you. Or the soft in between. Or, more accurately, the uneven wear between them tends to shred the edge of your blade. Especially if you’re doing a whole lot of chopping. (Photo above: KKG’s three bamboo cutting boards.)

So, in good conscience, I can’t recommend bamboo as the material of choice for your main cutting board. But it seems fine as a supporting cast member. That’s how I use my bamboo cutting boards, anyway—for lighter roles like slicing up an apple or serving cheese. Especially since bamboo is so pleasing to the eye. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a bamboo board I didn’t want to buy immediately just to take home and look at.

Bamboo Cutting Board Picks

Here are links to a few of my favorites—I own the first two models by Totally Bamboo and the last is made by them as well. I have never used mine for heavy chopping—but plenty of slicing (tomatoes, red pepper, etc.). I wash them regularly with soap and hot water (NOT submersed) and they have held up very well. (Below: Totally Bamboo’s 3-Piece Cutting Board Set, their Kauai single board, and their w/Silicone Holes, Set of Three.)