However, since then scientists have found that wood can help resist harmful bacteria, turning food hygiene orthodoxy on its head. In 1994, Wisconsin University researchers infected plastic and wood boards with E.coli, salmonella and listeria, finding that the wooden boards retained 98-99% less bacteria than plastic. Plastic was said to become an even worse breeding ground for bacteria once it’s scarred with knife marks. If you get frustrated by fruit and vegetable peelings getting in the way while you chop, this compact board is an ideal solution, especially on a budget. Featuring two detachable trays that sit on each side of the chopping board, the Chop and Swipe lets you easily separate your peel and chopped food, leaving you with more space on the main board to continue prepping.

The best chopping boards you can buy in 2023 1. Joseph Joseph Chop2Pot: Best foldable chopping board Don’t let the above put you off, though. The Chop2Pot is a fabulous board – and the small 25.7cm version makes a great pressie for a foodie, too. Key details – Material: BPA free plastic (dishwasher-safe) Colours: White/Sage green; Sizes: Compact, Medium Pros: Bamboo is a strong, lightweight, affordable alternative to end-grain hardwood. It grows fast and is cultivated without pesticides, so it’s more eco-friendly than wood or synthetic materials. And since it’s so light, a huge slab-style bamboo board will remain easy to lift.Each board also includes a feature designed especially for that ingredient. The meat board has a moat to stop juices spilling over the edge of the board; the fish board has grippers; the cooked food board is equipped with crumb catchers. All four have rubberised feet on both sides, so they’re fully reversible and won’t slip.

Not so fast. Plastic boards are easier to clean than wood, not least because you can slide them into the dishwasher and sanitise them using chemicals and bleach, which rinse off plastic far more easily than wood. Pros: Silicone may one day end the wood/plastic debate by out-doing both materials. Pro chefs already love its knife-cushioning and non-slip properties, its lightweight versatility and ease of cleaning. Designers love silicone, too, because it’s flexible enough to morph into pourers, funnels and even bowls. What’s more, the retention of bacteria isn’t really the problem. The biggest hygiene risk in any kitchen comes from cross-contamination between different types of food, such as raw meat, fish and dough. It hardly matters the material on which you prepare these foodstuffs, as long as you use different surfaces for each food type – and keep them clean. What are the pros and cons of other materials?That’s not to say a wooden chopping board will be self-cleaning – you’ll still have to wash it. However, it possesses anti-microbial properties that make it somewhat more resistant to bacteria than plastic. So I should buy a wooden board, then? OXO’s board is fairly large so you’ll need enough space to store it when it’s not in use, or you could opt for the compact size that’s 18.4 x 27.3cm. The only niggle we had is that it marked easily when using heavy-duty knives. If you’re like us though, you’ll have a different chopping board for different tasks and this one is ideal for general everyday use. If you’re looking for a sturdy breadboard, this might not be the one for you, however. Each of the four polypropylene boards has a soft-grip tab on its edge that’s illustrated with a specific ingredient to reduce the risk of cross-contamination – the different colouring of each board helps in this regard, too – and they come stored in a sturdy, space-saving holder. Pros: Even cheap polypropylene boards are dishwasher-safe and can withstand rigorous abuse from chemicals, hence their popularity in pro kitchens. They’re lightweight and easy to manufacture in different colours, so you can buy a colour-coded set to avoid cross-contamination.