Kitchen Tools

Proper cutting boards are essential in any kitchen. I would recommend you strictly buy plastic cutting boards (preferably NSF certified, which means certified by the National Sanitation Foundation) since they won’t absorb juice, bacteria, and odor. Keep your wooden cutting boards for serving; and if you insist on using them for cooking anyway, try to at least avoid using them for raw poultry, meat, fish, and seafood.

What to buy for a small kitchen on the budget?

You should have at least 1 larger cutting board (about 12 x 18) and 2 small sizes to work productively.

What is the best option to purchase?

• It is best to buy a commercial cutting board set of six larger color-coded cutting boards.
• If you purchase NSF certified, so you know that you are getting good equipment that will last a long time – I have had some cutting boards that lasted longer than a decade, and will still look new.
• Color – coded cutting boards are great for cross contamination prevention since each cutting board has a different purpose:
  • white is for dairy products and pastries
  • brown is for prepared meat (cooked, baked, grilled, etc.)
  • red is for raw meat
  • yellow is for raw poultry
  • blue is for raw fish and seafood
  • green is for fruit and vegetables
• By using color-coded cutting boards, your productivity will dramatically increase since you will never again run out of cutting boards when cooking, and you will always have enough cutting boards to prepare even a larger feast.
• Their look and shape are standardized, so if you ever end up needing to replace them (which I don’t think you will), you can buy just the one you need.
• Color-coated cutting boards come in two most common sizes (apart from some other specialty sizes). I would recommend buying a large (12 x 18”) one since the extra-large (18 x 24”) are simply a little too big for many households.
• In addition to this cutting board set, I would also recommend purchasing 2 small cutting boards (often called a bar cutting board), which are convenient for cutting small amounts (like a banana for your morning oats).