When we learned that we are potentially consuming hundreds of thousands of pieces of microplastics when using plastic cutting boards, we gagged and stopped using them immediately.
However, we soon realized that this issue is not as simple as just switching to another material such as wood. Depending on the design and construction, even wood cutting boards can send bits of glue and surface finishes into the food we put on them.
The investigation began.
Many other types of cutting boards exist, like wood and bamboo, but even the most beautiful and high-end hardwood boards are almost always made with multiple planks glued together and undoubtedly finished with some form of oil, wax or resin. We learned that these additives may be FDA-approved for “food contact”, but that isn’t passing our vibe test for long-term ingestion - which is really what’s happening.
These boards can be oh, so beautiful to look at, but in reality if aiming for the least potential to ingest anything but the food you are trying to prepare, they, too, don’t pass our test. And beyond that, they often cost a fortune.
What about more affordable options?
We checked out the cheaper “wood fiber” and “bamboo” cutting boards and we were shocked about what we learned. Often, these are made with pulp mixed with an undisclosed binding agent, or they are 80% wood fiber and 20% epoxy resin. Again, the resin may be listed as “food safe” by the FDA, but it depends on it being fully cured and not interacting with heat to stay that way. And again, we are working hard to reduce our exposure to plastic (epoxy resin is a plastic). So while these options are certainly less expensive, for us they are an even bigger red flag and a big “No!”
Realizing there is no such thing as an affordable, single-plank, unfinished wood cutting board on the market, we decided to see if we could make one ourselves. Luckily, we are
in Vermont, the Green Mountain State and proud of our maple trees! We quickly found several local woodworkers and identified the perfect partner for developing our dream everyday, 100% maple wood cutting board, and the Cora Board was born!
The Cora Boards are Alive
There are some important details that need to be known when it comes to a no-additive cutting board like the Cora Board. As completely natural, unfinished wood cutting boards like our grandparents once had, the Cora Boards will have localized checking along their edges as they expand and contract. There may also be some slight cupping (more so on the Everyday Board than the thicker Premium Board). These changes will fluctuate depending on the season and your home’s humidity. Without wax, oil or resin, the Cora Board is more likely to stain depending on the foods you chop. These natural changes are lovely reminders of the purity of the maple wood.
The photo above shows normal checking along the edges of a Cora Board. The amount of checking will depend on the humidity and specific conditions in your home.
Is it time to go natural and level up your cutting boards for healthier home cooking?
We’ve compared the Cora Board to other leading categories of cutting boards to show how it stacks up in the table below.
