Tyler Florence has spoken about the appeal and accessibility of food trucks and introduced some of his favorite restaurants around the world. Now, the celebrity chef is sharing some wisdom on which kitchen tools you won't regret spending a little money on. According to Food Network, Florence revealed that a good, two-foot-long cutting board is a must-have item. How much will this item cost? “It could cost you a couple hundred dollars,” said the host of “The Great Food Truck Race.” Is it worth the splurge?
A cutting board may seem like a cheap, all-purpose cooking tool, but when you think about how often you use it, you realize how important it is. From slicing fruit and dicing vegetables to chopping herbs and chopping beef, chicken, and fish, your cutting board will be used in many different ways throughout your life.
Can your kitchen withstand it?
Tyler Florence is a professional chef who cooks for large crowds and needs a large cutting board. This begs the question: do I really need a cutting board that big? A 2-foot-long cutting board might be too big for some kitchens, especially considering that the standard size is around 12 x 18 inches. If you decide to take the plunge and buy a cutting board this large, first make sure it will fit wherever you store it.
Will I use it? This is an important question to ask yourself when buying a kitchen tool. If you're preparing salads and sandwiches for a large crowd of friends and family and need to slice up a few tomatoes, onions, and lettuce, a large cutting board will come in handy. Or, if you're making grilled steaks to go with a roasted beet and orange salad, a large cutting board will let you move around more while you slice the meat and prepare it for plating. But is it worth the cost?
Save money
While $200 for a wood, plastic, or glass board may seem like a lot, a good one will protect something even more expensive: your countertops and other surfaces where you'll show off your knife skills. If you've recently remodeled your kitchen, you know that countertops can cost anywhere from $10 to $70 per square foot, depending on the material you choose. So spending a little money to protect your kitchen surfaces from knife blades and blows from kitchen hammers seems like a worthwhile investment.
If you're willing to splurge on a two-foot cutting board, which type should you choose? Cutting boards can be made of glass, plastic, or wood, and while this is a matter of personal preference, wooden cutting boards are the most durable. If you cut too deeply and don't like the look of the surface, you can always sand it down. On the other hand, wooden cutting boards are prone to absorbing odors, so you'll want to avoid cutting onions on the same wooden cutting board you use to cut strawberries. That said, in the long run, a wooden cutting board will ultimately save you money, as plastic and glass cutting boards generally need to be replaced more frequently.
