Do Solid Silicone Cutting Boards Keep Edges Sharper Longer?

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Nick_Hall

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I've been thinking about upgrading my end-grain cutting board (1.5" x 12" x 20" walnut and maple) to something more practical. I've got 3 children under the age of 4, and the ability to use multiple cutting boards (protein & veg) that I can throw in the dishwasher in under 5 seconds is a time saver during a very hectic time of the day.

For me my selection criteria are:

1. Dishwasher safe & Dishwasher sized
2. Minimal Dulling of Knives
3. Minimizes Bacterial Growth Risk
4. Cost Effective

To date the only real options I've seen are wood, plastic, and particle board (epicurean), however I did some work last year with 3d printed food grade silicone molding, and I thought it would be an interesting material to make a cutting board out of. I reasoned that the thing that dulls knives the most is the cutting board, not the food. It seemed a bit short-sighted to spend $$$ on steel with excellent edge retention and then use it on a sub-par cutting board that dulls the knife. I know from experience that silicone varies greatly in hardness (durometer), elasticity, and scratch resistance, and I reasoned it would be possible to engineer something dramatically softer than wood (better edge retention) with superior scratch resistance (relevant because scratches are a breeding place for bacteria). This to me would be an unbeatable cutting board.

I started thinking about silicone cutting boards again recently, and I decided to check on amazon.com to see if such a thing already existed (custom silicone molding is messy, and it would be expensive to experiment with varying durometers). Low and behold I found a solid silicone board on Amazon.com that seems reasonably well reviewed.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Q3CAMPM/?tag=skimlinks_replacement-20

One of the claims the manufacturer makes is that the silicone will not scratch "even with the sharpest knives" in normal use; I'll reckon they weren't accounting for this bunch of knife fanatics, some of whom sharpen with the assistance of usb microscopes! The reviews I read supported the claim that the silicone was very scratch resistant, but I'm guessing they had very dull knives.

So my question is this:

Has anyone with really sharp knives ever used a solid silicone cutting board? If so, what were your findings in terms of edge retention and scratch resistance?
 
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Jon at JKI used to sell Ashi rubber boards. I have a really big one that I love and use everyday.
 
The Hi-Soft and some of the Japanese boards are not truly dishwasher safe.
 
good point, they can warp. I just wipe mine down occasionally with some antibacterial solution. Still the best board I have used for knives.
 
The really thick sani tuff boards 3/4" or 1" will not really warp in a machine wash. if they do you can just lay them flat and as they cool they flatten out again.
 
The options listed above were all one's that I didn't even know existed, but seem like they would fit the bill. Thanks!

Since the Vikalis silicone cutting board I referenced in my post is only $14.95 with free 2 day prime shipping, I figured that I might as well try it out. I'd like to buy two or three of these for protein/veg segregation, and 3 Vikalis Silicone boards are $45, vs $142.77 for the Sani-Tuff or $300 for the Hi-Soft. It's pretty tough to beat silicone on a price per square inch basis:


ProductPriceLengthWidthSquare InchesPrice Per Square Inch
Vikalis Silicone$15.009.814.5142.1$0.1055
Sani-Tuff$47.591218216$0.2203
Hi-Soft$99.998.815132$0.7575

Besides, someone's got to beta test these things! I'm really curious to see whether or not these boards get chewed to bits by genuinely sharp knives.
 
Boy, those are tiny boards. 12 x 18 is probably the smallest I would personally go. Guessing with the Vikalis you will need to stick with knives in the 210 mm range, and you won't have much working room for 'storing' the cut/ chopped food on the board.
 
It's smaller than I'd prefer, but I'm interested in the material not the product. Also, I prefer 210 mm knives, and its big enough for 80% of the tasks I need it for. I don't really need a 18"x30" board to cut 1 onion, 1 green pepper, and 1 clove of garlic for jambalaya. It's nice to have a second small board to cut up 2 pieces of sausage and ~20 shrimp.

My real curiosity is whether or not silicone can hold up to the abuse of sharp knives. If so, silicone is easier on edges than the alternatives I've seen at a much lower cost. $15.00 seems like a cheap way to test the material. If I like the material I'll get a bigger board.
 
That's a really high price for Hi-Soft. You can get them for much less at Korin.

Love my Hi-Soft board. Just wish it came with a juice groove. It is sensitive to heat--if I leave it leaning in the sink with hot water running on it, it will start to bow. But flattens right out if laid flat.
 
Unless I missed it, no one has answered Nick's questions - will the board hold up to sharp knives (not be cut) and, do the edges get dulled by the board. I would like to know the answer too, as I am in the market for a board.

Tim
 
Unless I missed it, no one has answered Nick's questions - will the board hold up to sharp knives (not be cut) and, do the edges get dulled by the board. I would like to know the answer too, as I am in the market for a board.

Tim

I don't mean to sound churlish, but I'm not sure that the original poster was requesting a board that could not be cut/stand up to sharp blades. A quality end grain board is the best option IMO regarding sanitation, durability, feedback, and knife edge management.
 
I prep on 3 types of boards. Cheap, rest supply poly, Epicurean, And wood boards _ Boos and a Boardsmith.

Cheap poly is light, easy to clean, and readily avail. I find they take the bite off of edges quickly. Epicurean is pricier than the poly, and leaves the bite on edges longer.They are light and easy to clean. Can be dishwashered. Wood boards are best on edges but are heavy and a pia to clean.

To the OPs question, Yes the poly will dull the knives. My home solution is to prep vegs on the wood board and when doing protein I'll drop an Epicurean on top of the wood. For chicken I have a cheap poly board cut to fit on my sink. Board goes from sink to dishwasher. At work I use poly boards and strop a lot.
 
Update...

Well I bought one of the boards and have been using it for about a month. I actually really like it. In fact, I haven't really used my edge grain cutting board since I got it. It seems to leave "toothiness" on a edge longer than plastic or wood does. Although I believe that it keeps an edge sharper longer, it's really impossible to say given the number of variables involved.

Its about 5/16th of an inch thick (7mm) and really flexible. It's so flexible you can easily bend it into a tube. This is handy for transferring ingredients into a bowl after slicing/chopping. It's very soft and very high friction. That high friction comes in quite handy on my granite counter top. It drives me crazy when plastic cutting boards slide around like they're greased; it makes cutting less predictable. When a razor sharp edge and my fingers are involved, I'm a big fan of predictability. The silicone board is so high friction on the granite it's like it's glued in place. I like that.

As for the claims that it's scratch-proof, it definitely isn't. When I'm not paying attention, I sometimes sink the chin of my knife into it 1/8" or more. Draw cutting with just the tip of a knife and a lot of pressure cuts into it as well. However, when chopping with the full edge in contact with the board, it's true that it doesn't sink in or scratch it at all. It takes a little getting used to. Also, when the blade sinks into the silicone, it seems like it's just friction on the sides of the blade that offers resistance rather than resistance to the cutting edge if that makes any sense. This might be why it keeps the edge sharper longer.

Another weak point to this board is the size. I wish they made them bigger than the 15" x 10", but I've found that it's enough real estate for many tasks that I need it for.

In summary, I think that a silicone board increases edge longevity, but will have a limited lifespan itself. I'm guessing it will last me a couple of years of home use. Because it isn't anywhere close to scratch proof, I probably won't use it for proteins. For fruits and vegetables however, it's actually my favorite board. It isn't the right board for everything, but it's a nice tool to have in the kit.

It's a terrible choice for a professional environment, but it's awfully hard to beat for the home cook with $15 and an Amazon Prime membership. I'd love to hear feedback from other folks to see if they think it keeps they're edge "right off the finishing stones sharp" for longer.
 
My knives always got stuck on the sani-tuff's, like they would literally stand on edge. Id go poly, home use won't notice edge wear as much.
 
I have a 15x20 Boos end grain that generally stays on the counter for veggies and gets wiped and/or sprayed.
I have a smaller Hi-Soft that I use for meats, so I can wash in the sink.
Both seem to allow my edges to stay in good shape.
 
Have you considered buying rubber board from Japan online? They've been making rubber board for long time, great quality, mine even has some silver ion in it to kill germs.

And the board is not as hard as wood, so it will keep the edge sharp for longer time.
 
Wow I got a deal on my board through a japanese distribution center through my sushi job... mine is 48" x 15" o something like that. But yeah, I believe it is hi soft. And my knives do make cuts into the board, but doesn't dull my knives anymore than end grain boards I use at home.
 
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