Is Yours Bigger Than Mine?

Cutting board, that is.

Several months ago I made up an end grain cutting board based on Marc Spagnuolo's "Wood Whisperer" plan. It's hard maple and purpleheart, looks pretty neat and despite what some say about purpleheart being excessively hard (Janka rating 1860), it doesn't seem too tough on the edges of my knives.

Trouble is, at 12" x 17 1/2", I'm finding it to be too small. I'm curious as to what size boards those of you who are home cooks use.

I"m about ready to pull the trigger on one of Dave's Boardsmith Magnum's...I could make one myself but I don't have or know anyone who has a drum sander and flattening an 18" x 24" slab of end grain maple with a low angle blockplane and an orbital sander isn't my idea of a good time.:scared4: I did it with my existing board and once was enough.

A good quality jointer plane is the best tool for this job if you don't have a drum sander; such as a Lie Nielsen Plane. So the answer to your question is yes; mine is bigger than yours.
~s

PS: Buy the biggest boardsmith you can afford. You won't be disappointed.

Seth said:

A good quality jointer plane is the best tool for this job if you don't have a drum sander; such as a Lie Nielsen Plane. So the answer to your question is yes; mine is bigger than yours.
~s

PS: Buy the biggest boardsmith you can afford. You won't be disappointed.

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Seth,

I've got a Lie Nielsen No. 7 jointer but the 45* bedding angle doesn't take too kindly to end grain. So unless you have a No. 8, it's a tie at best.:razz:

The 18 x 24 board is a great size. Allows you to use longer knives and provides plenty of surface area for piling up the chopped/ sliced items.

I've got an 18x36. It's great in our current kitchen, but it now looks like we might be moving to NYC. I'm not looking forward to seeing what size kitchens our budget will buy and suspect this might have to go into storage for a bit...

I recently bought a boardsmith maple magnum board. I wanted lots of prep space and never wanted to feel limited on what knife length I would buy. I personally feel no one can make a board like his. That being said I measured in my kitchen and found a perfect space for it first.

bprescot said:

I've got an 18x36. It's great in our current kitchen, but it now looks like we might be moving to NYC. I'm not looking forward to seeing what size kitchens our budget will buy and suspect this might have to go into storage for a bit...

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An 18x36 sounds marvelous but I think it would take up too much counter space. I wouldn't call our current kitchen too small exactly, but it's not as large as ones we've had in years past. In fact, we have terrific old 19x31 end grain maple free standing butcher block that now sits behind the dining room table. My wife refers to it as "the sideboard".:rolleyes2: We've had it for almost 45 years and I really miss using it but there's simply not enough room.

Deckhand said:

That being said I measured in my kitchen and found a perfect space for it first.

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Yep. At the risk of coming across as hopelessly OCD, I actually cut a piece of MDF to 18x24 and used it to make sure a magnum was workable.

I used a 12x18 boardsmith for quite some time. I had no problem using my big knives, lol. The only thing you don't want is something for your tip to bump into so there has to be open space where your tip is going to spend time. What bothered me is food stuff falling off of my board sometimes. I now have a 16x22 boardsmith and that seems to be fix the problem. Bigger would be fine too but I have narrow counters and sometimes I like to put bowls, etc. around my board.

tk59 said:

What bothered me is food stuff falling off of my board sometimes.

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That's what's bugging me the most.

18X24 for my main board.

I have got plenty storage room at my house

bprescot said:

I've got an 18x36. It's great in our current kitchen, but it now looks like we might be moving to NYC. I'm not looking forward to seeing what size kitchens our budget will buy and suspect this might have to go into storage for a bit...

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mhenry said:

I have got plenty storage room at my house

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You are in Texas. I'll make it easier for him, and offer up my house in NoVa. It's on his way from NC to NYC :cool2:

Hey, now. I'm not giving up hope yet! I could still find a great 1400 sqft 2 bedroom with large renovated kitchen in morningside for, like, 1800/ month. Right? Right? :begging:

Yeah, in certain parts of brooklyn, bronx, or queens...upper west side pray hard!

i have a 13x18 board and a 15x20. i wouldn't mind larger, but the 15x20 is great, and it gives me plenty of room to board prep bowls, etc, around the board, on my island.

I like to use multiple mid-sized boards because they're easier to move around and clean. My wife isn't down with them acting like a piece of furniture. So, yeah....

I measured mine so that (1) the width would fit in the sink if I wanted to scrape stuff off into the disposal and do a quick rinse (2) I bought some fleximats to go on top of the board for some quick protein protection, so I made sure those mats would fit nicely and (3) I measured where I was storing my boards (in cabinets) to make sure it would fit. I am glad that I did all three.

k.

mr drinky said:

I measured mine so that (1) the width would fit in the sink if I wanted to scrape stuff off into the disposal and do a quick rinse (2) I bought some fleximats to go on top of the board for some quick protein protection, so I made sure those mats would fit nicely and (3) I measured where I was storing my boards (in cabinets) to make sure it would fit. I am glad that I did all three.

k.

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Thought about that for proteins. Did you get a sani-tuff?
Edit:Sorry didn't realize it was a brand name. I have been looking at the Sani-tuffs.

I got a 16x22. I say get the biggest board your counter can possibly fit. Part of that probably has to do with me being at work...I never use a small cutting board at work because it's just easier to not worry about food falling off the edge.

I got 2 16x22s. Really love the size, but I agree, get the biggest one you can.

bprescot said:

Hey, now. I'm not giving up hope yet! I could still find a great 1400 sqft 2 bedroom with large renovated kitchen in morningside for, like, 1800/ month. Right? Right? :begging:

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If you find one, dash right out and buy a lottery ticket, because it will most definitely be our lucky day!:youwish: