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A cutting board (there is often talk of a chopping board on the internet – both of course mean the same thing) belongs in every kitchen, that much is clear. Both professional and amateur cooks need a good cutting mat. The offer is very large and it can mean a lot of effort to deal intensively with the topic and to research the advantages and disadvantages. This is where we come in because with our test, we want to relieve you of the research so that you can decide more quickly. Opinions are divided as to whether plastic or wood is more suitable as a base. While most professionals buy wooden bases, plastic also has great advantages, so many prefer to use this material.
In the test, we have looked at the best plastic cutting boards and summarized the test winners for you in our list of the best. It has been shown that an inexpensive cutting board made of plastic can also be highly recommended. Also, we will give you some information on the differences between the materials, the ideal size, and the most important properties of a good cutting board with you on the way.
What Are the Best Plastic Cutting Boards in India?
AMAR IMPEX Vegetable and Fruits Plastic Chopping/Cutting Board
The AMAR IMPEX cutting mat is a 9 x 13 inches model with a thickness of 1 centimetre. It weighs an impressive 385 Grams, which makes the high-quality and solid workmanship clear.
In terms of price, it is in the midfield and roughly on par with a good wooden cutting board. It is ideally suited for the implementation of the HACCP concept (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points), which is about finding weak points and specifically preventing food poisoning. It consists of a high-quality PE plastic with an ideal degree of hardness to protect the blades of your knives, but at the same time offers high cut resistance.
It is very easy to clean because it is dishwasher-safe, but it can also be wiped off very easily and quickly by hand. The four elastic feet make it safe and secure and provide a very solid cutting surface. Since there is no handle or recess, you have the full space available. However – this is certainly a disadvantage – there is no juice groove. Nevertheless, the bottom line is the excellent workmanship, durability, and the good price-performance ratio.
Solimo Plastic Cutting/Chopping Board
The cutting board from Solimo measures only 34 x 22 centimetres, but with a thickness of one centimetre it is very robust and of high quality.
In addition, thanks to the four elastic feet made of natural resin, it stands very securely and firmly and can also be used very well on the ceramic hob.
In terms of price, it is in the mid-range, offers a small eyelet for hanging, and has a small juice groove, which makes it ideal for processing meat, fruit, and vegetables. This is a big advantage compared to other plastic cutting boards. The degree of hardness is ideal because it is very cut-resistant, but at the same time protects your knives.
It is very easy to clean because it can be washed in the dishwasher. Of course, it is completely BPA-free and does not contain any dyes or formaldehyde, and so on. Because it is easy to clean, it is antibacterial and therefore ideal for daily work. It is very light, so it can be easily stowed away, and the bottom line is that it offers a very good price-performance ratio. If the size is enough for you, you can access it without hesitation and will not regret the decision.
All Time Plastics Chopping Board
If you are looking for a very affordable plastic cutting board, the All-time plastics model could be the right choice for you.
You can choose between colours and size is 9 X 13 INCH. The small size is also ideal as a breakfast board, while the medium-sized model is ideal as a kitchen cutting board.
It is antibacterial, one centimetre thick, and is gentle on the blades of the knives. However, it is somewhat softer compared to other plastic cutting pads, so that cuts and grooves are more easily left behind. As a result, the service life is not quite if with higher quality models. You should be aware of this before buying it.
In principle, however, it is still recommended, because it is easy to use, it can be hung up or stowed away and, as it is dishwasher-safe, cleaning is also correspondingly simple and uncomplicated. There are no feet so it can be used on both sides. Please note, however, that you should not wash it off too hot, as the large versions could otherwise become slightly deformed.
Buyers Info
Size
Of course, you should choose the size so that the board fits your work surface well. Bigger is generally better because it means that you have more space available, but the board must be stowed away somewhere. The maximum size should on the one hand be chosen so that it can be easily placed on the work surface, but on the other hand, it can also be stowed away easily. Usually cutting boards measure between 20 x 20 to 50 x 60 centimetres. The latter dimension can be interesting if you want to use the cutting board on the ceramic hob to create an additional work surface.
Small, compact boards are practical, easy to store, and quickly at hand. They can also be used as breakfast boards if necessary. However, you have to keep in mind that although a board that is only 20 centimetres wide is practical, it can be disadvantageous when handling larger foods to be processed, such as a head of lettuce, as a lot of things fall off the table. The recommended size is therefore somewhere in the range of 30 x 40 centimetres.
Advantages of plastic compared to other materials
Boards made of hardwood such as acacia, beech, bamboo, or oak are ideal because they offer a perfect degree of hardness to be robust on the one hand, but also to protect the blades of your knives on the other. A plastic cutting board should therefore always have a similar degree of hardness as wood, i.e. not be too hard and not too soft. A good plastic cutting board can last for many years if it offers the right balance between hardness and sturdiness.
In contrast to wooden boards, plastic has somewhat poorer antibacterial properties, but it is much easier to clean because you cn aput the plastic boards in the dishwasher. This is at least true if the material is sufficiently thick and solid so that it does not warp at the high temperatures in the dishwasher. This makes it much easier to use and – with the correct degree of hardness – can have similarly good blade-protecting properties. Note that a plastic cutting mat is usually lighter than a wooden board, so it can slide away more easily. The thicker, more solid, heavier, and more slip-resistant the plastic cutting board is, the better. Plastic boards are therefore often equipped with non-slip feet.
Very hard cutting boards made of glass, stone, or metal are generally not advisable when it comes to the daily processing of food and cutting directly on the surface, because the knives become blunt much faster here.
Other purchase criteria
A cutting board made of wood or plastic is always a hygienic risk because raw food is processed on it and cracks, furrows and cuts appear in which bacteria can feel comfortable. Simple cleaning, therefore, makes it much easier to use and also makes it hygienically safer.
If you have a large cutting board on which you want to work with food that has leaked liquids, make sure that there is a rim of juice in which liquids can collect. This prevents them from running directly from the board onto the supporting surface. The more liquid the groove holds, the better.
Plastic cutting boards often have a recess, a handle, or an eyelet for hanging. This can be handy, but it can also take away workspace. We also advise against most of the very cheap and thin cutting mats because they can warp quickly and then no longer lie flat on the mat, which makes working uncomfortable. The board should have a material thickness of one centimetre.