Catskill Craftsmen Wood End Grain Cutting Slab | 
 enlarge | Brand: Catskill Craftsmen
Category: Kitchen
List Price: $99.99
Buy New: $79.99
You Save: $20.00 (20%)
New (5) from $79.99
Rating:  19 reviews
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 27
Dimensions (in): 18 x 18 x 3
MPN: 1318
Model: 1318
UPC: 010246131802
EAN: 0010246131802
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Promotion: Save $10.00 when you spend $50.00 or more on Qualifying Items offered by Amazon.com. Enter code BMLSAVES at checkout. Terms and Conditions
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
| |
| Features:
| • | Hardwood cutting board for chopping and slicing | | • | Oil finish with finger grooves for portability | | • | 3 inches thick, 18 inches square, 27 pounds | | • | Wash with warm, soapy water; occasionally restore with mineral oil | | • | One-year warranty |
|
| Accessories:
|
| Similar Items:
|
| Editorial Reviews:
Product Description
Chop like a pro using this thick butcher's block Cutting Slab, designed for your countertop, table and any area where you normally prep food. Made of hardwood, it measures 18-in. sq. and is a thick 3 inches. It features finger slots for easy handling, too. What's so great is its portability - move it to the patio for your barbecue needs or take it from counter to stovetop to sink when you're in the kitchen. Longlasting and easy to care for, the oiled finish simply wipes clean with a damp cloth. Do not soak in water for any period.
|
| Customer Reviews: Read 14 more reviews...
 End Grain Cutting Boards & Spliting September 14, 2008
SilverStarWind (San Luis Obispo CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I wanted to respond to problems mentioned by some purchasers regarding cracks and splitting of their butcher block cutting boards. These are end grain blocks. This is nice because it proves to be a soft surface for your knife edge, prolonging its sharpness and the resulting cuts on the board surface do not show if you keep the block oiled. It is problematic because wood cells run longitudinally parallel to the trunks long dimension. Thus the long dimension of these wood cells wind up being perpendicular to the cutting surface. These cells are what transport water and nutrients up the trunk over time in successive layers. Essentially they act as straws that suck in moisture. The surface of your end grain cutting block is essentially acting like tens of thousands of cut straws that suck in moisture when they get dry.
If there is an uneven ability to absorb moisture between the two end grain surfaces caused by one surface being more exposed to moisture than the other, one surface will absorb more moisture and differential movement in the wood will result which causes forces the bend, twist and can crack wood. This is the core of cracking problems in blocks like this. Another cause is that there are so many glue joints to join all the small pieces together in a block like this and the depth of the glue joints is not great ~ 2" on my catskill block. The more glue joints you have in anything built with wood, the more opportunities there are for joint failure due to stress forces developed in the wood by differential water/moisture absorption. Wood moves with changes in water content.
So, lots of exposed end grain, lot's opportunity to absorb water. Lots of glue joints, lots of opportunity for joint failure due to internal movement caused by moisture absorption increase the risk of failure. Relatively thin (2-3" depth of cutting boards) end grain blocks are great but inherently problematic no matter who makes them.
What I was surprised by when I got my Catskill block was that is was bone dry. I kind of thought this was not a good way to ship something that was going to be sitting for days in hot trucks. My board soaked up an entire bottle of the oil I got from Catskill and wanted more.
The best way to care for these is to oil them regularly and not let them sit wet at all. I now use common food safe mineral oil available from any drug store for under $3 a pint, and this is the oil commonly used by manufacturers. You need to do both sides, regularly. Keep a bottle with your olive oil and other cooking oils and use it on both sides of your board frequently. This will minimize problems, but not necessarily prevent all of them in my view. Wood is going to move. When it moves, it generates stresses within the wood. Those stresses cause cracks and joint failure over time. Wiping your board dry when it gets wet and regularly applying oil will minimize problems, keep the board looking great, and provide a very functional beautiful piece for your kitchen despite small failures.
Best of luck.
 Heavy, but great block May 2, 2006
Dixiegal (Southern United States)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
I've had this block for 3 years. Part of that time it was stuck out in my garage receiving no care whatsoever. It's in my kitchen now and looks just as good as the day I got it. I oil it regularly with mineral oil and sand it once in a while. I haven't had any problems with cracking or warping. Really the only compliant is that at 3" thick this baby is HEAVY! That is a small trade off for such a functional and sturdy chopping block!
Quality Cutting Board March 9, 2006
B. Cook
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
Excellent quality - Great size. Considering the weight of this cutting board, it was a substantial savings when Amazon offered free delivery.
good to use Catskill's oil December 7, 2005
Neil Etter (Maryland)
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
This review is in response to those who have had problems w/ cracking of their blocks. I hope it does not happen to me, of course, but after researching butcher-block oils for the safest, closest to all natural wood preservative, I have found Catskill's own product at: http://sunnykitchen.com/catskillcraftsmen/0111.html
It was not easy finding this, which is odd, for you would think w/ all of the wooden cutting boards, spoons, and spatulas out there it would be readily available.
I keep my block on a counter w/ a dry dishtowel over it when not in use. This way i can use the space for other things.
I coated my block multiple times before using it, and try to cut only dry/dried items on it, such as lettuce, carrots, mushrooms, broccoli, potatoes, etc... As for tomatoes, onions and other wet items, i dry the board off quickly after any cutting. As for raw meats, i use a polypropylene cutting board that can go in the dishwasher.
I am still coating the board every once and awhile too. Using this block is a pleasure, and for 11 years in the restaurant business, this is a reminder of my past, and a pleasure to use. You can feel the knife cut into the board or make that sound after a chop, which is like hitting the sweet spot of a golf ball to any golfer. Crazy am i? Yes, of course, but enjoying cooking one-step more with this item!
Do not forget to protect your wooden spoons, spatulas and others too!
Cheers!
Good luck!
Another voice in support of this GREAT CUTTING BOARD! June 29, 2005
Jane E. Runge (Mount Vernon, WA)
6 out of 6 found this review helpful
I have to admit that, after reading all the reviews, I was unsure whether I should order this. I wanted so badly for my experience with this board to be fabulous! The size of this board both in surface area and in depth was exactly what I was looking for. Two and a half years later, I can say without hesitation that this board is WONDERFUL. It is heavy and substantial. It stays out on my counter and I have never had to put any non-skid materials underneath it. It doesn't move unless I push it! I did buy mineral oil to treat the board. I was more religious about using it all over the board (both top and bottom and all sides) at first. But over the years I have slowed down my usage of the oil, and I tend to only oil the top cutting surface occasionally.
I have had absolutely no issue with cracking. I live in the Pacific Northwest, so I guess there is enough moisture in the air to prevent dryness. I have followed all the manufacturer's instructions on care, which I have to guess may be the key. Or I just got lucky and my slab is without imperfections that lead to cracking.
This cutting slab just makes me happy. I love it! I use it every day and have put it through its paces for the past two and a half years. I am confident that I will have it for many years to come. It was well worth the investment! Could've spent a lot more and not been as pleased.
|
|
|
