rowan2•19d ago

My mis en place got way slower after switching to a new cutting board

I used a standard 12x18 inch plastic board for 5 years. Swapped to a big 20x24 inch wooden board 2 months ago and my prep times dropped by almost 40%. The wood is heavier and takes up more space on my station, which forces me to rearrange my flow. But the plastic let me spin it quick and scrape scraps into a bowl easier. Anyone else notice a big change in speed when they switched board materials or sizes?

2 comments

2 Comments

hayden_butler2719d ago

yeah that wet towel trick is a lifesaver with wood boards. i had the same issue when i went from a small plastic to a bigger wood board a couple years back. i ended up switching to a thinner wood board that was still bigger than my old plastic one but not as heavy. also started sliding my prep bowls closer to the board so i didn't have to reach as far. the biggest thing for me was just forcing myself to get used to not being able to spin it around. now i just do all my cutting in one spot and sweep stuff into a pile. once i stopped fighting the board and worked with it my times actually got better than with plastic. the extra space was worth it once my muscle memory adjusted.

the_angela19d ago

I switched from a 12x18 plastic to a 15x20 wood board last year and my prep time actually went up for the first month or so. The wood is heavier and I can't slide it around or spin it like plastic, which messed with my rhythm bad. I also miss being able to just scrape everything off the edge into the trash without having to lift the board. Are you keeping a wet towel under yours to stop it from sliding? That helped me a little.