 "Acceptable" |
| Review Date: February 22, 2010 |
| Reviewer: pstickne, Vancouver, WA |
Except for the smaller size, I like my maple block more because of the "grippy" rubber feet that came with it. (I am going to get some rubber feat this board). I never turn my board over during cooking so there is really no use having both sides available. The lack of feet lifting it up also means than little debris can get embedded in the "down side" and requires cleaning both sides -- too much of a chore considering I only "used" one of them!
The construction is edge-grain, not end-grain (there are some end-grain bamboo boards); also, being "harder" doesn't mean "better". Chopping on cement, for instance, is detrimental to knife edge. Thus, warranted or not, I tend to favor the maple board for my favorite knives.
As far as build quality it's what I expected: A few minor initial burs (now since gone) and a flat (non-warped) surface. |
splitsville
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| Review Date: January 21, 2010 |
| Reviewer: Troy Brookins, Brooklyn, NY |
| Had the cutting board for a few months and it split down the middle after taking good care of it with the recommended oil. |
Fantastic
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| Review Date: September 12, 2009 |
| Reviewer: R. Joyner, |
| The finish on this board is great; very smooth and no jagged edges or splinters. Also looks great and is great for blade edges. |
Looks great. Works great.
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| Review Date: December 7, 2008 |
| Reviewer: Zack Davisson, Seattle, WA, USA |
I have been using the "Totally Bamboo Kauai Cutting Board" for about a year new, and I love it. I have had no problems with splinters, gouging or dulling of my knives. It has been such a great product that I am surprised to see some of the review here. Possibly they had some problems with the first releases that have been fixed now.
Bamboo is a harder wood than most cutting boards are made from, 16% harder than maple with is the standard for cutting boards, and that takes a little bit of getting used too. The knife cut ends at the cutting board rather than cutting in like it would with a softer wood or plastic board.
A benefit of the added hardness is a less-porous surface, which means the cutting board doesn't absorb as much water and nasty little bacteria. There is some debate as too whether bamboo is too hard, and will blunt knives, but that has not been my experience.
The board is light, and a good size so that it can be moved around my kitchen pretty easily. I don't have a lot of space, so I appreciate the ease of storage. Because bamboo is made from pressed woods held together by glue, there has been some concerns over their safety but Totally Bamboo uses a proprietary food-approved glue.
Probably the main reason to use a bamboo cutting board over another hard wood is that it is ecologically sound. Bamboo, being a grass and not a true hard wood, is a quickly-replenishing resource that can grow up to two feet a day. On top of that, they look beautiful. The "Totally Bamboo Kauai Cutting Board" looks good enough to use as a serving board |
Wrong material for the job.
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| Review Date: August 20, 2008 |
| Reviewer: P. Raphaelson, New York, NY |
Bamboo is a great material, but not for cutting boards.
if you're a serious cook, especially one who takes care of your knives, you should have a wood cutting board with end grain construction--and one that uses woods with a hardness rating between 900 and 1500. This will be durable enough, but not so hard as to cause premature wear on your knives.
Not only are these bamboo boards edge grain (which crashes the knife right into the hard fibers) but they're made out of bamboo, which has a hardness rating between 1600 and 2000. Your knives will dull much too quickly if you use these.
Bamboo is great for knife blocks, flooring, bowls, etc. etc.. Just not for this. Spend some money on an end grain board made out of maple, cherry, walnut, or mahogany. Your knives will thank you. |
Great Cutting Board
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| Review Date: June 1, 2008 |
| Reviewer: roadrunner, Hillsboro, OR |
| This cutting board is beautiful! It was properly packaged for shipping and is just the right size for general kitchen use. We have already used it a lot, and it shows only minimal wear, being actually harder than maple and very well constructed. Cleans up easily, too. We expect to get many years of excellent service from the Totally Bamboo Kauai Cutting Board! |
good board
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| Review Date: October 18, 2007 |
| Reviewer: miguelarton, tuscaloosa, alabama |
i agree with JOC. this is a good cutting board. one would have to be doing something wrong... i got one for my mother who only has cheap serrated knives and the board still looks pretty good after a year and a half or so.
the thin profile makes it easy to stowe. |
Deserves more credit
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| Review Date: August 28, 2006 |
| Reviewer: joc, Berkeley, CA United States |
The Totally Bamboo Kauai cutting board has been a staple in my home for 2 years. Yes, when you first get it, you have some "splinter" fuzz on it but with use it has completely gone away and hasn't come back. I haven't had any instances of actually giving myself a splinter because it is not sharp or rough but just a light fuzz that was easily brushed off. Also, bamboo is not going to harm you and the board was made with food-safe glue. I'd rather accidentally eat a little bamboo than plastic from a plastic cutting board. Also, by nature, the bamboo board became very smooth over time, especially when well-cared for. Wood boards need a little extra care. Occasionally I lightly wipe the board with a paper towel with mineral oil to help keep the wood from drying out. This is standard care for any wood board.
In terms of strength of the board when cutting, I have been very happy with it. The board is well-made, doesn't warp, bend, etc. You will have some slice marks as with any wood board, but some of that gets smoothed out if you take care of your board by oiling it as I mention above. If you find that you are gouging the board you should really look to your knife quality and cutting technique. If you don't have a very sharp knife and are chopping down really hard rather than slicing through the food, then you can damage the board more easily or worse yet, cut yourself! You really shouldn't require a lot of force to slice and chop things with a sharp knife. I've cut raw butternut squash on the board and while that definitely leaves a mark, it does not damage the board significantly.
The board is sturdy, beautiful, and environmentally friendly. I think it is worth the trouble of caring for it. After 2 years of heavy use, I feel the board will last another 10 years, which is a pretty good deal for under $30. |
Harder than maple, huh?
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| Review Date: March 31, 2006 |
| Reviewer: Sarah M. Thomas, Madison, WI |
| The very first cut I made on this cutting board left a huge gouge in the surface. Subsequent cuts also left deep marks. For something that's advertised as being harder than maple, I found this to be very surprising. Maybe it's the way it's put together? All I know is that this cutting board is on pace to be the shortest lived ever in my kitchen. Pretty much the only thing that I like about it is that bamboo is a renewable resource. Good thing because at the current rate, I anticipate needing a new one very soon. |
Below Expectations
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| Review Date: March 19, 2005 |
| Reviewer: PRM, |
| Because I'd like to try using a bamboo cutting board, I am keeping this one...but I'd suggest to others to consider buying from a different manufacturer (not Totally Bamboo). When I got this cutting board, it had many tiny splinters, and I had to sand it with fine sandpaper. It still has a few splinters, though, and I am worried that new ones will surface each time I wash it. The cutting board is nice looking (as you can tell from the pictures), and I think it will be durable, but the splinter issue definitely concerns me, as I don't want the splinters to contaminate the food I cut on the board or get lodged in my skin (thus far this hasn't happened, but I have only had the board for a day). |
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