I grew up utilizing a John Boos reducing board. On the time, it didn’t happen to me that not all reducing boards in life can be as satisfyingly thick and unwarpable, and the parade of dinky plastic boards which have adopted in its wake have left me craving to lastly put money into a beefy Boos of my very own. The maple, cherry, and walnut boards have been made by the (nonetheless Midwestern-based) John Boos & Co. firm since 1887, and might simply price a pair hundred {dollars} given the sustainably sourced wooden and craftsmanship it takes to make them. (This 3-inch thick spherical walnut slab? A cute $632 for that finish grain design). So once I found offers of as much as 70 p.c off Boos boards hiding in Wayfair’s huge spring sale, I used to be fairly happy.
When correctly maintained and oiled, a top quality wooden reducing board ought to final you a lifetime. Once I interviewed cooks about their most important cooking instruments, Boos reducing boards got here up greater than as soon as, and had been praised for his or her thick (minimal 1-inch) design, and pleasurable reducing expertise. The usage of maple, for instance, is most well-liked on account of its naturally antibacterial properties, moisture-resistant nature, and tight grain (you don’t need any splitting or splintering). Plus, they appear nice. You may as well use them as a serving board on your charcuterie and film night time spreads.
Under, I’ve chosen two star John Boos contenders from the Wayfair sale — so let’s stroll by way of the specs.