A Few Things to Consider
When you are in the market to purchase a Charcuterie board there are a few things you need to consider,
- Is its primary purpose for serving or cutting or both?
- What types of food will you be serving on the board?
- How many people would you expect to be serving?
Used to Serve Food
If the board’s purpose is to serve food only then almost any decorative wood that has been properly sealed will do. Sealing the board with several coats of Polyurethane, for example, will protect the wood and prevent any juices or other food liquid from seeping into the wood and creating potential bacteria growth.
Used as a Cutting Board
If the board is going to be used as a cutting surface then only certain woods should be considered. You want a hardwood that is a closed pore wood such as Maple, Beech, Walnut or Cherry. Avoid soft woods like Pine or Cedar and porous woods like Mahogany, Butternut, and Oak. There are also some woods that could be potentially toxic and therefore should definitely be avoided, such as Western Red Cedar, Birch, Rosewood and a number of more exotic woods such as Purpleheart and Ebony.
Used for Both
If the board will be used for both serving and cutting then choose a board made from woods suitable as a cutting board only. Some of our boards have a ceramic or stone cutting surface attached to wood suitable for serving which would be fine so long as the cutting takes place on the stone surface only.
Wide Variety of Charcuterie Boards
Charcuterie boards can come in many sizes, a 12″ long board should work fine for two people but if its a group gathering anything up to 36″ to 40″ presents well. Keep in mind that you may have to carry it when it’s loaded so 40″ is about as long as you want it and since it’s likely to be heavy having handles on the board will help.
Some of our boards also come with Lazy Susan platters, which can make serving dips and sauces easier for your guests.
“Live Edge” Charcuterie Boards
Alot of our boards are what is called “live edge” which is where the natural outer edge of the board has not been machined straight. The Bark has been removed but the inner edge has been left alone. A machined Charcuterie board has all natural edges removed and is sawn straight. Either style works equally well, it comes down to your individual decorating tastes. Live edge may be more stylish for seasonal gatherings, such as Thanksgiving and Christmas and the machined boards may be more conducive to weddings and more formal get togethers.
You should be able to find a board from us that is suitable for your entertaining needs but if not or you have some specific requests please don’t hesitate to send us an email and we will endeavour to produce the right Charcuterie board for you.
