The Weekly Dose of Oil:
The most important remedy for a long, happy life of your board.
Our boards are thoroughly treated with our special care oil before delivery: The care oil is drawn into the wood by the capillary forces of the wood, where it dries, hardens, and seals the wood just below the surface – other substances, water, and humidity can no longer penetrate the wood, which retains a lively, fresh shine and a rich color tone.
Soap dissolves fat – generally a desirable property, but in this context, soap dissolves the protective seal created by the care oil, making the wood more susceptible to stains and odors again.
That’s why regularly oiling the wood is an important (and with a bit of routine, very satisfying) task – a well-maintained & regularly oiled cutting board not only lasts significantly longer but also looks fantastic even after years.
1) APPLY OIL:
Generously apply oil on all sides with kitchen paper or a brush.
2) LET IT SOAK IN:
Stand the board upright on kitchen paper and let the oil soak in for 5 minutes.
3) DRY OFF:
Use kitchen paper to absorb excess oil and dry thoroughly.
4) LET IT AIR OUT:
Let it air out standing upright overnight.
The board should be oiled whenever it starts to look “dry.” This is usually every 1–2 weeks depending on usage intensity and wood type (for example, bamboo needs less oil than walnut or oak).
WHICH OIL IS SUITABLE?
We would love to say: Our care oil is specially tailored to our woods and unfortunately no other oil is suitable, but that would simply be a lie: In principle, any normal edible oil is suitable for routine care of wooden boards (the only exception: olive oil. Rumor has it that it can go rancid and then smell unpleasant – however, we have also talked to people who have been caring for their boards with olive oil for years and are very happy with it.)
Still, our care oil is highly recommended: We blend natural linseed oil with cold-pressed organic almond oil – it hardens particularly well and is 100% food-safe.
IMPORTANT: ALWAYS OIL BOTH SIDES OF THE BOARD!
If one side is less sealed than the other, it absorbs more humidity – this can cause the wooden board to warp & twist. Basically, you can trust your intuition here (if the wood on one side hardly absorbs oil, that side probably doesn’t need as much oil) – still, oiling both sides is an important part of the care routine.
PRO TIP #1: SOME LIKE IT HOT
If the oil is gently heated to about 80°C in a pot before application, it penetrates much deeper into the wood fibers and provides an effective renewal of the basic care.
Recommended every 6–8 weeks.
CAUTION:
Hot oil can cause extremely painful burns!
Always exercise extreme caution with this method and use a thermometer.
The Annual Sanding:
A fresh start, every time anew.
Wood wears down over time, especially when working with sharp knives and hot pots. This is completely normal and also part of the charm of wood: You can see the life of wooden boards – just like us.
If the level of wear ever bothers you after several years of intensive use, go to a trusted carpenter in your area who can sand or plane the surface of the board on both sides by about 1mm for a small fee – after re-oiling, the board looks like new.
