New wooden cutting board: what do you do before first use?
Before first use, give a new wooden cutting board a generous coat of care oil, including the edges and the underside. Leave it to soak in overnight and wipe off whatever is still on the surface the next morning. After that you can use the board and move on to a thin coat twice a month.
A new board looks sleek, but the wood is still thirsty. The first coat of oil decides how the board behaves afterwards. If you skip it, water soaks into the wood the very first time you wash it. It takes five minutes of work and a night of waiting.
Why oil first?
Wood has pores. If they are open, the board takes up moisture, colour and smells. Oil fills the pores from the inside. A saturated board repels water, stays flat and stains less quickly. That is why the first coat on a new board can be thicker than all the coats that follow.
The first treatment in five steps
- Wipe the board with a dry, clean cloth so there is no dust on it.
- Apply a generous coat of oil with a cloth. Rub along the grain until the whole surface shines.
- Include the edges and the underside. A board that is only oiled on one side can start to move. If your board has a juice groove, rub oil into that too.
- Leave the oil to soak in overnight. Stand the board upright or lay it on an old cloth.
- Wipe off the next morning whatever is still on the surface. The wood should feel dry and not sticky.
For this first time you use more than the 20 ml of a normal treatment. The care oil is pure grapeseed oil with nothing added: food safe, odourless and thin enough to soak in deeply. With the starter set you have the oil and the microfibre cloth at home in one go.
What to do and what to avoid in the first weeks
| Do | Do not |
|---|---|
| Oil first, cut afterwards | Use the board straight out of the box |
| Wash briefly with warm water and a little washing-up liquid | Put it in the dishwasher or leave it to soak |
| Dry it straight away and let it dry upright | Leave it wet and flat on the worktop |
| A thin coat of oil twice a month | Wait until the wood is dull and dry |
After the first night the normal rhythm is enough: 20 ml each time, leave it to soak in for 4 hours and wipe off whatever is still on the surface. You can read this step by step in Caring for a wooden cutting board.
A new butcher block
The same goes for a butcher block, only it takes more oil. The block is thicker and has tall sides that take up oil as well. You can read more about that in Oiling a butcher block: how often and how do you do it?
Frequently asked questions
Do I need to wash a new wooden cutting board first?
There is no need. Wiping it with a dry cloth is enough. If you do rinse it, let it dry completely before you apply the oil.
Can I use olive oil for the first coat?
Preferably not. Kitchen oil such as olive oil or sunflower oil is thicker, soaks in less well and has a smell and taste of its own. You can read why that matters in Which oil for a wooden cutting board?
The wood still feels greasy after a night. What now?
Then there was more oil on it than the wood could take up. Rub the board with a dry cloth until it is no longer sticky. After that you can simply use it.
Does a new board need beeswax as well?
You can, but you do not have to. Oil always comes first. If you then want an extra layer that keeps moisture out, finish with beeswax.
