Hinoki Cutting Board Care

Thanks for purchasing one of our Hinoki wood cutting boards. To best care for new board, please follow these guidelines. 

Hinoki cypress (Chamaecyparis obtusa) is a dense softwood native to central. It resists fungus and kills bacteria due to the high concentration of volatile oils which gives it a citrus like smell that mellows with use.

Important to note that while Hinoki's dense yet soft wood is easy on knife edges, helping them to stay sharp longer (especially hard Japanese steel; it is easier to damage.

To avoid deep chips in the surface of your hinoki board please do not hack on the board or use a cutting style pushing down on the spine of the knife while chopping. Lateral twisting will damage both knife edge and board. Avoid using bread knives with aggressive teeth on your hinoki board, as they can saw into the surface as well

Before use, wet your board with cold water. This will form a barrier to food soaking into the wood, especially oils or fats. Expect your board to change color a bit with age and exposure to food. We recommend choosing one side for strong flavored food - onion, garlic, fish etc - and one side for fruit.

To clean, wash with cold water and soap and/or an occasional scrubbing with ½ a lemon and a tablespoon of salt. Avoid hot water as it will draw both food oil and soap into the board.

The composite construction of these boards makes for resistance to warping but avoid keeping one side of the board wet permanently to avoid fungus and warping, and never ever never put it in the dishwasher.