Customer Reviews

Catskill Craftsmen 21 Inch End Grain Chopping Block

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I did ALOT of comparison shopping for quality and price, and this cutting board was by far the best quality for my money. It is heavy, though, so watch your fingers if you move it around much. I am very happy with this purchase so far.

I had been searching for a decent end grain cutting board ever since I upgraded to some shun and wusthof knives. When I found this block on sale for half the price I've seen other similarly sized butcher's blocks, I jumped on it. I am very happy with the purchase as the cutting block is a joy to use. The action is great and the hardwood is machined precisely into a perfextly flat surface with extremely tight joints between the (many) sections of wood. There appears to be multiple types of wood used, but the packaging just referred to 'american hardwwoods.' I suspect that one of the woods is maple.

The only thing I don't like about the cutting block is that there are so many small pieces of wood that means there are a ton of joints. Since the strips are all joined quite seamlessly, I gave this product 5 stars and will update if the joints begin to seperate. There are several places where the joints from four pieces come together at a point. This should have been avoided, but you can see that used several large strips that were cut together (imagine making a side grain cutting and then slicing it into strips and reassembling into an end-grain cutting board). It would have been better for them to not use two strips with identical sections next to one another.

The block arrived in near-ready to use condition. It was oiled decently, though be sure to apply another coat of low viscosity mineral oil when you receive the block. I also put a light finish of beeswax mixed with mineral oil on the block, which will help prevent water damage and add a luxurious sheen. You can go the extra mile and take a blow drier to the beeswax so it heats up and seeps in like mineral oil, then repeat until it stops absorbing, wipe away excess and buff with clean cotton towel.

The packaging for the block wasn't ideal. The plastic wrap tore at the corners, allowing water to seep in during the rainy delivery day. The water damage was quite minimal, but make sure you check your block out carefully. Obviously, dont' put this in dishwasher ever and only rinse with water when neccessary. I first wipe down the board to remove food scraps, then wipe with a little warm soapy water on a moist (not wet) sponge, rinse with some clean water on a moist sponge or towel, and finally pat dry with a towel (rubbing with a paper towel may leave little pills of towel on your board).

Overall, I'd highly recommend this block (especially on sale) to anyone with a decent set of knives. You really want to give your knives the best surface to work on with minimal wear. An end-grain cutting board is the ideal surface but can easily run twice the price of this block. If you're looking to get the most for your money, this is one chopping block that will out-perform it's price tag. Some cooks may prefer a less encumbering 1" -1.5" thick block and even a little bit smaller. I would stick to a minimum of 200 in^2 surface. There are some more attractive, more skillfully crafted blocks out there, so consider the cost against the fact you should get decades of use out of it.

Anyone looking for an endgrain cutting board is likely to be a serious cook looking for a quality product.
Be forewarned on this one - Penny wise, Pound foolish

Like other reviewers I was thrilled to find an endgrain cutting board at half the price of other offerings.
And like other reviewers I was impressed with my purchase out of the box.
But now 3 years later the board is falling apart.

Within several months it developed cracks along the edges where the glue was failing.
YES, I had been keeping the board properly oiled and protected from water.
In a call to the manufacturer I received (virtual) shrugged shoulders and a suggestion that "perhaps you can fill the cracks with soft bees wax."

So I have been following that suggestions and meticulously attending to oiling and drying down the board after every use.
Sorry - the glue joints are now cracked EVERYWHERE, through out the board.
I am convince this was not an issue of poor handling but of poor construction.... otherwise I should see cracks in the wood itself, not just the seams
It is headed for the trash.

After a lot of research, my husband and I (both obsessive cooks) decided we needed an end-grain board. This was the perfect size, was not made in China, and had a great price. We love it. We use one side for pungent veggies, like onions, chilis, and garlic, and the other for pretty much everything else except raw meat. It's big, it's heavy, it's wood. Apologies to Ren & Stimpy.

Bought this six weeks ago after a lot of research. After less than a week, I noticed it warped - which was amazing considering how thick and heavy it is. I reversed it and it remained flat. About a week after that, I noticed a small crack/separation on side around the fingerhold area. I started rubbing mineral oil on it - all sides - and scrupulously keeping it clean and dry after use; and not using it for meat. Tonight I noticed a huge wide crack on the longer side of about four inches - so wide you could see my counter through it.

I decided to return it and wanted a refund, but found that since it was more than 30 days (which was when the major damage happened), I would only get back about half what I paid for it, plus pay $17 for return shipment. Decided to have it replaced, and will be stuck for shipment back and for new board. VERY UNHAPPY - just hoping this new one will hold up, and that this was just a lemon. It's so cool looking, what a shame it's such a lousy product.

After just two days of use the board was noticeably warped and had a 2 1/2" crack near one of the hand slots.

I returned it and got a long grain board.

I attended a knife care seminar with Master Knifesmith Bob Kramer and he recommended hardwood boards, either end-grain or long grain. He thought that bamboo and composite wood boards may be too hard. He likes maple and hinoki.

Also, this is not a defect, but if you're not expecting it, the 14 1/2" x 19" model weighs around 14 lbs.

Though only in use for a short time, this is a great addition to our kitchen. I have already added a second board, exactly like the first.

I got this cutting board for my husband for Father's Day and for some reason I was surprised at how heavy it is. I think it is about 13 lbs. It is very solid and it looks great and will probably last forever. He is thrilled with it. Since I will be the one washing it, I'm not as thrilled as he is.

I wanted a big end grain chopping block like I see the professional chefs use on TV and looked at all the reviews of the ones I liked. I got this one as a gift after I let my DH know it was the one and have not been sorry. The handles are nice and deep and the colors are cool, except mine is a lot darker than the one shown. I guess they are all different. There were no cracks in it but as soon as I got it I coated it with Howard Butcher Block Conditioner before use. It's not shiny or smooth because it is end grain. I still have to put a non-skid matt under it to keep it stable.

I use it on my portable dishwasher as a work surface I can cut on. Just wipe it down and ready for the next job. I never have to move it unless I'm going to be working with meat or liquids.

I had a couple of issues. First, the cutting board arrived warped. After searching Catskill's website, I found a FAQ that suggested that weighting the board and waiting for it to acclimatize would correct this. Sadly, this did not happen for me. After weighting the board for 3 days, the warp had not changed much, so I decided to return it.

I had other issues also. The board arrived well oiled---overly so, in my opinion. Picking up the board left my hands greasy and slippery. I was afraid that touching the board to my clothes would leave a grease stain. Maybe this amount of oil is common for maple boards, I don't know.

Also, the oil had a subtle but distinct "industrial" smell. The smell transferred to my hands when I handled the board. Personally, I don't want the industrial smell in my food. I was planning on greasing the board with olive oil once I used it. I did not like the mineral oil used to oil the board.