How to Care for Your Ebony Cutting Board

With any wood cutting board, proper care will keep it in prime condition. Stella Falone cutting boards feature durable cutting surfaces of solid West African ebony, making them extra resilient. With simple conditioning and maintenance, your board will serve you well for many years.

Please note: As you condition and clean your cutting board, initially you may notice some dark color transfer onto your paper towels. This is simply the natural pigment from ebony wood coming off the untreated surface. This natural residue is completely non-toxic and food-safe, and the pigment transfer will diminish over time. The oil provided with your board is food-safe, but it will pick up a small amount of the pigment in the ebony wood during conditioning. So will water, and so will soap. No need for concern. Untreated ebony, like the wood used in your cutting board, has been safely used in food-related products like salad tongs, spatulas and chopsticks for hundreds of years.

Here are three ways to keep your board in great shape:

 1. Oil it.

Our boards are washed multiple times during the manufacturing process, leaving the wood in a natural, unconditioned state. Before using the board, it’s important to properly condition it with food-grade mineral oil. This will help protect it from warping or cracking. A new cutting board should be conditioned with 2-3 coats before the first use.

Start by washing a new board with dish soap and hot water, and then allow it to dry overnight. Once it’s dry, apply the mineral oil to the board with a clean, soft, lint-free cloth or paper towel and wipe off the excess. We recommend letting each coat soak in for at least an hour and allowing the final coat to soak in overnight before the first use.

You’ll want to avoid putting a freshly oiled board directly on a porous surface like a granite countertop to avoid the possibility of oil transfer, which could discolor the counter surface.

Periodically you’ll also want to re-oil the board. The frequency will depend upon how often it’s used. If drops of liquid no longer bead on the surface, it’s probably time to re-oil.

2. Clean it.

Our cutting boards are made of dense ebony wood that’s more resistant to deep knife-scoring (where bacteria can gather) than softer-wood cutting boards. Still, you’ll want to clean it between uses to keep it sanitary.

We recommend hand-washing Stella Falone boards with hot, soapy water. They are not dishwasher-safe and should never be soaked in the sink. Prolonged exposure to heat and moisture will shorten the lifespan of the board.

To remove discoloration and food odors, try sprinkling the board with coarse salt and scrubbing it with the cut side of half a lemon.

3. Keep it properly humidified.

With its layered, cross-grain construction, each Stella Falone cutting board is built for optimal stability and resilience. Nonetheless, as a wood product, it can be impacted by extended exposure to extremely dry or humid conditions. In addition to keeping the board properly oiled, we recommend storing it in an environment with a relative humidity range between 40 and 60 percent. This will protect it against warping or cracking.

This means remembering to bring it inside after those summer cookouts. You might also consider investing in a hygro-thermometer for your kitchen so you can monitor the humidity levels. Being aware of the board’s environment will help you preserve it as a beautiful and functional centerpiece of your meals and gatherings for years to come.

For tips on how to remove cutting marks after extended use, visit our Use & Care page.

Questions? Email us at support@stellafalone.com