My hair is admittedly fragile. (Stick with me; I promise it’s related.) Regardless of following all of HairTok’s guidelines, my tresses shortly turn out to be dry and brittle. So along with avoiding the comb when my hair is moist and rising the time between wash days, I sometimes slather on a deep conditioning hair masks. After quarter-hour and a rinse, my hair is delicate, shiny, and moisturized. It’s the lowest-maintenance, greatest technique to preserve my hair wholesome. And I’m satisfied Boos Block Board Cream does the identical factor for my end-grain maple chopping board.

My colleagues at Severe Eats and I are, effectively, severe about our wood chopping boards. Should you’re going to put money into a high-quality board, you’ve bought to take care of it. Which means preserving it clear and often oiling it. Kenji’s bought a nice information for that right here. My chopping board will get a ton of use—my family cooks 3 times a day, virtually day-after-day—so I oil it as soon as every week.

However even with that common repairs, it will get dry and boring. When that occurs, it’s extra vulnerable to cracking and might boring knives. So as soon as a month, I apply Boos Block Board Cream and let it sit in a single day. Within the morning, I wipe away any extra cream with a clear kitchen towel and get again to chopping and slicing. Need to see the distinction for your self? Swipe for the earlier than and after.

Boos recommends utilizing the Board Cream earlier than storing your chopping or carving board as a result of it’s a lot thicker than the mineral oil used for normal upkeep. That’s why a thick in a single day layer of the cream is so efficient. When left alone for at the very least 12 hours, my chopping board can slowly soak up it, which hydrates and moisturizes it on a deeper stage. I apply it to wood spoons, too. 

I don’t advocate utilizing the Board Cream as an alternative choice to mineral oil, but it surely’s an expensive occasional therapy that has stored my gear in mint situation. I take into account it a spa day for my chopping board.

Why We’re the Consultants

• Rochelle Bilow is an editor at Severe Eats, romance novelist, and cookbook writer.
• Beforehand, she labored at Bon Appétit journal.
• Rochelle has owned her chopping board for over 5 years. To maintain it smelling contemporary, she sometimes scrubs it with kosher salt and half a lower lemon.