There may be instances when we feel lazy to pull out the mat for hot pans and pots. Sometimes we need to place hot objects quickly. Cutting boards seem to be the most convenient option in such circumstances.
However, do you think cutting boards can withstand the heat on pans and pots? We will figure out the answer by discussing different types of cutting board materials.
Can you put hot pots & pans on a cutting board?
It is possible to put hot pans and pots on a cutting board. However, the material needs to be heat resistant. Again, some materials can resist a great deal of heat, while some cannot. Plastic cutting boards, for instance, may not handle temperature well enough compared to a wooden cutting board.
Whether you can put hot pans or not on a cutting board depends on the material used to make it. Make sure it is heat resistant before putting hot cookware over it.
Though putting a hot pan over a cutting board may not cause accidents, it can ruin the board texture if that is not heat resistant.
It is best to use your judgment. For example, plastic-made cutting boards will be more prone to damage from heat when compared to wooden cutting boards. It is because plastic has a low level of heat resistance value.
To understand better, we will give you ideas on some of the most common cutting boards and their material.
Wooden cutting board:
Firstly, a wooden cutting board is a popular choice for it can withstand a large extent of heat. It will not affect the texture and ruin the surface with charred marks.
Moreover, it depends on how long you are keeping the pans over the boards. However, the material tends to absorb the smell and is more prone to molds.
Bamboo cutting board:
Similar to wood, Bamboo cutting boards can resist heat as well. They are preferred for their heat-resistant capacity. Nevertheless, it also matters on the duration of the exposure.
Hot cookware won’t mess with the surface or texture of the bamboo cutting boards. Bamboo cutting boards also absorb smell easily and are more vulnerable to mold growth.
Glass cutting board:
Glass cutting boards are preferred for their smooth texture. Again, the surface is nonporous which makes it easy to clean and hygienic. Most of the glass cutting boards are made heat resistant.
It does not matter whether you put a hot pan or banking tray the glasses used are not prone to fracture. However, a poor quality, less sturdy glass may shatter with exposure from heat.
Marble cutting board:
Marble is compressed of limestone and is heat resistant. Heat may not affect a marble cutting board by breaking it, but still, it could ruin the surface by discoloring or burning.
Again, some people experienced cracks on marble when exposed to hot cookware. So even if it’s heat resistant, we should not put hot pans or pots over it.
Are these cutting boards heat resistant and how much?
Here we have listed cutting boards of different materials to learn whether they can resist heat or not.
Wooden cutting board:
Wooden chopping boards make cutting comfortable, which makes it a convenient choice. The material can withstand heat. They can withstand up to up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
It means if you put a pot or baking tray that contains more temperature than 350 degrees Fahrenheit, it could ruin the board. However, most hot pans do not go up to this threshold.
Plastic or poly cutting board:
Polypropylene is used to make quality plastic cutting boards. The element is a thermoplastic polymer. Polypropylene has a melting point of 320 degrees Fahrenheit. Hence, the plastic or poly plastic cutting board is heat resistant.
Hot cookware does contain this much heat. However, if you bake using more than 320 degrees Fahrenheit, the baking tray could ruin the texture of the plastic or poly cutting board.
Bamboo cutting board:
Bamboo cutting boards are heat resistant. They can withstand heat around 400 degrees Fahrenheit. It again depends on the duration you put a hot object on the cutting boards.
Bamboo cutting boards don’t get affected by hot cookware. A lot of bamboo-made cutting boards have a burning temperature of almost 600 degrees Fahrenheit.
Glass cutting board:
Glass cutting boards are great for their easy use and smooth texture. They are made heat resistant, shatter-resistant, and stain-resistant.
The melting point of glasses is 1832-degrees Fahrenheit. However, ordinary glasses may face thermal breaks when exposed to an extensive level of heat.
Again, soda, lime, silica sand, and heat-resistant chemical are used to make heat-resistant glasses.
Tempered glass cutting boards:
The difference between standard glass and tempered glass is the way they are processed.
Tempered glass is about four times stronger compared to regular glass. They can withstand constant temperatures of up to 470 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tempered glass cutting boards are long-lasting and scratch-proof and dishwasher safe. It also proves resistance to heat.
Marble cutting boards:
Marble cutting boards are heat resistant and can resist 480 degrees Fahrenheit or higher temperatures. Yet few cases show that marble cracked due to heat exposure from a hot pan.
Also, they may wear off by discoloring because of heat. For example, a lot of times, pizza metal trays can generate heat up to 1292 degrees Fahrenheit. We will thus risk the marble cutting board cracking if we place this metal tray over it.
Can you put hot food on a plastic or wood cutting board?
You may put hot food on a plastic or wood cutting board. However, you need to ensure that the plastic can withstand heat. Again, since plastic easily gets burnt or gets charred marks when exposed to heat, we do not recommend it.
However, hot foods like a bowl of soup or a cup of coffee won’t do much harm to a plastic cutting board. They do not contain the level of heat to damage the texture or surface of the plastic cutting board.
We already talked about how quality plastic is heat resistant and made from polypropylene. It is a thermoplastic polymer. This element has a melting point of up to 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
Hot cookware does not usually heat up to such a temperature threshold. Nevertheless, if your baking tray gets heated to 320 degrees Fahrenheit, this could ruin the texture of the plastic or poly cutting board.
Hence, it is better to avoid hot pans on a plastic cutting board since a lot of plastic is not of good quality.
Can we put hot foods over a wooden plastic board? The answer to this would be yes. Quality wood cutting boards can resist a temperature up to 320 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dishes containing hot foods do not exceed this level of heat. It means that hot foods cannot damage the surface or burn the wooden cutting board.
Also, plastic and wooden cutting boards are safe to put in the dishwasher. It also proves their heat resistance ability.
What surface can you put hot pots on?
Whether you can put hot pots on different types of cutting boards or not depends on the material used to make it. Here we will give insights into surfaces where you can put hot pots or pans safely.
A wooden surface:
It is safe to put hot cookware on a wooden surface. Woods have the ability to withstand a great deal of temperature. The temperature from a hot pan would not harm the surface of the wood or burn it.
A glass/ tempered glass surface:
Glass surfaces may seem vulnerable, but they are made to withstand a good level of heat. They do not crack if you put a hot pot over its surface.
Again, tempered glass is not the standard quality glass but can resist temperature as well. A low-quality glass surface, however, may not resist the temperature and crack due to thermal shock.
A Marble surface:
Marble surfaces are sturdy and heat resistant. You can put hot cookware on the surface. However, we do not recommend this.
Many cases show marble cracks when exposed to heat. Also, the color and texture may wear off with exposure to heat.
A Granite surface:
Granite surfaces are sturdy. It can resist a temperature up to 1112 degrees Fahrenheit. Therefore, without hesitation, you can put your hot pans. The surface won’t melt.
However, this is not a good idea because granite surfaces can crack due to thermal shock. Also, similar to marble, their color and texture may get damaged from the heat.
Final thoughts
You may put hot pans or pots on cutting boards that are heat resistant. This resistance level varies between materials. For example, a bamboo board can withstand more heat than a wooden cutting board. Moreover, many cutting boards are maybe heat resistant but can be vulnerable to damage from heat.