Why teak and not German oak for a breakfast board?

Hardwood is generally the right choice for a cutting or breakfast board. Hardwood comes from deciduous trees such as oak, walnut and mahogany. Because these woods grow more slowly, they are usually more expensive than softwoods.

Tropical wood such as teak is also a hardwood. Compared with non-tropical hardwood, it is more resistant to fungal growth and insects. It comes from Asia and is one of the most valuable and long-established woods used there.

Teak can be described as a superwood among the woods of the world. It is antibacterial, hard yet light, durable and has a distinctive grain. Its natural oils are aromatic and help make it resistant to insects and termites. Teak absorbs little water and is resistant to rotting, warping and splintering, which makes it well suited to breakfast and cutting boards.

The characteristic colour of teak ranges from medium to golden brown. It has a pronounced structure with fine, dark-brown stripes and sometimes coarser flame-like grain. Regular oiling or waxing preserves its original colour. Leaving teak untreated has little effect on its useful life.

Oak has light-brown to yellowish-brown heartwood and yellowish-white sapwood. Its annual rings create a distinctive grain. Oak is robust, weather-resistant and found mainly in Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and North America.

Although oak is similarly robust, teak has advantages for breakfast and cutting boards. Oak contains tannins, which are valued in wine and spirits but are not necessarily desirable in a food-contact board.

This brings us to greenhouse gas emissions. Transporting goods from Asia causes emissions. We disclose our approximate estimate for production, packaging and transport, together with the limitations of that calculation, on our carbon footprint page. We have also supported a climate project through atmosfair; this does not make our products carbon neutral.

Our conclusion on the best wood for cutting and breakfast boards: hardwood should generally be used. Teak has slight advantages because oak contains tannins. Because of the longer transport route, providers should transparently disclose which emissions are included and the scope of their calculation.