Boos Blocks

The History of the Traditional Brand

The founder of the company, Conrad Boos, was originally a blacksmith in Effingham. He constructed a sturdy three-legged block made of sycamore wood to cushion the blows of his heavy blacksmith hammer. A local butcher heard about it and ordered another one for his meat processing needs. John Boos, Conrad's son, made the desired product for the butcher. This laid the foundation for the John Boos & Company over 125 years ago. From that point on, the company produced solid chopping blocks for meat processing businesses in the USA.

In 1892, German immigrant Adalbert Gravenhorst bought the company because he recognized its potential and the increasing demand for these products in the market. The goal of producing the best butcher blocks with high quality and durability quickly led to a high reputation, true to the company motto: "Where steel and wood meet - it's best at Boos Blocks®".

At the 1900 Paris World's Fair, the high-quality wooden blocks from the USA were on display and quickly found their way into almost all butcher shops, restaurants, and grocery stores in the United States.

Certified Quality & Sustainability

All Boos products are designed for daily professional use. They are made with great care and meet the highest quality and safety standards. The Boos Blocks® are certified with the seal of approval from the US health organization NSF (National Sanitation Foundation), which is a requirement for use in the gastronomy industry in the USA. The strict NSF criteria include product quality, the entire production process of cutting boards and chopping blocks, as well as all materials and substances used. The NSF certification process also includes a material review to ensure that the products meet the requirements of the US Food & Drug Administration, the American authority for food and drug safety. For the production of cutting boards and chopping blocks, North American hard maple wood is preferred. This type of wood is extremely durable, resistant, hygienic, easy to clean, and above all, knife-friendly. It has also been proven to prevent bacterial growth.

The company Boos Blocks has been committed to environmental protection and sustainable forestry for many years. Boos has taken a leadership role in this field and understands environmental issues as an essential part of its business activities. The company uses only renewable, sustainable North American hardwoods and maintains a high standard of environmental protection throughout the manufacturing process. Boos cutting boards are made using only formaldehyde-free white glue, and all excess wood materials are recycled. Boos has been a member of the NHLA (National Hardwood Lumber Association) for years. This association practices sustainable forestry and environmentally conscious forest management in the USA. Conclusion: Boos wooden cutting boards also make a good contribution to sustainability and environmental awareness in the kitchen.

The high demands of professionals

The daily life of professional chefs in the gastronomy industry is tough. They work with passion and dedication for many hours a day, and this over years. Like any artist and craftsman, every cook must be able to rely unconditionally on his tools. Especially under high stress, Boos Blocks® products are up to the requirements. They were developed to function perfectly under the toughest professional conditions. Well-known and experienced chefs trust Boos Blocks products because they have proven to be extremely robust, durable, and reliable even in the most demanding gastronomy kitchens. This opinion is also shared by the American Master Chefs Association: John Boos & Company was awarded a gold medal by them for outstanding achievements.

Wooden boards or plastic boards - a matter of faith? 

Every hobby and professional cook eventually asks themselves which cutting board is right for them: plastic or wood. There are different opinions on both materials. However, the hygienic advantages of wooden boards are clear: boards made of North American hardwood inhibit bacterial growth. Plastic boards, on the other hand, often harbor bacteria in the cutting grooves of the surface.

The German study "Comparison of the hygiene status of wooden and plastic cutting boards" from 2014 demonstrates the advantages of a wooden cutting board under the following question: "Are plastic cutting boards more hygienic and safer than wooden cutting boards?" To clarify this question, a new study was conducted by Prof. Dr. Ulrike Kleiner in the laboratory for hygiene research at Anhalt University of Applied Sciences in Bernburg. The result of the study showed that high-quality wooden boards such as Boos Blocks cutting boards exhibit the same or partially better hygienic properties than plastic boards when properly cleaned and maintained.

Wooden boards extend the life of your knives

Choosing a wooden cutting board is also advantageous in terms of the lifespan of your knives, as the surface material of the wooden cutting board is gentler on knife blades. Plastic boards, on the other hand, can quickly dull knives. But even with dull knives, we have a solution: Here we recommend our knife sharpener category.

Cleaning and maintenance

Even though Boos Blocks cutting boards are among the best of their kind: wood is a natural product, and with the right cleaning and maintenance, the lifespan of your Boos Blocks board can be extended even further. Here in the magazine, you will find a small guide for this: Care instructions for wooden cutting boards.

Maple or walnut? Personal taste counts

Maple

North American hard maple is a renewable and sustainable hardwood of the highest quality. It offers ideal properties in relation to food. In American kitchens, it has become the standard hardwood for chopping blocks, work surfaces, and cutting boards. The North American hard maple (Latin name Acer Saccharum, also known as sugar maple) offers the ideal hardness for durable utensils such as cutting boards. Hard maple wood is stable, durable, hygienic, gentle on knives, and easy to clean. It also inhibits bacterial growth.

This type of tree mainly grows in the area of the western Great Lakes, up to Nova Scotia in Canada, and in the area around Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Indiana. The wood is harder and stronger than that of any other maple species used as lumber. The fine grain of the wood, which has a uniform and consistent texture, is of great importance. Unlike other types of wood, it has no typical smell or taste. This is ideal for products used in food preparation. The attractive light wood with a universal appearance is typical of John Boos maple cutting boards. This color scheme fits any environment and kitchen decor.

Sustainability

The North American Hard Maple species reproduces rapidly, is easily transplanted, and grows quickly. John Boos & Co is a member of the National Hardwood Lumber Association (NHLA). NHLA members operate extensive forestry initiatives and solid forest management. The reforestation program of the organization causes US forests to grow one-third faster than they are harvested.

Black Walnut

American black walnut (also known as black walnut or Juglans Nigra) can be found from the East Coast of America to the Great Plains and down to the Gulf of Mexico. The largest commercial cultivation area is located in the middle of the United States. Almost three-quarters of all black walnut trees in the United States grow in this region. Black walnut wood is a sought-after and valued wood due to its dark color and hardness. It is heavy and strong. While its sapwood has a creamy-white color, the color spectrum of the heartwood ranges from a light to a dark, chocolate-like brown. It sometimes appears with a purple shimmer and dark stripes. The wood forms an extensive patina. With age, the patina becomes shinier.

Sustainability

American black walnut is a tree species that regenerates naturally and thrives quickly when replanted. This distinguishes the wood from many other types of wood. That is why black walnut is so successful as lumber.

Buy Boos Blocks at Butch Online

In our online shop, you can find a wide selection of current products from the Boos Blocks brand. Do you want to buy your Boos cutting boards online and have further questions? Then take a look at our FAQ section.