By Alison Spiegel, Huffington Post

Ask any chef or home cook what the single most important tool in the kitchen is and he or she will almost certainly give you the same answer: a chef’s knife. One, dependable all-purpose chef’s knife — and knowing how to use it — is going to make the biggest impact on your cooking, whether you’re a newbie in the kitchen or an experienced restaurant chef.

What most people overlook when they give or receive this answer is the knife’s partner in crime: the cutting board. Often forgotten for its flashier, sharper-looking companion, the cutting board doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. People assume all cutting boards are alike, and may not give much thought to size or material. If you’ve been using the same cutting board for every dish, or if you’ve simply never considered the difference between a wood or plastic board, we’re here to correct your ill-informed ways.

Contrary to popular belief, plastic cutting boards are not automatically safer than wood. Studies have shown that wood can actually be more sanitary in the long run. People assume that because wood is a porous surface and plastic isn’t, plastic boards are more resistant to bacteria. This assumption doesn’t take into account the scars a plastic cutting board will get from daily use.

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