# Hot pan that chars cutting board



## Benius (Jul 9, 2017)

Hi everyone. I make 1.5" thick end grain cutting boards that generally consist of hard maple, purpleheart, walnut and cherry in different amounts. I recently gave one to a friend of mine and he loves to cook with cast iron. He asked if he bakes something in the over at 350-400 degrees, can he safely set the cast iron pan on the cutting board without damaging it. I had no idea. I assumed at that high temp it would leave char marks but I'm not sure. Does anyone know if it would char the wood?

PS I finish with mineral oil and glue up with Titebond III

Thanks ahead of time


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

I would imagine there'd be some discoloration at the least.


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## jerkylips (May 13, 2011)

I wouldn't risk it. That's what trivets are for


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## RichT (Oct 14, 2016)

It would be pretty simple to heat a cast iron pan to 400º and set it on a piece of scrap wood treated with the same mineral oil to see what happens.


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## jonah (May 15, 2009)

It seems silly to risk it. Why not just stick a trivet or dish towel down?


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## wormil (Nov 19, 2011)

400f isn't very hot, not really. I think they will be fine but it wouldn't hurt to test on scrap as different wood species will burn at different temps. I set hot pans on my cutting boards and wood trivets all the time and have never scorched one.


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## Carloz (Oct 12, 2016)

The big cutting board I just made from 8/4 hard maple already has charred circles from the frying pan. But why would I care ? If you want it to look pristine put it in a frame under glass and hang on the wall.


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## bondogaposis (Dec 18, 2011)

I'm with Fridge on this, discoloration for sure. Just the tannin reacting with the iron alone could do it, add heat and well, it's gonna leave a mark.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

When my cutting boards get all cut up with cut marks, I run it/them to the shop and get out my 1/4-sheet sander. Looks like new again, and then I return it to use. Problem solved…

I would venture to guess that sanding might also eliminate/reduce any char marks as well… My 2-cents worth…


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## Knockonit (Nov 5, 2017)

Ole gal i live with gave one to a friend, and she sat a skillet on it, while it didn't char it, it did leave a rather ugly brown ring and spots,

before i knew it i was given the task to repair, drum sander, although the oil was still recent, kinda gummed a bit, but after cleaning sanding paper a couple times, got it back to original and gave it a bath. looks like new.

we'll see if the gal is smart enough to not do again. argh.


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## rbrjr1 (Nov 2, 2017)

> I wouldn t risk it. That s what trivets are for
> 
> - jerkylips


THIS…

Hot pans belong on granite countertops or trivets..

Why would someone set a hot pan on a cutting board?


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## mudflap4869 (May 28, 2014)

Fajitas come in a cast iron skillet, on a board. Charred? Yep, but that is what it was made for. Using, not admiring.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

> Fajitas come in a cast iron skillet, on a board. Charred? Yep, but that is what it was made for. Using, not admiring.
> - mudflap4869


+10 Especially down here in occupied northern Mexico…

...from ~30mi. north of the Alamo… *;-)*


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