The cutting board in our 2350 is a nice block of hardwood and it is a solid surface to use for food prep. It is best for slicing dry foods such as bread. As a porous surface, it would be unsafe if any food liquids soaked in and provided a home for bacteria. We decided to treat the board to make it less permeable and make cleaning the surface easier. I found an interesting article for treating cutting boards at
http://whatscookingamerica.net/CuttingBoards/AllAbout.htm.
While you can buy “special” cutting board treatments, we went the route suggested in the article. We applied a heavy coat of mineral oil twice a day for a week. After a week, the oil took an hour or so to soak in completely. Then we used beeswax dissolved in hot mineral oil for two coats, and a final wax with just beeswax. The surface is now more resistant to spills and the beeswax has a nice fragrance.
