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I have one of those thick & heavy bamboo cutting boards that I just got. Until now, I've been using a simple plastic cutting board that doesn't weigh much. After dicing vegetables, I would simply lift the cutting board in my left hand and use my right hand holding the knife to transfer the vegetables onto a pan, bowl, or wherever.

My question is, how do I do this with a heavy cutting board? Obviously lifting it with one hand is not an option. I couldn't find any youtube videos showing proper technique of using the knife and the other available hand to transfer the diced vegetables onto something else.

Thanks

David
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3 Answers3

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You can use a bench scraper for this sort of task:

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Just push the food onto the bench scraper (you can slide the bench scraper underneath the food as well), and move it. You can see a demonstration in this article by Serious Eats.

Depending on how your cutting board is positioned, you can also just use a knife/bench scraper to push it off the board into a bowl (e.g. if the board is on the edge of a table).

Depending on the type of knife you're using (a chef's knife, for example), you can move the dice onto the side of the knife, but you won't have as much room as with a bench scraper. Also, you can dull your knife this way / cut yourself if you aren't careful.

Batman
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  • If the edge of your knife is pointed down to the cutting board at an angle, it is almost impossible to cut yourself (except you either lift the knife midway or you apply force with your free hand). – Ian Sep 19 '17 at 07:31
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Don't overcomplicate things. Put down your knife and use your hands.

You say it's a thick board so you can scrape the last bits off with your knife into your hand that you keep to the side. Place the board a little over the edge of the table if you need more depth.

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You could do it in 3 different ways. No need to buy some extra tools.

You can use a cake/pie server, spatula or turner or the big kitchen knife blade and here is how:

1) Use a large knife and transfer the vegetables / objects on to the side of the knife blade by using a wood, plastic or teflon spoon, cake/pie server, spatula or turner. If you do not have it in other then of metal then use one of metal, but metal could scratch your knife blade. You could use your hand instead too, to push the vegetables / objects on the knife blade too, just watch out so you do not cut yourself by accident on the knife blade.

2) Use a large cake/pie server, spatula or turner and then transfer the blade over the pan or object you want to ditch your vegetables / objects in. If you have no cake/pie server, spatula or turner, then just use what ever you have in the kitchen that looks more or less like a large flat thin surface.

3) Put the board near the edge of the table and simply put the pan under that edge and push the vegetables / objects using the knife you cut it with. Of course for this you need to have the pan cold, not hot, so you do not burn yourself.

PS: It looks like there are those who have a lack of imagination, so there for I need to be MORE specific. Example if you do not have a specific pallet for such, do not buy one, use a cake pallet or a big spoon or a blade of some sort, that would work too.

Use something like

NOTE: You do not need to buy anything, just see what you have at home that has a flat and clean surface and has a good in size and is thin and enough hard/durable enough to carry the vegetables / objects you cut.

SeekLoad
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  • I don't understand how version 1 works and I don't understand how version 2 doesn't require *buying* a palette. Also, version 3 won't work if you're trying to add things to a boiling pot of liquid. – Catija Sep 12 '17 at 03:48
  • @Catija Version 2 you right, it only works if the pot is cold. Version 2 it requires buying a palette? Are you serious? Use your imagination, do I actually need to tell you how to get that pallet too? Example use a cake palette or a big spoon or a blade of some sort, that would work too. – SeekLoad Sep 13 '17 at 01:38
  • @rackandboneman If you have no palette then just use the side blade of the kitchen knife. It works as well. – SeekLoad Sep 13 '17 at 01:40
  • @Catija 1 is simple, use the side of the big kitchen knife blade for it as a pallet. But instead to use your hand to push the vegetables / objects on the plate you could use a plastic, wood or metal spoon or palette. If you have none of those, then use your hand, just be careful so you do not cut yourself. I will now edit it so you see it clear. – SeekLoad Sep 13 '17 at 01:43
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    I'm not sure if "palette" was actually the word you meant. It's not something I've heard in a kitchen context (I haven't heard "cake pallet" either); the primary meaning is what a painter uses to hold paint and mix colors. Not sure if you meant "plate" or something else. I appreciate that English isn't your first language, but when people don't understand you, please don't lash out at them as you did in comments here - it may well be that your thoughts haven't quite been communicated. – Cascabel Sep 16 '17 at 18:19
  • @Jefromi What I meant was something like this " http://www.spode.com/media/catalog/product/cache/8/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/1/5/1573864.jpg " they call it cake knife, the problem is it does not look like a knife at all and some of them are not even sharp. – SeekLoad Sep 18 '17 at 11:12
  • @Jefromi A kitchen palette is something like this " http://www.eatwell101.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Good-Grips-Stainless-Serving-Spatula.jpg " and that is called "kitchen palette". – SeekLoad Sep 18 '17 at 11:15
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    @SeekLoad Sorry, but the one in your second comment is called a spatula or turner, not a palette. The one in your first is more commonly called a cake or pie server, but might sometimes be called a cake knife or cake slicer because it does have that serrated edge for slicing. ("Cake knife" can also just mean an actual knife meant for slicing cakes, though, sometimes sold in a set with the server.) For the purposes of your answer, though, the flat part is the important part - so "cake/pie server" is probably a better description, even if it is also a cake knife. – Cascabel Sep 18 '17 at 14:42
  • @Jefromi Okay "cake or pie server" sounds more correct and yes "cake/pie server" is a more proper way of calling it and "spatula or turner" for that one sound also more correct, as I said I am not that good at English when it comes to chicken tools. I was thinking that the word "spatula or turner" is more in the tools section and not in the chicken, but I guess I was wrong. Thank you for this and I will edit it now to have the correct words. – SeekLoad Sep 19 '17 at 17:16
  • @Jefromi edited now with the words you gave me. Thank you. – SeekLoad Sep 19 '17 at 17:27
  • [Extended discussion moved to chat](http://chat.stackexchange.com/rooms/65852/discussion-on-answer-by-seekload-transfer-vegetables-objects-from-cutting-board). – Cascabel Sep 19 '17 at 18:04