The old stainless steel block at my uncle's shop spoiled me

I worked at my uncle's shop in Des Moines for 10 years before I opened my own place. He had a 30 year old stainless steel cutting block from a hotel supplier that never got slick or dented. My new plastic cutting boards at the new shop are already gouged after 4 months. Has anyone found a source for those old style metal blocks that doesn't cost as much as a used car?

2 comments

2 Comments

james_ramirez1mo ago

Have you looked into restaurant liquidation auctions in your area? That's where I found my stainless block for about 300 bucks, just had to drive two hours to pick it up. The commercial stuff lasts forever compared to plastic, totally worth the hunt.

loganbaker1mo ago

Wait, is that where all the commercial kitchens go to die and I can finally afford their stuff? (Because my cutting board is literally held together with hope and a rubber band at this point.) I've never even thought about restaurant auctions, mostly because I assumed they're guarded by angry chefs with cleavers or something. But $300 for a block that'll outlive my grandkids? That's wild. I'm picturing myself showing up with a U-Haul and zero planning, just staring at a pile of industrial equipment like a confused raccoon. Definitely bookmarking this idea, though my "just a quick two hour drive" always turns into a four hour saga with snack breaks.