Have you ever wondered how to decorate your kitchen and gain extra counter space at the same time? A simple solution is a noodle board. Noodle board is an add on for your kitchen which solves many problems. So what exactly is a noodle board:
A noodle board is a very simple piece of kitchen equipment. Essentially, it’s a slab of material that sits on top of your stove top when the stove isn’t in use. This positioning means that you have more counter space than you otherwise would have, leading to an increase in the workable area.
Generally, the slabs are made out of wood. The reason for this is that there’s no conventional size for an oven, so it’s often easier to make your own noodle board to size out of scrap wood.
Do not confuse a noodle board with a pasta board or a cutting board. There is a big difference between them. Pasta board is used to make pasta on it, cutting board is used to chop and cut food on, whereas noodle board is used mostly for decorative purposes and extra counter space. Some noodle boards also have small feet or supports which help them to stand slightly higher than the actual surface, which gets hot.
Need more ideas to cover your stove? Check out my post about all stove toppers covers options for your stove type.
This isn’t necessary, by any means, but it does mean that the surface is generally more level and at a reduced risk of burning from contact with the hot stove top. This also brings on the safety questions that I cover in my other article about “are noodle boards stove covers safe“.
Why is it called a noodle board?
The main reason for that name is that in the past the boards were common in households where fresh pasta was made on a regular basis. In order to make fresh pasta, you need quite a large work area, which people may not have. To increase the work area in the kitchen, a noodle board could be used.
Of course, whether that surface was used for shaping and kneading of the pasta dough, or the rolling and cutting, is completely up to individual chefs and families.
Traditional noodle boards were always used to make and shape the dough. When my grandmother made noodles, she always put a heap of flour onto this wooden board. Then she broke a few eggs in there and started mixing and kneading. She later used the same wooden board to roll the dough, shape the noodles, and dry them.
After use, she always scraped off any excess dough, wiped the wooden board with a soft dry kitchen cloth, and put it away for the next cooking project.
| What is the difference between noodle board in traditional and in the modern kitchen | |
| Past | Present |
| Noodle board – were used to make noodles, pasta… | Stove cover – are used to cover gas or electric stoves |
| Pastry or pasta board – were used to make hard dough, for rolling and shaping | Pastry or pasta board – are used to make hard dough, for rolling and shaping |
What is a noodle board used for?
A noodle board can be used for anything that you might choose to use some extra countertop space for. Traditionally, a noodle board was used to give a chef extra space to make pasta noodles, hence the name.
Nowadays, noodle boards are only used as stove covers for gas or electric stoves. The purpose of noodle boards in the modern kitchen is to decorate the kitchen, add extra counter space if you host a party, or just need extra space for pots and containers while preparing ingredients for lunch.
Rarely you can find a noodle board these days that you can put hot pots and pans on or chop vegetables or meat on. For chopping, you can use a chopping board, but to make pastry, pasta, or just to roll the dough, you need a pastry or pasta board.
If you are curious on whether noodle boards are safe, check out my research regarding the safety of noodle board if you use them as stove top cover on a gas or electric stove.
A convenient part of the noodle board is also the handles. Most wood stove top covers have two handles to easily remove the cover when you want to use the stove.
What a noodle board shouldn’t be used for?
Don’t use them for chopping and cutting
Modern noodle boards should never be used as a chopping board. If a noodle board can be used as a chopping board, it should be indicated by the manufacturer; otherwise, it is best not to cut veggies on a noodle board.
The other aspect is that if you cut your veggies on a noodle board, you will damage it. Knife cuts will be visible on the surface, and the engraving or the saying won’t look beautiful anymore. Most artisans mention this in their product listing as it is not possible to repair knife cuts on a noodle board.
Don’t put hot pots and pans on
The other thing you shouldn’t use noodle board stove covers for is to put hot pots and pans on. It is true that they are made out of wood, but wood is usually covered with paint or oil, and the wood is put together with glue. Hot pots and pans can quickly melt the materials and damage the board’s overall look and design. Just like with knife cuts, this also can’t be repaired.
Nowadays, noodle boards are much too pretty to use them as a chopping board or to put hot pots and pans on. The purpose is mainly decorative. Most artisans engrave or print on different sayings or characters that represent the chef or the household. I also gathered the most popular noodle board sayings and design in my other blog post, “60 most popular noodle boards saying“.
What is the purpose of a noodle board?
Noodle boards really serve two purposes: functional and decorative.
If they’re being used functionally, they can be used just how you’d use a little extra counter space. For example, you might use them:
- decorative add on in your kitchen
- as extra counter space to put cold pots and pans on,
- as a buffet table when organizing a party
- to put chopping board on
Many people choose to use noodle boards for decorative purposes and have done for years. If you take a look online, you’ll be able to see that it’s easy to source several custom-designed or custom-etched noodle boards that could be perfect for any number of kitchens. To ease up your online search, you can check which stove top covers or noodle boards are best.
Conclusion
Noodle boards have been around for along time. New ideas, materials, and technologies have evoked artisans to come up with a new version of noodle boards. Noodle boards are now a decorative element in your kitchen and at the same time provide additional counter space. No matter what stove you have noodle board will always fit in place because they can be custom made. And since new technologies enable also engraving, noodle boards can be personalized. You could say that in the old days a noodle board was just a piece of wood standing on the stove, but with personalization options available, the board can add so much warmth and love to your kitchen.
* The prices for ingredients and products in our tables are average prices take from various websites. The prices are not taken directly from Amazon.
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