A good cutting board is an essential kitchen tool that provides a layer of protection between your knife and your countertop. But the best cutting boards do more than just protect your counters during food prep—they provide a stable surface when you’re vigorously chopping, and a relatively soft surface with enough give not to dull the blades on your kitchen knives. These are attributes you can get to different degrees with plastic, wood, and rubber boards, and after testing more than 20, these are the five we recommend.
- The best plastic cutting board: Material The Grippy reBoard
- The best wood cutting board: John Boos Maple R-Board
- A budget Boos board: John Boos Chop-N-Slice
- A splurge-worthy upgrade: Boardsmith Maple End-Grain Cutting Board
- An easy-to-sanitize rubber board: Yoshihiro Hi-Soft High
New in this update: This fall we tested a made-to-order end-grain butcher block that quickly earned a spot in our top picks and a new microplastic-free board from Material Kitchen.
Black Friday cutting board deals
We'll be honest: Really nice cutting boards are often not cheap. That's just the reality of getting a high quality piece like a Boos block. But it also makes Black Friday and Cyber Week a prime time to pick one up. There are deals on tons of the aforementioned Boos boards as well as one from Material. If you're feeling splurgey or giftey, Boardsmith (maker's of some of the most truly beautiful boards you can get without contracting a wood worker) come with a free gift right now.
The best plastic cutting board: Material (grippy) reBoard
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Pros and cons
Pros:
- Dishwasher-safe
- Multiple color options
- Stays put on the counter
Cons:
- Shows knife marks over time
- Only one size available
Specs
Material: BPA-free recycled plastic (recycled kitchen scraps and renewable sugarcane)
Juice groove: No
Size: 14.75" x 10.75" x 0.375"
More sizes available: No
Dishwasher-safe: Yes
I’ve long been a fan of Material’s popular reBoard—a modern recycled-plastic cutting board that comes in a handful of fun colors. It’s nice to cut on and stylish enough to serve on, and since I started using it, my wood boards only come out for extravagant displays of charcuterie. But I no longer recommend the original reBoard, because for just $5 more, you can get the newer Grippy reBoard.
What we love: The Grippy version has everything the reBoard has except each corner features a small silicone bumper that keeps the board firmly in place, even when vigorously chopping on slick stone countertops. It’s dishwasher-safe and slim (.375") but still thick enough to feel sturdy, A 1.25" hole in one corner also makes it easy to pull out of a cabinet or hang on a hook. The board material (75% recycled plastic, 25% renewable sugarcane) provides a slightly textured cutting surface that's fairly gentle on a knife blade and kind of camouflages the very shallow cut marks that are inevitable with heavy long-term use.
What we’d leave: This board will show knife marks over time, but for the price and ease of cleaning, it’s certainly not a dealbreaker. It also currently only comes in one size. We’d love to see Material release a mini version like it has in the non-grippy style.
The best wood cutting board: John Boos & Co Maple Wood Edge-Grain Reversible Cutting Board
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Thick, durable maple wood
- Very nice cutting surface
- Modern look
Cons:
- Heavy
- Harder to clean and sanitize than other materials
Specs
Material: Wood (maple)
Juice groove: No
Size: 18" x 12" x 1.5"
More sizes available: Yes
Dishwasher-safe: No
“Boos boards,” as they’re commonly called, are pretty much the gold standard for wood cutting boards, and this relatively affordable maple cutting board is a dream to cut on.
What we love: Though maple is a hard wood, the cutting surface is smooth and has the perfect amount of give. In our testing, it seemed to almost embrace the knife blade with each chop. The board didn’t retain any food odors and it was easy to hand-wash (never put a wood board in the dishwasher!). Even beet juice disappeared after a good cleaning.
Boos Blocks come in many different sizes, we’ve found that the 18x12" size is just right for most home kitchens. This board is from the brand’s R-Board series, and it’s substantial without being too big. There’s plenty of room to carve a roast chicken but it’s small enough to slide into the cabinet where you keep your sheet pans (a half-sheet is 18x13") as long as you don’t have too much else in there. At 2.25" it’s the tallest (thickest) cutting board we tested, and it will add significant height to your cooking zone, which is something shorter home cooks should always keep in mind when choosing a chopping board.
What we’d leave: Though not necessarily a negative, this board is on the heavy side (10 lb.), and it does require frequent oiling to keep it in tip-top shape. Boos recommends their proprietary Mystery Oil and Board Cream, and if you buy directly from the brand, you can bundle the care products with the board.
A budget Boos board: John Boos Chop-N-Slice Reversible Block Cutting Board
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Boos board quality
- Durable maple wood
- Grooved handles
- Oiled out of the box
Cons:
- No juice groove
- Basic design
Specs
Material: Wood (maple)
Juice groove: No
Size: 18" x 12" x 1.25"
More sizes available: Yes
Dishwasher-safe: No
If you have your heart set on a Boos Board but don’t have a lot of space or want to spend a lot of money, this reversible board from the John Boos Chop-N-Slice series is a high-quality board with a pretty low price tag.
What we love: It’s made of durable maple wood, arrives oiled (it only barely held on to stains from steamed beets), and it has the same 18x12" dimensions as our pick up above. However, it’s only 1.25" thick. Though it’s not too big or heavy, it has handle grooves on both ends, which can be helpful if you’re carrying a loaded board.
What we’d leave: This board is very basic and doesn’t have a juice groove, but for the price, there’s really nothing we don’t love about it.
A splurge-worthy upgrade: Boardsmith End-Grain Maple Butcher Block With Juice Groove
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Super stable
- Gentle on knife blades
- Beautiful enough that it never needs to be put away
Cons:
- Requires upkeep a plastic board does not
- About double the price of a Boos Board
Specs
Material: Wood (maple)
Juice groove: Yes
Size: 12" x 18" x 2.5" (with the feet down), 12" x 18" x 2" (with the feet facing up)
More sizes available: Yes
Dishwasher-safe: No
A thing about large cutting boards is that they are not that easy to put away. That means there’s a good chance you’ll need to keep it out on the counter at all times. If that’s a possibility for you, it’s worth investing in something that’s not only high quality, but beautiful as well. The center of that Venn diagram is a butcher block board from Texas' Boardsmith. This a heavy-duty piece that after months of use beyond our standard tests showed little to no wear and only minimal staining.
What we love: The craftsmanship on the board is apparent as soon as you take it out of the box. The offset pattern of the individual pieces of wood is striking (as it is on most end-grain boards). And its construction feels smooth and solid.
As an end-grain board, it’s super easy on knife blades, leaving them sharper than a less expensive edge-grain board. The real highlights, beyond the pure aesthetics, are in the small design features, though. Senior editor Noah Kaufman has been using it in his home kitchen since June of 2025 and has found it the most stable board he’s ever used. That’s thanks to the addition of four grippy silicone-tipped feet on one side (you can order a Boardsmith without the feet, but you’d be giving away that stability). Those feet also raise the board up a little higher on the counter—which prevents the underside from retaining moisture and warping—and for Noah, elevates the board to a very comfortable cutting height. It’s also reversible, with an effective, though not too deep, juice groove on the side of the footed side.
Boardsmith’s end-grain boards are very customizable. They come in four sizes (we tested the 12" x 18" x 2"), three wood types (in addition to the maple we tried, there’s walnut and cherry), and you can opt for features like juice and finger grooves. The feet are also optional, though they’re included by default, so you have to check a box if you want a board without feet.
What we’d leave: Again, this board is heavy, which makes it sturdy, but also a bit of a chore to clean. Because it’s wood, it also requires some upkeep in the form of oiling and buttering (the brand’s Board Butter has kept the surface of the board Noah’s been using in tip-top shape through months of use). Finally, while the feet are a vital feature, they do make the board a little less attractive if left on the counter with the juice groove facing up. But using the groove is a less frequent use than regular slicing and chopping, so you’ll be more likely to leave it feet side down—or at least turn it back over after you’re done cutting and cleaning.
An easy-to-sanitize rubber board: Yoshihiro Hi-Soft Cutting Board
Pros and cons
Pros:
- Incredibly durable
- Doesn’t slip around
- Won’t hurt your knives
Cons:
- Doesn’t have the same curb appeal as a wood cutting board (no color options)
- Might stain a little more easily than a plastic cutting board
- Pricey
Specs
Material: Rubber
Juice groove: No
Size: 17.3" x 9.8" x 0.8"
More sizes available: Yes
Dishwasher-safe: No
Rubber cutting boards are seen more often in professional kitchens than home kitchens, but if you’re looking for something large and durable, and you don’t want to have to bust out your knife sharpener regularly, we recommend this Hi-Soft rubber board by Yoshihiro. It’s very knife friendly, really nice to cut on, stays in place on the counter, and unlike another rubber board we tested, it doesn’t have a rubber-tire odor.
What we love: There are a couple of reasons chefs like food-safe rubber cutting surfaces. For starters, because rubber has a little give, the cutting surface flexes ever so slightly to the knife edge, versus wearing it down like a hard surface would. Both synthetic and natural rubber are also nonporous, so they’re easier to sanitize than wood boards and are often used by sushi chefs for that reason (conversely, wood cutting boards are actually health-code violations in some restaurant markets).
What we'd leave: Though sanitizing the surface is easy, large rubber boards can be harder to wash because, in addition to being big, they are also heavy, and the rubber material must be washed by hand. Rubber cutting boards can also hold onto stains more easily than plastic. Perhaps because we aren't the only people who like the brand, Yoshihiro’s rubber boards in particular sometimes sell out on Amazon and shipping isn't always fast.
Cutting board materials comparison
The first thing you need to decide on when choosing a cutting board is which material you prefer. Here’s a rundown of what's good and bad about each
Plastic cutting boards
PROS: The main selling points of plastic cutting boards are that they’re lightweight, sanitizing them is easy—most are dishwasher-safe, though very hot temps could result in warping—and they’re cheaper than most wood and rubber boards. According to food director Chris Morocco, plastic is also a less absorbent material than wood (and about the same as rubber), which means they won’t harbor bacteria as easily. They’re a great choice for cutting raw meat.
CONS: You do run the risk of your cutting surface moving around a bit unless you go with one that’s designed to stay put like our top pick here. Chris recommends laying a damp dish towel, paper towel, or nonslip rubber mat under your plastic board to keep it steady. They’re also probably not the move if you’re looking for a super long-lasting purchase. Plastic boards tend to warp more easily than rubber, can get irreparably scuffed, and “develop deep grooves [with frequent use] that make them less sanitary over time,” Chris says.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT: If you’re the kind of home cook who is a dishwasher devotee, isn’t quite ready to invest in a cutting board, or wants to cut up raw chicken one day and mince garlic the next and needs a board that can be a totally clean slate each time, then plastic boards are the pick for you.
Wooden cutting boards
PROS: In general, wood is soft enough to protect your chef’s knife but still hard enough for smooth cuts, making it perfect for prepping everything except raw meat, Chris says. (Though you can do that, too, if you’re willing to give them a thorough soapy hand-washing afterward.) Another thing we love about wood boards is that they tend to “heal” themselves (i.e., they close up those knife marks after use), which prevents germ-harboring grooves from forming and keeps them in good shape for longer. Edge-grain boards, like the Boos board recommended above, tend to be more affordable. End-grain cutting boards, which use more, smaller pieces of wood and are even easier on your knife edge (some people think they look prettier too).
CONS: These boards require the most maintenance because wood is the most absorbent board material out there. They can be prone to retaining odors and stains, which means cleaning and caring for them is extra important—and requires more work than plastic or rubber. Scroll to the end for more on that. We'll also note that an exception to the “easy on knives” rule is teak, which is a dense hardwood containing silica, a substance known to dull blades. So make sure to check which wood your board is made of, especially because teak boards tend to be less expensive.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT: Wood boards are best for those who care about beautiful objects and are game to give their kitchenware the care and attention it deserves—you know, the people who are regularly sharpening their knives, maintaining the seasoning on their cast-iron pans, and deep-cleaning their Dutch ovens.
Rubber cutting boards
PROS: They’re super durable and even softer than wood cutting boards, which means they’re even easier on your knives. While they aren’t usually dishwasher-safe, they don’t need any mineral oil applied (unlike wood cutting boards, which do); just wash them with mild detergent and leave them to air-dry.
CONS: The only real cons here are that rubber cutting boards don’t have the luxe look and feel you get from a wood board. They also tend to be heavier and pricier than plastic ones.
WHO SHOULD BUY IT: Rubber cutting boards are great for people who want to invest in a piece of equipment that will last them for years to come, but doesn’t require a whole lot of upkeep.
Glass cutting boards
It’s a trick! If you’ve got a glass cutting board laying around for some reason, know that it’s brittle and breakable, and it may even dull, chip, or break your chef’s knife. You also may find yourself vacuuming shards of glass off the kitchen floor should you try to use it. BA Test Kitchen Director Chris Morocco says there’s only one reasonable use case for glass boards: “They make a perfect gift for your enemies.”
How we tested cutting boards
Before we got our knives out, we researched chopping boards and narrowed down a selection that included a wide range of plastic, rubber, and various types of wood boards that ranged from about $10 to almost $200. To assess the boards’ durability and stability, we used each one for veggies. We chopped a pound of carrots, diced a large onion, and minced fresh ginger. We also cut steamed beets on each board so we could see how much (or how little) each board held on to stains. Finally, we washed each board according to the directions and oiled the wood boards that called for it.
What we looked for when testing cutting boards
Size
An everyday cutting board offers ample workspace for large pieces of meat, is thick enough to protect the counter, and site in a sweet spot that is neither too flimsy nor too bulky. Some taller boards add too much height to the counter, making it awkward for shorter home cooks to get a good angle when cutting. A too-big or too-heavy board is also hard to clean and move.
Material
No matter the material you choose, a cutting board that’s too hard will have you busting out your knife sharpener more often than you should, while a board that’s too soft will end up cut marks so deep you may no longer have a smooth surface—and it will be harder to clean and sanitize. So we looked for durable surfaces that felt nice to cut on and had just the right amount of give.
Features
If the board had a special feature like grippers or a juice channel, we evaluated how functional the features actually were.
Ease of cleaning
We hand-washed each board with soapy water and noted which ones held on to stains and odors. We also considered the ongoing maintenance required for each, including oiling wood boards.
Other cutting boards we tested
Material Kitchen’s new MK Free Board is bigger than our top pick from the brand, the Grippy reBoard (17.5" x 12" versus 14.75" x 10.75"). It also has a juice groove (something the reBoard lacks), and it’s made entirely of plant-based materials ("100% plant-based biocomposite of natural clay minerals and biodegradable biopolymers," according to Material’s website). That last part is important—especially if you're concerned about microplastics—because this board has none, hence the name. Like the reBoard, it’s also dishwasher safe and has a loop that makes it easy to pull out of a cabinet or hang from a hook. Overall, it’s a totally fine cutting board you can feel very good about using, but until Material finds a way to give it some plant-based bumpers, it won't be bumping the Grippy reBoard out of its top spot anytime soon. While the microplastic-free material is wonderful in theory, it feels a bit harder than the reBoard’s recycled-plastic composition, and because it doesn't have silicone corners, it’s more prone to sliding around on a quartz countertop when I'm chopping vigorously. And without anything to soften its landing, the thinner, harder material also fairly loud when I set it on the counter (or even slide it into the cabinet with my sheet pans).
This plastic cutting board from Oxo is a budget-friendly alternative to Material’s boards (and very popular in our test kitchen), but has a couple of drawbacks. At 14.5 x 10.5" it’s a good size for meal prep, the plastic cutting surface is nonporous, and silicone strips run the length of both short sides to help keep it in place on the counter when cutting. It’s also reversible, with one side offering a channel to catch meat juices (something the reBoard doesn’t offer). But two things keep it from being a top pick: It isn’t very attractive so you wouldn’t want to use it as a serving board, and it isn’t supposed to be put in the dishwasher. Part of the appeal of a plastic board is that you can toss it in the dishwasher versus having to hand-wash it like a wood or rubber board.
The All Aboard cutting board from colorful cookware brand Great Jones is like the original Material reBoard’s bigger, curvier cousin. At 12" x 16" it’s big for a plastic board and it has a nice loop/handle for hanging. It’s made of BPA-free recycled plastic and the textured surface is nice to cut on. It doesn't have any sort of silicone grip to keep it in place on the counter when cutting like the Material (grippy) reBoard does, but it does have a juice groove.
If you’re looking for a nonporous alternative to plastic, we recommend rubber. But both natural and synthetic cutting boards are pricey, so you might want to consider a silicone cutting board. It’s important to note that these are mats, not actual boards. But even at ⅛" thick, the material provided a reasonable barrier between the knife and counter. Silicone is flexible so it’s easy to fold into a U-shape to transfer ingredients to a pot or scraps to the trash. They’re also dishwasher-safe even though they’re very easy to hand-wash. And since the entire mat is silicone, it’s very nonslip. These also have a built-in grooves around the entire perimeter and a hole in the corner for hanging and so far, they haven’t held on to any stains (even from steamed beets) or shown any knife marks (even when we tried to make some). That said, some users on Amazon have reported knife damage to their mats, which could be a result of the silicone degrading. Though silicone is durable and heat tolerant, repeated exposure to high heat or sudden temperature changes can weaken its structural integrity, and it can hold onto stains.
These double-sided boards come in three sizes; one side has a juice groove and the other has an indentation along the top intended to hold Caraway’s tiny Dot & Dash containers. The boards are made from eco-friendly birch, which is lightweight compared to other woods and feels a lot like maple when cutting. These boards are also pretty thin, so we have concerns about warping, though limiting exposure to moisture can help with that. The board also comes oiled, though it did hold on to some strawberry and beet stains—as we’d expect any wood board to do.
This 11" x 14" polypropylene (plastic) cutting board is fine but nothing special. It comes in a variety of fun colors, it has a handle hole you can use to hang it, and it is dishwasher-safe. One side has small rubber feet (a.k.a. the “nonslip gripper” base), which does keep the board stationary, but also makes it so you can only use one side for chopping.
If you’re looking for a large teak board, this 15" x 20" option from TeakHaus is a good choice. The high-quality edge-grain teak looks great, and the darker wood won’t show stains like lighter-colored wood boards do. Cutting felt comfortable and one side of this reversible board features a juice groove. It’s an inch-and-a-half tall, and that combined with the size makes it pretty bulky. Also, the smell of ginger lingered on this one a bit after we hand-washed it.
At 14.9" x 19.6", this versatile bamboo carving board from Meater (the wireless thermometer brand) is a great option if you want a board for big cuts of meat. One side is solid and free from embellishments while the other features a sizable juice grove and pouring spout. But the light-colored wood stained fairly easily in testing and required intense scrubbing after we cut beets on it. So if you’re worried about staining and plan to cut a lot of highly saturated foods on it, you might want to stick to a darker wood, like teak.
I’m still on the fence about the new Steelport Steelcore cutting board. It’s a thin, sexy board from the maker of the also sexy Steelport knives. It’s a dual-sided board; one side is thin, perfectly smooth end-grain walnut, and the other is a durable recycled paper composite material. Embedded between the two is a steel core to prevent the board from warping—something I’d definitely otherwise worry about for such a large (12" x 18") but thin (.75") wood board. The surfaces are incredibly smooth, and the composite side has a juice groove, which maintains the modern look of the end-grain side. Unfortunately, the board I received had hairline cracks which, without the steel core, would have probably knocked three corners off of this board. For such a pricey piece of gear, it wasn’t well-packaged for cross-country transit. I haven’t yet attempted to replace it (I’m sure the company would make a return easy since it offers a lifetime warranty on its knives), but the fact that the board stayed fully intact even with three cracked corners is a testament to the strength of the steel core.
The JK Adams Maple Wood Basic Cutting Board is made of durable maple. It has a minimal design with no embellishments and won’t add too much height to your prep zone. At just ¾" thick, it’s the thinnest wood board we tested. The 17" x 14" footprint also offers a decent amount of space for cutting and chopping but is compact enough to keep in a small kitchen.
The JK Adams Pour Spout Cutting Board stands out because it has a juice groove and a pouring spout on both sides, making it truly reversible for cutting meat. Though this is a sizable board at 20" x 14", the groove and spout do take up a significant portion of the surface area available for cutting, so keep that in mind if you’re looking for something to use for really large cuts of meat. The wood is light-colored and will show stains from something like beets, but keeping it treated with beeswax and mineral oil will provide some stain resistance.
This sturdy end-grain cutting board from Ziruma is arguably more durable than the Boos Board because it’s made of teak, a water-resistant hardwood. The natural water-resistance makes it less prone to staining, and because it has a darker color than many other wood boards, it does a better job of hiding any discoloration it does hold on to. It’s reversible so you can flip between a flat surface or one with a juice groove, and at 1.5" tall, it’s one of the thicker wood boards we tested. It was nice to cut on and the 16" x 11" size is great for meal prep or serving a charcuterie. Teak generally requires less frequent oiling than other woods like maple, walnut, or acacia, though this one does come preconditioned with beeswax, flaxseed oil, and lemon oil. Though we didn’t experience this in testing, multiple user reviews reported warping and unlevel boards. It’s presently out of stock, but could be worth considering when it comes back.
We’re big fans of Made In’s tableware, cookware, and kitchen tools, and we wanted to love Made In’s edge-grain Butcher Block. One side is a solid butcher block surface without any grooves or embellishments while the other features a juice groove. At 17.75" x 11.75", it’s also a nice size for big cuts of meat or to use as a charcuterie board. Unfortunately, even though it’s “steamed for durability” and appeared to come oiled out of the box, the surface really showed marks from the chef’s knife we used in testing and beet juice seeped into and stained the knife marks.
The Totally Bamboo Kauai bamboo board is totally fine. It looks nice enough, it’s lightweight, and it doesn’t stain as easily as other wood cutting boards. But the surface is harder than comparable boards, and in testing, it slid around quite a bit on the counter. It’s also a little high-maintenance for bamboo; you’re supposed to treat it with a food-grade mineral oil every few days for a month, then re-oil “as needed.”
The Angled Board from Material, which is generally available in FSC-certified walnut or carbon wood (the latter is actually stained white oak), would certainly make an attractive addition to a modern kitchen. But in testing we found that the smooth laminate coating shows knife marks quite easily. It was also surprisingly slippery when we were cutting vegetables. If you’re just going for looks, this would make a dramatic base for a charcuterie or cheese board, but the brand’s Grippy reBoard is a much more functional (and affordable) option for a home cook’s everyday use. As of our June 2025 update, this board was sold out, but you can sign up to be notified when it’s back in stock.
As much as we love Epicurean’s multipurpose cooking utensil, the brand’s cutting board is a no-go for us. We wanted to like this one; the nonporous wood composite is dishwasher-safe and won’t warp or splinter like wood. Plus, it looks so much nicer than plastic. But one reason it’s so durable is because it’s so hard, which made us worry about our knife blades. It was also very loud to use. The pricier nonslip version (which also has a juice groove) was slightly more pleasant to use, but we still wouldn’t recommend it.
Despite its name, the Farberware Nonslip Cutting Board didn’t stay put on the countertop during testing—even though the silicone corners are much bigger than the small silicone grips on our top pick. Though it’s not entirely stable, it is a nice size (14" x 10"), and the plastic construction makes it dishwasher-safe.
Cutting boards (especially plastic ones) have one job, and that is to provide a protective layer between your knife and your counter. These flimsy “cutting board mats” didn’t, well, cut it in that department. They also slid around a lot when we were testing. If pressed, we’d say this type of cutting board (er, mat) could be handy to have around to put on top of a wood cutting board or butcher block countertop to help keep the wood clean and avoid cross contamination when handling raw meat, but we wouldn’t use this for chopping, slicing, or dicing directly on a stone countertop.
This bamboo cutting board from Food52’s house brand, Five Two, is solid on one side and has a juice groove and a clever crevice meant to hold your phone so you can look at your recipe while you cut and chop. Because it’s only an inch tall, it’s fairly lightweight and easy to move and flip as needed. However, it held on to beet stains more than we expected for bamboo, with some stubborn stains remaining even after scrubbing.
How to clean and care for your cutting board
How do you clean a plastic cutting board?
As mentioned above, plastic cutting boards are the most low-maintenance option, as you can simply pop (most of) them in the dishwasher. Though, if you’re cutting meat or fish, you need to scrape off any remnants under cold water before throwing it in. In restaurant kitchens, people often have a metal scraper that looks a bit like a palette knife for this; your stainless-steel bench scraper or plastic pastry scraper can also work. It prevents the proteins from cooking into the board’s nooks and crannies in hot water.
How do you clean a rubber cutting board?
Use that same cold water scraping technique if you have a rubber board, then follow with a hot, sudsy soap up. Both rubber and plastic boards can be left to air-dry because they aren’t prone to warping.
How do you clean a wood cutting board?
Wood cutting boards are a different story. They’re high-maintenance–but also beautiful, long-lasting, and soft on your chef’s knife. Since you’re using your plastic or rubber board for raw meat (right?), a scrape down followed by a warm soapy hand-wash is usually enough for wood boards. Just don’t forget the underside. If you constantly get only one side of the board wet, you are unevenly hydrating the wood. Keep that same idea in mind when cutting: If your board is reversible, try to use both sides of it. If not, chop in different zones of your board to keep the surface evenly worn. That might sound extra, but if you chop in the same 2" quadrant daily, the angle on your board will quickly change, which can cause slippage and, eventually, dull knives. Drying is the last, crucial step. With a clean dish towel, dry your board as thoroughly as possible. Then prop it up on its side until bone-dry to further guard against warping or cracking.
Because knife-friendly wood can harbor bacteria and is prone to staining, an occasional sanitizing session is necessary—and if you are using your wood board for meat, those sessions should be frequent. Sprinkle any stained areas with coarse salt and rub them with the cut side of half a lemon. To disinfect, dilute some white vinegar with water and spray the surface of your board. Let it sit for a couple minutes before washing and drying. If necessary, you can also sanitize your wood board with a bleach solution, but be sure to dry and then oil it really well after.
POST-CLEANING CARE: Beyond washing, wood boards need to be treated with some TLC. Step right this way for an in-depth explainer on how to clean and care for it, but here’s the gist: At least once a month, pull out a clean microfiber cloth, a food-grade mineral oil, and a food-safe board sealant that combines oil with a protective beeswax. This is just as true if you have an inexpensive teak, acacia wood, or bamboo cutting board, as it is if you go with something pricier, like a cherry or walnut cutting board.
Rub a small bit of the oil onto every surface of your dry, clean board. (You want the board to be really dry before you do this, so as to not seal in moisture.) Follow with the balm, which will buff into a creamy consistency. Don’t wipe that away just yet. Leave your board to deep-condition overnight, and then in the morning, gently wipe away any extra with a cloth or paper towel.
Other essential prep tools
- A great mandoline is nothing to be afraid of
- We use Y-peelers every day and you should too
- Keep your knives sharp and safe
Additional reporting and testing by Wilder Davies and Megan Wahn.