What to Look for in a Cutting Board
Your cutting board matters more than most people think, for your knives, your food safety, and your health. Here is what actually matters, and why we steer clear of plastic.
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Choose wood, not plastic
Plastic boards feel practical, but they scratch into deep grooves that harbor bacteria, dull your knife faster, and shed microplastics into your food. Wood is gentler on your edge, naturally antibacterial (the fibers pull moisture and pathogens in, where they die), and, cared for, lasts decades. It is the better board on every axis that counts.
Get a juice groove
For meat, a juice groove (a channel routed around the edge) is non-negotiable. Rest a seared roast or a sous vide steak on it and the resting juices pool in the channel instead of running onto your counter. Carving a chicken becomes a clean job, not a mop-up.
End grain vs. edge grain
End-grain boards (the checkerboard look) are easiest on knife edges because the blade slips between wood fibers rather than cutting across them, they self-heal and stay smooth. Edge-grain boards are more affordable and still excellent. Either beats plastic.
Our picks
John Boos Maple (edge-grain, with juice groove) is the professional standard and a lifetime board. For the ultimate, the John Boos Walnut End-Grain block is gorgeous and kind to knives. Prefer low maintenance? Teakhaus carving boards with a juice canal shrug off neglect thanks to teak’s natural oils.
What to look for
- Hardwood maple, walnut, teak, cherry. Not plastic, not bamboo (harder on edges).
- A juice groove to catch resting and carving juices.
- Thick and heavy 1.5″+ stays put and lasts.
- Big enough at least 18×12″ so you are not crowded.
Care
Hand wash, never soak, never the dishwasher; dry upright; oil monthly with food-grade mineral oil. Do that and it outlives every plastic board you would have thrown away.
FAQ
Is a wood or plastic cutting board more sanitary?
Wood. Its fibers naturally trap and kill bacteria, while scratched plastic harbors them in grooves. Wood is also gentler on your knife edge.
Why do I want a juice groove?
It catches the juices from resting or carving meat so they pool in the channel instead of spilling across your counter, essential for a roast or carved bird.
Can I put a wood cutting board in the dishwasher?
Never. The heat and prolonged water will crack and warp it. Hand wash, dry upright, and oil it periodically.