The Best Cutting Board For You

Cutting boards are one of the very few items in a kitchen that are absolutely essential. Making food requires chopping, dicing, slicing, mincing, and lots of other knife work that if done incorrectly can damage the surface it’s on, the person doing the cutting, and the knife being used. There are so many different types of cutting boards available to choose from, but they all do different things.

There is no shortage of shapes and sizes and materials of cutting boards to choose from. Typical cutting boards are usually either wood, wood fiber composite, or plastic. Each shape, size, and material is useful for unique tasks. There are a few materials to stay away from if you are looking out for the longevity of the knife. Any hard materials like glass or ceramic should definitely be avoided. They’re more useful as decorations than they are for cutting. Using hard woods like teak or bamboo can also be damaging for your knives. 

Wood cutting boards are a staple item for each kitchen. There are two types of wood cutting boards. End Grain Cutting Boards are where the wood grain is aligned so it runs from the top of the board vertically down toward the underside. Typically they look like a checkerboard with their square-like design. These boards not only look beautiful, but they also create a softer cutting surface and thus help keep knives sharper, longer. Then there are Edge Grain Cutting Boards which are usually a bit more common where the grain runs horizontally from one edge of the board to the other. These cutting boards have a surface that’s a bit harder and are a little less luxurious than end grain boards, but are still considered to be an excellent choice in the kitchen. 

Wooden boards can also last for years, if not decades, if they’re properly cared for. Although if they aren’t cared for or used properly they can be quite the hassle. Exposing them to too much moisture can cause them to warp and even come apart. Wooden cutting boards are also very porous and easily susceptible to dyes and odors so be careful when cutting beets and onions. They can also be on the pricier side compared to other options.

Plastic cutting boards are the ideal cutting boards for restaurants. They are inexpensive in comparison to wood boards. They can easily be colour coded so it’s easier to maintain food safety practices. There are multiple kinds of plastic cutting boards. The thin plastic cutting boards can mar and chip easily so they should be avoided if possible. Plastic cutting boards are also very inexpensive compared to wood options. If you don’t care about aesthetics and are on a budget then a plastic cutting board is the perfect solution.

The standard cutting board is about 12” x 18”. Depending on your needs and environment you may need a larger size or a smaller size. If you live in a small apartment and don’t do a lot of cooking, a smaller size may work better. If it’s for a restaurant kitchen then a much larger cutting board may be beneficial. Typically cutting boards come in rectangles or squares, although other shapes are out there too. Circular cutting boards are also fairly popular in households. They aren’t overly practical but they are aesthetically pleasing. Another popular shape is the paddle. It can be practical if you need a handle to hold it with. Then there are other regular rectangular boards with fabric handles, holes to hang it up if needed, and other innovative features to best suit your kitchen.

Each kitchen is unique and has unique needs. Finding a cutting board that checks all the boxes is important and it can take a few tries with some different products to find the best match for you.