Stick with wood or plastic cutting boards to keep your knives in good condition. Our testers all agreed that wood boards felt better than plastic under a knife—and the professional chefs Wirecutter spoke with said they mostly used wood blocks over plastic boards.
Of all the wood boards we tested, we found the Teakhaus by Proteak Edge Grain board most impressive. Not only did it feel better to use, but it was also easier to maintain than the competition. Wood boards, however, can be fairly pricey, and they require a lot of care and maintenance. This sturdy plastic board does a better job of resisting warping, staining, and odors than any other plastic board we tested, and its rubber feet keep it from sliding around as you use it.
We recommend hand-washing your knives rather than tossing them in the dishwasher. Similarly, avoid storing unprotected knives in a drawer—this also makes them dull quickly because they rattle against other hard surfaces. Stick your knives to a wall-mounted magnetic strip to keep their edges sharp, or use blade guards to protect your tools if you plan to store them in a drawer.
However, one of the key benefits of the rubberized construction is the fact that they do not hold germs or wetness. Also, they are able to tolerate most harsh cleaning agents and can handle anything a dishwasher can throw at them — heck, take them to the car wash if you want to! Rubber cutting boards are very thickly constructed sturdy rubber mats that are quite hefty, and for that reason they will not slide around on your counters. Rubber-based products should be considered a top candidate for a kitchen that deals with a lot of protein, and where you would like to have virtually no chance of staining your boards.
I really like the rubber products, and started to use them exclusively for my protein prepping tasks after I threw out my aforementioned plastic versions. I prefer the thicker ones as these products can actually be sanded down and resurfaced, and I like to buy my kitchen equipment for the long haul.
Wooden cutting boards, in my opinion, are about the best that you can find. The idea that they are less hygienic than plastic versions is a fallacy, as a UC Davis study has shown. This is especially true if your board is well cared for. Butcher blocks are available in a variety sizes — from those with 20 to 30 inches of work space that stand on their own legs or base cabinets, to to inch units that sit flat or on small knobs on your work surface, to diminutive examples that are designed for easy transport with one hand.
If you prefer the type that sits on your counter, you may want to add your sink size into the equation.
Size is not a real deal breaker if you would like a larger one — simply clean it in place rather than submerging it in the sink, according to our recommended directions. Again, if you want a more portable board, you may want to consider one that is not as thick, in order to reduce the weight. However, a thicker board will give you a more stable platform — especially if the board sits on feet or knobs — and also allows for future resurfacing, in the case of heirloom quality wooden examples.
As alluded to earlier, thinner versions have the very annoying habit of sliding all over the place, necessitating the use of towels, rubber mats, and other devices in order secure them to your countertop — and this is not ideal.
Moreover, its thick end grain construction minimizes abuse to your knife edges, and stabilizes the wood. One other thing that you may want to consider when researching which is the best cutting board that will fit your needs is whether or not you would like a juice groove. These are grooves that run around the perimeter of the surface in order to catch liquids that you might like to reserve, usually after the food has been cooked. Many of the cheaper products in this category have very shallow cutouts, and their use for this purpose is very limited.
Lynne is a stay-at-home mother of two boys. As a former US military officer and the spouse of an active duty US military member, Lynne enjoys traveling the world although not the moving part! She also has the habit of using parenthesis way too much! This was very helpful! My mother is in the market for a cutting board. She has a small plastic one but she is wanting a wooden board. I am glad to be able to advise her that that is a very good choice. As you mentioned, I had heard that the wood can harbor bacteria more than the other types so we were shying away from that kind but now I know we can purchase one with confidence.
The look of the wooden boards is so appealing to me as well. I do like how the granite ones look as well but the expense and weight have kept those out of the running. Thanks for the comment. Yes, it surprises many that wood harbors some the least amount of bacteria according to the cited UCC study and there are university studies out there as well. You can check out my guide to wooden cutting board here:. I plan to write another article really soon about the proper way to clean and disinfect work surfaces and chopping blocks.
Nice article. Rubber boards are actually synthetic rubber, not real rubber. They should actually preserve your knives better than other cutting boards if proper cutting technique is used.
With a rubber cutting board, the knife should not need to be dragged along the board when it reaches the board. Finally, they should not be put into the dishwasher, because they will become soft. Thanks for your thorough article though! This article was very helpful because I usually give a cutting boards and cutlery as gifts during the holidays.
Now I will be able to make a more informed decision. This post is very helpful for safekeeping in the kitchen. We have plastic cutting boards at home which are both white and can be very tatty at times. Maybe its better to switch on wooden ones though both may show scratches on the surface, yet its the bacteria that is unsafe, which is more likely exist in plastic boards.
I should share to my mom this article! Thanks for this post, it is very helpful for safekeeping in the kitchen. Do you have a recommendation on how often one should replace plastic cutting boards? It seems that mine got all scratched out and old-looking after a couple of months. I bought a Beech wood chopping board a few months back. They feel sturdy, they feel right. I have several different cutting boards at home, but I have to admit that I have not really put much thought on which one is the best for my knives.
I have been pretty partial to my bamboo cutting board although when rushed I prefer to use my lighter plastic ones. Now, I have to take a closer look on my cutting boards. This might be the incentive I need to pull out my heavy wooden board out stashed somewhere and rarely use due to its bulkiness and weight or an excuse to go buy a new one, one that is lighter and more manageable. Thank you for sharing the info.
I really appreciate the extensive details and information you have put together in this piece. I have been using a heavy plastic cutting board now for a while, thinking that it was more hygienic. Food safety is my number one consideration for my cutting board, since I frequently buy whole chickens and cut them up. What fans say: " My wife has loved this board. We thought our knives were dulling, turns out it was the cutting board. This actually helped. D irect quote from my wife "I didn't know this would make that big of a difference.
While plastic is generally not the way to go if you want to keep your knives sharp, reviewers say this lightweight set of two boards hasn't dulled their knives too much. It's also dishwasher safe, which might prevent against some of the bacteria concerns associated with plastic cutting boards.
And, with two different boards at such an affordable price, you'll get a lot of use out of these and plenty of bang for your buck. What fans say: " These are just the right size, they don't dull my knives, and they are dishwasher safe. Rubber ends are effective at preventing the board from moving around on the counter while you're cutting. I recommend this product. Bustle may receive a portion of sales from products purchased from this article, which was created independently from Bustle's editorial and sales departments.
By Amy Biggart.
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