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Maybe surprisingly, there are actually a lot of things to consider when picking out the best cutting board for your needs, whether you’re an enthusiastic home chef or a strict 20-minute-meal kind of cook.
At its core, the best cutting board is just a hard surface on which to chop vegetables without damaging the countertops. But a cheap or poorly-made cutting board can become warped and uneven to work on, create deep grooves in the surface that collect bacteria and breed food borne illness, or just refuse to grip satisfactorily to the counter and slide around while you’re trying to work.
That said, a cutting board doesn’t need to be extraordinarily fancy to get the job done. It just needs to be reliable enough to provide a safe and durable work surface for your kitchen.
What to Look For In a Good Cutting Board
Materials: Cutting boards are almost always made of a thick hardwood, or lighter rubber or plastic. Hardwood cutting boards are heavy, durable and reliable. Many come with grooves along the side to collect juices, which is a convenient feature, and can double as an attractive appetizer tray. They are not dishwasher-safe, however, making them somewhat less convenient than their rubber counterparts, which are often lighter and easier to store, but less durable, less attractive, and more varied in quality.
Size: The size of a cutting board is almost as important as its durability. We like oversized, expansive cutting boards that provide plenty of room whenever we’re prepping a big meal, though they present their own storage challenges. Smaller cutting boards are best when you just need something quick and at the ready, like cutting up a couple of veggies for a salad.
Quantity: Many cutting boards come in packs of multiple sizes, taking the size decision out of the equation altogether.
Functionality: We like cutting boards that take into account small nuisances and more longterm issues. This is why we look for products that grip reliably to the surface to prevent slipping, feature details like grooves around the edges to catch juices, and whose surfaces are durable enough not to damage knives or create potentially dangerous grooves.
Cleanup: If dishwasher-safe is your number one issue, we don’t blame you. In our list we included both dishwasher-appropriate cutting boards and hardwood versions that need to be washed by hand. Ideally, a well-stocked kitchen will include a few of both.
