Which Cutting Board is Right For You?

Whether cooking is somewhat new for you and you don’t even own a cutting board yet or you’re just in need of a cutting board upgrade,

you may be feeling slightly overwhelmed by the numerous options out there.

You are not alone!

Let’s see if these top tips and cutting board guide can help you narrow down your search for the perfect cutting board!

Top Tips for Choosing a Cutting Board

1. Don’t buy glass or metal, they will instantly dull your knives

2. Check out your counter space - Get the biggest board your counter or kitchen table can comfortably accommodate, (a large board measures 15” x 20”)

   • Makes prepping easier with more room for dicing an onion to carving a chicken

   • Allows more ingredients to remain on your board with less need for additional bowls

3. Small counter space, think small

4. If you have space and can afford it, a few boards of different sizes makes prepping a little bit easier!

5. What’s your budget?

   • The bigger the board typically means the more expensive it will be

   • Wood and bamboo are generally more expensive than plastic of the same size, (you pay for craftsmanship)

   • Wood and bamboo may cost more, BUT that doesn’t mean they are better

   • Wood, bamboo, and plastic will dull your knives at about the same rate (normal ware and tare) but will dull significantly less than they would on a metal or glass cutting board

6. What’s important to you in a cutting board?

   • Look?

   • Feel?

   • Sound?

   • This is personal preference!

7. Maintenance

   • Wood and bamboo boards must be seasoned with oil before use, washed by hand and carefully dried with repeated regular care

     1. Do you love the feel of wood, and you enjoy the action of “bonding” with your board, then wood is for you!

   • If refuse to wash anything by hand and solely rely on your dishwasher, then plastic will be best for you

8. Hygiene

   • According to the Food and Drug Administrations’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, as long as you scrub you boards, (wood, bamboo or plastic) thoroughly with soap and hot water, one board is not less hygienic than the other.

9. Durability

   • Wood or bamboo with proper care can last a lifetime

   • Plastic boards can be almost as durable, although they tend to warp and crack over the years

     1. They are less expensive and easier to replace

10. Your height may matter

    • Average height- you will be better off with a simple reversible board with no “feet.”

    • Are you tall? You may want to invest in a thick board with large “feet” to prevent stooping or hunching over and save you back

Check out the infographic below to help you choose!

Top tips from Cooks Illustrated, 7/22/20- Original Article