After a fine chef’s knife, the weapon we use most is the best cutting boards. It offers a flat, durable surface to prepare thus shielding counters and plates from scratching. It even acts as a decent trivet when treating hot pots and pans, even when you feel lazy, it works like a plate. They vary in size from big enough to carve a turkey to small enough just to cut a lime for salad, come in materials such as wood, plastic, or glass, and could be a heavy-duty three inches thick to barely a millimeter.
Every year at the Good Housekeeping Institute, we test plenty of kitchen equipment clinically and in real-life scenarios. To find the perfect cutting board, we rounded up 39 newest, most exclusive, and best-selling boards and narrowed down our choices to test the 26 with the best range of labels, shapes, heights, textures, and designs. We measured if the cutting boards held juices, how easy they were to clean after the cheese had been sticking to them, and how well they treated rough, slippery ingredients. Here’s what we find out.
Kind of Cutting Board
Beyond that, the kind of cutting board you’re using is a matter of choice Wiseman, chef and owner of Otium, CJ Boyd’s, and Free Play in Los Angeles, enjoys buying timber from the lumber yards and calling it his own. The strongest cutting board should be sturdy to him. I’ve had the same wooden board for over 20 years now, he says. I sand it down every once and a while and spray it.
According to Tiffani Faison, the Boston-based chef and restaurant owner behind Big Heart Hospitality, no matter what kind of board you use, you can still invest in a cutting board mat like the San Jamar Guardiola Board-Mate ($14.99) to be put under it. It’s going to last forever and keep your board absolutely still.
Here, Hollingsworth and That enough share the boards they used and enjoyed throughout their culinary careers. From right-winged rubber to the beautiful maple wood alternative that will last for decades, these are among the best cutting boards in your kitchen.
OXO Good Grips Utility Cutting Board
Our pick
If you have minimal counter room in your kitchen or want to use a smaller board, we suggest a smaller version of our plastic pick-up, the 10.39-inch-by-14.78-inch OXO Good Grips Utility Cutting Board. It’s best for basic tasks like slicing an apple or cutting a single big carrot. The OXO Utility Board has the same rubber legs as the larger OXO carving board; it holds the board firmly in place when cutting.
Unlike our main choice, the juice groove doesn’t have the potential to accommodate the drippings of a whole roast chicken, but it’s always handy when slicing a few juicy tomatoes. Like the larger OXO carving board, we propose that the Utility Cutting Board avoid warping, staining, and heavy odors better than the competition.
John Boos Chop-N-Slice Maple Wood Reversible Cutting Board
Our pick
This John Boos best cutting board is substantial, so you won’t feel like it’s slipping around on your desktop, but it’s not bulky or awkward. Made of oak, this attractive cutting board is stylish enough to serve cheeses and vegetables, but it is also a workhorse in the kitchen. Since it is reversible, you can turn it over and use the other side anytime you need a fresh cutting board.
The cutting board has a one-year warranty. Since it’s made of wood, it takes a little more maintenance to keep it in top condition. It should never be left out wet or cleaned in a dishwasher, and it should be pre-treated before you use it. This extra treatment is worth it, according to our reviewer: “Since this board was designed with skilled use in mind, most home cooks can last a lifetime.
The Epicurean Kitchen Series
Our pick
The Epicurean Kitchen Sequence is a beautiful cutting board composed of hybrid paper made from recycled paper, plastic, and FSC-certified sheets, says Hollingsworth. I enjoy using this board to cut onions, garlic, or something that can perfume the board because, unlike a wooden board, the aroma washes right away.
Epicurean boards are available in four different sizes and are secure and temperature resistant to 350°F, so they are super useful and can even be used as trivets.
 OXO Good Grips Utility Cutting Board
Our pick
The best advantage of a plastic best cutting board is the ability to pop it in a dishwasher when using a wood cutting board that breaks and deteriorates with the use of a dishwasher. One side of this OXO cutting board has grooves along the sides to trap liquids until they run on your table, and rubber grips so that the board doesn’t slip around on your kitchen counter.
Our reviewer particularly appreciated the fact that these grips were built in such a way that she could quickly pick the board off the counter without having to paw it or slide it to the counter side. The other side of the cutting board does not have grooves, it can be used for chopping a reversible board comes in handy if you are slicing meat or fish and want to prevent cross-contamination.
The board is made of polypropylene, which holds no smell and also protects against the kind of deep cuts that can arise when you use a sharp knife.
Sonder Los Angeles Large Multipurpose American Walnut Wood Cutting Board
Our pick
This board is a show master. It is made of American walnut with cherry and oak wood decorative highlights. You may find yourself leaving this one on your fridge, rather than putting it in a drawer, just to show it a bit. It is also perfect for showing food cheese plate lovers can find that the board is perfect for serving cheese and charcuterie. This is particularly true because one side of the best cutting board does have a long groove that is perfect for a baguette or a cracker. I especially liked the way it looked when it was lined with tiny bright red tomatoes.
But the cutting board is still practical. Since it is reversible, you can use any side of it during food preparations. The indentation on one side is useful for cutting off one ingredient while you’re slicing up a number of things or stopping the circular ingredients from falling off the board.
Carrollar Flexible Plastic Cutting Mats
Our pick
Carroll Versatile Plastic Cutting Mats are lightweight and easy to use yet are more durable than other plastic boards on the market. Made of BPA-free stuff, it coils to an angle so that you can conveniently dump the chopped ingredients into a pan or oven. Colour-coded and labeled with food symbols red for beef, green for vegetables, blue for fish, yellow for fruit, these boards help home cooks prevent cross-contamination or combining food flavours and they are cheap enough to replace after a large period of use.
Nonslip Bamboo Cutting Board – Best Cutting Board
Our pick
This bamboo best cutting board did not jump about a bit during our experiments. Although it was heavy, it was still lightweight and quick to pass around for cleaning. We liked it to be pretty soft and clean, right out of the packaging, due to pre-oiling, and it remained that way after a few washes. It’s double-sided with a medium-thin wrap-around well on one side. The grips come in three different colours so you can pick your preferred one or purchase a couple for different purposes.
We really really enjoyed Farberware’s 15″ x 21″ hardwood cutting board. It was big enough to carve a turkey, and light enough to drive about and clean it.
Polysafe Pastry/Cutting Board with Well
Our pick
This large 15″ x 20″ cutting board is certified by the National Sanitation Foundation for being non-porous and non-absorbing. This ensures that after cleaning, it can be used for both meat and vegetables. We love its size, and we want it to catch the juice. It’s also lightweight, which makes cleaning and storage simple a common pain point amongst carving boards. a common pain point amongst carving boards. The best thing is it’s a healthy dishwasher, a big pro when you’re working with meat.
The board is reversible; it can be turned over and used as a pastry board. Using it to blend or roll out the dough, to the benefit of its large scale and non-absorbent surface.
Traeger Magnetic Bamboo Cutting Board
Our pick
Traeger Grills makes a Magnetic Bamboo Cutting Board that’s pretty handy to have while you’re using your outdoor barbecue grill since it’s stuck to the shelf next to your grill.
Made of eco-friendly bamboo, it’s not going to fall when you shred meat or dice vegetables. You should disinfect it by cleaning it with warm water and gentle soap. And it’ll last longer if you regularly massage it with mineral oil.
City Skyline Appetizer Tray – Best Cutting Board For meat
Our pick
There are a lot of kitschy cutting boards out there in the form of a state or engraved with a map. Although they appear to be a perfect gift, the cutting surface isn’t really accessible because it’s tiny in odd places or extra busy to the point that you’re scared to destroy it with knife marks.
This Maple Appetizer Tray is from J.K. Adams is intimate, minimal, and very functional. You can cut it on the template line, but you can also flip it to only cut it on the blank underside. The board is heavy and firm, but it’s easy to travel about and wash. As with all wooden boards, some occasional oiling is required to avoid cracking.
The Epicurean Kitchen Series – Best Cutting Board for Vegetables
Our pick
The Decadent Kitchen Series is a beautiful cutting board made of hybrid material made of recycled, acrylic, and FSC-certified paper, says Julie. I love using this board to cut onions, garlic, or someone who can scent the board but unlike a wooden board, the fragrance washes instantly.
Epicurean boards are available in four different sizes and are secure and temperature resistant to 350°F, so they are super useful and can even be used as trivets.
Utopia Kitchen Extra Large Bamboo Cutting Board with Juice Groove
Our pick
The Notrax Sani-Tuff Luxury Rubber Cutting Board is made of an antimicrobial compound that is smoother on your knife and contains fewer bacteria than any other cutting board, says Faison. I haven’t seen them gain attention outside specialist kitchens, and I’ve always wondered why. The board is perfect for cutting something—vegetables, beef, anything. It’s easy to clean and can handle decent bleach. They don’t crack or split, and they’re going to last forever.
This cutting board looks similar to the fans of the Shark Pool. Crafted by Keith Young, a Los Angeles firefighter and cook, this removable board comes with a detachable tray that hangs just over the edge of the counter so that you can no longer miss food while transporting the ingredients from the cutting board to the plate.
Extra Large Bamboo Cutting Boards for Kitchen with Juice Groove
Our pick
Personalized Engraved City Skyline Cutting Board
Our pick
A customized best cutting board makes such a wonderful housewarming or wedding gift—especially for a food-loving couple. A word to the wise: go for a more minimalist style that does not require the whole cutting board. Because of the irregular grooves, you’ll prevent uneven cutting.
Maple Wood End Grain Round Chopping Block
Our pick
John Boos is known for his high-duty cutting boards and surfaces. We checked three types, including the Maple Wood End Grain Rounded Chopping Block, the Walnut Wood Edge Grain Adjustable best Cutting Board, and the Strawberry Rustic Edge Pattern Cutting Board.
Though we liked all three of them, we were fascinated with how well Maple Wood covered knife marks. We really liked the thickness and robustness of the boards, while also being light enough to pass about and wash. The built-in handles on the Shagreen Edge Grain Reversible Cutting Board made it easier to port, and we couldn’t avoid looking at and touching! a stunning style.
