The Best Cutting Boards

We’ve spent more than 150 hours of research interviewing chefs and materials experts, chopping copious pounds of produce, and using and abusing nearly 30 cutting boards to reach our conclusion. Both boards feel good under a knife, and stood up to many sharp cuts, dark stains, and strong odors better than the competition. Plus neither board has split or egregiously warped from misuse.

A good cutting board is a workhorse in any kitchen. Above all, it should be large, providing ample space for carving or chopping, and relatively easy to care for. We found that the plastic OXO Good Grips Cutting and Carving Board and the wood Teakhaus by Proteak Edge Grain Rectangle Carving Board with Hand Grip are best for most people. Both boards feel good under a knife, and stood up to many sharp cuts, dark stains, and strong odors better than the competition. Plus, after years of long-term testing, neither board has split or egregiously warped from misuse.

We’ve spent more than 150 hours of research interviewing chefs and materials experts, chopping copious pounds of produce, and using and abusing nearly 30 cutting boards to reach our conclusion. Both boards feel good under a knife, and stood up to many sharp cuts, dark stains, and strong odors better than the competition. Plus neither board has split or egregiously warped from misuse.Why you should trust us
To better understand how to choose and maintain cutting boards, we interviewed the following experts:

Eva Haviarova, associate professor of wood science at Purdue University Wood Research Laboratory
Brian Brashaw, then program director at the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota Duluth (now the program manager at the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory)
Doug Gardner, professor of Forest Operations, Bioproducts and Bioenergy at University of Maine
Jennifer Boye, then executive chef of The Mansion on Delaware (now the director of kitchen operations-North Buffalo at Lloyd Products, Inc.)
Michael Dimmer, chef and owner of Marble + Rye
Ken Legnon, then sushi chef at Seabar (now a private chef at Delaware North Companies)
Chad Ward, author of An Edge in the Kitchen
To find the best boards to test, we also looked for recommendations from trusted editorial sources like Serious Eats and The New York Times. We compiled the recommendations of commenters on our site, as well as ones from Chowhound and ChefTalk forums. We also looked at the bestselling and best-reviewed boards on Amazon, CuttingBoard.com, Target, and Bed Bath & Beyond.

Michael Sullivan, a senior staff writer at Wirecutter, has reviewed all kinds of kitchen gadgets and equipment. His recent research and testing builds on the work of former Wirecutter senior staff writer Kevin Purdy, who wrote the first version of this guide in 2014. Additionally, several Wirecutter staff members, along with Sam Sifton, the founding editor of NYT Cooking, participated in our testing and provided feedback.

Finally, former Wirecutter science editor Leigh Boerner helped us research materials that made up each board: wood grains and glues, composite resins, and the major types of plastic used in cutting boards.

Who should get this
A cutting board is essential for any kitchen, and most experts recommend having at least two: one for cutting raw or cooked meats, poultry, and fish; the other for vegetables, fruits, or cooked foods. Having multiple boards on hand is especially convenient when preparing a lot of food for family gatherings or holiday meals.

If aesthetics are important to you, a handsome wood board can be left on your counter and will go seamlessly from kitchen to table. For those that want an inexpensive surface that’s easy to clean and maintain, we’d recommend getting a plastic cutting board.

If you already have a cutting board, but it’s warped, badly stained, or riddled with deep gouges, it’s probably time for an upgrade.

Plastic boards versus wood boards
You’ll find boards made from a range of materials, but according to our experts, plastic and wood are the best for most kitchens. All of our testers agreed that wood boards feel better than plastic under a knife. When asked what board they’d most want to cut on, the chefs we spoke with tended to pick wood blocks. But when asked what they’d buy for a 22-year-old nephew or niece moving into their first apartment on their own, they each replied with some variation of “a plastic board they’ll probably treat terribly and replace in two years,” similar to the boards they received from restaurant supply stores.

Some of our testers hated the look of plastic boards and didn’t like the way the knife made contact with the board. Sam Sifton told us during testing, “I don’t like the noise and I don’t like how plastic degrades. You can always sand a wood board, but you can’t do that with plastic.” That said, some people may simply not have room for a big slab of wood, or might want, as chef Michael Dimmer put it, a board they can “leave in a sink overnight, or when (they) have people over, and no harm done.”

Plastic is a better surface for prepping raw meat, as it’s less likely to stain and can be washed in a dishwasher. However, as Sam Sifton noted during testing, “You’re not bound by the rules of the health department in your own home.” You can still use wood boards for preparing raw meats; they just require more diligence when cleaning.

Choosing between wood and plastic depends on your cooking and cleaning preferences. Here’s how the two materials compare:

Plastic:

Plastic boards are dishwasher-safe, easy to clean, and require no extra maintenance.
Plastic boards are typically thinner and lighter than most wood boards, so they’re easier to move and store.
Plastic boards dull knife edges faster than wood.
Cuts and gouge marks from knives will show more on plastic boards than wood boards.
Plastic boards that are used frequently should be replaced about every two years, since lingering bacteria can hide out in deep cuts or scratches (when a sponge or dishcloth snags on the board, or your knife skips over deep cuts, it’s time for a new one).
Wood:

All of our testers agreed that wood boards feel better than plastic under a knife.

Wood boards are easier on knife edges than plastic boards.
Cuts and gouge marks from knives are more forgiving on wood boards because they tend to close up and self-heal over time.
If properly cared for, wood boards will last longer than plastic boards (and can be sanded down after they start to look rugged).
Thicker wood boards are often quieter when chopping compared to most plastic boards.
Wood is prone to warping and requires more maintenance than plastic—the boards must be hand-washed and oiled frequently.
Wood boards are generally heavier and thicker than plastic boards, so they may be more cumbersome to move and take up additional space in a cupboard.
How we picked

Most experts recommend having one board large enough to chop several ingredients at once, at least 15 inches along one side. Chad Ward notes in An Edge in the Kitchen: “A cutting board 15 inches by 20 inches is about the functional limit for most household sinks… however, you need as much size as you can get to prevent stuff running off onto your countertops.” Sushi chef Ken Legnon agreed but said 16 by 22 inches is his favorite size.

Wood boards come in two styles, end grain and edge grain, and we considered both for this guide. End-grain boards are made of a number of board ends glued together, and they can be more gentle on knives because the edge slides between the vertical wood fibers. Cuts and other marks tend to close more efficiently, self-healing over time, but the exposed ends also make it easier for end-grain boards to dry out, stain, and crack. Edge-grain boards (like our Proteak pick) consist of the sides of boards glued together in alternating strips, with the sides (edges) facing up. These boards tend to be harder on knife edges than end-grain boards, but they also withstand moisture-based cracking and splitting better, and they are easier to clean. (This diagram illustrates the difference between end and edge grain nicely.)

For our original guide, we tested several types of wood boards—including maple, cherry, walnut, and Japanese cypress—but we considered only teak boards for our 2018 update. After years of testing cutting boards, we’ve found that those made of teak fight off moisture better and require less oiling than other types of wood.

Most plastic cutting boards are made of either high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP), or occasionally a proprietary blend of polyethylene and polypropylene. The very short version of the differences between the two types of polymers is that polypropylene is harder but more brittle, while polyethylene, particularly high-density polyethylene, is softer but more flexible. We tested both polyethylene and polypropylene boards for this guide.

We also looked at composite and other materials: Composite boards are essentially many layers of Richlite baked and pressed together. They are food-safe and easily maintained, but generally quite tough on knife edges. Granite and glass boards are very hard and will dull a knife’s blade.

We looked for plastic and wood boards with a groove around the perimeter that collects juices from roasts and ripe tomatoes. Keep in mind that a juice groove can only do so much. We still recommend placing absorbent towels underneath a board with a groove if you’re carving a juicy roast.

We avoided plastic boards with a handle cut into the side because it reduces the usable chopping surface area. We looked for thicker wood boards with finger grooves on the side, which makes them easier to pick up and transport.

The best boards sit solidly without sliding on a countertop. “You want ease in movement with your knife, not the board,” said chef Boye, who dismissed many of our test boards as too light. Heavier wood boards move less but can also be a bear to move for cleaning or storage. Plastic boards tend to be more squirrelly because they’re thinner and lighter than wood boards. For our latest round of testing, we searched for plastic boards that have grippy feet or borders around the perimeter to keep them more stable.

How a board looks matters mostly if you’re going to keep it out on a counter. But how the board feels under a knife, and how easily it cleans and stores, matters more.

In the end, we found that form, function, and feel were a better guide to picking out a good cutting board than a strict focus on knife edge retention. The differences in how one plastic board affects your knife edge versus another is small and offset by many other factors: acids, interactions with different foods, and other kitchen happenings. It was certainly considered—and one of our chef experts was particularly concerned with it—but if you regularly sharpen (and steel) your chef’s knife, none of the cutting boards we considered will cause you to lose your knife edge midway through dinner prep.

After years of research, we’ve tested nearly 30 wood, plastic, composite, and rubber boards that fit our criteria. We discarded those that were too small, too big or thick for most kitchens, or difficult to reliably locate and buy.

How we tested

For our original guide, we tested all of the boards over the course of four months on a rotating basis in one editor’s kitchen for everyday cooking. For our most recent update, we invited several members of Wirecutter staff with varying levels of cooking experience to participate in our testing. We also invited Sam Sifton, food editor of The New York Times (parent company of Wirecutter), to test each of our top contenders and give us his thoughts.

We recorded each board’s performance in specific tests. We looked to see if they fit in a standard dishwasher, semi-standard (15-by-20-inch) sink, or a divided 15-by-15-inch sink. We noted whether the boards stained or retained odors after letting beet juice and garlic paste sit on them for 30 minutes. We also cut carrots, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, apples, and a variety of citrus fruits, noting the sound and feel of the boards, and whether they scarred. To see how well the boards healed after heavy knife use, we cut crusty bread with a serrated knife. We also noted how much each board slipped across a countertop, with and without a towel placed underneath.

The best plastic cutting board: OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board

The OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board is the best plastic cutting board for most tasks. Its 14.34-by-21.11-inch size is large enough to comfortably chop several vegetables for mirepoix or carve a 12-pound turkey. In our tests, the juice groove on the OXO board was able to hold a surprising amount of liquid—an added benefit when chopping tomatoes or slicing a roast. And the grippy feet on the sides of the board keep in place better than other plastic boards that lack this helpful feature.

OXO made some minor adjustments to the Carving and Cutting Board in January 2020. The redesigned board is 0.2 mm thinner and features a slightly wider juice canal with pour spouts. The grippy sides are also a slightly different shape, but none of these changes affected the board's performance. We haven’t tried the beet and garlic tests on the new board, but a representative from OXO confirmed that the materials of the redesigned board are the same as the older version we originally tested in 2017. In our previous tests, the OXO did an excellent job resisting stains and odors. We’ve also chopped on both versions of the board side-by-side and couldn’t detect any difference.

The OXO board provides ample space for nearly every chopping and slicing task you’d want to accomplish in the kitchen. We testers had plenty of room to chop, even with several ingredients piled on the board. The juice groove on the board holds roughly a half cup of liquid, an impressive amount compared to other boards we tested. Keep in mind, the OXO board won’t fit into some dishwashers unless it’s turned at an angle. But if you prefer using a smaller cutting board that will have no issue fitting in a dishwasher, we also recommend the 10.35-by-14.78-inch OXO Good Grips Utility Cutting Board. The board is also sold in two other sizes: the 8.93-by12.89-inch Everyday Cutting Board and the mini 7.23-by-10.75-inch Prep Board. We think these smaller boards are best for simple tasks like slicing an apple or cutting lemon wedges, but not chopping vegetables for meal prep.

Made with a harder, more slick material (polypropylene), with some slight marbling applied to the surface, the OXO board provides a secure grip with a chef’s knife. Upon first use, the board feels a bit slick under a knife and doesn't cause the blade to slip. However, after several uses, the surface becomes slightly scarred and allows for better traction, which keeps the blade from slipping. Since it’s surprisingly light for its size, we found it easy to maneuver and store, too. Most of our testers agreed that it looks professional and more presentable than the other plastic boards we tested.

The rubbery feet on the sides of the board do an excellent job keeping it in place while chopping. That said, if you’re going to do a lot of chopping, we’d still recommend placing a thick towel underneath the board for added stability.

All of OXO’s products are covered by a satisfaction guarantee which states that you can return any product for any reason if you’re not satisfied.

Plastic pick: Flaws but not dealbreakers
Negative reviews address two main concerns: counter slipping, when the board is used with only its rubber feet and no towel underneath, and knife scarring. Our own testing saw an OXO board scar under hundreds of knife marks, but so does any board.

Your knife won’t gouge the plastic on most chops and slices, but if the knife blade comes down particularly hard on the board, it can lock in place as if it’s cutting on a rail. It’s a small issue that only happens once in awhile, but it’s something our testers experienced. The OXO board is also louder to cut on than our wood picks, especially if you don’t have a thick towel or rag placed underneath it.

Long-term testing notes
After long-term testing an older version of the OXO board for over three years, it bent more than we would have liked, despite never going into the dishwasher. However, since the pros recommend replacing plastic boards after two years anyway, we don’t consider a very slight bend in the board a dealbreaker.

The best wood cutting board: Teakhaus by Proteak Edge Grain Rectangle Carving Board with Hand Grip

For a wood option, we highly recommend the striking and sophisticated Teakhaus by Proteak Edge Grain Rectangle Carving Board with Hand Grip. Made from sustainably harvested teak, it feels better under a knife than most other boards we tested. It stays in place with minimal help, but it’s not so heavy that you can’t easily move it. The Teakhaus also requires less maintenance than most wood boards, but it’s still far more vulnerable to moisture damage and staining than plastic. For those with the counter space and the patience for every-other-month oilings, we think this board will be a valued asset to your kitchen.

In every test, the Teakhaus allowed for smooth motion with a sharp knife, both parallel to and against the grain. The teak was hard enough to allow for clean cuts, but still soft enough to maintain a knife’s sharp edge. The bamboo boards we tested were too hard on knife edges, while others, like the hinoki boards we tried, were too soft. Sushi chef Ken Legnon agreed: “It’s durable, but it still helps maintain your edge, long-term.”

Teak wood fights off moisture more effectively than the most common wood-cutting-board materials, so it requires less oiling. In fact, Teak has been used in boatbuilding for more than 2,000 years because of its remarkable moisture-fighting properties. It is “the gold standard for (rot) resistance.” Its 2.0 shrinkage (T/R) ratio is about the lowest of any wood considered hard enough to be used as a cutting board. That’s likely why the Teakhaus looked better after months of kitchen duty than our prior maple pick from Boos.

The 15-inch-by-20-inch Teakhaus board is 1.5 inches thick and weighs 12 pounds, so it barely budges on most counters. Sliding even just one or two layers of damp paper towels underneath eliminates any minor movements. (If counter stability without a towel is more important to you than reversibility, you could easily glue some rubber feet to this board.) The Teakhaus board has slots in the ends that, while oddly shallow and unfinished, do help with lifting the board. This same size board is also available with a juice canal on one side. For big jobs like carving a Thanksgiving turkey, we recommend the larger 24-by-18-inch version of this board, which also has a juice canal to catch drippings.

Each Teakhaus board is different, more so than with maple boards, and each ages over time into richer colors. Chef Jennifer Boye was quickly drawn to the unique pattern, and she recommended it as her top wood pick. One of our testers called it “a very luxurious board.” Sam Sifton agreed, saying it was “wicked nice.” As it has been stained, smeared, cut upon, and slightly abused, the wood has not taken on a lighter, worn appearance at the center as did a Boos board we tested. It has simply picked up a few marks here and there.

Teak wood fights off moisture more effectively than the most common wood-cutting-board materials, so it requires less oiling.

Proteak, Teakhaus's parent company, offers reams of information about the wood it uses: its planting, harvesting, carbon policies, and certifications from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). In fact, according to their website, Proteak manages six FSC certificates in “Colombia, Costa Rica, Mexico and the U.S.A. abiding by the highest sustainable forestry standards.” Proteak’s wood is specifically not sourced from Myanmar (Burma), where human rights abuses have caused some nations to ban Burmese teak imports.

Teakhaus warranties its products for one year against “defects in workmanship and material,” but not “damage resulting from neglect or misuse of the product—” a very standard warranty for wood cutting boards. Contact Teakhaus if you need a refund or replacement.

Wood pick: Flaws but not dealbreakers
The biggest flaw for any wood board is the need for maintenance and for caution with liquids to avoid warping, cracking, and splitting.

Teak withstands moisture better than most woods, but you should avoid letting liquids sit on the board for more than a few minutes, if possible. After you’re done cutting, wipe the board down with warm, soapy water, but never immerse the board in a sink full of water. And you must oil the board―roughly once a month, or more if the board gets “thirsty” (more on this in care and maintenance section below).

Aside from its required maintenance, the Teakhaus board's main drawback is the shallow side handle slots that only allow you to get your fingertips into the board. However, since the handle slots still provide a decent grip, we don’t think this is a dealbreaker.

Long-term testing notes
We’ve been using the Teakhaus board in the Wirecutter test kitchen for over three years, and despite neglecting to oil it as often as we should, it hasn’t warped. It’s hands down our favorite board to use for big chopping or carving tasks.

Care and maintenance
Cleaning plastic boards:

Whenever possible, use the dishwasher to sanitize plastic boards, particularly after working with meats. Use the dishwasher’s delicate/econo setting or set a timer to pull out the board during the drying cycle to keep boards from warping. If the dishwasher isn’t an option, experts recommend a hard scrubbing with soapy water under fast-flowing water.

Cleaning wood boards:

For wood boards, Chad Ward’s An Edge in the Kitchen offers two cleaning techniques if you need more than a quick, soapy wipe-and-dry after chopping:

To avoid the chance of cracking or warping, never, ever leave liquids on a wood board.

Keep a spray bottle filled with a 25 percent vinegar, 75 percent water solution. Spray your board down with the solution and let it dry on its side, or wipe it down after a bit of soaking. (This works for a plastic board, too, if you can’t get it into the sink or dishwasher.)
For hard to remove smells and stains, make a thick paste of kosher salt and water, rubbing it across the surface of your wood board, letting it sit overnight, and scraping it off in the morning (with a bench scraper, if you have one). Smells, stains, and germs should be gone.
Teakhaus offers a variety of cleaning techniques for its boards, including undiluted vinegar, a hydrogen peroxide solution, and bleach. Ward, however, recommends against using bleach, and so do we after seeing how it dried and discolored a Boos board we tested.

To avoid the chance of cracking or warping, never leave liquids on a wood board (and don’t even think about immersing it in a sink!). “When we’re doing long-term wood testing, when we want products to fail? We put them under water,” said Brian Brashaw, then program director at the Natural Resources Research Institute at the University of Minnesota Duluth (now the program manager at the U.S. Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory). “Water is the enemy of the wood in your home.”

Oiling and sanding wood boards:

There is no one schedule for oiling boards, much like there is no one schedule for watering plants—it depends on the environment in which you’re storing the board. When we asked our wood experts, chefs, and Chad Ward how often they oil their wood boards, the universal answer was “less often than I should.” Teakhaus recommends oiling every week or two. We think every month is a smart middle ground for the Teakhaus, with some grace built into the more humid summer months. But there is absolutely no harm in oiling your board if it looks thirsty.

Another way to tell if your wooden board needs some oiling is to simply sprinkle some drops of water on the board with your fingertips, as suggested by J. Kenji López-Alt at The Food Lab. As with a waxed car, water should bead up and seemingly float on top of a well-oiled board. If you see the water disperse, or seemingly soak into the wood, give it more oil. For more tips on cutting board maintenance—including how to clean, oil, sand, and fix a warped board—check out our video on the subject.