5 Best Cutting Boards for Cooking, Serving and Everything In Between
Updated: Feb. 10, 2023Slicing and dicing are a cinch when you have one (or more!) of the best cutting boards for your everyday and holiday meal prep and presentation.
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Whether you are chopping veggies for salad, carving a slab of beef, or serving a spread of cheese and crackers, having the right cutting board on hand is essential. This must-have kitchen tool handles everything from food prep to presentation, and keeps all your ingredients contained in one spot. (To get the most out of this product, these cutting board hacks will show you how!)
Because there are tons of models on the market, we cut to the chase and picked the best cutting boards in a variety of styles, purposes and materials. If you regularly clean your cutting board the right way, these picks should last you for years to come.
What to Consider When Buying a Cutting Board
For purchasing the best cutting boards, keep these tips from professional food stylist Joy Howard in mind. Look for boards made from materials that aren’t hard on your knives, such as wood or compressed paper. “They have lots of give and won’t dull or damage knives the way that harder surfaces like plastic or glass will,” she says.
Other types of cutting boards that work well are those with channels on the side that catch juices or liquids from fruits or meat, as well as boards that have rubber grips on the edges. “A board that slides around while you work is not only frustrating, it’s also dangerous,” adds Brown.
What’s the Difference Between Cutting and Serving Boards?
Cutting and serving boards are often considered interchangeable, depending on their design and style. Wooden boards can often do double duty because of their purposefulness and presentation quality. Brown cautions against using serving boards with ridged edges or textured surfaces for cutting.
Best Overall
Epicurean Kitchen Series Cutting Board
There’s so much to like about this product, from its lightweight design, to its thumbhole that makes it easy to grab out of the kitchen cabinet. Made from non-porous composite, it stands up to regular usage, and its double-sided functionality extends its practicality. And with since this cutting board can handle fresh-from-the-oven items (up to 350 degrees!), it can go from countertop to tabletop and serve as a trivet.
Pros:
- Made in the USA
- Cut-out design supports hang-to-dry
Cons:
- Lack of rubber grips makes it wobbly
Most Durable
Le Creuset Serving Board
This super-sturdy stoneware serving board, available in white or a vibrant cerise red, will add polish to any big ticket entrée, like prime rib, roasted chicken or broiled salmon. Designed with ridged edges to keep food in place and a wide handle for easy grip, it looks as good as it performs and cleans up easily, too. While this board works well when serving and carving entrées and sides, it doubles as a charcuterie board, with plenty of space for displaying cheeses and meats.
Pros:
- Enamel exterior is stain- and scratch-resistant
- Non-stick glazed interior enables easy cleaning
Cons:
- Must order multiples to qualify for free shipping
Best for Carving
Empune Extra Large Cutting Board
This is the behemoth board you’ll want when carving meat at the dining room table. Not only is it generously sized for large cuts, but its built-in grooves are designed to catch excess juices or liquids, preventing them from spilling out onto your counter or tablecloth. The massive frame of this bamboo cutting board fits across most sinks for convenient cleaning.
Pros:
- Sturdy construction
- Side handles are useful for serving
Cons:
- Can be cumbersome when cleaning
- Requires monthly mineral oil to maintain appearance
Best Wooden
Fab Slabs Camphor Wood Laurel Cutting Board
Fashioned from the Australian camphor laurel tree, this timber wood board has natural oils designed to repel moisture and warping. The natural grain design features rich tones that make these hand-crafted boards as pretty as they are practical. To maintain its pristine condition, simply scrub it with soap and hot water and let it air dry.
Pros:
- Available in a variety of unique shapes and sizes for varying needs
- Display-worthy
Cons:
- Hand wash only
- No edges for containing liquids
Most Environmentally Friendly
Our Place Daily Board
You’ll do your part in protecting the planet using the Daily Board from Our Place, which is made from 100% recycled BPA-free plastic. The double-sided design means you can chop different foods on separate surfaces, while the textured surface cleverly conceals knife marks. Available in blue salt, steam, sage, lavender and spice, the Daily Board can fit in with almost any kitchen’s aesthetic, making it one of the best cutting boards for those with design in mind.
Pros:
- BPA-free design
- Dishwasher-safe
- Non-skid design
Cons:
- May stain easily
- Not practical for heavy items like meats
How to Clean Cutting Boards
Most plastic cutting boards are safe to run through the dishwasher, but can also be handwashed to prevent warping. Wooden boards and those made from enamel can cleaned with hot water and soap and left to air dry.
To maintain their longevity, Brown treats her wooden boards with a mineral-based oil. When cutting boards emit an unpleasant odor, she recommends deodorizing by soaking them in water, sprinkling a generous amount of baking soda and letting them sit for an hour before rinsing them off. “It does wonders at taking away scents and pungent ingredients like onions and garlic, and even getting rid of stains from fruit like strawberries,” she says.
For even more tips on how to clean your cutting board, check out these tricks.
How We Found the Best Cutting Boards
As shopping experts, our only job is to help you find a winning product. We start with the research and reporting basics—what products are made of, what they look like and how much they cost—to ensure that we’re only recommending the buys that are worth your time and money. Then, we research the features that speak to the product’s quality, taking advice from industry insiders and subject matter experts on what makes a product a smart value (or worthy of a splurge). Finally, we do the work of combing through user reviews to see how real people interact with the product, and if it stands up to the test.
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