Cutting boards are the mirrors for kitchen knives. The variety of cutting boards far exceed of that of the kitchen knives. Material ranges from various of wood, bamboo, composite, wood, plastic, rubber, to even the debatable stainless steel and glass. Size, thickness, weight also varies great.
Please share your personal favorite cutting, the reason(s) why you like it and also general recommendation (any recommendation from selection to caring) for others. Let’s share our stories.
This is my favorite cutting board which I believe I have it between 15-20 years. It is a cross cut section of a pinewood tree trunk. I have sanded it down and then apply a thin layer of tung oil. Previously, it was seasoned by a mix of beeswax and tung oil. Currently, it is a little over 13 pound or 5.9 kg. A little shy of 14 inchs in diameter and 5 inchs in thickness. It provides the right amount of wood hardness/softness for me.
The top two photos are after the cutting board after sanding, and the two bottom photos are those of after sanding and tung oil conditioning.
My favorite cutting board is a stationary 4" thick section of rock maple from the top of a boning table that was in my dad’s boning room. I cut it down, and hollowed out a bowl in one side to use with a demilune/ulu.
Other than that, I don’t have a favorite cutting board, but I do have charcuterie an cheese boards that are dear to me.
Pics please? Or have you already posted these in other threads?
Thanks much,
Lloyd.
I use highly politically incorrect cutting boards…
Skagerak teak boards
2 of the large ones and one of the not so large one
When I’m lazy, which is quite often, I use Joseph & Joseph plastic cutting boards and have no problem with chipped edges or anything with my knives.
I also own a couple of rubber cutting boards and they work perfect.
Why do you use plastic cutting board when you are lazy… which implies that you won’t use the teak boards when you are lazy. Is it because the teak boards are heavy?
They go in the dishwasher.
Ah. Hand washing vs machine machine washing. Got it.
I’m not proud of it and if I felt there was a sensational difference, I would never touch a plastic cutting board (unless it was used for raw meat), but I don’t really experience that much of a difference, also since I usually cook for 2 and not more, so the amount of cutting can be over with in 15-20 minutes.
Hi, Lloyd:
I will post a photo or two tomorrow.
Aloha,
Kaleo
I have a Butler cutting board made from beech wood - approximately a decade old. Used every day multiple times a day.
It wasn’t expensive (30 euro I believe at the time) but it does everything well. I clean it with dishwasher soap under running water. Oil it once a year maybe. No meat nor fish though, I have a separate board for these.
What is it?
I have another of the exact same cutting board made from beech - unfortunately due to neglect from my side over the years it has warped.
I bought it together with the other one, but that one did not warp because I use it all the time and take care for it.
So I now also have a professional grade Stericare dishwasher safe board made from polipropyleen. Unfortunately, as you can see from the pic, it’s not able to withstand my abuse! 
This is my second polipropyleen cutting board in 5 years time, so I’m thinking of seconding my current beech board to become my meat board, and then buy a new wooden board for regular use.
Those chippings! Do you chop bones on the polipropylene board?
Yes, I have to, but nothing extraordinary. Mostly chicken joints I guess.
This is why, for my cooking at least, I prefer using a wooden board also for meat and fish. If I clean it well with soap, I’m not worried about bacteria.
I have 3 polypropylene boards that do 95% of the duty in my kitchen … theyre lightweight, kind to my knives, and they go in the dishwasher (which runs on the sanitize cycle)
I also have a set of 3 Kitchenaid maple boards that have juice channels, so I use those for anything thats wet or messy. The small one is a backup to the poly ones. The biggest even brisges my sink if I need extra counter space
I have a ton of different cutting boards, but right now my primary board is this one: https://www.cookwarestore.co.uk/chopping-block-butler-beech-end-grain-40-x-60-x-6-cm
It arrived quite dry, soaking up about 2 liters of mineral oil over the first week after I received it. Since then it’s required minimal oiling, and I keep it clean using a vinegar-soaked paper towel after each prep session.
When I lived in the U.S. my primary board was a Boardsmith rock maple 16x22 board, which I loved. It’s still my back-up board and one I give guests to use when there’s prep to be done.
Otherwise I also have a Hasegawa 60x30 soft rubber board that’s used primarily for prepping raw meat and/or fish, and soft slippery foods. It’s dishwasher-safe and can also be sterilized with boiling water. My other rubber board, a Sani-Tuff, is incredibly heavy but also basically indestructible. It’s great for cutting cooked meats and poultry. My only criticism is that it’s pretty grabby with sharp knives, so it prevents them from sliding easily.
I also have a 15x20 polypropylene board that I use mostly for cutting bread, as I prefer not to damage my end-grain wood boards or rubber board with serrated blades.
Finally I have a couple of Chabret hornbeam end grain boards that I bought when Hiomakivi (a Finnish shop) still sold them. They’re amazingly hard and durable, ideal for rough chopping with a cleaver.
Never used a rubber board in my life. Some comments said they are sensitive to moisture and leave marks on the board when using on a wet worktop, while others said they sit well in a sink. What is true?
Do you need to oil or sand them as claimed by some?
I have 3 polypropylene boards, including a Joseph Joseph, mostly for heavy duties, meat or wet food, and a few wooden board for vegetables and bread, including a bamboo one. Despite being told, bamboo is harsh for knives, I do like it, Clean it instantly with water after use and never need to oil it despite a 3-4 year use.
You can sand Sani-Tuff or Asahi boards, but I wouldn’t recommend sanding a Hasegawa. Actually Hasegawa sell a special scraper that’s used to remove discoloration and stains: https://hiomakivi.fi/en/p37145/hasegawa-scraper
The only reason I haven’t bothered buying one is because I like the grippy texture of the board, and I’ve read that scraping frequently will remove the grippiness.
Otherwise, rubber boards are impervious to moisture (much like plastic boards), and I’ve never found one to leave marks on the worktop. There’s also no need to oil a rubber board.
