Home cooks tend to focus more on their knives and pans when buying equipment for their kitchen. While having sharp knives and sturdy pans are important, buying the best cutting boards for your kitchen should never be neglected. Just like great seasonings and herbs, your chopping board is just as important and can affect how your ingredients will be cut and cooked.
It is somewhat difficult to find the perfect cutting board for you. With so many materials, sizes, and shapes to choose from, you must determine what works well for you. We’ve rounded up a list of seven of the best cutting boards available on Amazon today to help you on your next cooking equipment shopping spree.
1. Gorilla Grip Original Oversized Cutting Board
- One of the most non-slip – Rubber grips on two sides
- One of the handiest – Rubber grip on the handle
This professional-quality plastic cutting board is gentle on your knife. It also boasts rubber grips which help it to stay still and juice grooves to keep the counter clean as you cook. It even comes in three different sizes per set.
If you are very diligent in doing food preps, then this one is for you. This is perfect for meats, veggies, fruits, and even serving cheese. You can even use both sides to avoid flavors from mixing while you cook.
The only downside to this board, the same as other plastic cutting boards, is its durability. Knife cuts may appear on the surface of the boards after some use. We also recommend you use this board on a flat and dry surface for the rubber edges to really work well.
2. Kikcoin Natural Bamboo Cutting Board
- Least likely to develop splintered edges – Round corners
Made of 100% organic natural bamboo, this cutting board is of great quality. Bamboo being odorless and eco-friendly makes it one of the best types of wood for cutting boards. It quite sturdy although lightweight and it is easy to clean as well.
This board is also made to look its best even with regular use. It has rounded corners that prevent scratches and is treated with food oil that doesn’t dull knives and even protects the board’s surface. A juice groove is also crafted on this board to keep your counters clean as you cook.
This board is perfect for those trying to ditch plastic for eco-friendly options while still opting for a good quality board. Just show some care when you use this board. Heavy chopping on pork legs might break this board in half.
3. Greener Chef Organic Bamboo Cutting Board
- Best after-sales service – Lifetime warranty
Greener Chef boasts durability and guarantees lifetime use of their boards. They’ll even replace your chopping board for LIFE! Now that’s a big promise that could only be backed by top quality cutting boards.
This organic bamboo board comes in one size that is not too big and not too small – just right for any use. Use it to prepare ingredients or even meals, this food-grade and naturally microbe-resistant will definitely be up for the challenge. It also a juice groove that will keep liquids from your ingredients from spilling all over.
Its simple and stylish design also makes it a perfect accent to every kitchen. This also allows knife flexibility that prevents scratches and damages to your knives.
Organic, eco-friendly, and will last a lifetime. This could be the most ideal board for cutting meat or just about anything when you cook. Be sure to properly wash and store this board after using and you’re good to go!
4. Fotouzy TuTuBo Flexible Cutting Board Mats
- Best extra features – Flexibility and color coding
- Most non-slip – Waffle Grip Texture at the back
- Easiest to store – Flexibility
This lightweight and flexible cutting board mat is great for any type of cooking. Could last long when used with care and is crafted to make cutting food easy for you! This could even be used on top of your priced wooden boards to protect them and keep it spanking new every time.
Each set of these cutting boards is color-coded and includes food icons so you can avoid mixing flavors. It also has a waffle grip texture at the back that enables it to be placed on most surfaces. This texture back ensures stability and avoid slippage while using.
Although a little prone to knife marks, this product is easy to wash and maintain. This product even boasts flexibility that enables it to be stored in just any type of storage. With its thin build, just be extra careful when using it.
5. Sonder Los Angeles Walnut Wood Cutting Board
- Most durable – Walnut wood’s self-healing properties
- Great extra feature – Sorting compartments
Wood is a classic material for top-quality cutting boards and one of the most preferred is walnut wood. Sturdy but too hard to dull your knives, walnut wood also boasts self-healing components that let your board stay in tiptop shape for a longer period of time. Sonder Los Angeles will even replace your board, free of charge, for any manufacturing defect within a year from your purchase.
This board is not just a trusty companion when preparing meals, it is also best for serving food. It comes with a beautiful set of sorting compartments sure to wow your dinner party guests. Prepping steaks or a charcuterie board? This one got your back.
While sturdy and self-healing, this board is not without its need for proper care. Just make sure that you avoid soaking your walnut board in water to maintain its quality.
6. Epicurean Kitchen Series Cutting Board
- One of the most durable – With NSF certification
- Least maintenance needed – Maintenance-free
Made from Richlite paper, Epicurean’s Kitchen Series cutting board is light, durable, and knife friendly. Use it for your daily cooking adventures or even use it to serve food, you can just you both sides to whatever the use. Just be careful when you do heavy chopping on this board.
This is perfect for chopping and slicing just about any type of food. Meat, vegetable, or just about anything – this board is could handle a beating. It is also maintenance-free and doesn’t absorb odors and harbor bacteria – great for newbie cooks and even experienced ones!
Durability is at the core of this simple yet elegant board which even has NSF certification. Home use? Yes! Commercial use? Definitely! It can even withstand temperatures of up to 350 °F so you can use it even as a trivet.
What’s the best material for my chopping board?
With so much variety available in the market, it can get confusing when choosing the best cutting board material for you. If you’re looking for inexpensive choices, then a plastic board could be the one you’re looking for. Plastic while being a cheaper alternative to wood can actually be a great addition to your kitchen tools. It is generally gentler to your knives and with proper care, your plastic chopping board can last for a long time.
Generally pricier than their plastic counterparts, wooden chopping boards are a classic staple in most kitchens. Sturdier and heavier, this type of chopping boards is often expected to last even a lifetime when cared for the right way. They can also be a good serving board that will probably make any spread look more fabulous than it already is.
What to look for in a chopping board?
So, what should you look for in a good cutting board? Durability, versatility, and overall usage.
Your purchase shouldn’t be just any kind of board, it should be the best cutting board for meat, vegetables, and just any kind of food. It should withstand different types of knives and shouldn’t splinter easily. Splintered boards could host germs and bacteria and can be harmful to humans.
It should also be versatile and offer various uses. Of course, it should be a dependable chopping board but having a great-looking one for serving food wouldn’t hurt at all. Imagine chopping and making the best tasting food out there, the next step is showing everyone its majestic beauty. It also wouldn’t hurt if it’s bright and color-coded. Take, for example, Fotouzy TuTuBo Flexible Cutting Board Mats. Its different colors and food icons help you avoid mixing flavors in between ingredients.
Overall, your board should give you a great experience. It is imperative to serve its purpose but it wouldn’t hurt to give you extra by adding in some features. Juice grooves are one of those features that are very helpful albeit not present in every cutting board. This helps your cooking station generally cleaner by capturing juices from food and keeping them from spilling all over. This feature is present both in Gorilla Grip’s Original Oversized Cutting Board and Greener Chef’s Organic Bamboo Cutting Board. On the other hand, Sonder Los Angeles’ Walnut Wood Cutting Board’s sorting compartments definitely put your food serving game to another level. It makes any food you serve in its compartments the star of the meal.
Is plastic a good material for a cutting board?
Wood has been the go-to material for cutting boards for such a long time. But after some time, people have developed plastic cutting boards and were believed to be easier to clean and sanitize. This, as they believed, made plastic cutting boards safer.
What makes plastic boards attractive is their cheap price tag. Coupled with its lightweight body and space efficiency, this type of cutting board is a desirable addition to any kitchen. It’s also easier to clean, just pop it in your dishwasher and get on with your day.
It’s also gentle on your knives. Unlike your usual hard wood cutting board, plastic wouldn’t dull your knives that quick. Durable and gentle – nice, right? So, if you’re in here looking for a great plastic board, then Epicurean’s Kitchen Series Cutting Board is for you. It is a composite board made from Richlite paper that makes it unbelievably durable and dependable.
The downside to this type of material is how prone it is to being scratched by knives. While generally easier to clean, disinfecting the sections in the scratches can pose a threat. It is believed that bacteria may grow in these sections and sanitizing them could be quite difficult.
Overall, using plastic boards is okay. What you could do to keep it safe is to use it to cut dry food and ingredients instead of meats or juicy food.
Is wood the superior choice for cutting boards?
Wood has been the popular choice for cutting boards for a long time. It looks classic, it is sturdy, and there are a lot of materials to choose from. With its durability and looks, even pro-chefs favor wood cutting boards for their homes and even their workstations.
Generally, this type of material is more resistant to impact than other materials and could last longer than plastic. While its best-selling attribute is its durability, wooden cutting boards are also great for food prep and serving food.
What you should watch out for is using wooden cutting board for meat. Although sturdy and reliable, wood can absorb juices from meat and bacteria may grow from it. It is a must to sanitize and dry it properly every time you use it. You may also opt for a bamboo wood cutting because it is the least porous wood and is the best cutting board for meat. You can check out Kikcoin’s Natural Bamboo Cutting Board and Greener Chef‘s Organic Bamboo Cutting Board if you use meat often and prefer a wooden cutting board.
How to take care of your cutting boards?
Whether you choose to get a plastic board or a wooden board, proper care for your board will always be important. Depending on the material of your cutting board, its needs vary as well. From usage, cleaning, to storing, different tips and tricks will apply.
For plastic cutting boards, popping it in the dishwasher is not enough. Especially for boards with visible marks already, deep cleaning is advised. Here’s a general step-by-step cleaning process for your plastic board.
Plastic Cutting Board
- Make a bleach solution by mixing 1 teaspoon of bleach and a quart of water. Use a sponge and the solution to clean your board.
- Rinse your board with hot water and then let the cutting board dry standing up.
Composite Cutting Board
- After using your board, rinse it and pop it in the dishwasher.
- You may also wash it with dish soap, warm water, and a soft sponge if you want to.
While plastic boards require a general set of cleaning steps, taking care of wooden cutting boards is a little bit trickier. Generally, taking care of wooden cutting boards means not letting them soak in water or meat juices. Just remember that every type of wood requires a certain way of cleaning and caring.
Wooden Cutting Board
- Rub a cup of baking powder on the board, and then pour a cup of vinegar on it.
- Let it sit for few minutes before rinsing.
- Pat your board dry using a dish towel and then let it dry standing up.
- You can also take care of it further by using food-grade mineral oil. This will keep your board fresh.
Bamboo Cutting Board
- After each use, scrub your board with dish soap, warm water, and a soft sponge. Make sure to remove small pieces of mood that are left behind.
- Pat your board dry with a dish towel and let it dry standing up. Do not let your board soak in water.
- You may also use a food-grade mineral oil to keep the bamboo from drying out.
So, what cutting board should you buy?
With all the information laid out, you probably have a board in mind already. While weighing the pros and cons of all the products we listed above, there could probably one that we can declare the best. By considering the price, durability, and functionality, Sonder Los Angeles’ Walnut Wood Cutting Board takes the cake.
Compared to its plastic contenders, it’s more durable and even has self-healing properties. It is also more functional as it can be used not just to chop food and prep food, but also to serve meals with its compartments.
It is also superior to its wooden competitors, again, because of its durability. It is also least likely to absorb water and with proper care, can even last a lifetime. It is thick yet handy and truly a dependable piece of cutting board.
It’s time to level up your cooking experience with a board that can match every quality ingredient in your arsenal. Time to get your own Sonder Los Angeles Walnut Wood Cutting Board today!