Cutting Board Types, Features, and Why They Matter

How to choose the right cutting board for you and your kitchen.

A cutting board is a common household staple, everyone has one (or more), and they often see daily use. From your morning toast to a thanksgiving feast, a well-made cutting board will be with you through it all. There is a wide range of choices out there made from different materials and with a ton of different features. So the question is, which is the best type of cutting board for you and your kitchen?

What Material is Best for a Cutting Board?

There are many different material options, chosen for a multitude of reasons, but we believe wood is the optimal choice. Of all the cutting board materials wood is naturally anti-bacterial, easy on knives, hides knife marks the best, and especially with regular maintenance, is the easiest to keep clean and looking sharp.

Wood species is a factor as well. Bamboo and woods that are too hard or naturally abrasive like teak, which contains natural silica, will prematurely blunt knife edges and call for more frequent trips to the sharpener. This is why we make our Beyond Basic and Cobblestone boards only from domestic species specifically selected for their use in cutting boards. Soft maple, cherry, and walnut have a great balance of aesthetics and durability, as well as a lower carbon footprint.

What Kind of Wood Board is Best?

When it comes to wood, there are three main types of cutting boards edge grain, face grain, and end grain.

Face Grain Board

A face grain board is the simplest and quickest to make and therefore the most economical. This type of cutting board, however, suffers the most from stability issues (warping and cracking) due to how the wood grain is oriented, and the width of most boards. Due to the grain orientation and patterns on the surface this type of board knife cuts are the deepest and most visible. These issues are mitigated in the other two types of boards.

Summary - economical, good stain/water resistance, ok on knife edges, extreme stability issues, scratches deepest and most visibly, regular maintenance recommended.

Edge Grain Board

(Like our Beyond Basic Board)

An edge-grain board is a step-up in quality and durability from a face grain board. Edge grain boards are made typically from thin strips turned on their edge and laminated together. This process changes the orientation of the grain fibers increasing the resistance to warping and cracking. A middle of the road option in all respects, it handles everything well and at an attractive price point.

Summary - moderate price point, good stability, clean straight grain pattern, good stain/water resistance, ok on knife edges, scratches moderately visibly, regular maintenance recommended.

End Grain Board

(Like our Cobblestone Board)

The end grain board is the king of all cutting boards, in most cases. The board is made up of blocks turned on end, exposing the hardest and most durable surface. Often this process creates visually interesting patterns as it grants the creative freedom to arrange the blocks in many different ways. End grain, due to its nature, is the easiest on knife edges and will hide knife cuts the best of any cutting board material. The one drawback to this design is the end grain is naturally more absorbent than the other faces, meaning that increased maintenance is required to ensure that the board stays looking and feeling it’s best.

Summary - high price point, best stability, unique attractive grain pattern, scratches the lightest and least visibly, easiest on knife edges, requires regular maintenance.

What about Extra Features?

There are a lot of cutting boards out there with interesting features. Some, often seen on crowdfunding sites, cross more into the realm of tech rather than culinary arts. Including wacky features like scales, “knife sanitizers”, folding joints, and nesting boards are great if you are a gadget enthusiast, but any serious chef would dismiss these as gimmicks. Juice grooves are great if you carve a lot of meats but if not they will just be in the way, filling with chopped garlic and herbs, and hindering your ability to use and clean the board.

Rubber anti-slip feet, however, are a great feature, and one we include on all of our cutting boards. The added stability of feet is great for safety and lets you focus on your knife technique rather than holding down the board. Elevation of the board from the countertop also aids in ensuring the bottom surface gets airflow, dries properly when washed, and does not accumulate moisture in use which can lead to cracking and warping issues if not caught promptly.