Best Wood For Cutting Boards [Top Picks!]

The only legitimate cutting surfaces are wooden boards.

Wood is the superior choice to plastic and glass, even though both of these are typical alternatives.

The fact that wood is better for the environment is something that most people value.

In addition, wood cutting board are available in a diverse selection of forms and finishes, providing customers with a broader range of choices.

First and foremost, hardwood cutting board are more easily integrated with existing kitchen equipment than their plastic and glass counterparts.

However, there is one obstacle to overcome, and that is selecting the appropriate wooden chopping board.

Which wood is ideal for making wood cutting boards, and what else should you keep in mind while looking for a new wooden board for your kitchen?

Let’s find out which is the best cutting board.

VIDEO: Equipment Expert Shares Top Pick For Heavy Duty Wood Cutting Boards

Overview

Chopping blocks, food preparation surfaces, and serving stations-sometimes all three-are all functions that a cutting board can perform at any time.

Because of this, this vital piece of kitchen equipment must be constructed out of a material resistant to wear and tear.

Professional chefs prefer cutting boards made of wood because they are more resistant to impact and more hygienic than plastic cutting boards, have gentler knife blades than bamboo cutting boards, and are more affordable than marble or granite cutting boards.

However, only some kinds of wood are suitable for making cutting boards.

Therefore, when purchasing a cutting board for your home kitchen, you should know that several wood species are better suited to chopping than others.

What exactly are these wooden cutting boards used for?

Chopping boards, also known as cutting boards, are kitchen utensils that provide a safe surface that can be used for slicing and chopping food and other components. Some refer to it as a “butcher’s block.”

Cutting boards made of wood are crafted from lumber. However, several manufacturers can also make chopping boards from plastic, glass, and vinyl.

Wooden Cutting Boards Have a Few Advantages Over Plastic and Glass Ones

What sets board wood apart from other materials?

What are the benefits of using a wooden chopping board instead of an alternative made of plastic or glass?

Chopping Board Made of Wood vs. Plastic

The affordability of plastic cutting boards has contributed to their widespread adoption.

The most affordable models can be purchased for less than one dollar, while the most expensive ones rarely exceed five dollars.

While wood cutting boards have an average price of roughly $25, a handful can cost as much as $150 or more.

Additionally, plastic cutting boards are considerably less challenging to clean than wooden ones.

Plastic board, in contrast to wood, does not have pores on its surface.

Because of this, you won’t have to be concerned about the surface soaking in liquids from the foods and products you use.

Because of this, you can maintain a clean surface.

In the meanwhile, for hardwood boards to remain waterproof, they need to be oiled regularly.

Unfortunately, plastic boards have a few significant downsides that should be considered.

To begin, knife blade have little trouble slicing through the plastic board material.

These incisions are challenging to clean.

In addition, the crevices can harbor germs, which, if ingested, could result in various ailments.

In addition, blades lose their sharpness somewhat rapidly when used on complex polymers.

Not only does this imply that you will need to replace your plastic cutting board more frequently, but it also means that you may need to change your knives every few months.

But What About Cutting Boards Made of Glass?

Glass is a fantastic material that can be used in place of plastic.

Some believe that glass boards are the most effective surface for kneading the dough, rolling out the pie crust, and cutting out cookie shapes.

The smoothness of glass boards is the primary benefit of using them.

Naturally, plastic boards have a smooth surface as well.

However, glass has a more refined texture.

In addition to this, glass boards do not have pores in them.

Because of this, there is no longer any possibility that the board will become contaminated with dirt and bacteria.

In addition, the fact that glass boards are non-porous makes cleaning them simpler.

First and foremost, glass cutting board are stunning (manufacturers can insert patterns behind the glass), long-lasting, and priced similarly to plastic boards.

Glass, however, could be better in some ways.

To begin, cutting boards made of glass are far too slippery to use.

Because of this, the likelihood of accidental cuts is increased.

In addition, glass makes knives less sharp almost as soon as plastic does.

Therefore, you must exercise extreme caution when chopping on a glass board.

How to Determine the Quality of Wood for Cutting Boards

Before determining which species of wood would make the most suitable wood board or butcher block for your kitchen, it is essential to take into account the following fundamental characteristics of the wood:

Janka hardness rating:

The more complex a piece of wood is, as determined by its hardness rating (which is expressed in pounds-force, or lbf), the more resistant it is to being scratched, dented, or dinged by its knives, and the higher the value.

Hardwoods, such as maple, often have a more excellent hardness rating and are less prone to damage than softer woods, such as pine, which have a lower value.

Therefore, hardwoods are the better option.

Porosity:

Choose closed-grain woods, which have pores that are not visible to the naked eye, to prevent fluids or germs from penetrating the cutting surface, which could lead to mold growth, warping of the wood, or discoloration.

It’s preferable if the pores are as tiny as possible.

Oak and ash, which have visible pores in their grain structure, are examples of open-grained woods that should be avoided because of their propensity to create a fertile breeding ground for germs quickly.

Toxicity:

Stick to woods that produce edible fruits, nuts, leaves, or sap; these are the only wood types recognized to be acceptable for human consumption. 

Conditioning:

The natural tendency of wood to contract, warp, or split when the humidity in its environment drops can be mitigated by applying mineral oil that is safe for human consumption to cutting boards and butcher blocks made of wood.

After cleaning wooden cutting boards, you should condition them once every three months.

However, some types of wood shrink more quickly than others, so you will need to oil these types of wood more frequently.

Cost:

The type of wood used to produce cutting surfaces can significantly impact their pricing when purchased in a store.

Cutting boards are typically located at the lower end of these ranges, whereas butcher blocks are typically located at the higher end.

Choosing Between Different Types of Wood Grain

Two distinct design options are available for wooden cutting boards: end grain cutting board and edge grain board.

Both of these options are available to purchase. These patterns aren’t just for show; each one offers exceptional durability.

End grain boards and butcher block are four to fifteen times more expensive than edge-grain surfaces.

These surfaces are created by fusing cut wooden board so that the short ends of the boards produce a flat surface that faces up.

The cutting surface is reminiscent of a checkerboard and is formed by the ends of a two by 4.

This is because the short ends of wooden board are where the end grain begins.

Because of the open wood-cell structure of the cutting surface, minor imprints are typically only transient.

This allows the cutting surface to self-heal, which means that it can spring back into shape after having tiny impressions produced on it.

Cutting surfaces with an edge grain are created by fusing cut wooden boards so that the side edges of the boards come together to generate a level surface that is oriented vertically.

The design that can be seen on the surface looks like a succession of long, thin strips, much like the sides of a 2×4.

Even though these cutting boards and butcher blocks are bulkier and, as a result, provide increased stability during the cutting process in comparison to end-grain surfaces, the price of these products is significantly lower than that of end-grain boards because of their more straightforward construction.

On the other hand, because the cutting surface is more rigid and has less give, it has a more significant potential to reduce the sharpness of your knives over time.

It also has a reduced capacity for self-healing, making it more prone to display signs of cutting.

The four best types of wood for making cutting boards

Which type of wood is most suitable for a cutting board?

Only the four most common kinds of wood have been discussed here.

As a result, you are free to investigate the topics discussed earlier.

Maple

It’s not hard to understand why hard Maple is considered the best material for crafting wood boards and good cutting board.

First, it satisfies a large majority of the requirements (factors) covered earlier.

For example, maple trees bear fruit that can be eaten; these fruits are called samaras.

Samaras is an excellent nutrition source because they contain proteins and carbs.

Therefore, you won’t need to be concerned about dangerous contaminants.

Second, maple is a wood that has a suitable amount of hardness.

It has a Janka rating of 1450, which makes it tough enough to avoid dings and scratches while also being flexible enough to prevent knives from becoming overly blunt.

Even better, it’s one of the woods with the highest density.

Because of its closed-end grain design, it is resistant to the accumulation of bacteria and debris.

Additionally, it does a fantastic job of obstructing moisture and liquids.

First and foremost, maple wood is stunning to look at and incredibly easy to work with.

The off-white to amber-yellow color range and subtle grain patterns make this countertop a perfect fit for most kitchen designs.

Unfortunately, maple cutting boards are notoriously tricky to keep stain-free.

Therefore, for instance, if you chop fresh beets or turmeric roots on a cutting board made of maple, the “damage” would be immediately evident.

Because of this, you need to be strategic about how you use the board in the future.

Also, maple cutting boards are more expensive than most wooden cutting boards, ranging from $20 to $150.

Remember to condition your maple cutting board with high-quality mineral oil before using it.

This is quite important because maple contracts in environments with low humidity.

Pros

• The Jank scale measures hardness at 1,450.
• Dense and weighty
• Extremely resistant to scratching
• Beautiful straight granules

Cons

• Quickly absorbs stains (thus high maintenance)
• Requires regular conditioning

Beech wood

To construct a wooden cutting board, beech is another fantastic option.

However, the Janka scale of wood hardness has a rating of 1,300 LFB, indicating that it is a tough wood.

Because of this, you won’t have to be concerned about your cutting board fracturing into two pieces if it falls to the ground by accident.

In addition, the rich pattern of the beech’s wood grain makes it exceptionally resistant to scratches.

In this way, only cypress tops it in terms of quality.

In addition to this, beech has a very high resistance to impact.

A further significant advantage of the rich wood grain pattern is that it does not provide much opportunity for the buildup of soil or microorganisms.

In this way, it is superior to walnut wood and comes close to matching the quality of maple.

Because of this, beechwood cutting boards do not absorb moisture and are simple to disinfect.

The only slight drawback is that the tint, which can range from cream to pink or brown, reveals stains very quickly.

Keep in mind that, in comparison to other types of hardwood, beech contracts the most.

As a result, you need to condition your cutting board at least once each month.

Fortunately, cutting boards made of beech are available at relatively reasonable prices.

Beech cutting boards are the second least expensive option after bamboo, often costing no more than fifteen dollars.

Pros

• Resistance to scratching and wear
• High resistance to being impacted.
• It is simple to clean.
• It does not easily cause knives to become dull.
• Very inexpensive (from $15)

Cons

• A lighter color is more likely to exhibit stains.
• Maintenance regularly is required to prevent shrinkage.

Teak

Everyone is familiar with teak wood.

Because of the high oil content, it has the highest decay resistance of all the natural wood products, making it an excellent material for cutting boards.

Therefore, you shouldn’t be concerned that your teak cutting board will become ruined because it has been subjected to damp conditions for a significant amount of time.

This explains, at least in part, why it’s utilized in the construction of boats and yachts, outdoor furniture, and other buildings.

Even in harsh environmental circumstances, it maintains its incredible durability.

However, this is not the conclusion. In addition to this, teak wood has an extraordinary resistance to scratching.

In this way, it is far superior to walnut wood, and the only other woods that can compete with it are maple and beech.

Keep this in mind.

However, that teakwood includes many levels of the mineral silica.

As a result, it has a greater propensity to dull knife blades far more quickly than any of the other four species of wood on this list.

Teak is more resistant to shrinking than maple, beech, or walnut, which is quite a statement.

Therefore, you only need to condition your hair every three to six months.

However, remember that the same big pores that prevent it from shrinking also make it more susceptible to bacteria, dampness, and stains than the other three options for chopping boards on this list.

Fortunately, the tint, which ranges from orange-brown to dark brown, hides stains quite effectively.

Pros

• It is safe to eat off of teakwood.
• It is very resistant to being scratched.
• It needs to be conditioned twice a year and has the minor shrinkage of all of these alternatives.
• The dark tint does a fantastic job of concealing dirt.

Cons

• Dull knife blades fast
• The big pores are prone to accumulating dirt and microorganisms.
• Extremely pricey, ranging from $150 to $500.

Walnut

Does walnut make for a decent material for cutting boards?

Walnut makes an excellent material for cutting boards.

One of the most appealing characteristics of walnut is their dark color.

Although walnut is not quite as hard as maple, it is nonetheless suitable for manufacturing cutting boards due to its balanced toughness.

Compared to other types of close-grained wood, walnut has the lowest LBF value on the Janka scale, which places it at 1010.

As a result, compared to other premium woods used for chopping boards, it is more prone to scuffing and denting.

If you can take proper care of the board, you won’t have to worry as much about damaging it by denting or scratching it.

The fact that walnut has remarkable durability and resistance to filth and bacteria more than makes up for the fact that it is a softer wood.

Because of the close-grain pattern, it is more difficult for dirt, bacteria, and moisture to become embedded in the wood.

Above all, the dark chocolate hue that results from cutting walnuts gives countertops the appearance of a high-end product without blowing a hole in your budget.

Prices for walnut cutting boards can range anywhere from $20 to $200.

Pros

• A luxurious chocolate appearance
• The close-grain texture inhibits dust and viruses from getting through.
• It does an excellent job of preventing the dulling of knife blades, and it is reasonably priced, considering its remarkable qualities.
• Very little upkeep is required; conditioning is once every half year.

Cons

• It is one of the hardwoods with the smoothest close-grain texture.
• Easily dented and scratched when used roughly.

FAQ on Best Wood For Cutting Board