A reliable cutting board is essential in any kitchen, offering plenty of space and easy maintenance. For plastic, we recommend the OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board. For wood, try the Teakhaus Edge Grain Professional Carving Board with Juice Canal (15″ by 20″). Both are durable, knife-friendly, and resist stains, odors, and warping, even after years of use.
Everything we recommend
After 150+ hours of research, interviews with chefs and experts, and testing over 30 cutting boards, we’ve found the best options.
OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board
The best plastic cutting board
This plastic board resists warping, staining, and odors better than others we tested, with rubber feet for stability and a groove that effectively collects liquids.
The OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board is spacious, easy to clean, and has rubber feet to prevent slipping. Its juice groove effectively holds liquid.
Teakhaus Medium Professional Carving Board with Juice Canal 109
The best wood cutting board
This eco-friendly teak board feels great under a knife and is easier to maintain than other wood boards, though it requires more careful cleaning than plastic.
For a wooden option, choose the Teakhaus Edge Grain Carving Board. It’s durable enough for smooth cuts without dulling knives and resists moisture better than other woods.
OXO Good Grips Utility Cutting Board
A mid-size plastic board
The smaller OXO cutting board has rubber feet for stability, just like the larger version.
For small spaces or quick tasks, the 10.39-by-14.78-inch OXO Good Grips Utility Cutting Board is ideal. It has rubber feet for stability, resists warping, stains, and odors, and works well for chopping smaller items. Its juice groove holds moderate liquids but isn’t large enough for a whole roast’s drippings.
Teakhaus Edge Grain Professional Carving Board with Juice Canal (12″ by 16″)
A mid-size wood board
This smaller Teakhaus board has a deep juice canal and hand grooves, like the larger version.
The smaller 12″x16″ Teakhaus Edge Grain Board is a good choice if the main board is too large or costly. Though more compact, it’s suitable for most tasks and has a ¾-inch juice canal that holds 6 ounces. At 1.5 inches thick, it resists warping and is lighter, making it easier to handle.
How we picked
Experts recommend having a cutting board that is at least 15 inches on one side to accommodate multiple ingredients at once.
Wood boards come in two styles: end grain and edge grain. End-grain boards, made from glued-together board ends, are gentle on knives and self-heal over time, but are more prone to drying and cracking. Edge-grain boards, like the Teakhaus we recommend, are made from the sides of boards glued in alternating strips. They are harder on knives but more durable and easier to clean.
For this guide, we focused on teak boards, as they are more moisture-resistant and require less maintenance than other wood types. Plastic boards are made of either high-density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP). HDPE is softer and more flexible, while polypropylene is harder but more brittle.
We also tested composite materials like Richlite, as well as granite and glass boards, though the latter are tougher on knives. We looked for boards with juice grooves to collect liquids but noted that absorbent towels are still helpful for carving juicy meats.
To maximize surface area, we avoided boards with handles that cut into the sides. We also favored thicker wood boards with finger grooves for easier lifting. Stability was a priority, with heavier wood boards less likely to slide, while lighter plastic boards tend to be more unstable. We sought plastic boards with grippy feet or borders to ensure they stayed in place during use.
While the appearance of a cutting board matters if you plan to leave it on the counter, how it feels under a knife and how easily it cleans and stores are more important factors.
Ultimately, we found that a combination of form, function, and feel should guide your decision more than a strict focus on knife edge retention. The impact of one plastic board on your knife’s edge compared to another is minimal, especially when balanced against other factors like acidity, food interaction, and the general wear and tear of kitchen use. Knife edge retention was certainly considered, and one of our chef experts highlighted its importance. However, with regular sharpening and maintenance, no cutting board we tested will cause significant edge damage during meal prep.
After extensive testing of over 30 wood, plastic, composite, and rubber boards, we eliminated those that were either too small, too large or thick for most kitchens, or difficult to consistently find and purchase.
The best wood cutting board
A mid-size plastic board
A mid-size wood board
