Wooden boards are not just a serving food preparation surface, stored away in kitchen drawers, they can also be stunning statement pieces to display in your home. A trend in 2023 is to display your wood boards in a group as a wooden cutting board gallery wall. You can also just stack a few cutting boards of different sizes for a collected look (bonus: you can also hide plugs or anything unattractive about your wall or counter space that you’d rather cover up).

How do you choose the best wood for you?

Of course, the main requirement is a flat surface for chopping, cutting and dicing! Beyond that there are a myriad of different styles, different sizes, different colors and a variety of wood species (different types of wood) to choose from. At the end of the day, choosing the right cutting board really comes down to personal preference and what you intend to use the board for most. For example, if you frequently grill meat or prepare roasts, you’ll want to ensure your board has a deep juice groove (also called a drip groove) to collect the juices while you carve keeping your counters and table neat and tidy. If you want only the very best surface for your knives, you’ll want to look for an end grain board.

In terms of ranking to determine “the best material,” we’ll start with what the professionals use and explain why they prefer the boards they do, but we’ll also explain other options so you can draw your own conclusion. Afterall, the characteristics that a professional sous chef appreciates in a board are going to be different from a college student who is short on both space and time. The casual home cooks who hate hand washing may opt for a plastic board because it can go in the dishwasher after use. The bartender may opt for a wooden bar board (a smaller board) that will fit behind the bar as it just needs to be big enough to cut citrus or other garnishes for drinks. Since we don't know what is the most important factor for you, we will outline the key features of each type of board and let you make the call.

Teak

Teak is renowned for its strength, durability, and resistance to cracking, staining or warping thanks to naturally oily resins that helped condition the board. Best of all, like other hardwood boards, it naturally inhibits bacterial growth. A teak board will stand up to heavy use and will last a long time. Pictured on the right is an end grain teak cutting board. The end grain board is the best choice if you want to be kind as possible to your knives.

Aesthetic: 5/5
Color: golden-brown color (may be darker or lighter depending on grade and source)
At size: 15” x 20” x 1½, weight: 12 lbs
Hardness: 1000 lbf
Sanitary: 5/5
Source: Southeast Asia
Dishwasher safe: No

Maple

John Boos maple cutting board: “Great for chopping, using it as a charcuterie board, truly everything.”

Maple is hard to beat in terms of aesthetics. The warm golden hues and the grain pattern make these an especially attractive choice if you want your cutting board to double as a serving platter.

Aesthetic: 4/5 (light color makes it more susceptible to stains)
Color: off-white or cream color, sometimes with a golden hue
At size: 15” x 20” x 1½, weight: 10 lbs
Hardness: 1450 lbf
Sanitary: 5/5
Source: United States or Europe
Dishwasher safe: No

Beech

Beech wood is a popular choice for cutting boards because it is strong and fine-pored. Due to its smaller pores, beech wood is less susceptible to visible knife marks and discoloration, even though beech is very light in color. The one caveat with beech is that it is relatively maintenance-intensive. While all wood cutting boards require conditioning occasionally, with beech wood, you have to oil the board more regularly to prevent warping.

Aesthetic: 4/5 (light color makes it more susceptible to stains)
Color: off-white or cream color, sometimes with a golden hue
When size is: 15” x 20” x 1½, weight is: 8 lbs
Hardness: 1300 lbf
Sanitary: 5/5
Source: United States or Europe
Dishwasher safe: No

Walnut

Walnut is our personal favorite for its warm, rich dark color but where walnut really stands out is its wood grain. Walnut’s wood grain is typically straight but can be curly or wavy; this figured grain pattern adds depth and warmth. Like the other wooden boards, it boasts anti-microbial properties. Because it’s not as hard as some of the other hardwood boards, it’s kinder to your knife's edges too.

Aesthetic: 5/5
Color: warm, rich chocolate brown to deep espresso dark brown
At size: 15” x 20” x 1½, weight: 10 lbs
Hardness: 1,010 lbf
Sanitary: 5/5
Source: United States
Dishwasher safe: No

Bamboo

If buying products that are sustainably sourced, bamboo is the top choice in the cutting board category. Bamboo is not technically a hardwood, but it’s made from a grass species. Unfortunately, its hardness score is at the high end of the acceptable range (900-1,500) so it will be hard on your knives. Also, food-grade bamboo cutting boards are less hygienic than wood. The surface of bamboo tends to become worn over time, which means bacteria may proliferate if not properly sanitized.

Aesthetic: 5/5
Color: yellow to light brown
At size: 15” x 20” x 1½, weight: 3 lbs 3 oz
Hardness: 1,400 lbf
Sanitary: 2/5
Source: United States
Dishwasher safe: No

Composite

Composite wood cutting board. Unlike other wood boards, this one can be cleaned in the dishwasher.

Composite boards are made from a combination of phenolic resins and wood fibers. They do not offer the same aesthetic value as teak, maple, beech or walnut but unlike those hardwoods, a composite board is both light weight and dishwasher safe.

Aesthetic: 3/5
Color: light brown
At size: 15” x 20” x ½, weight: 13 oz
Hardness: unknown
Sanitary: 5/5
Dishwasher safe: Yes

Plastic

With these OXO plastic cutting boards, you can just pop it in the dishwasher when you’re done using it.

Plastic boards are not particularly good for your knives nor are they as good looking as the hardwood boards. They do, however, come in a wide variety of sizes, all of which will be light weight and dishwasher safe. Plastic boards will have cut marks that are visible to the naked eye. These can harbor bacteria so you need to be extra diligent about sanitation, keep separate boards for different uses and replace them frequently.

Aesthetic: 1/5
Color: varies
At size: 15” x 20” x ½, weight: 13 oz
Hardness: unknown
Sanitary: 0/5 and up
Dishwasher safe: Yes

Why is the “hardness” of wood a factor?

The surface of the board will either be rigid and unforgiving or offer a little bit of give. Simply put, the more unforgiving, the more it will dull the edge of your knives.

How do you measure hardness? The hardness of the wood can be measured by referencing the Janka hardness rating. The best woods for cutting boards fall between 900 and 1500 on the Janka hardness scale. The measurement unit is pounds of force or “lbf.” The lower the number, the softer the wood.

Is wood really sanitary though?

If you're like us and handling raw meat gives you "the ick," rest assured that it is in fact possible to sanitize your wooden board without the use of harsh detergents or bleach.

The fact it is, Mother Nature designed trees with resilience in mind. In 2019, new research was conducted by Mechanical Science and Engineering Professor Nenad Miljkovic and his research laboratory at the University of Illinois. This team of scientists found that the Maple cutting boards kill bacteria. Data gathered by the team concluded that the after cleaning and applying wood conditioner “antimicrobial, hydrophobic surface that decreased their surface bacteria to a ‘clean level’ in just three hours.”

That said, a wooden board is not “self cleaning.” A little care and maintenance will go a long way to ensuring years of use and keeping the board surface clean.

Cleaning and maintaining a wood cutting board

Immediately after use, you will want to take proper care.

Step 1: Find the scrubbing tool of choice and wet it with warm soapy water.
Step 2: Using a circular motion completely clean the board surface.
Step 3: Rinse the board (tip: do not submerge the board in water as this could cause wood warping.)
Step 4: Immediately towel dry (believe it or not you may even find a squeegee in professional kitchens!)

After frequent use, it's a good idea to periodically condition the board. Mineral oil seems to be the industry standard, but we prefer coconut oil and beeswax because they condition the board without the use of petroleum by products.

Cutting boards: Which wood is best? Updated for 2023