If you cook at home as much as I do then you know, the importance of a good cutting board. Cheap wood cutting boards will warp and plastic ones are hard to keep clean. That’s why it’s important to invest in a quality cutting board.
In this article, we’re going to talk about the best wood for cutting boards that you should look at. So let’s get right to it.
Table of Contents
Best Wood For Cutting Boards Comparison Table
Top 5 Wood For Cutting Boards On The Market 2020 Reviews
Maple Cutting Board
Maple is a hardwood, sometimes known as hard maple, sugar maple, and even rock maple.
Unlike other hardwoods, the sapwood of maple is used more often than it’s heartwood. The color is usually a lighter white or off-white cream color. Sometimes it could even have a reddish or golden tint as well.
The grain, while can have a wavy fine texture, is usually straight. Maplewood is fairly easy to work with that’s why it is a commonly popular choice for a cutting board.
Maple cutting boards are usually moderately priced compared to some other more expensive types of wood.
It’s also used in butcher blocks as well, so you know it would do just fine as a cutting board if it can handle the beating from the butcher.
American Beech Wood
Beechwood is also usually a lighter color usually pale or cream. Sometimes it can even have a brownish hue.
The grain is very straight with a pretty uniform texture. There aren’t any waves in it like the other types of wood.
Let’s be honest, beechwood is pretty bland when you look at it.
However, this is probably why it’s undergrad if you consider the strength and hardness that you get compared to the cost. It can provide excellent value for your cutting board.
It is normally a little bit cheaper than the hard maple as well. This particular cutting board is handcrafted in Italy from the second generation craftsmen.
It’s coated with a food-safe varnish and should provide you for many years of the cutting surface in your kitchen.
Teak
Teakwood tends to have a little more color than the first two, usually gold in or medium brown, especially if you use a stain.
Its grain is usually straight and coarse with an uneven texture.
Teakwood has a little more of an oily feel due to the natural oils inside of it.
Because of that, it is very resistant to rot, due to the water exposure over time.
It’s very easy to work with teak but it has a high level of silica which is actually known to blunt the edge of your knife.
So teak cutting boards are usually better for serving platters or maybe an embroidered gift for someone but not necessarily cutting on it.
Teakwood is usually more expensive, but this cutting board actually happens to be pretty fairly priced.
Black Walnut
Black walnut wood is pretty dark with usually almost a dark chocolate color and even darker brown streaks. Its grain is mostly straight and has a medium texture.
It is a popular cut of wood that is used in a variety of items, therefore it is in high demand so prices can sometimes be inflated.
It is widely recognized as one of the most long lasting food prep surfaces.
This particular cutting board is very smooth around the edges and perfect for slicing, mincing, dicing, and chopping your food.
If you regularly apply their suggested oil and cream you can also add an additional protective layer against bacterial fluids that might build up on the surface over time.
They also offer a one year guarantee against defects and workmanship.
Cherry
Sometimes known as sweet cherry, wild cherry, and European cherry. Cherry wood is a light almost pink and brown when freshly cut and darkens to a golden brown with time and light exposure.
It has a very fine texture while it’s grain is usually slightly wavy.
The heartwood of the cherry tree is also moderately durable, making it great for food prep surfaces. Because it is easy to work with, it is a popular choice for cutting boards.
It’s usually only sold in smaller lots because of its availability so the price can be more expensive at times.
This particular cutting board is actually reversible, so you can use both sides with handgrips on either end, making it easy to flip over.
It’s only one and a half inches thick, which is a little bit thinner than some of the other cutting boards; however, it will still get the job done.
They used a high-quality edge green linear construction, so this board lasts for years to come.
Buying Guide
Obviously, we can show you some nice cutting boards of each type of wood, but what does that really mean? Check out each section below to see what you should be looking for.
The Grain
The grain is mainly responsible for the look and feel of your cutting board. They can either be straight and parallel or wavy.
Sometimes they’re even spiral or interlocked.
They also provide the texture and how the wood feels.
So even with the same amount of sanding one type of wood might feel different than the other.
The grain also gives the wood its luster, which is how much light it’s going to reflect. Certain types of wood would look glossy versus flat.
The Thickness
The thickness of the cutting board. Really determines the quality of your cutting board.
Most commercial cutting boards are between a half to one inch thick where the nicer boards will be from one and a half to two inches.
If you really want something that’s quality you should look for at least two inches of thickness.
Weight
Weight is really going to depend on several factors like how thick you’re cutting board is and what type of wood you purchased.
However, you want something with a good amount of weight, so it doesn’t slide when you are using it.
Cleaning
Most of these cutting boards should be fairly easy to clean and they are not dishwasher safe as the water exposure would damage the wood.
However, some may require more maintenance with oils and such and can be something to consider.
Which Woods Are Not Recommended?
There are some woods not to use for your cutting board because of certain characteristics
Oak
Oak is in fact a hardwood, however, it has very large pores, and over time these would absorb water and cause damage and they’re also visible to the naked eye.
Mahogany
Mahogany is a wood that has some environmental concerns and can be complicated to extract this wood.
There are questions about the destruction of the habitat and deforestation. So you should avoid any cutting board made of this just for environmental concerns.
Rosewood
Some woods have a certain level of toxicity which is why it is not recommended they be used. Rosewood is a good example of this. Some people are sensitive to the oils that it contains.
And while this probably wouldn’t be something of a huge concern for most people, some are just more sensitive to it than others.
Conclusion
Hopefully, we didn’t confuse you too much with all this information regarding the best wood for cutting boards.
If you stick with one of the top five that we recommended you will be just fine.
However, you should always do your own research and decide which qualities are best for you.
If you happen to use one of these cutting boards listed above, please let us know how you like it in the comments below.
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