We generally recommend wooden cutting boards due to their durability, longevity, and ease on knives (hard plastic can quickly dull a blade). That said, plastic is less expensive and easier to maintain.
To preserve the sharpness of your knives, it's generally recommended to use cutting boards made from softer materials, such as wood, bamboo, or plastic. These materials are less abrasive and help maintain the knife's edge.
Wood is the best material for knife blades. It is also the most sanitary, believe it or not. A good wooden butcher block that is cared for will last decades or even centuries. As a general rule, maple is considered the golden standard, with cherry and walnut being good woods as well.
Generally plastic cutting boards are harder on knives than wood. Wood is the way to go from all aspects (hygiene, durability, heftiness, knife-friendliness). Only downside is the price.
Maple might be considered the best wood for cutting boards. Maple cutting boards won't dull knife blades but are scratch resistant. Maple wood is often more affordable because it is native to North America, growing in (sometimes) harsher conditions like the Midwest, lending to a larger supply of product.
The Advantages of Maple Wood
It's durable, thanks to its small pores, which ensures a long-lasting cutting board surface that resists everyday wear and tear. This variety of wood is a naturally hard material which preserves the surface of the board and protects your knives from becoming dull.
Rubber cutting boards are a favorite among professional chefs for a reason: They're soft on knife blades (which means they won't dull your knives as fast), anti-slip, nonporous, easy to hand wash, and incredibly durable.
Never cut on glass, ceramic or countertops. Those surfaces are harder than a knife's edge and will quickly dull the blade. It's what you cut on that dulls knives, not what you're cutting.
They are easy to clean but every time the knife comes into contact with the board it will damage the edge. That is why we believe that a cutting board made from glass or stone is not suitable and we recommend that you only use these types of boards as serving boards.
They Dull Your Knives
It's simply too hard a material for most knives to withstand. As your knife cuts through your carrots, onions, or any other food, the blade will knock against the glass, which will dull the sharp edge you've worked so hard to maintain.
Hardwoods (like this maple cutting board from Boos) are better at resisting bacteria. "Hardwoods like maple are fine-grained, and the capillary action of those grains pulls down fluid, trapping the bacteria—which are killed off as the board dries after cleaning,” says Ben Chapman, a food safety researcher at NC State.
Soak a clean, white cloth with either pure white vinegar or three percent hydrogen peroxide. Wipe down the board thoroughly and let sit for a few minutes. If there are stains or odors, sprinkle kosher salt or baking soda onto the board, and rub with the cut side of a lemon to clean and deodorize.
Serrated knives are designed to cut through tough surfaces like bread crusts, and their "sawing" action can damage a wood cutting board by leaving deep scars or causing splinters.
The superior board of all the available wood boards is the end grain cutting board. Made from hard woods including cherry, maple, cedar, walnut and teak and traditionally used in the manufacture of butchers' blocks, end grain boards are glued pieces of wood with the grain perpendicular to the surface of the board.
Professional chefs use various methods, such as whetstones, honing rods, and electric sharpeners, to maintain their blades. Understanding the different types of chef knives and their uses further enhances your culinary skills.
Rubber cutting boards are the material of choice in professional kitchens— and for good reason. They're softer and have more give, so they won't dull your knives like a harder surface. They also won't crack, swell in the heat, warp or absorb liquids and odors.
The healthiest cutting board material is typically glass/stone or wood (hardwood, not softwood). These materials are either nonporous or have antimicrobial properties that make them more resistant to bacterial growth.
Stainless steel is a very hard material that isn't very knife-friendly. This means the sharp edge of your knife will become blunter faster than other materials like wood or plastic. Stainless steel cutting boards are very smooth and uniform — sometimes to a fault.
Most acrylic boards are OK for knives, but wood is best. Wooden cutting boards should only be washed by hand with hot soapy water and dried immediately. They should never be left to soak in water. Minor stains and odors can be removed with lemon juice and by rubbing the stain with salt.
The Misono Sweden Steel Series knives are celebrated for their exceptional precision and durability. These knives are crafted from premium Swedish carbon steel and offer outstanding edge retention and sharpness.
Salt, humidity and heat are a disaster for your knife. Never leave your wet knife in a sink or on a work surface. Sharpen your knives from time to time. That prevents pit corrosion on the cutting edge.
In addition to their cutting ability, serrated knives are also known for their durability. Because the teeth on the blade are not as fine as those on a straight-edged knife, they are less likely to dull quickly. This means that serrated knives often go longer between sharpenings than other knives in your kitchen.
Celebrity chef Gordon Ramsay gives the John Boos chopping board a big tick of approval, so you can rest assured it's up to the job. While Ramsay's favourite wooden cutting board is the extra thick version, be warned it costs a pretty penny.
Although very beautiful and functional, they require proper sanitation and careful maintenance. Being, in fact, the wood is a living and porous material, it is not advisable to sanitize the cutting board daily, as this could risk the proliferation of germs and bacteria.
Stick with wood or plastic cutting boards to keep your knives in good condition. Our testers all agreed that wood boards felt better than plastic under a knife—and the professional chefs Wirecutter spoke with said they mostly used wood blocks over plastic boards.