The Right Cutting Board for Your Kitchen Knives
The wrong cutting board blunts any knife faster. Which material protects the blade – and which destroys it.
The cutting board is often underestimated
Nothing else in the kitchen comes into contact with a knife as much as the cutting board. If you invest in a good knife and then cut on the wrong board, you throw away most of that investment. The cutting board is just as important as the knife itself.
The three most common materials – and their effect on the blade
Wood – the best choice
Wooden cutting boards are gentle on blades because the wood gives slightly and doesn’t stress the edge as much as hard materials. Wooden boards also have natural antibacterial properties – bacteria do get into the cut marks, but they die off as the wood dries.
Which wood? Hard, dense woods such as maple, beech or walnut are best. They are less prone to deep cut marks and easier to clean. Soft woods absorb moisture and crack more easily.
Care: Never put wooden boards in the dishwasher. Washing by hand with warm water and oiling occasionally with food-safe mineral oil or wood care oil keeps the board in good condition.
Plastic – useful for certain tasks
Plastic boards (polypropylene) are easy to clean and dishwasher safe – which makes them practical for raw meat and fish, where thorough hygiene is especially important. That’s why many professional kitchens use colour-coded plastic boards for different food groups.
For the blade, plastic boards are worse than wood: they are harder, develop deeper cut marks over time and blunt the edge faster.
Glass and ceramic – please avoid
Glass and ceramic boards are hygienic and look good – and they’re a nightmare for any knife blade. The hard surface acts like a grinding wheel: every cut rubs material off the edge. After a few weeks on a glass board, even a high-quality kitchen knife is noticeably blunter.
If your knife matters to you, use glass and ceramic boards only for serving and presentation – not for cutting.
End grain or edge grain?
There’s one more difference with wooden cutting boards: on end-grain boards, the cutting surface shows the wood’s growth rings. The knife slips between the open wood fibres and is hardly stressed when you draw it out. End-grain boards are the gentlest option for the blade, but also more expensive and harder to care for.
Edge-grain boards (the most common type) are cheaper and perfectly adequate for most uses.
What size is right?
As big as possible – that’s the simple answer. A small board forces you to cut in cramped conditions, which is imprecise and dangerous. For a chef’s knife with a 20 cm blade, the board should be at least 35 × 25 cm, ideally 40 × 30 cm.
Conclusion
A wooden cutting board is the best choice for your knife’s edge. Plastic is an acceptable compromise for preparing meat. Glass and ceramic should be avoided for cutting.
You’ll find more knife care tips in our guide Kitchen knife care and in our Knife Glossary.
