Kitchen gear · Updated July 2026
The Best Cutting Board Is Two Cutting Boards
Almost everyone asks the wrong question. It's not wood versus plastic, because the right answer is one of each. Wood is kinder to your knife and, weirdly, kinder to your gut — its grain traps and kills surface bacteria on its own. But you can't sanitize it in the dishwasher, which is exactly where a board that touched raw chicken needs to go. So the smart kitchen keeps a good wood board for everything and a cheap plastic one for meat. That second board costs about $15 and ends the cross-contamination debate permanently.
This guide is built around that split. The overall pick is the wood board you'll use for 90% of your prep, the budget pick is the plastic board that handles the raw protein, and the upgrade is a gorgeous slab you absolutely do not need. Buy the first two and you're done for a decade.
Heads up: if you buy through links on this page we may earn a small commission, at no cost to you. It's how Dishcern stays free.
Teakhaus by Proteak Edge Grain Cutting Board (24" x 18") ~$130
Teak carries more natural oil than maple, so it shrugs off water and asks for far less babying than the pricier butcher blocks. The 24-by-18 slab gives you room to actually break down a chicken or push a pile of diced onion aside without it avalanching off the edge. America's Test Kitchen has called it the last cutting board you'll buy, and at 15 pounds it does not slide around while you work. The catch: it's a two-hand lift to the sink and never goes near a dishwasher. Wipe it with mineral oil a few times a year and it outlives your stove.
Why it wins
- Teak's high oil content resists water and warping better than maple
- 24x18 surface breaks down a whole chicken without crowding
- Wood grain closes over knife cuts and spares your edge
- FSC-certified sustainable teak
Know before you buy
- 15 lbs and too big for any dish rack — hand-wash only
- Wants a wipe of food-grade mineral oil a few times a year
- Costs more than the plastic board you also need for raw meat
OXO Good Grips Utility Cutting Board ~$15
Buy this even if you own the teak. Raw chicken belongs on plastic you can blast in the dishwasher, not on wood you hand-wash and hope for the best. It runs about $15, has a juice groove that catches the run-off, and non-slip edges that keep it from skating across the counter. Yes, plastic scars faster than wood and dulls a knife a hair quicker. For meat duty, that's the correct trade — and when it looks too gouged, you're out $15, not $130.
Why it wins
- Dishwasher-safe, so it's the right board for raw chicken and fish
- About $15 means replacing a scarred one costs nothing
- Juice groove and grippy non-slip edges built in
Know before you buy
- Plastic scars, and knife grooves can harbor bacteria
- Duller on your knife edge than wood over the long run
- Thin enough to flex a little if you really bear down
John Boos RA03 Reversible Maple Cutting Board (24" x 18") ~$200
The American maple answer to the teak, and the board woodworkers actually covet. It's 2.25 inches of hard rock maple, 30 pounds, made in Illinois since 1887. Maple is denser and firmer under the blade than teak, which some cooks swear by. But it also drinks water, so you're oiling this one monthly instead of a couple times a year, and $200 buys a board that chops no better than the $130 Teakhaus. Pay for it because you want an heirloom, not because it performs.
Why it wins
- 2.25 inches of dense hard maple — a true heirloom, made in USA
- Thick enough to sand flat again decades from now
- Firmer, more solid feel under the knife than teak
Know before you buy
- 30 lbs, so it lives in one spot and stays there
- Maple absorbs water; it needs oiling monthly, not seasonally
- Around $70 more than the teak for no cutting advantage
Frequently asked
Wood or plastic cutting board — which is better?
Both, for different jobs. Use wood for produce, bread, and anything cooked; it's gentler on knife edges and its grain naturally traps and kills surface bacteria. Use a dishwasher-safe plastic board for raw meat, poultry, and fish, where you want to sanitize at high heat. Owning both costs about $15 more than owning one and settles the cross-contamination question for good.
Do wood cutting boards hold bacteria?
Less than people fear. A UC Davis study found bacteria left on a wood surface died off on their own within hours, while the same bacteria survived in the knife grooves of plastic. Wood isn't magic — wash it with hot soapy water and dry it upright — but it's not the germ trap it's made out to be. Just keep raw meat on the plastic board and this stops being a worry.
How do I keep a wood cutting board from cracking?
Oil it and never soak it. Rub food-grade mineral oil (not olive oil, which turns rancid) into the wood monthly for maple and a few times a year for teak. Hand-wash it, then stand it on edge to dry so both faces get air. The dishwasher is what kills wood boards — the heat and pooled water split them straight down the middle.