Best material for Cutting boards – top 5 materials compared

The perfect material for chopping boards is a choice of conscience and preference. There is a touch of style, Tradition, sustainability and durability involved when choosing a cutting board. People choose a board based on various factors. It’s always not necessarily just price that is involved. A good chopping board is a preference based on material and the use of the board itself. We compare the top 5 materials and some more which have been evolving in the past years. Let’s find out why these materials for chopping boards are preferred and compare their benefits with each other.

Material Comparison at a Glance

Wood & Wooden chopping boards

One of the oldest materials used for chopping boards is wood. It is a time-tested material and comes with more options than any other material. May it be in terms of shapes, sizes and the variety of wood, wooden chopping boards is a segment in its own way. The choice of wood varies from location to location. In India alone there are more than 10 prominent varieties of wood used for chopping boards. From Teak wood used for luxury boards to mango wood used for sustainable options, the choice is often confusing in itself. But again, wooden chopping boards are chosen for their benefits too.

Teak wood: They are durable, tough, beautiful and antibacterial. Wood is also self-healing and teak wood with its natural antibacterial features, rich oil content and also being a hardwood is one of the best choices for chopping boards not just in the wood category but overall.

Neem: Known for its medicinal benefits, neem wood is antibacterial hardwood which is traditionally used in India for its medicinal benefits. Neem is fungus-proof, is easy to maintain and a sustainable option. They work well with most foods but is a great choice for cutting meat and fish.

Tamarind: Tougher than teak, dense and used for ages in India, especially South India as a butcher block, Tamarind wood is a professional material used by 1000’s of butchers in Kerala and Tamil Nadu since ages. An affordable hardwood, tamarind wood boards are the first choice among butchers for cutting meat, especially red meat.

Other woods that are commonly used are regional. Commonly used wood in each region differs. For instance, the wood used in the northern areas of India include walnut and sal, which are commonly found in northern and eastern parts of India. These are not widely prevalent and are usually used by locals.

Bamboo cutting boards – Sustainable option

Bamboo is one material which is not used for cutting boards in India traditionally. The use of bamboo is more common in eastern India but they were never used for cutting boards. The use of bamboo in India was more into construction, building of huts and scaffolding in constructions. Some parts of India have seen the use of bamboo in boat building and river boats. Most of the bamboo use was for handcrafted baskets in the handicraft sector. They were never used for chopping vegetables and meat.

The past decade has seen the increase of Bamboo chopping boards and this is mainly imported from China. Bamboo boards are cheaper than wooden boards, more sustainable and bamboo as a material is easily available. The use of bamboo peaked for a while but has now hit a plateau. The construction of the board, its use of adhesives, mostly industrial adhesives and chemicals to build the boards are usually a concern among consumers making it less popular. Nevertheless, Bamboo as a material for chopping boards is versatile and sustainable.

Steel cutting boards – Durable and tough for a longer life

Steel boards have become popular over the past few years. Though it was a material which was used on and off by many home chefs, it was not preferred as a material for chopping boards due to its toughness. They are slippery, noisy and are the last choice for professional chefs. They are on the contrary very hygienic, dishwasher safe and easy to handle. Often lightweight, metal boards make a great cutting board and are becoming a popular material for chopping boards. With that said, it’s still on the bottom of the list of preferred materials for chopping boards. Even with many influencers promoting steel chopping boards, they have failed to reach the top spot among consumers due to various factors. Traditionally, wooden chopping boards were always the choice and people still are attracted to wood due to its aesthetics and durability. This is a big drawback in promoting steel chopping boards. They are bland and have no personality of wood making it less desirable.

Glass cutting boards – Fragile, Dulls knives

Glass is a perfect chopping board material. They are relatively durable but are not knife friendly. They are also prone to chipping and the possibility of accidents of chipped glass entering food is a possibility. They are also hard to handle. Dropping the board will shatter it and this is a high possibility in most households. They are slippery and should be handled with care. But like steel boards, they are dishwasher safe and very hygienic material. The drawbacks of a glass board are much higher than the advantages it provides and is not the preferred choice among most consumers in India.

Plastic chopping boards – Economical

Plastic is one of the most used materials for chopping boards. More than 50% of Indian home chefs use plastic chopping boards. Restaurants are required to use a colour-tagged chopping boards and they use plastic boards for ease of handling and the colour coding. But even with so much popularity, plastic boards are not often the first choice. Plastic as a material is one of the most abundant and thus cheap. Price-conscious consumers usually pick a plastic board. With plastic boards costing less than 150 Rs in most cases and being durable for its cost, plastic is one of the most common materials which is common in Indian households. This is changing slowly with more consumers preferring premium material and awareness of the harmful effect of plastic. More consumers are moving to higher quality material, mostly steel which is slightly more expensive but more durable and sustainable option. Plastic is also known to be less hygienic, prone to warping and bending over time if not the right thickness. A thick plastic board is also more expensive comparatively the same as a decent wooden board and more than most bamboo boards.

Stone cutting boards – Hard to move, not knife friendly

A lesser known and preferred choice for chopping boards is stone. Various materials are used for chopping boards ranging from marble, granite and even slate. The varieties are wide but they are mostly expensive when crafted well and they are not easy to handle. They are dishwasher safe but it’s rarely washed. They are hard to carry making it more of a board which is wiped clean more often than washed. Carrying them is tiresome. They are definitely a great choice for people who want to keep their kitchen aesthetics in perfection. Matching their countertops with the chopping board makes the stone boards to keep your kitchen aesthetical is one of the few reasons why home chefs go for a stone cutting board.

 Pros And Cons By material

Too many options are often confusing. Understanding the pros and cons of each material and knowing the purpose of your cutting boards narrow your selection much more easily. For cutting meat, you will need a more durable board, which will stay in place and is antibacterial. A board which is dishwasher safe is often ideal but not an option when it comes to wood and bamboo. That is a definite drawback in wooden and bamboo boards. But wood makes up for its fault with being antibacterial, durable and lasting more than most boards made from plastic and bamboo. With that said, you need to look into all the other factors too.

Wooden boards: they are gentle on knives and depending on the construction, end grain vs edge grain, they tend to be more knife friendly. End grain boards keep your knives sharper than edge grain boards but even an edge grain board will be better than plastic, bamboo and other materials. Wood definitely is captivating when it comes to aesthetics. They are beautiful. With end grain construction they are more geometric while edge grain boards in wood like teak brings out the natural beauty of wood. With proper care, they last years, often 10–15 years. When they are scratched, you can simply sand them and use them for another year. Repeat the process every 6 months or a year and you will have a new board every time. Unfortunately wooden boards require maintenance. They can stain, especially the lighter woods like tamarind and wood like teak can definitely be a lot more expensive than 10 plastic boards combined.

Plastic boards: Plastic boards are preferred among most commercial institutions hotels and restaurants due to the requirement for a color coded chopping board. They are also non-porous, easy to manage and dishwasher safe. Being light and affordable, they are one of the easiest boards which can be replaced frequently and they are easy to handle in a busy kitchen. They are perfect for raw meat as long as they do not develop deep knife grooves. They require immediate replacement when they have a lot of cut marks which can trap bacteria over time. Plastic though durable, requires to be of good quality (HDPE Preferred) as thinner boards will warp with heat exposure. They are not aesthetically pleasing and are not a great piece to show off in any kitchen. As they age they get terrible to look at. If you are one of those professionals with expensive knives, you may want to keep away from plastic boards. They dull your knives quicker.

Composite boards: these are trending lately and come in a range of blends. There are wood composites, resins, paper and more. They are easier to clean and are durable. Most composite boards are dishwasher safe and claim to be heat resistant too. Unfortunately they are hard, expensive and their appearance degrades over time. Also composite boards are relatively new in the market and only time will tell if they are good or bad.

Glass, stone, ceramic and steel: all these boards are excellent when it comes to hygiene and strength. Glass is brittle and may be prone to chipping and cracking. Stone is too heavy to move around and hard to handle. Steel is the best option among all three. All three of them are dishwasher safe. They are also stain and odor resistant. Aesthetic appeal is good on stone but steel and glass are not as good. Knife friendliness is a big drawback on all these boards. Personally, steel is the only material in the group which is even worth considering.

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