Searching for a new cutting board should never be overwhelming. It is a chance to experiment and find new kitchen equipment and discover new kitchen techniques. Something like a treasure hunt that helps you get to the tastiest food possible. If you’re hungry for food and a little adventure, let’s get you a new oak cutting board to pamper your taste buds.
Oak Wood: Why and Why Not?
This is a controversial type of wood to use in a cutting board. It has a lot going for it, but it also has a few qualities that keep it from being the best choice of wood for this type of kitchen tool. You’re going to have to weigh the pros and cons of oak wood and decide for yourself if you like this option.
Pros of an Oak Wood Cutting Board
- They are very hard and durable
- They come in long grain and end grain options
- They can be personalized
- They come in a variety of colors
Cons of an Oak Wood Cutting Board
- They are porous and will soak liquid into the open grains, creating an environment that produces mold and bacteria
- They are hard on knives
Cutting Board Features: To Have or Have Not?
There are a few essential features of all cutting boards that you should consider before setting out to purchase a new one. Once you know what features a cutting board should have, you will be able to make an easy and informed decision for your kitchen.
Handles
A cutting board that features a handle or two is far easier to hold while chopping and while carrying from the countertop to the table. Consider how a cutting board with a handle will make your food prep easier.
Juice Grooves
A cutting board that features juice grooves is going to limit countertop messes. These grooves are placed just along the outer edges of the boards so that they can stop excess liquids from flooding over and messing up your kitchen.
Knife Friendliness
A cutting board that is knife-friendly is a great asset to have since it will protect your other kitchen equipment from damage. Of course, oak wood is not considered a knife-friendly option, so you will have to decide how precious your knives are.
Size, Weight, & Style
Don’t forget to consider how large and heavy a cutting board is. A cutting board that is too big or heavy for you may not be easy to use, and consequently, you may choose to leave it stored away. On the flip side, a cutting board that is not big or heavy enough can slide and wobble on countertops, creating an unsafe food prep area.
Style is totally up to you. Wooden cutting boards come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, so don’t limit yourself to something that doesn’t inspire you. In fact, look for items that allow you to customize them to your liking.
The Best in the Marketplace: Which One is for You?
Now that we have covered the basics of why you should choose an oak wood cutting board and what features to consider getting for your cutting board, we can begin to search the marketplace. In the following list, I’ve pulled together seven of my favorite oak cutting boards for sale. I found one that I really love and I hope you will too.
The following criteria are what I used to gather my cutting board recommendations:
- Features – I tried to gather cutting boards that showcased all the features cutting boards offer.
- Price – I looked for cutting boards that were reasonably priced, but didn’t set a strict price range.
- Ratings & Reviews – I attempted to find cutting boards that had at least a 4-star rating. If this was not possible, I made sure the shop selling the cutting board had a 4-star rating.
- Size & Weight – I gathered cutting boards in a wide variety of sizes and weights with the hope that everyone will find the perfectly sized and weighted board for their kitchen.
- Warranties & Return Policies – I wanted to ensure that this purchase would not be risky, so I looked for shops that had good return policies for their products. If the return policy was evident on the site, I included this in the description.
Handmade Oak Cutting Board
Woodworking is an art form that requires knowledge and skill. Evidence of this is found in this handmade oak cutting board from Generation Woodwork. The highlights of this board are the elegant long grains running from tip to tip and the lovely handle to piece it all together.
While this particular cutting board does not come with any customer reviews, it is safe to say that you will get a high-quality product from this shop. Customers have given the shop a 5-star rating and have commented on the seller’s craftsmanship and overall friendliness.
Measurements: 21” L x 22” W x 0.75” H
Weight: Unstated
Pros
- Reasonably priced
- Design features a handle for easy storage or display
- Shipping is free
- Seller is available for direct communication
Cons
- There is no mention of a return policy for this item
Personalized Oak Cutting Board With Storage Bins
When it comes to having a place for everything and everything in its place, Wood Card Gifts got it right with their personalized oak cutting board with storage bins. You don’t want to miss out on a cutting board like this. It is one-of-a-kind, it perfectly handcrafted, and it will definitely keep your mise en plas neat and clean.
Measurements: 18\” L x 12\” W x 1.6\” H
Weight: Unstated
Pros
- Free personalization offered
- Shipping is free
- Returns and exchanges are accepted
- Seller is available for direct communication
- Sold with or without storage bins
Cons
- No customer reviews of this product, but the shop has a 5-star rating
- This is an expensive item
White Oak Cutting Board
The simplicity of this white oak cutting board by Nina’s Projects captured and captivated my immediate attention. With a design this basic, you might think it is a subpar product with neither vivacity nor style. You’d be mistaken.
This shop knows how to design and create great-looking items that function just as well as they look. A simple cutting board such as this one shows quality craftsmanship in what it leaves out and what it includes. It is stunning.
Measurements: 10” L x 7.5” W
Weight: Unstated
Pros
- Shipping is free
- Design features a hole for displaying or storing the cutting board on hooks
- Seller is available for direct communication
Cons
- No customer reviews of this product
- No mention of a shop return policy for this product
Oak and Resin Chopping Board
For a splash of color, Make Woodwork UK has offered up this lovely oak and resin chopping board. Pair this with a vintage kitchen setting and you’ll be blissfully swept away into a by-gone era.
While this particular cutting board has yet to receive a review, the shop itself is rated as a 5-star place. Because of customer reviews of the shop and other sold items, this is really not much of a risky purchase. Plus, you can always contact the seller directly with any questions or concerns.
Measurements: 14.5” L x 10.8” W x 0.9” H
Weight: Unstated
Pros
- Handcrafted
- Returns and exchanges are accepted
- Seller is available for direct communication
- A payment installment plan is available to qualified customers
- Shipping is free
- Returns and exchanges are accepted
- Customer orders are available
Cons
- This is an expensive item
English Oak Cutting Boards
Melbourne Maker has been working hard to provide the public with a fabulous selection of thick English Oak cutting boards. If you want something special for your kitchen, then choose one of these boards in the specs you prefer. You’ll be in for a surprise at how much you can love a piece of wood.
What do customers have to say about this option? Well, they love it. This cutting board and the shop that produces it are highly rated with 5-star reviews all around. The consensus is that the boards are beautifully and speedily produced with a personal touch from the shop owner.
Measurements:
- Small board – 11” L x 9” W x 1.5” H
- Medium board – 13.7” L x 11” W x 1.5” H
- Large board – 15.7” L x 11” W x 1.5” H
- XL board – 19.6” L x 11” W x 1.5” H
- Chef board – 19.6” L x 11” W x 2.3” H
Weight: Unstated
Pros
- Handcrafted
- Returns and exchanges are accepted
- Seller is available for direct communication
- A payment installment plan is available to qualified customers
- Available in five different sizes
- Available with or without wax finish
Cons
- Shipping costs attached to items sent outside of the UK
Maggie’s Warehouse Oak Cutting Boards
For a personalized touch, Maggie’s Warehouse offers a great selection of oak cutting boards. Even if you decide to get a plain cutting board without any personalization, you will get a product that is high-quality and beautiful.
The customers who have bought a personalized cutting board from this shop agree that this is a work of art. All the engravings are done to order, and with the shop’s generous return policy, they are risk-free.
Measurements: 24” L x 18” W
Weight: Unstated
Pros
- Handcrafted
- Shipping is free
- Returns and exchanges are accepted
- Seller is available for direct communication
- A payment installment plan is available to qualified customers
- The shop and this cutting board each have a 5-star rating overall
- Engraving can be applied to either the front or the back of the cutting board
Cons
- This is an expensive item
Daddy Chef LLC End Grain Oak Cutting Board
The Daddy Chef LLC End Grain Oak Cutting Board is wood craftsmanship at its finest. The end grain design used on this cutting board makes it resemble a butcher block more than a regular cutting board and offers a unique style.
Customers are raving about both this cutting board and the shop selling it. They agree that the items sold here, including this cutting board, are beautiful and well-built. Some of the well-built features that are available with this cutting board are side handle grips and optional juice grooves.
Measurements:
Small – 16” L x 16” W x 1.5” H
Large – 20” L x 20” W x 2” H
Weight: 30 lbs.
Pros
- Handcrafted item
- Available in two different sizes
- Available with or without juice grooves
- Seller is available for direct communication
- Care and usage recommendations are readily available from the seller
- Shipping is free
- Returns and exchanges are accepted
- A payment installment plan is available to qualified customers
- The shop has a 5-star rating overall
Cons
- This is an expensive item
FAQ’s
Question: Are End Grain Cutting Boards Better than Long Grain Cutting Boards?
Answer: It may seem like a cutting board is just a cutting board and it shouldn’t matter which side of the wood grain is showing, but a careful study will show that this is not true. Long grain cutting boards are great. They are sturdy, have the potential for many beautiful features, and are usually reasonably priced. But, they don’t have all the greatness of an end grain cutting board.
To help you understand how an end grain cutting board beats out a long grain cutting board, let’s compare them side by side:
| End Grain Cutting Boards | Long Grain Cutting Boards |
| Knife blades go between the vertical grains so that the knives are not dulled as quickly | Knife blades hit the side of the horizontal grains and cannot proceed further into the wood without considerably bending or dulling the blades |
| Knife blades go between the vertical grains and the wood can come back together and is not significantly harmed | Knife blades hit the side of the horizontal grains, scratching, slicing, and cutting up the surface of the board |
| Designs are crisscrossed, which makes each cutting board a unique work of art | Designs are unique but will depend on the appearance of the long grain |
| Typically sturdier and safer to use because of their weight | Available in a wide variety of weight options |
| Available with any type of cutting board feature, e.g., handles, juice grooves, rubber feet, etc. | Available with any type of cutting board feature, e.g., handles, juice grooves, rubber feet, etc. |
| Built from all types of wood | Built from all types of wood |
Question: Are There Any Problems with End Grain Cutting Boards?
Answer: While these boards are sturdy and should be able to handle whatever kitchen equipment you throw at them, they are not invincible. The most common issue with end grain cutting boards is that they crack at their seams. The second most common issue is warping. The best way to prevent either of these issues from taking hold of your favorite end grain cutting board is to wash it properly, dry it thoroughly, and oil it often.
Question: Are End Grain Cutting Boards More Hygienic than Long Grain Cutting Boards?
Answer: No, they are not. They will require regular washing with soap and water, disinfecting with vinegar, and waxing and oiling as well. Remember, no wooden cutting board is dishwasher safe so don’t expect to skip handwashing. In fact, you should hand wash your wooden cutting boards as soon as you are finished using them and set them in a vertical position for a few hours to dry out thoroughly.
Another tip you may want to consider is to use wooden cutting boards for chopping fresh produce, bread, and other ingredients that won’t cross-contaminate other food. Use a dishwasher-safe cutting board for all the raw meat in your kitchen. At the very least, use two different wooden cutting boards so that your fresh produce never comes into contact with a surface where raw meat has rested. Either of these methods will limit food contamination.
In Conclusion
Until I saw the cutting board sold by Wood Card Gifts, I assumed there was nothing more for cutting boards to do but chop food. Now I know that they can help organize it too. This has revolutionized my perspective of cutting boards and how helpful they are with food prep. My goal is to one day get this type of cutting board so I can experience cooking at the least messy level.
Hopefully, my list of the top seven oak cutting boards on the market has helped you find your new favorite kitchen tool. These are all really great options and it might be difficult to narrow it down to just one. But who says you are only allowed one? If you need more than one cutting board, get more. If you want to pair your oak cutting board with one made from a different type of wood, consider getting an olive wood cutting board. Whatever you decide to get, make sure you get what you want.