Have you been curious about the best resin cutting boards lately, or are you not sure how resin works as a cutting board material? We’ve round up the best resin cutting boards by considering the price, availability, design, and durability.
In our guide, we’ll walk you through what resin is, the pros and cons of resin cutting boards, and give you our top recommendations for resin cutting boards online. In fact, we’ll even let you know how to make your own resin cutting board, so keep reading to learn more!
What is Resin?
Resin is used in construction as a binding agent and by Etsy sellers to showcase preserved flowers in clear jewelry, but what does it have to do with cutting boards? Also, what is it?
Resin is a broad term. When we think of food-safe resin we use in the kitchen, we’re talking about epoxy resin. Epoxy resin is made when you combine liquid resin with a hardener. Both the liquid resin and hardener are liquids, but when you mix them together in a 1:1 ratio, they bind to each other and harden into a solid.
You can dye resin with resin dyes and mica powder to make the beautiful resin bowls, platters, and cutting boards you see on T.V.
Are Resin Cutting Boards Good?
This is a loaded question because the answer is yes and no. We’ll explain.
Resin cutting boards are good because you can buy food-safe epoxy resin to make a cutting board or buy a premade resin board. These resin cutting boards look gorgeous and are great for displaying food for dinner parties, cookouts, and photography.
Resin cutting boards aren’t so great for everyone, because they’re not the best at being a cutting board. Even food-safe epoxy resins aren’t entirely safe to chop food on, especially raw meat. Let’s take a look at some pros and cons to dig a little deeper.
Pros of Resin Cutting Boards
- Resin looks gorgeous and can be dyed any color
- Resin is great for impressive food displays and photography
- Some epoxy resin is food-safe and will be labeled as food-safe
- You can eat off the food-safe epoxy resin.
- Resin can stay beautiful for a long time if properly cared for
- Resin is easy to keep clean
Cons of Resin Cutting Boards
- Resin isn’t a long-lasting material compared to hardwood, granite, and marble
- Even food-safe epoxy resin isn’t safe for heavy-duty chopping
- Resin can chip off and get into the food if you cut anything on it
- Cutting on resin will result in unattractive knife marks racking up quickly
- Bacteria can get trapped in knife cracks in the surface of a resin cutting board
How to Care for and Maintain Your Resin Cutting Board
Here, we’ll walk you through the tricks of the trade when it comes to keeping your resin cutting board looking great. Here are some important pointers to remember:
- Don’t cut food on your resin cutting board, especially not raw meat
- Never put resin in the dishwasher or it could soften and warp
- Always hand wash your resin board in warm water with a mild dish soap
- Wash this board as soon as you’re done using it, so it won’t stain
- If the board is ½ resin ½ wood, be sure to seal the wooden parts with mineral oil
Uses for a Resin Cutting Board
- Making gorgeous charcuterie displays with meat, cheese, crackers, fruit, and vegetables
- Photographing food for your blog, social media, or business
- Using the resin cutting board as a display piece in your kitchen
- Making a cheese board for wine night
- Hanging the board up on a wall as a decoration
- Impressing your friends and family with a gorgeous new piece of kitchen equipment
How to Make Your Own Resin Cutting Board
There are upsides and downsides to making your own resin cutting board. For one thing, you’ll be able to choose how the board looks and make it exactly to your liking; however, the resin isn’t a friendly material for beginners.
By practicing and following some important safety tips, you can make a resin cutting board customized to your tastes. We’ll tell you how.
Step 1: Always be Safe
When we say “food-safe” epoxy resin, there’s a catch. Food-safe epoxy resin is only food-safe if you cure it correctly. While you’re in the process of curing the liquid resin and hardener, you must be careful and make sure none of the materials touch your skin.
You’ll need:
- Rubber gloves
- Long-sleeve T-shirt
- Safety goggles
To prevent the resin from coming into contact with your skin, be sure to wear all of the above. The resin hardens and you don’t want it to accidentally harden on you!
Step 2: Gather Materials
Okay, so here’s what you’ll need:
- Food-safe epoxy resin
- Food-safe resin hardener
- Measuring cups made of polyethylene plastic
- Wooden popsicle sticks
- Food-safe Resin dye or mica powder
- Acetone
- Resin cutting board mold
Measuring cups made of polyethylene plastic are perfect for mixing resin because resin won’t stick to the material while curing. Wooden popsicle sticks (that haven’t come from real popsicles in the freezer) are great for stirring resin, and you’ll need acetone to completely clean the measuring cups of resin later.
Step 3: Clean Your Work Area
It’s super important to make sure you have a clean worktable to start your project. You want to be sure every part of the process is food safe, so make sure to wash your mixing cups and resin mold, too.
Step 4: Pouring in Equal Parts
How much epoxy resin and resin hardener you’ll need will depend on how big you want your cutting board to be. Luckily, the ratio for the resin to hardener is easy-it’s a 1:1 ratio! This means you’ll always need the same amount of resin and hardener when mixing the 2 together.
Pro Tips:
- Buy very precise measuring cups because you have to be exact with your measurements
- Not measuring precisely could mean your resin never fully hardens
- Not using the right measurements could also make your board toxic to eat off
- Follow the instructions on the back of your resin and hardener bottles to a T
- Usually, you can buy resin and hardener together in a combo pack to save money
Step 5: Stirring and Curing
“Curing” just means that the liquid epoxy resin and hardener are reacting together correctly. The process of mixing the two liquids together to get a solid is the curing process.
Once you’ve poured resin and hardener for a 1:1 ratio, carefully mix the two with a popsicle stick. Follow the instructions on your resin and hardener bottles to know how long you should be mixing for. Be careful! You don’t want the resin to start hardening in the cup before you get the chance to pour it.
Step 6: Adding Color and Pouring
Once your food-safe liquid epoxy resin and hardener are stirred, you can add a dye powder. Always make sure your resin dye or mica powder is food-safe before adding it to your cutting board mixture.
When dying resin:
- Use less dye powder if you want the board to look translucent
- Use more dye powder if you want the board to look opaque
Thoroughly mix in the dye and voila! The hard part is over.
Step 7: The Waiting Game
The longest step in this process is waiting for your resin cutting board to dry. The board must be 100% dry for it to be cured correctly and considered food safe.
Carefully pour your resin into the resin mold to get an even layer. How long you’ll need to wait for your cutting board to completely dry will depend on how big the dimensions of your mold are.
Step 8: Sanding it Down
Once your resin cutting board is cured and dry, you can make the board even glossier by sanding it. We recommend using a micro-mesh soft touch sanding paper to sand away any imperfections in the board to make it shine beautifully.
Step 9: Cleaning with Acetone
You won’t be able to wash away hardening resin with soap and water. Not to mention, you don’t want to expose your hands to the leftover resin while washing the measuring cups.
The solution?
Put on a pair of fresh rubber gloves and take out the acetone. Acetone safely removes resin and hardener from your measuring cups. Simply pour a little acetone onto a paper towel and thoroughly wipe the inside of your measuring cups until there are no more traces of resin.
After using the acetone, wash the cups out somewhere that doesn’t come into contact with food (i.e. not the kitchen sink.) Even when the acetone has been washed out, never use these same measuring cups for food.
Be careful when using acetone because it is toxic to ingest.
Best Resin Cutting Board Options
If you want to skip the hassle of making your own resin cutting board, we’d like to recommend some of the best options you can buy online. If you do want to DIY your own resin cutting board, we’ve got you covered and have 2 great resin cutting board molds. Keep scrolling!
Italian Olive Wood Luxury Cheeseboard
Best for: Having multiple color options
This resin cutting board is made of olive wood on two sides and a streak of gorgeous blue or black resin running through the middle. The dimensions of this rectangular board are 16” X 9” X .75”. It weighs only 3 lbs and can be bought with a black gift box.
- Material: Olive Wood, Resin
- Price Range: $55-$75
- Warranty: Please contact the seller directly
- Best Feature: 2 stunning color choices
Care
Never put this resin cutting board in the dishwasher. Due to the resin, this cutting board isn’t ideal for cutting food on, but it is great for food displays. To keep the wood looking beautiful and glossy, seal the wooden parts with mineral oil when they look dry.
Pros
- The resin streak in the middle can either be blue or black
- This would look stunning as charcuterie board or serving platter at parties
- You can buy this as a gift in a black gift box
Cons
- Even though this board is ½ wood, it still isn’t ideal for cutting food
INJARDIN Kitchen Wood Cutting Board
Best for: Uniqueness
Instead of 1 streak of resin running through the middle of the board, this product has 2. This cutting board weighs 3.3 lbs and its dimensions are 16.22” X 12.68” X 1.97”. This makes a great serving platter and charcuterie board.
- Material: Mango Wood and Resin
- Price Range: $30-$50
- Warranty: Money Back Guarantee
- Best Feature: Uniqueness
Care
Always hand wash this resin cutting board with gentle dish soap. Since this board is mostly wood, never fully submerge it in water. Stand it up on one side to dry.
Pros
- This board is unique with 2 streaks of resin running through the center
- The emerald green resin is shiny and gorgeous
- 4 nonslip feet on the bottom keep it from moving around on your countertop
Cons
- Chopping food on this board could easily damage the resin
Large Wooden Cutting Board Paddle
Best for: Stylish handle for easy serving
This cutting board is unique because the handle and some of the board are covered in beautiful green resin. This board weighs 3.96 lbs and its dimensions are 16” X 12” X 6”. When you buy this product, you’ll also get a knife set in a gift box.
- Material: Wood and Resin
- Price Range: $55-$75
- Warranty: Please Contact Seller Directly
- Best Feature: Stylish Handle for Easy Serving
Care
Always hand wash this board so the resin doesn’t soften in the dishwasher. Use mineral oil to seal the wooden part of the board when it gets dry.
Pros
- Despite its thickness, the board is very lightweight
- The handle makes it easy to carry, hang, and wash
- The mix of different greens and yellows in the resin makes it beautiful
Cons
- You’ll have to hand wash this board with every use
Wood Cheese Board and Knife Set
Best for: Charcuterie displays
This resin and wood cheese board are from the same company as the one listed above. This resin cutting board is in the shape of an oval and has a handle for easy convenience. Green resin coats the handle and some of the rest of the board. A gift box is included.
- Material: Wood and resin
- Price Range: $55-$75
- Warranty: Please contact the seller directly
- Best Feature: Great for charcuterie displays
Care
With all resin and wood cutting boards, make sure to hand wash this board with mild dish soap. Never fully submerge it in water. Treat the wooden part with mineral oil.
Pros
- The oval shape makes it unique
- This is the perfect size board for charcuterie displays
- The dark green resin by the handle adds elegance to this product
Cons
- You’ll have to hand wash this cutting board directly after each use to keep it pristine
Epoxy Resin Board
Best for: Handmade
This handmade wood and resin cutting board is perfect for food photography, displays, or as a decorative piece. The dimensions are 15.7” X 9”, making it a long and rectangular board. The board is sanded down, finished with mineral oil, and finally polished with beeswax and lemon oil.
- Material: Wood and resin
- Price Range: $85-$105
- Warranty: Please contact the seller directly
- Best Feature: Handmade
Care
To keep this resin cutting board in top shape, always hand wash this board with gentle dish soaps and never fully submerge it in water. Stand it up on one side to dry. Seal it with mineral oil.
Pros
- This product is handmade
- The blue epoxy resin streak and the board itself look high quality
- This is great as a decoration or serving tray
Cons
- You shouldn’t cut on this board because the resin could chip
The Best Epoxy Resin Cutting Board Molds
Now that we’ve told you all about some of the best resin cutting boards you can buy, here are some great finds on molds if you want to make a board yourself.
FUNSHOWCASE Cheese Board Epoxy Resin Silicone Molds with Handles and Holes for Serving Tray
Best for: Unique shapes
With these two silicone molds, you can pour resin to make your own resin cutting boards! Resin won’t harden onto the surface of silicone, making it perfect for this project. Both silicone molds are 13.62” X 6.57” X 2.17”.
- Material: Silicone
- Price Range: $9-$20
- Warranty: Please contact seller directly
- Best Feature: Unique shapes
Care
Wait until the resin is completely hardened before popping it out of these molds. Afterward, you can wash the molds with warm water and let them air dry. Don’t put silicone in the dishwasher.
Pros
- These molds are inexpensive
- The unique shapes will give you unique cutting boards
- These are very easy to clean after a project
Cons
- Anything sharp can puncture the molds and damage them
FUNSHOWCASE Cutting Board Epoxy Resin Silicone Molds
Best for: Best Overall
You get two rectangular silicone molds in this bundle that is perfect for resin cutting boards. There are slots at the top of the boards so you can hang them and carry them easily once the resin has hardened. These are of great quality and make resin projects easy.
- Material: Silicone
- Price Range: $15-$25
- Warranty: Please contact seller directly
- Best Feature: Best overall
Care
Never put these molds in the dishwasher. Wash them with warm water and gentle dish soap.
Pros
- These are inexpensive silicone molds
- The shape makes them visually appealing
- These are very easy to clean
Cons
- Anything sharp can puncture your molds
The Bottom Line
Are you ready to go out and buy a resin cutting board, or do you want to make one of your own? In my opinion, the Wood Cheese Board and Knife Set is the best choice because it doubles as a great serving platter.