Preferences on cutting board features

Hey all,

First of all, I don't know if this is best suited for here or something like "Shop Talk". Mods, feel free to move it if so inclined.

I'm making a handful of end grain cutting boards for myself and family members (none for sale) and want to get opinions on what people find as useful features on cutting boards in general. For what it's worth, these are for home use, as I know pro kitchens have a whole other set of rules to play by.

1. Do you like rubber feet of some variety on your boards? I like that this provides air circulation and a way to get your fingers underneath, but think it can also look tacky.
2. Do you like having recesses in the ends so you can get your fingers under the board to lift? Does this change for big vs. small boards?
3. Do you like a juice groove? Does that change if you have one board vs. multiple?

Thanks!
Tyler

1. Yes. If done right they do not detract, and they provide a lot of benefit (see the feet on BoardSmith boards -- they have rings of matching wood).
2. Not needed on big boards in my opinion if there are feet. Definitely no need on smaller boards.
3. Juice groove reduces the working area of the board by a bit. We have a smaller circular board, and a smaller rectangular board, with juice groove; they are only used when I know what I am cutting/ slicing up will let out a lot of liquid. I would not cripple one of our big boards by adding a juice groove.

1. Rubber feet are essential for me, for the reasons you stated (I second "WildBoar" - check out how nice the BoardSmith ones are, if you can pull that off, you're Golden)
2. I tend to like recesses in the sides, I don't use them for picking the board up though, so I am not sure why I like them. Weird.
3. Not a fan of juice grooves at all. I agree they reduce the workable area of the board and I always seem to get little bits of things in them and prefer to wipe my board well and often. It just slows things down.

Best of luck with the boards!

1. Yup. Keeps the board in place. Downside is that only one side is usable... Keep in mind, though, that without feet if the board cups or even gets a little out of true over time and repeated washings, it won't lay flat...

2. Agree with wildboar.

3. Nope. Unnecessary unless you eat roast beef absurdly often (which, barring gout, would be nice!)

1) endgrain for home use...
2) no grooves, reduces usefull space:rofl2:
2) recently stopped using rubber feet because it doesnt let me turn over, instead use anti grip on counter
3) just started using a Prof Asahi board for home.... since I make a lot of maki and nigiri sushi... I guess im leaving wood altogether, will probably use Hasegawa at some point as well....

:biggrin:
Good luck!

My votes are

1) no feet
2) yes side groove (see no feet? this helps you flip it)
3) no juice groove

1) Definite yes on the feet, especially with larger boards. Why do you need to flip a board, I don't need to use both sides.
2) No side grooves if you have feet.
3) NO JUICE GROOVE! More aggravating than useful.

1. No feet. Get a cabinet liner made of foam mesh and put that under the board instead. That way, you can use both sides.
2. Yes to finger grooves. Helps when you need to move it, especially big boards.
3. No to juice grooves.

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No

Popping in here. I use plastic.
Can put in dishwasher.
I use rubber trivets that I found at my grocery store as pads. It's nice because there is the slightest (very slight) amount of give when using more force. Feels nice to have a cushion.
A lot easier to scape food from board to another spot.
Only thing is it's slightly more slippery on plastic... I guess depends on the kind of plastic.
I hate small boards. Hate. ... mine is about 270mm x 330mm and I feel it's medium size.

K813zra said:

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. No

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^^ this

i would add, not too heavy is a useful feature. most end grain boards are cumbersome as hell to move/wash

Like feet, don't need indents, don't like grooves - all for reasons mentioned above.

If I was making them to gift I would consider making some matching serving boards to go with - use to ferry "stuff" to and from grill, pass apps on, cheese board, etc. As long as your making a nice piece of wood....

1. Yes absolutely for an end grain board
2. Optional. Better to cut recess half way up the side than on the lower edge.
3. No

Very interesting! Keep the thoughts coming.

I think I'm surprised by how many people want feet (roughly 3/4 so far). Even though aesthetically they wouldn't be my choice, I also see the benefits (not sliding, not rocking if the board warps, air flow), which is why I'm on the fence regarding them. Of course, some of these are gifts, so it's interesting to know what people seem to like in general.

I also notice that most everyone wants at least feet or hand holds for the sake of moving the boards.

And a big fat "no" on a juice groove. That was the way I was leaning anyway.

panda said:

i would add, not too heavy is a useful feature. most end grain boards are cumbersome as hell to move/wash

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My current end grain board is 1"x14"x17" and has neither feet nor hand holds and has been fine. The new boards range from 1"-2" thick (only the smallest is 1", the rest are 1-3/8" thick or more). They range in size from 10"x14" to 16"x25". The monster of a 16"x25" board I anticipate parking "permanently" on our island.

But yes, as I've been making these, I've realized that weight really is a concern, although short of hollowing out the wood, I'm not sure how to get around it. The wood choice makes a fairly decent difference, of course, as some are significantly heavier than others.

I'll post some pictures when these are done in a few weeks.

Thanks,
Tyler

Yea, 24x18x2 is a heavy beast. I have a farm sink so it fits but I try to bring the wash to the board rather than the board to the sink whenever possible because it is cumbersome to deal with.

18"x24"x1.5" here.
Rubber feet, yes
Notches not needed due to the feet.
Juice groove, not needed.

I don’t like feet or side indentation on my boards. Juice groove? It depends.

I have two main boards.

12 x 18 no features at all. End grain maple. Main board, no protein. Thick, like 2”. Wash with soap and water.

16 x 22 edge grain cherry. Has juice groove only. Only use this for cooked protein. 1-3/8” thick. Wash with vinegar

I store my boards flat on metro shelving so the feet would be a problem. The indentations don’t seem helpful. Sometimes I put the boards on silicone pot holders if I notice them rocking at all.

I also have a rich lite board that can fit in the dw for raw protein.

I like feet. I quite like side grooves, but only on the underside of the board (not halfway up the side). I don't use mine for meat, so no moat.

I prefer no feet which allows both sides to be used easily. There advantage of feet is that rubber ones can stabilize the board when cutting, otherwise it might be necessary to put a wet towel underneath the board to help it avoid moving around when in use.

Since I like no feet, then I'm happy to have one side with a juice groove and the other side without. If you put one in, better to check exactly how much liquid it can hold. Many are routed out too shallow to hold much of anything in my opinion, so those aren't even worth bothering with.

"No feet so I can use both sides". Somebody has to explain the reasoning behind this thought to me because I'm dense. I have never been using a cutting board and thought to myself "I sure wish I could turn this over and use the other side."

I didn't think I'd like/want feet on my endgrain board until I had it. Now I can't imagine not having them on there.

bahamaroot said:

"No feet so I can use both sides". Somebody has to explain the reasoning behind this thought to me because I'm dense. I have never been using a cutting board and thought to myself "I sure wish I could turn this over and use the other side."

I didn't think I'd like/want feet on my endgrain board until I had it. Now I can't imagine not having them on there.

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Get a stain or other blemish on the top side of a high end board with feet and then get back to me.

dmourati said:

Get a stain or other blemish on the top side of a high end board with feet and then get back to me.

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Personally, I'm not worried about a stain or similar on a board. They're cutting boards and they're meant to be used. It gives character, kind of like patina on a knife, right? I know others may disagree. And I'm fine using just one side if needed.

The aspect regarding feet that I'm struggling with more is the impact on storage. If I have multiple of these (hopefully about 4 for different food categories) that I'm not willing to permanently park on the counter top (how/where we keep these is currently under discussion with my wife), then I imagine that feet will make compact storage much more difficult.

I'm curious if people who prefer feet on their boards also tend to leave them permanently parked on the counter.

Tyler

I agree. My boards are scared up with cut marks etc. They are meant to be used. (I use a mixed edge/end grain board and the edge grain shows marks.) But if it were to get a big gouge or something I'd just re-finish it if I couldn't flip it...Not a big deal. I prefer stability over being able to flip. Besides, that allows me to buy more boards...lol.

PS: Rubber stick on feet work fine too. That is what I do. That way you can remove them, scrape the adhesive and clean up the surface if you ever want to. Problem solved. They do not last forever, a few years in a home environment but you can get them for cheap.

Refinishing is always an option, but the real use for flipping is cross-contamination
or some other immediate problem that is resolved in 2 seconds by flipping.

Refinishing takes an hour(or two) of work and isn't practical
in a hectic kitchen when you need immediate options.

Frankly, its better to be prepared (spare boards) than
to be forced to flips a heavy wood board all day

but depending on you kitchen
setup its different strokes
for different folks

how much storage and how
many moving parts
make sense is always
eye of the beholder, etc

dmourati said:

Get a stain or other blemish on the top side of a high end board with feet and then get back to me.

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Have been using boards for 30 years and have never stained one, what's going to stain them that bad? And as far as blemishes, have you ever heard of sandpaper?
And what happens if you stain or get a blemish on the second side, do you just throw out the board and get a new one?

HRC_64 said:

Refinishing is always an option, but the real use for flipping is cross-contamination
or some other immediate problem that is resolved in 2 seconds by flipping.

Refinishing takes an hour(or two) of work and isn't practical
in a hectic kitchen when you need immediate options.

Frankly, its better to be prepared (spare boards) than
to be forced to flips a heavy wood board all day

but depending on you kitchen
setup its different strokes
for different folks

how much storage and how
many moving parts
make sense is always
eye of the beholder, etc

Click to expand...

Have never flipped a board and never had a problem with cross contamination.
I can refinish a board in ten minutes with a hand sander. Have done it before.

OneStaple said:

The aspect regarding feet that I'm struggling with more is the impact on storage...

I'm curious if people who prefer feet on their boards also tend to leave them permanently parked on the counter.

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I can completely understand not wanting feet on you board if your concerned with storage. And yes, I think most people that like feet on their board generally have bigger boards that stay out on the counter.

bahamaroot said:

Have been using boards for 30 years and have never stained one, what's going to stain them that bad?

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I feel like this is lack of experience or imagination.

Lots of interesting views here. I would prefer feet on a wood board for all the reasons previously expressed. Personally, it would never occur to me to flip a board at home; it would just transfer the contaminants to the countertop and create an even more unsanitary environment. At work I do it all the time. Stainless tabletops and buckets of quat sanitizer minimize the risks.
Instead of finger recesses, a full rebate along a lower edge (or two) so that you could slide a thin poly board just under the edge to transfer the cut product to its next destination.
Was never a fan of juice grooves, so, no.
Also, all angles rounded a bit to help prevent chipping.

HRC_64 said:

I feel like this is lack of experience or imagination.

Click to expand...

Maybe I just take better care of my stuff.

Veg first and follow with meat then wash. No cross to worry about. At least at home. If your veg is dirty and you are worried about that, clean and peel in the sink before putting them on the board. If you don't want your carrots to touch your potatoes, I don't know what to tell you.:tease:

As for storage, I have a prep table and yeah, my board is always out. Too big to store anywhere anyway. :lol2: