Custom cutting boards: species, grain and food safety
A custom cutting board is one of the most popular small woodworking commissions, and one of the best gifts: it gets used every day. It's also a good way to try a maker before you commission a larger piece. Here's what to decide.
Species
Cutting boards are traditionally made from dense, fine-grained hardwoods. Maple is the classic: hard, pale and smooth. Walnut is softer and darker, and cherry sits between them and darkens with age. Many boards mix species in stripes or checkerboards.
Some species are poor choices for food contact or for knives, and some woods can irritate people who are sensitive to them. A maker who builds boards regularly will know which ones they use and why, so ask. Avoid softwoods like pine for a cutting surface; they dent and scar easily.
Edge grain or end grain
Edge-grain boards are made from strips glued side by side with the long grain facing up. They're simpler to make, lighter and less expensive.
End-grain boards are made from short blocks glued so the ends of the fibers face up, which gives the familiar checkerboard look. They take far more steps to make (two glue-ups, extra flattening and careful sanding), so they cost more. They're also thicker and heavier.
Food-safe finishes
Most makers finish boards with food-grade mineral oil, or with a blend of oil and beeswax. These soak into the wood rather than forming a film on top, which is what you want on a surface you'll cut on. Film finishes like varnish chip under a knife. Ask the maker what they use and what they recommend for re-oiling.
Keeping it clean
The USDA's Food Safety and Inspection Service advises washing cutting boards with hot, soapy water after each use, rinsing and air drying or patting dry. For sanitizing, it suggests a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, left on the surface for several minutes. It also advises using separate boards for raw meat and for produce, and replacing boards that become worn or have hard-to-clean grooves.
Don't soak a wooden board or put it in the dishwasher: the water and heat can make it crack or split the glue joints.
Personalization
Engraved names, dates, juice grooves and handles are all common. For engraving, give the exact spelling, the font if you care, and where it goes. Engraving on the cutting face will get scratched; many people put it on the back or an edge.
The brief
- Size (length × width × thickness) and edge grain or end grain.
- Species or color scheme.
- Juice groove, handles, feet.
- Engraving: exact text, font and position.
- The date you need it, especially for a wedding or holiday.
- Quantity, if you're ordering several as gifts.
Our board foot calculator shows how little lumber a board actually takes; most of the price is the maker's time.
Post your cutting board commission free and compare bids from verified woodworkers.