Wood vs Plastic Cutting Boards: Which Is Better?

In the wood vs plastic cutting board debate, the best answer for most kitchens is both. Use a good wooden board for everyday chopping, and keep a plastic board just for raw meat that you can wash hot. Wood is kinder to knives, lasts for years and, in lab tests, holds bacteria no worse than plastic. Plastic is cheap and light, and it goes in the dishwasher, which makes it the easier board to clean after raw chicken.

If you only have room for one board, choose by what you cut most. Mostly vegetables, bread and cooked food? Pick wood. Raw meat several times a week and no time for oiling? Pick plastic, and replace it when it gets deeply scored.

How we put this together: we haven’t lab-tested these boards ourselves. We read food safety guidance from the USDA and university extension services, the research on bacteria and microplastics, and the makers’ care rules. Then we picked boards that do each job well. (More on how we choose what to recommend.) Short on time? Jump to our picks.

Wood vs plastic cutting boards at a glance

	Wooden cutting board	Plastic cutting board
Best for	Vegetables, fruit, bread, herbs, cooked meat	Raw meat, poultry and fish
Bacteria	Holds no more than plastic in lab tests	Easy to sanitize when new; deep grooves hide germs
Knife edges	Gentle, especially end grain	Gentle
Cleaning	Hand wash only	Dishwasher safe
Upkeep	Oil about once a month	None
Lifespan	Many years; sand out deep marks	About 1 to 2 years of heavy use
Microplastics	None (sheds wood fibers instead)	Sheds tiny plastic particles as you cut
Weight	Heavy, stays put	Light, can slide
Cost	Higher up front	Low

Which is safer: a wood or plastic cutting board?

Neither a wood nor a plastic cutting board is automatically safer. The USDA says you can choose wood or a non-porous surface such as plastic. It adds that non-porous boards are easier to clean, and that any board that gets worn or develops hard-to-clean grooves should be thrown out.

The surprise came from food scientist Dean Cliver’s lab at the University of California, Davis, in the early 1990s. His team expected plastic to win. Instead, bacteria on wooden boards became hard to recover as the wood dried, while knife-scarred plastic boards were hard to clean by hand. Later studies have been mixed, so the practical takeaway is simple: cleaning matters more than the material.

That’s why most food safety advice lands on the same routine for any cutting board, wood or plastic:

• Keep one board for raw meat, poultry and seafood, and another for food that won’t be cooked, like salad, fruit and bread.
• Wash it right after use in hot, soapy water, rinse and dry it.
• Sanitize now and then with 1 tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach per gallon of water, the ratio the USDA gives for both wood and plastic.
• Replace it once it’s deeply scored, warped or cracked.

For raw meat specifically, we still lean plastic, because it can go through a hot dishwasher. Our guide to the best cutting board for raw meat covers that choice in detail.

What about microplastics?

This is the newer question mark for plastic. A 2023 study in Environmental Science & Technology found that chopping on plastic boards releases microplastics into food (Yadav et al., 2023). The authors estimated that one person could be exposed to roughly 14 to 72 million polyethylene particles a year, or about 79 million from polypropylene boards. Their early tests on mouse cells found no harmful effects from the polyethylene particles, and the health impact on people is still unknown. Wooden boards shed wood fibers too, but those are not plastic.

If microplastics worry you, the fix is not to panic but to cut down: use wood for most jobs, keep plastic for raw meat only, and replace plastic boards before they turn rough and furry.

Wooden cutting boards: pros and cons

Pros

• Kind to knife edges, so knives stay sharp longer
• Heavy, so the board stays put without a towel underneath
• Lasts for years, and you can sand out deep knife marks
• Looks good enough to serve on
• No plastic particles in your food

Cons

• Hand wash only: a dishwasher warps and cracks wood
• Needs oiling about once a month
• Heavier and bulkier to store
• Costs more up front
• Can stain and hold smells from onions or garlic if not cleaned promptly

Plastic cutting boards: pros and cons

Pros

• Dishwasher safe, which makes sanitizing easy
• Cheap enough to own several and replace often
• Light and thin, easy to store in a small kitchen
• Comes in colors, so you can keep one board for each food group
• No oiling or special care

Cons

• Scars quickly, and deep grooves can trap bacteria
• Sheds microplastics as you cut
• Light boards can slide on the counter
• Needs replacing every year or two with heavy use
• Can warp in a very hot dishwasher

When to choose a wooden cutting board

Choose a wooden cutting board if most of your cutting is vegetables, fruit, herbs, bread and cooked meat. It’s also the better pick if you own good knives, since wood is gentle on a sharp edge, or if you want one board that lives on the counter and doubles as a serving board.

A thick maple or teak board is an investment. Treated well, it will outlast many plastic boards, so the cost evens out over time.

When to choose a plastic cutting board

Choose a plastic cutting board for raw meat, poultry and fish, for any kitchen where boards have to go in the dishwasher, and for households where several people cook. A set of color-coded plastic boards makes it obvious which board is for what. Plastic also makes sense if you’re short on space or budget, or if you simply won’t oil a wooden board.

Our picks: the best wood and plastic cutting boards

Here are two wooden boards, two plastic options, a composite board that sits between them, and the oil that keeps wood in shape. We earn a commission if you buy through these links, at no cost to you (affiliate disclosure).

Best wooden board

John Boos R-Board Maple Cutting Board, 18 x 12 Inches

Best for: An everyday board that stays on the counter for years

Maple is the wood most cutting boards are judged against: hard enough to last, close-grained enough to resist stains, and still easy on a knife. At 1.5 inches thick, this board doesn’t slide or flex, and you can flip it to keep one side for onions and garlic. Give it a coat of oil when it arrives and about once a month after that. It’s a good size for a small kitchen that still wants one serious board.

What we like

• Northern hard rock maple, the classic cutting board wood
• Reversible, with two flat cutting sides
• Hand grips on each end
• Made in Effingham, Illinois

Watch out for

• Heavy at 1.5 inches thick
• Hand wash only, and it needs regular oiling
• Too big for a very small counter

Size

18 x 12 x 1.5 in

Wood

Hard maple, edge grain

Care

Hand wash, oil regularly

Check price on Amazon

Best large wooden board

Teakhaus Edge-Grain Teak Cutting Board, Large

Best for: Cooks who need room to work, and a board that doubles as a serving board

Teak is naturally oily, so it shrugs off water better than most woods and needs less fuss to keep from drying out. This large board gives you room to chop a pile of vegetables or carve a roast without things spilling over the edges. If your counter is tight, measure first: at 20 by 15 inches, it takes up real space. Teakhaus also makes smaller sizes.

What we like

• FSC-certified teak, which resists moisture well
• Large 20 x 15 inch surface
• Reversible, with grip handles
• Looks good enough to bring to the table

Watch out for

• Needs a lot of counter and storage space
• Hand wash only
• Some knife makers say teak’s natural silica dulls edges a little faster

Size

20 x 15 x 1.5 in

Wood

Teak, edge grain

Care

Hand wash, oil when dry

Check price on Amazon

Best plastic board

OXO Good Grips Plastic Utility Cutting Board

Best for: A raw meat board that goes straight into the dishwasher

This is the plastic board we’d keep for raw meat, and it’s also the top pick in our raw meat cutting board guide. It’s big enough to trim chicken thighs or slice a flank steak, small enough for many dishwasher racks, and the groove catches juices before they hit the counter. Its non-slip feet fix the usual complaint about plastic boards sliding around.

What we like

• Non-porous, double-sided surface that resists odors
• Drip-catcher groove and easy-pour corners
• Non-slip feet keep it still
• Light enough to wash after every use

Watch out for

• Scars with use, so plan to replace it every year or two
• The white surface shows stains from turmeric and paprika
• Too small for a whole turkey

Size

14.75 x 10.4 x 0.5 in

Weight

1.53 lb

Care

Dishwasher safe

Check price on Amazon

Best plastic set

Gorilla Grip Plastic Cutting Board Set of 3

Best for: Separate boards for raw meat, produce and bread on a budget

A set like this is the cheapest way to follow the one-board-per-food-group rule. Use the large board for raw meat, the medium one for vegetables and the small one for bread or fruit, and always use the same board for the same job. Because they’re light and thin, all three store easily in a small kitchen, standing upright in a rack or a drawer.

What we like

• Three sizes: 16 x 11.2, 13.8 x 9.6 and 11.8 x 8 inches
• Rubber border and handle help stop sliding
• Built-in juice groove
• Dishwasher safe and BPA-free

Watch out for

• Thin boards, so they scar faster than thick ones
• Plastic sheds microplastics like any plastic board
• Replace them once the surface turns rough

Contents

3 boards

Thickness

0.37 in each

Care

Dishwasher safe

Check price on Amazon

Best of both

Epicurean Kitchen Series Cutting Board, 14.5 x 11.25 Inches

Best for: People who want the look of wood with the care of plastic

If choosing between a wood and plastic cutting board feels like a trade-off you don’t want to make, a composite board splits the difference. It’s made from wood fibers and resin, so it looks warm like wood but goes in the dishwasher and doesn’t soak up juices like plastic. The catch is hardness, which takes a little more out of a sharp edge than wood or plastic does.

What we like

• Wood-fiber composite that goes in the dishwasher
• Heat resistant to 350°F, so it doubles as a trivet
• Only 0.25 in thick and 1.6 lb
• No oiling needed; made in the USA

Watch out for

• Harder than wood or plastic, so it’s louder and less kind to knives
• No juice groove
• Thin boards can slide: put a damp towel underneath

Size

14.5 x 11.25 x 0.25 in

Weight

1.6 lb

Care

Dishwasher safe

Check price on Amazon

Best board oil

Howard Butcher Block Conditioner, 12 oz

Best for: Keeping any wooden or bamboo board from drying out and cracking

Oil is what keeps a wooden board from drying, splitting and soaking up juices, and it’s the one thing people forget to buy. Rub a thin coat over the clean, dry board, let it soak in for a few hours or overnight, and wipe off the extra. Do it about once a month, or whenever the wood looks pale and thirsty.

What we like

• Food-grade mineral oil with beeswax and carnauba wax
• Helps stop wood from drying and cracking
• Also works on wooden spoons and salad bowls
• A 12 oz bottle lasts a long time

Watch out for

• You have to remember to use it
• Leave it to soak in before using the board
• Wax can feel slightly tacky if you use too much

Size

12 fl oz

Contains

Mineral oil, beeswax, carnauba wax

Use

When the wood looks dry

Check price on Amazon

How to choose between a wood and plastic cutting board

What do you cut most?

Mostly produce, bread and cooked food points to wood. Lots of raw meat, poultry and fish points to plastic, or to a second plastic board just for those jobs.

Do you have a dishwasher?

If you do, plastic and composite boards go straight in. Wooden boards never should. If you hand wash everything anyway, wood loses its main disadvantage.

How much care will you give it?

A wooden board needs a quick oiling about once a month and has to be dried standing up. If that sounds like a chore you’ll skip, plastic or composite is the honest choice.

How much space do you have?

A thick wooden board is heavy and bulky. In a small kitchen, a medium wooden board plus one thin plastic board usually fits better than a huge board you have to lift out of a cupboard. Our small kitchen organization ideas include ways to store boards upright.

Do you care about your knives?

Wood, especially end grain, is the gentlest surface for a sharp edge, and plastic comes close. Avoid glass, stone and ceramic boards, which dull knives quickly. If you’re building a knife kit, start with our guide to the types of kitchen knives.

Which wood is best for a cutting board?

Not every wooden cutting board is the same. Look for a hardwood with a tight grain:

• Maple is the classic: hard, tight-grained and light in color. Hard maple is what most butcher blocks are made from.
• Walnut is a little softer, so it’s even kinder to knives, and its dark color hides stains.
• Cherry is similar to walnut and darkens to a warm red over time.
• Teak resists water well because of its natural oils. Some knife makers say its silica content dulls edges a little faster.
• Bamboo is technically a grass. It’s hard and inexpensive, but harder on knife edges than most woods, and boards are glued together from many strips.

How the board is built matters too. Edge grain boards show long strips of wood on top; they’re lighter, cheaper and very durable. End grain boards look like a checkerboard of wood ends; the knife slips between the fibers, so they hide cuts and are the gentlest on edges, but they cost more and need more oil.

How to care for wood and plastic cutting boards

The routine is almost the same for a wood or plastic cutting board; only the dishwasher and the oil differ.

1. Scrape and wash the board right after use in hot, soapy water. Scrub the grooves, not just the surface.
2. Rinse and dry. Stand wooden boards on their edge so both sides dry. Never leave wood soaking in the sink.
3. Run plastic boards through the dishwasher after raw meat. Wooden boards always stay out of the dishwasher.
4. Sanitize either material with 1 tablespoon of unscented liquid chlorine bleach in a gallon of water. Let the board sit wet for a few minutes, then rinse and air dry.
5. Oil wooden boards about once a month with food-grade mineral oil or a board conditioner. Never use cooking oils like olive oil, which can go rancid.
6. Refresh or replace. Sand a deeply scored wooden board smooth, then re-oil it. Throw out a plastic board once its grooves are deep enough to catch a fingernail.

A two-board setup for a small kitchen

You don’t need a stack of boards to cook safely. In most small kitchens, two do the job:

• A medium wooden board, about 18 by 12 inches, for vegetables, fruit, bread and cooked food. It can live on the counter.
• A plastic board for raw meat, light enough to wash every time and small enough to fit your dishwasher.

Store the plastic board upright in a rack or a pan organizer so it dries fully, and keep the wooden board out of standing water. If you have a third spot, a color-coded set helps when several people cook. And if you store food in plastic, our glass vs plastic food storage containers guide covers the same microplastics question for containers.

Our guides in this category

Published guides in this category appear here automatically. You can also browse every guide in the Knives category.

• The Best Cutting Boards for Raw Meat (Plastic, Rubber and Composite)Best picks

  The best cutting board for raw meat is non-porous and fits your dishwasher. 6 picks compared (plastic, rubber, composite), plus USDA cleaning steps.

• German vs Japanese Knives: Which Should You Buy?Comparison

  German vs Japanese knives compared on steel, sharpness, weight, care and price, plus which kitchen knife style suits how you cook and our picks for each.

• Wood vs Plastic Cutting Boards: Which Is Better?Comparison

  Wood vs plastic cutting board compared on bacteria, knife edges, microplastics, cleaning and lifespan, plus which to use for raw meat and our picks for each.

FAQ

Are wooden cutting boards more sanitary than plastic?

Not necessarily, but they’re not worse. Lab studies at UC Davis found that bacteria on wooden boards were hard to recover once the wood dried, while scarred plastic was hard to clean by hand. Both are safe if you wash them promptly and replace them when they’re worn.

Can you use a wooden cutting board for raw meat?

Yes, the USDA allows it, as long as you wash and sanitize the board well and don’t use it for ready-to-eat food afterward without cleaning. Many cooks still keep a plastic board for raw meat because it can go in the dishwasher.

Do plastic cutting boards dull knives?

Not much. A good plastic cutting board is about as gentle on edges as wood. Glass, stone and ceramic boards are the ones that dull knives fast.

Is bamboo better than wood or plastic?

Bamboo is hard, light and inexpensive, and it resists moisture fairly well. It’s harder on knife edges than maple or walnut, though, and it still can’t go in the dishwasher. For most people, a hardwood board is the better long-term buy.

How often should you replace a cutting board?

Replace a plastic board when the grooves are deep enough to catch a fingernail or stains won’t wash out, often every one to two years with heavy use. A wooden board can last many years if you oil it and sand out deep marks.

Can wooden cutting boards go in the dishwasher?

No. The heat and long soak make wood swell, warp and crack, and they strip out its oil. Wash wooden boards by hand and dry them on their edge.