A beautiful butcher block cuttingboard is a must-have in any kitchen. These cutting boards can be used in any style kitchen. This is a Black Walnut board in its finest form.
Making your own is fun and easy, especially if you have a weekend free; all you need is a circular saw, wood glue and clamps.
We will now cover all the information you need to choose the best wood to make cutting boards.
What To Look For In Wood
There are some characteristics that you should keep in mind when choosing the best wood to make a cutting board.
Wood Hardness
The most important factor to consider is the wood’s hardness. The wood will perform better if it is harder than the rest. The Janka Hardness Scale measures wood hardness. The higher the rating, then the harder the wood. For cutting boards, woods with a Janka Hardness Scale score of over 454 kg are the best.
Porosity
It is also important to take into account how porous wood is. Wood pores are just like skin. Some species have more visible pores than others.
Large pores in wood can allow bacteria to thrive inside your cutting board. This is not what we were hoping for. Porous woods can also allow liquids into the cutting board which can cause warping.
Because of their small pores, wood species that have tiny pores are better for cutting boards. They are harder for liquids and bacteria to penetrate.
Toxicity
While wood can be extremely hard and porous, it is not a good choice as a cutting board. Choose woods that are made from sap or fruit. Woods with toxic sap or fruit may pose a danger to human health.
Purpleheart is an excellent example. This wood is hard and beautiful with small pores. It looks great on the outside. The wood can leach into food and other foods.
There Are Other Factors To Consider
There are many factors to consider when choosing the right wood for your cutting board.
Conditioning
Wood cutting boards should be maintained in good condition. Wood shrinks or warps as the humidity changes. To prevent this from happening, food-grade mineral oil is recommended to be applied regularly to extend the life of your cutting boards.
Wood suitable for cutting boards should be conditioned at least once a quarter. However, some woods shrink or warp more than others. You should condition your board bi-monthly or monthly if the wood is susceptible to shrinkage.
Cost
You will find that depending on what wood you choose, the cost of materials can vary greatly, especially if you use multiple types of wood to make a single cuttingboard.
This is also true for store-bought boards. Prices can vary depending on the design and type of wood used.
One of the best cutting boards woods, however, is also one of the most affordable. A great choice for a cutting board wood is North American rock maple also known as sugar maple.
Grain Patterns
You can either build or purchase a wood cutting table in two ways: edge-grain or end-grain.
End grain cutting boards show the cross-cut grain in the wood. It looks like an end grain on a 24. End cuts are fibrous and more flexible than edge cuts. This makes them more friendly to knife edges. End cuts also have an open-cell structure which can heal itself from minor cuts and dings over the lifetime of your cutting board.
These boards are typically more expensive than their edge-grain cousins because they contain end grain.
The edge grain boards show the rip-cut grain, which is similar to the top or bottom 24. This makes the board more stable and harder. Edge grain boards can dull knives faster because they are more difficult to cut. They are less likely to heal cuts and dings.
The Best Wood Types For Cutting Boards
Based on the various criteria discussed above, certain woods are better than others. You can also choose from other woods that are great alternatives to these basic ones.
A solid wood cutting board will be made from any wood that is hardy, non-porous and non-toxic.
Maple
Any type of maple is a good choice for cutting boards. North American rock maple weighs 658 kgf according to the Janka scale. This is a very hard species. The species is extremely scratch- and dent-resistant, but it’s not so hard that you will be prematurely dulled by it.
The wood is non-porous which prevents warping and bacteria growth. Maple is susceptible to shrinkage due to changes in humidity so it must be conditioned more often than other wood types.
Maple is also light-colored, making it less porous than other woods. However, it is more noticeable when it does stain.
Maple is a great choice because of its hardness, small pores and low price. Maple’s light blonde color can be paired well with darker woods to create a lot of contrast.
Beech
Another popular wood to use for a cutting board is beech. Beech, like maple, is hard and has closed pores. It weighs 590 kgf according to the Janka scale. This makes it less difficult than maple and less harmful to your knife’s edge.
Its porosity is very similar to Maple. This makes it a good choice for protecting against moisture and bacteria. It is also very similar in color. Most beech have a light pink hue. It is not the best choice for staining, but it can be an attractive option if you are using multiple woods to make your cutting board.
Beech is the most sensitive wood for cutting boards due to shrinkage or warping from humidity changes. To prolong the life of your beech cutting boards, it is important to condition them monthly.
Teak
Teak is a tropical hardwood and has a unique look that no other wood can match.
Teak weighs 485 kgf according to the Janka scale. This makes it significantly harder than maple and beech. However, knives are more easily dulled by the wood’s high silica level. Even though it is soft, the wood will still dull knives just as much as a hard wood.
Open pores make this wood more susceptible to bacteria, so be extra careful when cleaning it.
Teak is not as susceptible to humidity changes as other woods, so it does not need to be conditioned as frequently as other woods. This wood’s beautiful orange-brown color is great at hiding stains and can be paired with other woods to create patterns.
Walnut
Walnut is the most common dark wood used for cutting boards. Although it is softer than the other woods, it still has many desirable qualities that make it an excellent choice for cutting boards.
Artisan Born made high-quality handmade walnut cutting boards. You can see them here: Solid Walnut Live Edge Cutting Board and Live Edge Walnut Slab Cutting Board. These boards are wonderful examples of wood grain and high quality craftsmanship.
The Janka scale measures walnut at 458 kgf, making it more susceptible to knife marks and dents than other wood types. It won’t dull your knife as fast as the other wood types we have discussed.
Walnut is a closed-grain hardwood that resists bacteria and keeps liquids out. Walnut is also less susceptible to shrinkage and warping than other woods. Therefore, it should only be conditioned bi-annually or quarterly.
Walnut’s rich espresso-brown color is resistant to stains. Walnut is a great choice if you want to create a high-end, expensive look for your cutting board.
The Final Word
There are many solid options available that will fit the bill. Maple and beech are great choices because they have a hard grain and microscopic pores. A cutting board made from darker woods like walnut or teak is a great choice. Their rich colors help to hide stains.
Many people mix two or more of these woods to make a beautiful design, but they don’t have to compromise the integrity of their cutting board due to the different wood characteristics.
You can use a variety of hardwoods from both domestic and exotic countries. It can be used as a cutting board if it is hardy, non-porous and non-toxic.
After you have selected the type of wood you would like to use, you can follow our tutorial for building your own cutting boards. If you prefer to do the work yourself, our kit for building a live edge cutting board is a great option.
