Microplastics are tiny, so if they stick to your food, you can’t see them and end up ingesting them.
Charissa Fay / TODAY
$33.95
Sur La Table
Material:richlite paper composite | Size:14.5 inches by 11.3 inches | Thickness:0.25 inches | Dishwasher-safe:yes
What we like
Can use as a trivet
Stain-resistant
Double-sided
Something to note
Heat-resistant, not oven-safe
“Composite wood fiber cutting boards are quite popular right now because they’re so durable and good on your knives,” says Johnson. “They’re also really easy to clean since you can throw them in the dishwasher.” Zimmermann specifically recommends Epicurean’s composite cutting board, which I also own. “I’ve had it for quite a while and it cuts well, is lightweight and more eco-friendly than plastic,” says Zimmermann. The non-porous boards have a smooth feel and are double-sided, plus there’s a hole to hang them from. They’re heat-resistant up to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, so they double as a trivet, and come in four sizes.
Material:silicone | Size:varies, three sizes in set | Thickness:varies per size board | Dishwasher-safe:yes
What we like
Non-slip grip on bottom
Juice groove
Can use as trivet
Something to note
Flexible material
Heat-resistant, not oven-safe
Similar to wood, silicone has some give, making it easy on knife blades, and similar to plastic, it’s dishwasher-safe and inexpensive, says Zimmermann. However, silicone isn’t the sturdiest material, so when you pick the board up, it tends to bend. That might be appealing to you — you can fold silicone cutting boards horizontally or vertically to create a funnel of sorts, making it convenient to dump food into pans or scraps into the trash.
This set comes with three thick silicone cutting boards in small, medium and large sizes. The boards are stain- and stick-resistant, according to the brand, and double-sided: the top has a smooth surface with juice grooves, while the bottom is textured to help it grip to your countertop. Each board also has a hole to hang it from. They’re heat-resistant up to 482 degrees Fahrenheit, so they double as trivets.
Material:maple wood | Size:16 inches by 10 inches | Thickness:1-inch | Dishwasher-safe: no
What we like
Long-lasting
Thick and sturdy
Double-sided
Something to note
Must hand-wash
Needs oiling or conditioning
Easily absorbs moisture
“Wood is always a great choice due to its antimicrobial properties,” says Zimmermann. “It also has a better feel and is easier on knife blades compared to plastic.” However, these types of cutting boards require some upkeep — you need to oil or condition them periodically to make sure they stay in good shape. Additionally, wood cutting boards absorb moisture, so they’re not great for cutting ingredients like raw meat and fish, says Alycia Johnson, vice president of merchandising at Sur La Table. (Ed’s note: The inclusion of products sold by Sur La Table in this article was made independently of Johnson.)
When she’s cooking at home, Zimmermann says her first choice for a cutting board is this one from Boos, which is double-sided and comes in various shapes, styles and sizes. “They’re the gold standard for wood, and very thick and sturdy,” she says. “I don’t mind taking time to care for it because it’s a superior product.” NBC Select updates editor Mili Godio also swears by her Boos board. “I got it around 6 years ago as a gift for my husband who loves to cook, and I firmly believe it’ll last me 60 more years,” she says. “The quality is unmatched; despite using it to cut hundreds of vegetables and other foods, it still looks incredibly sturdy and durable. Yes, there are knife marks here and there, but overall, it looks great compared to others I’ve tried.” The brand recommends oiling its cutting board at least once a month and conditioning it for additional protection — you can buy a care set separately.
NBC Select updates editor Mili Godio uses her Boos board daily, so she leaves it out on her countertop at all times.Courtesy Mili Godio
Although I own a bunch of different cutting boards, this one is my most-used by far. It suits my limited countertop space, and it’s quite durable — I’ve sliced fruits, vegetables, cheese and breads on it almost daily for over a year, and it’s still in great condition. The cutting board is finished with food-safe mineral oil and wax, and it has a small indent in one corner to collect juices or put a small bowl of dip or sauce if you’re serving on it. Caraway’s small cutting board can be purchased individually or as part of the brand’s three-piece set, which also comes with a storage organizer. The brand recommends occasionally applying mineral oil to extend the board’s lifespan.
This cutting board’s small size is ideal for cutting vegetables for a salad, fruits like apples, a block of cheese or a bagel in half.Courtesy Zoe Malin
NBC Select editor Lindsay Schneider uses Our Place’s board (which the brand sent her as a courtesy sample) to prep and serve foods. “As a cutting board, it’s fantastic because it’s really sturdy and heavy, and it has a little trench on the side so liquids don’t spill over,” she says. “I use it as a display board, too. In my small apartment, things have to work double duty, so if I have people over, I use this to put cheese and other snacks on.” The brand recommends occasionally treating the board with food-grade mineral oil to prevent cracking and enhance the surface’s patina over time.
Schneider was a fan of Material Kitchen’s reBoard for years, but ultimately stopped using it since it’s made with plastic. You can now buy a similar plastic-free cutting board from the brand — the new MK Free Board is made from plant-based materials. Its surface is non-pornous and it has a juice groove around its perimeter. There’s also a hole in one corner to hang the board from.
Material:walnut wood and recycled paper composite | Size:18 inches by 12 inches | Thickness: 0.75 inches thick | Dishwasher-safe:no
What we like
Two materials in one board
Angled sides
Juice groove on composite site
Something to note
Must hand-wash
Wood side absorbs moisture
Wood side needs oiling
Steelport’s cutting board is one of the more luxe, stylish- looking options on the market as far as I’m concerned. Plus, it has internal steel beams to prevent it from warping, according to the brand. Each of the board’s sides is made from a different material: one side is wood and the other is composite, giving you the benefits of both. The composite side has a groove around its perimeter to catch juices, and the board’s angled sides make it easy to grab, flip and move as needed.
NBC Select reporter Harry Rabinowitz uses Steelport’s board to cook for his family (the brand sent him a courtesy sample). He appreciates that it’s heavy enough to stay in place on his countertop while chopping, but lightweight enough to easily move around the kitchen and lift onto high shelves .
Pay attention to the condition of your cutting board’s surface — it tells you exactly when you need to replace it, says Patrick Guzzle, the vice president of food science for the National Restaurant Association, the organization that writes and publishes ServSafe products. “Regardless of the material, if you’ve been using a cutting board for a while and it’s starting to get nicks and cuts in it, consider replacing it,” he says. “Those nicks and cuts are a good opportunity for bacteria to get in there and grow, which causes some cross-contamination concerns, especially since you can’t clean and sanitize the cutting board the way you should.” You should also replace your cutting board if it develops an odor you can’t get rid of, or has stains you can’t remove.
Keeping multiple cutting boards in your kitchen is ideal, says Johnson. Doing so allows you to designate a board per each task, like one for chopping fruits and vegetables, and another for slicing raw meat and fish. If you only have one cutting board, it’s important to clean it between cutting different types of ingredients, and pay attention to the order you prepare foods in. “If you’re making vegetables and meat, for example, I recommend cutting all the vegetables first and then focusing on the meats,” says Guzzle. “Meat can present a higher bacterial risk when it comes to cutting boards, so you want to take care of that last.”
“Any time we use plastics, there’s a potential for microplastics,” says Shetty. They’re released by products we use every day, like plastic cutting boards and containers, cling wrap and detergent pods, as well as other sources. Wastewater treatment plants, for example, transports microplastic particles to freshwater supplies and sea water bodies, says Wei. Some microplastics also come from stormwater runoff. “When it rains, for example, plastic particles on the road from tire particles will be washed into natural water bodies,” he says. Microplastics are made in water bodies, too. “We have a lot of floating plastic garbage in the sea and freshwater, and they can degrade, breaking apart into tiny little particles,” says Wei.
Microplastics only accumulate — they never disappear, says Wei. “They can last for hundreds of years in the environment, break down, become carbon dioxide and be released back into the atmosphere, which is a very slow process, making microplastics persistent contaminants,” he says. The concentration of microplastics in the environment is constantly increasing, so people are being exposed to them more and more. And recently, studies are showing that there’s microplastics present in the human body, which is likely because the particles are in our food and drinking water, says Wei. Scientists and doctors are currently researching the toxicity of microplastics on the human body, especially how it impacts reproductivity, inflammatory response, liver health and kidney health.
At NBC Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
Dr. Manish Shetty is an assistant professor of chemical engineering at Texas A&M University.
Hoaran Wei is an assistant professor in the department of civil and environmental engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Tracy Zimmermann is an assistant professor of hospitality management who teaches culinary arts at the New York City College of Technology.
Alycia Johnson is the vice president of merchandising at Sur La Table. (Ed’s note: The inclusion of products sold by Sur La Table in this article was made independently of Johnson.)
I’m a reporter at NBC Select who has written about kitchen products for five years, including meal prep containers, cookware sets, dinnerware sets, Dutch ovens and air fryers. To write this article, I spoke to five experts about plastic cutting board alternatives and microplastics. Using their guidance, I rounded up the best plastic cutting board alternatives, including expert and NBC Select staff picks.