We’ve Recommended OXO’s Plastic Cutting Boards for 5 Years—and They’re Still Indispensable in Our Kitchens

While most cooks swoon over a gorgeous end-grain wooden cutting board (at least, I certainly do), a good one can cost a pretty penny. But if you’re not up to spending a lot of cash, what’s a cook to do? Enter plastic cutting boards, an everyday option that won’t break the bank. But not all boards are created equal; some scratch easily, while others will dull your knives. Luckily, we’ve found options that pass muster: the plastic cutting boards from OXO. We at Serious Eats have been using them for years (I’ve also used them extensively throughout my career as a test cook), and still highly recommend them. Let us tell thee all the ways we love them, shall we?

They’re Extremely Durable—and Won’t Damage Knives

I first encountered OXO cutting boards when I was working in a busy professional test kitchen that had dozens of them in various sizes. I witnessed these boards getting put through their paces by a fleet of chefs every day for years; they were used to butcher whole birds, chop huge volumes of vegetables, and slice baked goods, all without wearing down or dulling knives.

Not all plastic boards can boast this feat—if they’re too soft, they can get deep cuts and scratches—and bits of plastic can even flake off and make it into your food. Ideally, you want a durable board that isn’t prone to massive gouges, but that’s also not so indestructible that cutting on it grinds down the blades of your knives. The OXO boards are balanced; they’re hard enough to resist deep cuts in the surface (even after years of use) but are still gentle on blades.

They’re Easy to Clean

Wooden cutting boards are beautiful, but they require a bit more maintenance than I want to get into on a multiple-uses-per-day basis. When I’m testing a bunch of recipes or just want to cook dinner and clean up quickly on a Tuesday night, it’s nice to be able to throw my board in the dishwasher without worrying that it will get damaged or warp. The OXO performed very well in our testing when put through repeated dishwasher cycles, so that’s a big win.

They’re Well-Designed

While a cutting board may seem like a simple object with little room for bells and whistles, some design elements can make or break it (maybe not literally though!). One such qualm is that some boards are too smooth and slide back and forth as you chop. This is both annoying and potentially dangerous. But the OXO boards have rubberized strips and feet on both ends that keep them still no matter how aggressively you chop or slice, no jerry-rigged solution necessary (e.g. a damp, folded kitchen towel placed underneath the board). Additionally, the OXO boards have a groove on one side of the board for catching liquids from meats, while the other side is fully flat, maximizing surface area.

…And Affordable

Cutting boards run the gamut in terms of price; you could just as easily spend less than $10 as well as hundreds of dollars. While you might want to splurge on a good wooden cutting board, having a set of more affordable everyday workhorse cutting boards is a good idea. OXO sells their smaller plastic cutting boards as a set of two for less than $30, and the larger carving board is just over that amount.

FAQs

Are plastic cutting boards dishwasher-safe?

Not always. While some plastic cutting boards are specifically designed to withstand the high temperatures of a typical dishwasher cycle, others can sustain damage and become warped. We recommend checking the manufacturer’s care instructions to see if your board can handle a trip through the dishwasher.

What are plastic cutting boards made of?

Plastic is plastic is plastic, right? Nope! Plastics cover a range of materials, be it soft, hard, flexible, or rigid. Thermoplastics such as polyethylene are also used to make plastic cutting boards, toys, squeeze bottles, and even garbage bags. The rigidity or hardness of thermoplastics changes with the application of heat, hence the name. There is also bioplastic, like polylactic acid or PLA. Bioplastics generate fewer greenhouse gases in their manufacturing process than traditional thermoplastics.

What’s the best size plastic cutting board?

It’s a good idea to have a larger board, which is super versatile and can be used for tasks big and small. The larger OXO plastic cutting board is 10.5 by 14.5 inches, providing enough space for cutting up melons or breaking down a chicken. OXO also sells two smaller boards, which are good for prepping small produce.

Why We’re the Experts

• Andrea Rivera Wawrzyn is a freelance food writer and recipe developer; she’s currently an associate food editor at Apartment Therapy Media.
• She was formerly an associate editor at America’s Test Kitchen.
• She has developed recipes for multiple New York Times bestselling cookbooks, including an IACP award winner.
• When she worked at America’s Test Kitchen, she used OXO cutting boards daily. We at Serious Eats have also been recommending them for the past five years.