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Are you in the market for a new cutting board? If so, I have found what I believe to be the best option for someone who loves to cook and cooks a lot, especially a cook who handles a lot of meat in the kitchen.
If you are indeed shopping around, you should really consider a Sani-Tuff model. Sani-Tuff rubber cutting boards are made of a rubber composite that is anti-microbial, keeping your kitchen safer than other types of cutting boards, since bacteria can’t grow and fester.
This is an even more appealing feature if you cut up chicken or other meats on a regular basis.
These products have also been tested by the National Safety Foundation (NSF) and are approved for use in commercial kitchens.
The rubber material is also extremely resilient and will not crack, splinter, or absorb liquids or odors.
It’s also not prone to staining, which is a great feature for me, personally, since I hate the look of a dingy cutting board. I have a couple of the cheap plastic ones, myself, and staining on those is a real problem for me.
The fact that you can also sand down the surface on the rubber as needed makes it even that much more appealing for a serious at-home cook or chef.
The material with which the boards are made is also very forgiving to kitchen knives. As the board gives slightly as you’re chopping, it helps keep your blades sharper longer.
Most professional chefs agree that end grain wooden boards are the absolute best for keeping your knife blades sharp, but nice big ones can run up to $200 or more.
A decent size Sani-Tuff board in 1/2” thickness, 18” x 24”, is available for a fraction of that through Amazon.com so you would get similar professional quality without such a high price tag.
They also have less upkeep than wooden boards since you don’t have to use mineral oil on them regularly to keep them in the best shape.
Another pro is that they are dishwasher safe, though this may cause the board to warp slightly if you leave them in the dishwasher during the drying cycle.
You can, however, undo that damage by laying the board flat and weighing it down with something heavy, or you could avoid the problem altogether just hand washing.
The plastic boards are super convenient since you can wash them in the dishwasher with no problem.
However, plastic stains very easily and most are also really lightweight and have a tendency to slide around on the counter while you are trying to cut things.
The Sani-Tuff boards are actually surprisingly heavy and stay put while in use, which is really important if you’re wrestling with a big piece of meat, like a huge brisket or something.
Another key consideration with rubber boards such as the Sani-Tuff is that they can be resurfaced with a hand sander which is something that can’t be said about plastic or any other material except wood.
These board are commonly available in 1/2″, 3/4″, and 1″ versions in a variety of sizes on Amazon – all the way from a nice small size that you can easily transport to the sink up to those four or five feet long made for commercial kitchens.
You may want to get one of the nice heavier 1” thick examples in a manageable size if you plan on doing a lot of cutting or just want something that will stay firmly planted on your counter.
These thicker varieties are able to be resurfaced many more times and should last the average home user pretty much forever.
Of course, there are also glass and marble cutting boards out there as well, but I wouldn’t recommend using either of those. Marble is great for rolling out pie dough and working with other pastries since it stays cold and thus keeps your dough cold while you are working with it.
As Foodal’s Guide to Choosing the Best Cutting Board alluded to, It’s not so great for actual chopping, however, because it doesn’t give at all and will wreak havoc on your knife blade.
The same goes for glass, not to mention that it’s really too fragile for everyday use.
In short, there are a few different options out there.
Wooden boards are great for keeping your knife blade from getting dull but can run a pretty penny and take some special maintenance.
Plastic boards are great if you’re shopping on a tight budget and don’t mind the staining that can occur. They are dishwasher safe, to boot, but they aren’t nearly as forgiving to your blade, and you can’t sand them down, either, to get rid of the cuts made from repeated use.
Glass or marble boards just aren’t good to use for cutting, period.
All in all, unless you want to shelve out some relatively big bucks on a high quality wooden cutting board, a Sani-Tuff board really makes the most sense for a home or commercial environment.
It’s extremely durable, not prone to staining, will not crack or splinter, won’t hold odors, can be sanded down as needed to remove surface cuts, and it’s anti-microbial to keep your kitchen bacteria-free.
It really is the best option for someone like me who just loves to cook and is in the kitchen every day.
I hope this article helps you in your shopping quest and would also suggest checking out the Chef’s Choice Sharpening Station if you are also in need of a system to get you blades sharp with minimal effort.
See all of the Sani-Tuff products on Amazon now.
About Ashley Martell
Ashley has enjoyed creative writing since she was six years old, when she wrote her first short story. She majored in English literature at the University of Montevallo. After years of professional work, she is now a stay-at-home mom of three, who uses her craft to write about her life and adventures in and out of the kitchen.
Meh, I had a go with one once, but I just couldn’t get in synch with the bounciness of the rubber. I can only get into my “rhythm” with a good solid wood block and can imagine chopping up a large amount of vegetables with one of these. I realize that they are used in many commercial establishments but it just wasn’t for me. Give me wood – keep you minds out of the gutters – any day.
Uvone, I’ll have to politely disagree with your comments as they apply to ME. I personally like the response of the rubber boards although I do notice that they dull my knives a little faster than a good end grain board would- of course not nearly as fast as glass or granite.
The Sani-tuff is soft, quite a bit softer than my wood cutting blocks. The friction is apparent as the knives cut into rubber with every slices. Although I say the knives dull somewhat faster than wood, they never really get dull. Really it seems that they go from very sharp to decently sharp fairly fast but tend not to get much duller other than what you’d normally find – this is still way sharper than most peoples kitchen knives.
For a protein only board, for use in a commercial environment, or if somebody really has to use the dishwasher (note: skip the heated drying cycle), Sani-tuff products really can’t be beat.
I have been thinking about purchasing a Sani-tuff for a while now and this article might have just tipped me over. I do not like using wooden chopping boards, I currently have a glass board but it does dull my knives and I’m not keen on the noise.
I didn’t know they could be sanded down until you mentioned it in this article, not sure how that fact escaped me. Thanks for sharing this article.
This has got to be the cutting board that knives like best. You can feel it give way under the blade, but then it forms back into place. I’m not a professional chef, but this board saves me time and does exactly as promised. It is a little tougher to use than other boards when you’re chopping without lifting the knife tip, and it’s shockingly heavy, but if you don’t mind a workout when you’re washing it, it’s a great board. I would never put a board in a dishwasher, I always wash by hand and sanitize myself.
I was all in praise of plastic cutting boards, i actually have one, i find it easier to use and clean afterward but now that the article mentions it, the carrot juice stain or the hard to clean onion stain and the knife cuts and scratches on the board as well whilst busy chopping veggies or fruits, i never liked the wooden cutting board, especially after washing it, it takes ages and ages to dry up and has that after smell of ‘ i know what you cooked last night’ regardless of how much you scrub clean..am grateful to have stumbled upon this awesome article, i will check up my piggy bank and buy myself a Sani- Tuff Rubber Cutting Board from amazon, who knows my friends might just follow suit and beg me to do the honors for them in that regard.
I was not aware the plastic makes your knifes dull – my knifes are always dull. We had a wooden board but it has been replaced with a plastic one that will be replaced soon due to stains. I will be looking into the Sani-Tuff Rubber product.
I’ve always been one to keep to wooden boards. I do have a few plastic boards but I rarely use them for cutting things. I use them more for transferring what I’ve already chopped or cut. Interesting to find out that wood boards are better for keeping knives sharp though. I was unaware of that. I do sharpen my knives weekly either way.
I have several different types of cutting boards that I use for different purposes. I do love the look and feel of my marble board, but as stated, I primarily use that when working with pastry. I do have a nice plastic one that I use frequently also, as well as a wood one, but I like the idea of the heaviness of this one, as well as that it stays put. Nothing is more irritating than food ending up in the sink or on the floor, because the board has slipped. Another factor I like is that this board can be sanded. I’m frugal, so that appeals to me, and I”m going to take a close look at these boards.
I’ve never heard of these rubber ones before. I used to use plastic versions but found they would get gross and worn really quickly. I recently changed to using wooden or bamboo ones. I love them, they are so easy to clean and don’t get as cut up as the plastic ones use to. They are also a lot thinner, lightweight and easily fit in the dishwasher.
How important is this post. I appreciate the advice about using this type of cutting board. I usually use disposable or plastic…..the rubber seems out of this world so thank you. I am really big on making sure not to mix the cutting board for meat and the boards we use to chop veggies and fruit. I love the saying separate and don’t ever cross-contaminate. Experts say it is proven that we can wash our hands thoroughly and all the other things we may do to sanitize our hands and dishes, but we can still acquire bacteria in our systems that causes us to become sick. This is a very serious issue for all families.
This board seems like a fantastic investment. I have a few cheap plastic cutting boards. They are fine as I’m not very picky, but I have one huge problem with them, they stain like nobody’s business! They look dirty and I can honestly never tell if i am cutting my fresh veggies on a dirty board or not. It’s unnerving to say the least. The fact that this board doesn’t stain easily can be sanded down is a huge plus for me. Gonna put this on my wishlist for sure!
Thanks for this article! I have been looking for new cutting boards, but think I may just invest in this. I dont like the cheap plastic ones I have. They get cut marks on them and food gets stuck so I dont feel its sanitary.