We Tested 25 Plastic Cutting Boards—These 9 Are a Cut Above the Rest

Our Top Pick

San Jamar Saf-T-Grip Cutting Board

$31 $27 at Amazon

This ain’t your grandma’s cutting board. “The San Jamar was the most aesthetically interesting design I’ve had in a cutting board,” said Allstar tester Lisa Lynn. The boards are bright and colorful, available in six vibrant shades (though there are also black and white options if you prefer a subtler look). 

During testing, the board didn’t budge an inch, thanks to the grips on all four corners on both sides of this reversible board. Lisa Lynn praised the stability and sturdiness of the board, as well as apparent stain resistance. After chopping up cilantro and red onions, not a trace of color was left behind (though she did note the board showed some knife marks). As if all that wasn’t enough, the board also includes a helpful built-in ruler for even cuts and a hook for hanging storage. It’s a well-rounded, good-looking, dependable board that wins our top spot.

The Details: Co-polymer; 12 x 18 x 0.5 inches; 3.5 pounds; dishwasher safe

Best Budget

KitchenAid Classic Plastic Cutting Board

$10 at Amazon $12 $10 at Walmart View on Perigold.com

There are many kitchen products that lean towards the pricier side–cutting boards don’t have to be one of them. This standard board from KitchenAid impressed us not just with its affordable price tag. The non-slip edges kept the board in place, and the grooved side collected any liquid runoff from slicing ingredients–keeping the countertop nice and clean. Running the board through the dishwasher got rid of any lingering smells or stains, no problem. Though, admittedly, the lack of a handle is a bit of a bummer. Other than that, it was easy to transfer ingredients off the board thanks to the perfectly flat surface. 

The Details: BPA-free plastic; 11 x 14 x 0.5; 2 pounds; dishwasher safe

Best Set

Gorilla Grip Cutting Board Set

$22 at Amazon View on Gorillagrip.com

You know what’s annoying? Prepping multiple ingredients and having them prematurely mix up on your limited cutting board area. Sometimes I’ll use two boards at a time, though that leads to jostling for counter space. Enter the Gorilla Grip Board Set with a trio of different sizes. The silicone ends keep a steady grip while the boards themselves stand up to heavy, everyday use. In tests, built-in handles made it simple to scrape ingredients into a pot and hold onto the board while giving it a good scrub. You can use the larger board for cutting meat, the mid-sized board for veggies, and the smaller one for herbs or pieces of fruit. 

The Details: BPA-free plastic and rubber; 16 x 11.2 x 0.4 inches, 13.8 x 9.6 x 0.4 inches, 11.8 x 8 x 0.4 inches; 4.3 pounds; dishwasher safe

Best Recycled

Material the rePrep Set

View on Materialkitchen.com

Eco-friendly? Check. Absolutely gorgeous? Check. Versatile uses? Check. What is not to love about the upcycled reBoard? It’s made of 75 percent recycled plastic kitchen scraps and 25 percent renewable sugarcane. This set comes with boards: two standard reBoards (one with foot grips) and a mini board. One of the grippy board’s silicone bumpers did pop off during testing, which was disappointing, and the other boards did require a mat or paper towel beneath it to prevent sliding. Other than that, however, the boards performed well and looked good doing so. The veiny texture of the boards helped hold onto food while chopping and slicing, which was nice. 

The Details: Upcycled plastic and sugarcane; 14.75 x 10.75 x 0.38 inches, 13.3 x 8.5 x 0.38 inches; dishwasher safe

Best for Carving

Joseph Joseph Cut & Carve Multi-Function Cutting Board

$20 at Amazon $30 at Williams Sonoma $20 at Macys

The small spikes on this carving board are designed to keep ingredients in place while slicing. It’s ideal for heavy meats such as turkey, roast beef, or pork tenderloins. That said, it also grips veggies and melons well, too. The board is slanted at an angle so any juices slide down into a collection trough–which means you can save the juice for gravies or just toss it without making a mess. 

Unfortunately, that strength is also a bit of a weakness. Lisa Lynn noted that prolonged cutting at an angle made her wrists sore and that some smaller vegetables (such as carrots) rolled away when cutting on the smooth, non-spiked side of the board. Maybe keep this as a special board dedicated to carving, and use a flatter board for prepping tomatoes and grapes.

The Details: Polypropylene; 16.5 x 11.5 x 1 inches; 1.3 pounds; dishwasher safe

Best Large

OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board

$33 at Amazon $37 at Walmart $19 at Sur La Table

Is there anything Oxo can’t do? The beloved brand hits it out of the park (again) with this large cutting board–ideal for prepping an entire meal for a family reunion or party. The 21 x 14 board is surprisingly lightweight for its size, making it easy to maneuver around the kitchen (though it doesn’t have handles, which is a small letdown). Juice won’t spill onto the counter, thanks to the grooves along the edge of the board.

It may look a little plain, but it’s a dependable board that holds up under heavy chopping and everyday use. Plus, it didn't show any signs of damage or staining during tests. "This board is white, and it still didn’t stain from the green, red, or purple vegetable items I cut," said Lisa Lynn. Given its bulk, it can be tricky to store or put in the dishwasher–though a simple scrub in the sink will do just fine. 

The Details: Polypropylene; 21.1 x 14.5 x 0.38 inches; 3 pounds; dishwasher safe

Best Design

Cup Board Pro Synthetic Cutting Board

$58 at Williams Sonoma

This cutting board stands out from all the others in one major way: it has a detachable tray. The tray can collect messy juices and food scraps or even serve as a storage place for sliced ingredients while you work on the next part of the recipe. Allstar Lisa Lynn was a big fan of the tray herself. “This was a game changer for separately cutting veggies from stems, leaves, etc., and making the process much more organized and efficient,” she said. “Plus, the catch-all tray folds down so when I'm not using it, it's super easy to store.” In addition to the tray, this board is reversible, has no-slip grips, a liquid channel on one side, and is made of durable polyethylene. No wonder it was featured on Shark Tank!

The Details: High-density polyethylene and thermoplastic; 16 x 16 x 1 inches; 2.69 pounds; dishwasher safe (detach tray first)

Best with Storage

Joseph Joseph Chopping Board Set

$80 $64 at Amazon $96 at Walmart $34 at Wayfair

Though this may look like it belongs in a business office, I promise it’s for the kitchen. Joseph Joseph’s Folio Chopping Board set is sleek, organized, and won’t take up too much space–even while holding four different chopping boards. It’s easy to pull the boards out of the folio, thanks to the stainless steel handles, which also make the boards maneuverable when you need to transfer ingredients or rinse them in the sink. The textured surface holds onto foods while you’re slicing and dicing. One potential downside: these boards are a bit small, so you may find yourself using multiple at a time if you’re prepping a bigger meal. But hey, that’s what sets are for.

The Details: Plastic and stainless steel; 7.88 x 11.88 inches; 4 pounds; dishwasher safe (boards only)

Best Basic

Dexas Polysafe Pastry/Cutting Board

$33 at Amazon

Anyone that tells you “basic is a bad thing” is wrong. This utilitarian board is simple and focused, without any fuss or frills. It’s a big board that offers plenty of prep space but is fairly lightweight for its size and thickness. Perhaps best of all–it didn’t show any cuts or knife marks during tests. Though it doesn’t have any non-slip grips or handles, the sheer size of it kept it in place while in use. Admittedly, it’s a bit unwieldy in the sink, and though dishwasher safe, it can be hard to fit it in there, too. Luckily, there are several sizes available–from a small 8.5 x 11 to the big 15 x 20 version we tested. 

The Details: High-density poly; 15 x 20.2 x 0.4 inches; dishwasher safe