The Pros And Cons Of Rubber Cutting Boards

Wood and plastic cutting boards have enjoyed the limelight for some time, but rubber cutting boards could be the secret kitchen accessory you've been waiting for. Certainly one of the best features of rubber cutting boards is how easy they are on your knives. A good knife is an investment and, while you can sharpen them, that costs money and the knife will eventually need to be replaced if you're constantly whittling it down. Plastic cutting boards offer a lot of resistance to your knives, which wears them down over time. Rubber boards are quite soft and won't cause nearly as much damage, with the added benefit of not splintering off into microplastics.

Another big selling point for rubber cutting boards is that they are nonporous. This means they are super easy to clean since nothing gets trapped inside the board itself. Wood cutting boards are very porous and require a lot of maintenance to keep them up to par. Rubber cutting boards are much more hands-off. No need to coat it in oil and no stress about bacteria growing on it so long as you wash it when you're done. A downside of having such a luxury kitchen accessory is, of course, the price. Rubber cutting boards are very handy to have around but, like all good things in life, that doesn't come cheap. A low-quality rubber cutting board will cost you $60, and the price easily climbs up from there.

Restaurant kitchens often prefer rubber cutting boards because they make the chefs' knives last longer and there's less risk of contamination of the food since they're nonporous. But just because a commercial kitchen likes something doesn't mean it's good for a home kitchen. Rubber cutting boards are considerably heavier than other cutting boards. This means they don't slip around on the counter while you use them, but if you aren't particularly strong, the weight can become a chore.

Most rubber cutting boards also aren't dishwasher-safe. They only take a quick rinse to clean, but for anyone who has taken a vow against hand washing their kitchenware this could be a dealbreaker. Some brands may be okay once or twice in the dishwasher, but you should expect it to warp if you start cutting corners or you forget. A warped cutting board is less than ideal since the purpose of a cutting board is to be a flat surface. Despite these drawbacks, rubber cutting boards are definitely a premium product. If you drop the cash and take the time to treat your cutting board right, it will last you a lifetime. That's not something wood or plastic cutting boards can boast.