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See why.Large Plastic Cutting Boards
What’s the best all-purpose lightweight cutting board for home cooks?
By Published July 23, 2020
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What You Need To Know
Plastic cutting boards don’t get no respect. Sure, they’re not as beautiful as their wood and bamboo counterparts, and they aren’t designed to last forever—nobody buys one expecting to hand it down to their grandchildren. But these utilitarian boards have their own advantages. Unlike wood cutting boards, plastic boards require no maintenance. They’re thin and relatively lightweight, so they’re much easier to maneuver and clean by hand than heavy wood cutting boards. What’s more, they can be thrown in the dishwasher, a boon for cooks who worry about hygiene when working with meat or poultry. And best of all, they’re comparatively inexpensive, making them accessible to most cooks and easy to replace in the event that they crack or warp.
We’ve never devoted an entire review solely to large plastic cutting boards, and we thought it was high time we put a spotlight on these practical, economical options. So we bought seven models, priced from about $19 to about $70, including the redesigned version of the OXO Good Grips Carving and Cutting Board, our favorite plastic cutting board in an earlier testing of different types of cutting boards. Each model measured about 20 inches long and 15 inches wide—the minimum size we’ve found to be best for all-purpose use, providing enough room to break down a chicken without feeling cramped.
We put the cutting boards to work, using them as we diced onions, minced parsley, pounded chicken breasts into cutlets, and cleaved nearly 10 pounds of chicken parts. We smeared chipotle chiles in adobo sauce on each model to evaluate if it stained and retained odors, and we washed all the boards by hand and in the dishwasher 50 times to test how they held up to extended wear and tear. We also sent copies of each cutting board home with staffers to see how they all fared over the course of a month.
Stability Is Key
Preferences started to emerge during the very first tests we ran. Stability was critical. While we don’t mind using a gripper mat or a damp paper towel under a board to help keep it steady, we’d prefer not to use one if we don’t have to. Used without these aids, some models just didn’t stay put on the counter. Weight helped: The heavier the board, the more likely it was to stay still as we chopped or diced. We preferred boards that had a little heft to them, weighing between 4 and 5 pounds, or about a third of the weight of our favorite heavy-duty wood board. Weight alone wasn’t enough to keep the boards from moving, though. Rubber grips—feet, strips, or ridges that help anchor the board to the counter—were even more important. Smooth plastic boards that lacked these grips skidded oc...
Everything We Tested
Recommended
- Stability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
Our favorite cutting board impressed testers with its rock-solid stability and excellent durability. Thanks to its moderate weight and four small but capable rubberized grips, it never budged on the counter. At about ½ inch thick, it didn’t flex during use or warp; while it did scar somewhat over the course of testing, the damage was comparable to that seen on the other boards. And any stains and odors cleared up after a wash or two. Our one quibble: It was a little heavy for some testers, making it a touch harder to maneuver and clean by hand.
- Stability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
This food-service standby was very similar to our winner. Though this board was a few ounces lighter, the four triangular grips on its corners helped it sit just as stably on the counter. At about ½ inch thick, it was sturdy under our knives and didn’t warp, even after we washed it 50 times. Like the other boards, it scarred somewhat over the course of testing. Stains faded after a few washes. Testers were divided on its built-in ruler; some loved having this information handy, while others complained that the raised numbers limited the available workspace.
- Stability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
Weighing just over 3 pounds, the new version of our previous winner is the lightest board in our lineup, making it especially easy to lift and maneuver. Happily, its rubbery sides still allow it to sit relatively securely on the counter, though it did slip occasionally. And most testers appreciated the trench built into one side, too. Two small problems kept it from the top of the rankings: Because the board is so thin, with relatively tall rubbery strips embedded in the sides, the middle of the board never made contact with the counter, so it bounced a bit as we chopped, cleaved, or pounded. And the board became concave every time we put it under hot water, though it never warped permanently.
Recommended with reservations
- Stability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
An inch-thick slab of smooth plastic, this utilitarian board sat relatively securely on the counter on its own, thanks to its heavy weight. But because it lacked rubber grips, it still required a gripper mat to stabilize it for more vigorous tasks, such as cleaving or pounding chicken; without it, the board occasionally “walked,” as one user put it. And because it was the heaviest board we tested, it was a bit of a chore to maneuver and clean. It was also the thickest, so it didn’t warp. Like the other boards, it scarred slightly over the course of testing.
- Stability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
This thick bare-bones plastic slab was one of the heaviest boards we tested; while that weight helped it stay put on the counter, it also made it harder to maneuver and clean by hand. Because it lacked grips, we still needed a gripper mat to help steady it when we cleaved or pounded chicken, but it was otherwise fairly serviceable and secure; its thickness helped ensure that it never warped. Like the other boards, it scarred slightly during testing; stains and odors faded after a few washes.
Not Recommended
- Stability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
We liked that this innovative set came with a stable plastic frame and two replaceable boards that could be placed inside it—until we had to clean both the frame and the board after every test, which was a royal pain. We were also intrigued by the fact that each board has a layer of colored material that gets exposed once the board has gotten too much wear, indicating that it’s time to switch to a new board. But despite heavy use and extensive scarring, the colored layer never showed through. While the frame’s four rubbery feet allowed the set to sit very stably on the counter, the boards themselves were so thin and flexible—like cutting mats—that they bounced within the frame as we chopped. Boards from two of the three sets we purchased also warped after 15 washes.
- Stability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
Lightweight, and with no rubbery grips, this simple plastic cutting board required a gripper mat to stabilize it on the counter for most tasks. Testers did like that it was easy to maneuver and clean, but any appreciation went out the window after the board warped, which occurred after just nine washes with one copy. As one tester put it, “My husband hates this thing with the anger of a thousand suns . . . I couldn't let the kids use it for fear of it sliding away.” In theory, the juice trench was a nice extra, but because it held only about 3 tablespoons of liquid, testers noted that it didn’t keep much off the counter.
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing.
Miye Bromberg
Miye is a senior editor for ATK Reviews. She covers booze, blades, and gadgets of questionable value.
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