The Best Bar Boards

This reversible plastic bar board was the largest we tested, allowing us to cut all manner of small foods with room to spare. It sat securely on the counter, thanks to its rubbery grips and moderate weight. And it was easy to clean in the dishwasher. A juice groove on one side of the board was great for containing small volumes of liquid. It’s not the prettiest board, but in a pinch, it could still be used to serve cheese or snacks.

Made of teak, this bar board is naturally slightly oily, so it required less maintenance than the other wood or bamboo boards we tested, and it stained somewhat less extensively. It was big enough to accommodate all the foods we cut on it though still highly portable. And it’s reversible, with a juice groove on one side that helped contain messes when we cut a lemon into wedges. It was the heaviest bar board we tested, so it stayed put on the counter pretty well, though rubbery grips would have provided some extra security. Finally, it’s quite handsome, making a beautiful small platter for serving cheese or charcuterie.

We liked this paper composite board, which gave us plenty of space to work on. It’s reversible, and one side has a juice groove that collected the occasional spray of juice as we cut a lemon on it. Both sides have silicone feet that helped keep this otherwise relatively lightweight board stable on the countertop. Stains didn’t show up on its matte black surface, which was otherwise pretty enough to use as a serving board. Our only reservation? It made a harsh clacking sound when we cut on it.

This simple reversible bamboo board was big enough to accommodate all the foods we cut on it, and it was attractive enough to use for serving items, too. It’s somewhat heavy for its size, so it sat fairly securely on the countertop, though it occasionally slid during more vigorous cutting. And while chipotle stained it slightly, those stains faded after a few washes. You’ll just need to oil it from time to time to keep it in good shape.

It’s a bit small, but this reversible plastic board still provided enough room to cut all the foods we tested. Rubbery grips on both sides of its four corners kept it supremely stable on the counter. This particular board is a restaurant standard for good reasons: It’s easy to clean and maintain, and it didn’t stain or warp. That said, its industrial look makes it a little less than ideal for serving food.

This plastic cutting board was superstable, thanks to dozens of tiny silicone-tipped feet on one side. It’s on the smaller end of our acceptable range, and while it can accommodate bars of cheese and salami reasonably well, you may run out of room to hold the cut food as you work. Still, it was durable and didn’t stain; in a pinch, it could be used to serve small amounts of food.

This reversible plastic bar board worked fairly well. It’s big enough to hold most foods, though if you’re making lots of slices, you may run out of room to hold all the cut pieces. A silicone rim that ran around its entire perimeter kept it from budging on the countertop, though larger knives sometimes bit into it as we cut. If you’re feeding small children, it’s fine for serving foods; adults might find its whimsical shape and color less appropriate.

This no-frills reversible plastic bar board was a decent size, providing enough space to cut most foods, though once we’d done so, the cut sections occasionally spilled onto the counter for lack of room. But it just wouldn’t stay put while we used it. Thin, smooth, and lacking grips of any kind, it spun around on the counter, making it perilous to mince shallots or cut lemons into wedges. In a pinch, you could serve foods on it, though it’s otherwise a bit bright and utilitarian.

Made of pretty maple wood, this bar board was very cute and very, very tiny. Blocks of cheese and salami hung off its sides, and while we could technically get a lemon on top of it, there was no room to maneuver our knives once we did—and nowhere to put the lemon sections after we were done. It’d be hard to serve most snacks on it. The lightest board we tested and very thin, it slid around on the counter. And it stained extensively from the chipotle, though those stains did eventually fade with subsequent washes.