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See why.The Best Bar Boards
These petite, portable cutting boards are ideal for quick kitchen tasks, picnics, and even serving small portions of cheese or charcuterie.
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What You Need To Know
Bar boards are the littlest members of the cutting board family—the baby boards, if you will. As their name suggests, they were originally used in bars for cutting citrus and small fruit for garnishes. But they’re handy in the kitchen as well. Small and lightweight, they’re perfect for any tiny task you might have: cutting an apple, slicing some cheese, or mincing a few herbs to put on your lunch. They’re also highly portable, making them a great choice for picnics or other on-the-go slicing and dicing.
We’d never tested these boards before and wanted to know which one was best, so we bought nine models, priced from about $5.50 to about $22.00. Bar boards come in a range of sizes, but we focused on models that were about half the size of our favorite small cutting board, which measures about 14 by 11 inches, or even smaller. And while plastic boards are most common in this size, we also considered wood, bamboo, and composite boards. On each board, we cut a variety of foods, mincing shallots; making lemon wedges; chiffonading fresh basil; and slicing salami, blocks of cheese, and baguettes. To test stain and odor retention, we smeared chipotle in adobo on each board and let it sit for 3 hours before washing. Over the course of testing, we washed each board 25 times to see whether any would warp, crack, or split.
Size Matters
We wanted a board that was small—but not, as it turned out, too small. One of the boards was the size of a postcard, so tiny that an 8-ounce block of cheddar cheese didn’t entirely fit on it. Technically, this board was big enough to hold a lemon, but once we started cutting the lemon into wedges, we ran out of room for the cut sections. We preferred boards that were at least 64 square inches in area, or about the size of a small paperback book. Our favorite boards were some of the largest we tested—the biggest was about the size of an iPad—but still small enough to fit comfortably in a handbag or backpack.
Stability Is Key
As with all cutting boards, stability was critical. You don’t want your board slipping around when you’re cutting. The most stable models had rubber grips that anchored the boards to the counter. Weight was a factor, too. Heavier models stayed put better than lighter-weight ones.
Materials Provide Trade-Offs
We didn’t have strong preferences when it came to material. All the boards proved equally durable, with every model scarring when we used a serrated knife to cut baguettes on them. But none of the boards warped or cracked, even after 25 washes.
Ultimately, the choice of material is up to you. Plastic and paper composite boards require no special maintenance and are easy to ...
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Ease of Use:: 3 stars out of 3.
- Stability:: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility:: 2 stars out of 3.
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.
- Ease of Use:: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Stability:: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Versatility:: 3 stars out of 3.
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.
- Ease of Use:: 2 stars out of 3.
- Stability:: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility:: 3 stars out of 3.
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.
Recommended
- Ease of Use:: 2 stars out of 3.
- Stability:: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Versatility:: 3 stars out of 3.
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.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
- Stability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 2 stars out of 3.
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.
Recommended with reservations
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
- Stability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 2 stars out of 3.
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.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
- Stability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 2 stars out of 3.
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.
Not Recommended
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Stability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 2 stars out of 3.
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.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
- Stability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 1 stars out of 3.
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.
Reviews you can trust
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. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
Miye Bromberg
Miye is a senior editor for ATK Reviews. She covers booze, blades, and gadgets of questionable value.