How To Know When It's Time To Replace Your Cutting Board

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Sometimes, it can be hard to let old cookware go. Whether you simply don't want to pay for a new one or you've gotten emotionally attached to your current item, it can be easy to continuously put off a new purchase. However, when it comes to kitchenware, using it past its prime can mess up your cooking or even be dangerous. The latter is especially true for your cutting board, which becomes a hazard once it's overly worn.

According to USDA guidelines, a cutting board should be replaced once it "become[s] excessively worn or develop hard-to-clean grooves." This will eventually happen with cutting boards of any material, and it's dangerous precisely because of the difficulty of cleaning it. If tiny bits of perishable food get stuck in the cutting board's grooves and can't be removed, they will eventually get moldy and create dangerous germs in a place you're meant to be handling ready-to-eat food. The same goes for a butcher block, which, while more durable than a cutting board, can still become dangerous if too worn to be thoroughly cleaned. After all, no one wants to eat meat that was prepared on top of rotting, days-old bits of meat.

If you find that your cutting board is forming these deep grooves far too quickly, don't simply disregard it and continue chopping. While no cutting board is completely safe from wear, some are much more durable than others, an important factor to prioritize when purchasing a new cutting board. In general, wooden boards will last longer than plastic boards. However, you will need to care for a wooden cutting board especially carefully, so keep in mind this longer lifespan comes with the caveat of needing more maintenance. You should also be sure to avoid common cutting board mistakes that wear your board out quicker.

One cutting board brand that comes highly recommended is John Boos, which makes wooden boards and butcher blocks. Reviewers on Reddit have said that their Boos boards have lasted upwards of eight years, even when sometimes slacking a bit on maintenance. While the boards are pricey (options on John Boos' site tend to start at over $100), they really are a solid investment if your goal is to avoid replacing the board frequently.

Another option is a rubber cutting board, which is often used by commercial restaurants. Reddit users seem to have positive experiences with Asahi, and they run a bit cheaper than John Boos (you can get an Asahi board on Amazon for about $90.) Whatever brand you choose, consider getting it larger than you might think you need as well.