A kitchen knife is an essential kitchen tool. This is just as important for an avid cook as it is for someone preparing food at home.
With a sharp knife, you can quickly chop vegetables, fruits, meat, fish, bread, and other things. Well-sharpened knives take the burden off your shoulders. A chef’s knife allows you to cut food without too much pressure.
However, ultra-sharp knives can become dull within a month if you use them on a hard surface.
Yes, your cutting board can ruin the knives and dull them quickly.
No panic.
To help you avoid problems, we’ve put together a review of cutting boards that ruin knives. We’ve also put together a list of the best cutting boards that will keep knife blades working for years.
Why do Some Cutting Boards Dull the Knives
When buying a butcher board, we mainly look at the aesthetics to match our kitchen decor. However, some serious concerns make it necessary to do a little research before purchasing a cutting/dicing board.
The knife blades randomly hit the surface of the cutting board several times a day. The edges of a sharp knife are too thin. Repeated, forceful impacts on a stony surface will destroy the flatness of the edges and quickly dull them.
Over time, the knife edges can bend. The uneven, rounded, or curved edges are hardly visible to the naked eye.
The rule of thumb is to choose the best chopping board to protect the sharp knives from damage.
Now let’s delve in to see which cutting boards can destroy your knives.
1. Glass Cutting Board Dull Your Knives Quickly
Glass kitchen boards are very popular among buyers. One reason is the wow-glossy look. However, they are not suitable for chopping and slicing work.
A tempered glass plate is scratch-resistant and is too hard a surface for the knives. With prolonged use, the knife blades may become dull. The edges of the blade will bend more quickly as you repeatedly apply force to the tool.
If you already have a glass cutting board, there are other things you can do with it. I would rather use it for rolling out pastries, kneading dough, and cutting soft foods like fruits, sandwiches, etc.
It is advisable not to cut vegetables and meat with a sharp knife on a glass surface. Glass is extremely slippery, making it easy for things to slide on it. This can be dangerous and result in injury.
Pros
- Hygienic
- Easy to clean
- Variety of designs and patterns
- Affordable
- Requires less maintenance
Cons
- A slippery surface can cause accidents
- Breakable due to force
- Unpleasant noise
- Requires careful storage
- Quickly reduces knife sharpness
2. Are Marble Cutting Boards Safe for Knives
Marble cutting boards are available in many colors, shapes, and sizes. With so many to choose from, it’s easy to find the right one for your taste.
Like glass, marble is not a suitable material for cutting boards. Marble is a hard stone with a non-porous surface. It is frustrating to endure the loud noise when cutting vegetables, fruits, or meat on a marble cutting board.
Marble is more of a material for countertops than for cutting purposes. But I prefer kneading and flattening dough and making burgers on these boards because they have a smooth, non-sticky surface. Place your hot pans on these surfaces with peace of mind.
Pros
- Safe for food preparations
- No risk of cross-contamination
- Effortless cleaning
- Long-standing
Cons
- Produces clacking noise while cutting
- Too heavy
- Dulls knives quickly
3. Can Granite Cutting Boards Blunt the Knives?
Granite is the top choice for countertops in modern homes. The glossy surface, admirable design, and classy appeal of granite make it the perfect choice for kitchen remodeling. However, granite can destroy knives just as quickly as cutting boards made of marble and glass. In addition, the material can lose its resilience due to acid erosion.
Pros
- Charismatic appearance
- Stands high temperatures
- Smooth surface
- Easy to clean and maintain
- Hygienic
Cons
- Tough on knife blades
- Fades due to acid action
4. Will Bamboo Cutting Board Dull Your Knives?
Like all the above options, bamboo is hard enough to make the edges of the knife blades rounded. Due to the high silica component, it is 19% harder than maple chopping boards (the best wood cutting board for knives).
Bamboo is the best product for buyers looking for sustainable kitchen items. However, it is only suitable for some light prep tasks. When kneading the dough on it, you need to use oil.
Pros
- Inexpensive
- All-natural material
Cons
- Damages the knife blades
- Higher risk of food contamination
5. Are Composite Boards Good for Your Knives
People are fond of Epicurean cutting boards these days. It is the most popular composite board brand.
Composite boards are made of wood, fibers, and phenolic resins. These boards are good-looking, made of heavy-duty material, and durable.
Unfortunately, these boards are not best suited for cutting purposes. These semi-hard cutting boards also dull the knives after some time.
If you have one at home already, it is good to use it for other kitchen tasks.
Pros
- Looks good
- Long-lasting
- Available in many sizes and designs
- Affordable
Cons
- Reduces the sharpness of your knives
- Produces loud sound when cutting
Best Knife-Friendly Cutting Boards
Wood is the most preferred chopping board material recommended by professional chefs worldwide.
There is a myth among buyers that wood butcher boards are not hygienic, posing a risk of cross-contamination.
According to UC Davis, research reports on cutting boards, wood is a safe material for food contact compared to plastic.
If a wooden board is contaminated with bacteria after slicing meat or other foods, the porous material tends to pull the pathogens into the deeper layers. There is no risk of germs returning to the surface as they collapse after reaching the lower layers due to dehydration.
Well-maintained wooden cutting boards with reversible ends can keep you safe against the risk of bacterial contact.
Wooden butcher boards have relatively softer surfaces that allow the knife edges to work seamlessly on surfaces. The process eliminates the risk of bending issues keeping your knives functional for a longer duration.
Check the Janka Hardness Rating when Buying Wood Cutting Boards
Janka hardness rating is the unit for measuring the hardness of wood materials. These ratings are measured in pound-force (lbf). High Rating Consider choosing cutting boards with a higher rating, meaning the material is less prone to scratches, scuffs, dents, etc.
4 Best Wooden Cutting Board Materials
Maple: Maple is a top choice for cutting boards with a Janka hardness rating of 1450. Both soft and hard maple wood are premium materials for dice boards. This impact-resistant wood is food-safe, leaves no stains, and blocks germs.
Beech: A cutting board made of fine-grained, food-safe beech has a hardness of 1300. It’s good to keep the knives sharp in the long term. The porous surface of this wood protects it from bacteria formation, stains, and rot caused by contact with moisture.
Walnut: A soft, close-grained material, walnut boasts a 1010 hardness rating. This wood shrinks slowly so, it requires less conditioning compared to maple or beech cousins.
Teak: Rated 1070 on the Janka hardness scale, teak is also a splendid knife-friendly chopping board material. However, it has large pores so imposes a higher risk of moisture clogging, bacterial growth, and staining.
Pros
- Doesn’t blunt the knife edges
- 100% plant material
- Non-toxic
- Matches the green kitchen décor theme
- Easy to resurface and maintain
Cons
- Can rot due to long-term water contact
- Not suitable for washing with strong bleaches
