Quality of Wooden Cutting Boards

There are three types of wooden cutting boards:

• face-grain: cutting board made of dose wood, you can see the "flame" markings in the wood;
• edge-grain: quarter wood cutting board, edge-grain glued, you can see the wood grains;
• end-grain: cut slab from quarter wood, end-grain glued, you can see the annual rings.

Dosse boards are the cheapest to cut, because you can get more out of a log than quarter boards. This lower price combined with the beautiful flame pattern speaks in favor of making cutting boards with this wood. Many mass-produced and cheaper cutting boards are therefore made from this.

So why use quarter wood anyway?

Quarter-sawn wood is sturdier and more wear-resistant due to the higher density of wood grains. Your knives also stay sharp longer and require less frequent sharpening. This is because they cut between the grain (which recovers afterwards) instead of through the grain (which is irreversibly cut afterwards). This is why professional chefs use this type of cutting board all the time.

So what is the difference between edge-grain and end-grain?

A edge-grain glued cutting board...

• Requires a single bonding;
• is a sturdy cutting board with the best moisture control;
• needs the least maintenance;
• is less wear resistant than end-grain, you will see scratches faster;
• is available in everyone's budget.

A end-grain glued cutting board...

• requires at least two bonding and planning;
• forms the most hard-wearing cutting board;
• ensures blades stay sharp the longest;
• is often more expensive to purchase;
• makes special designs possible;
• requires a little more maintenance to maintain good moisture control.