Time for a classing showdown for the ages: End Grain vs. Edge Grain Cutting Boards. Which one should you choose? Which one is best? Are there benefits in one over the other??? Well, this is yet another case where there isn’t necessarily a “best”. There are plusses and minuses for both edge grain cutting boards and end grain cutting boards and hopefully I will help you make an educated decision on what is best for you.
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What is an End Grain Cutting Board?
End grain cutting boards are generally made with little blocks of wood glued together with the grain running vertically. Imagine looking at the end of a log… that is the end grain. Cutting board manufacturers cut the blocks and glue them all together. Many times end grain cutting boards will have multiple colors or colored strips (like pictured above) which is mostly just for aesthetics. My woodworker friend made this one for me out of maple with some walnut stripes.
What is an edge grain cutting board?
Edge grain cutting boards are made by gluing strips of wood together instead of blocks. The one pictured above is a maple 12x18x1.5 inch Boos Maple board from CuttingBoard.com. Imagine looking at the long edge of a 2×4. That is the edge grain.
Advantages of an End Grain Cutting Board
End grain cutting boards like the one pictured above have a couple distinct advantages over edge grain cutting boards.
First, the edge grain cutting boards are better for your knives. Think of the vertical fibers of the wood like a paint brush. If you drag a knife through the end of the bristles of a paint brush the knife slips easily between the fibers which results in less dulling of your blades. Don’t read to much into that though. It isn’t like edge grain boards destroy your knives. The difference is somewhat nominal but there is the difference.
Also because the knife slips between the fibers of the wood instead of cutting the fibers the end grain cutting boards are more durable and don’t get the same slash marks you might see in an edge grain board. There will still be some knife marks but the fibers do a good job of “self healing” and bouncing back to their original shape.
End grain cutting boards also tend to look nicer. If you are a fan of sharing pictures of your food on Instagram you will want an good end grain cutting board. End grain boards also come in thicker sizes and are heavier which has very little effect on the functionality of the board but again, it looks pretty sweet.
Disadvantages of an End Grain Cutting Board
End grain cutting boards have two big drawbacks. First is price. A good end grain cutting board can easily run $300 or more depending on the size and thickness. If you start adding some inlays or designs the price can go up from there.
End grain cutting board also require a bit more maintenance. You need to store them on their edge or they will warp. They also need to be oiled somewhat regularly. The more you use it and wash it the more regularly you will need to oil it. In most cases you will only need to oil it with some mineral oil once a month so it isn’t like you will be doing it every day.
Advantages of Edge Grain Cutting Boards
The biggest advantage of edge grain cutting boards in the price. My edge grain cutting board is a John Boos (pretty much the biggest name in good cutting boards) 18x12x1.5 inch maple board and it can be had for under $100 at Cuttingboard.com. They also carry a lot of other sizes and woods.
Edge grain cutting boards also require less maintenance. Sure, it won’t hurt to give it a rub down with some oil every now and then but it isn’t as necessary as end grain boards.
Disadvantages of Edge Grain Cutting Boards
Edge grain cutting boards tend to get more cut marks in them compared to end grain boards. This is because you are cutting the wood fibers and those marks can’t heal themselves. Over time those marks can trap meat juice and other stuff like that.
Edge grain boards also look a bit plain compared to end grain boards. But if looks aren’t important to you don’t shy away from a good edge grain board. It will still function pretty much the same as its more expensive cousin.
Which cutting board should you buy?
Well, that kind of depends on you, what you will be using your cutting board for, and what your budget is. If you want a really good board that won’t break the bank I really like my Boos 18×12 board that is just under $100. It is big enough to cut most steaks, a chicken, and pretty much all but the biggest roasts. If you are planning on slicing a lot of briskets or turkeys you might need a 24×18 board.
If you will only pull your cutting board out once or twice a week save your money and go with the edge grain. But if you will be using your board on a daily basis it will probably be worth it to go with a good end grain board. This 20x15x2.25 end grain board from John Boos is a great starting point. But if you want to go crazy Cuttingboard.com has some nice end grain boards over $600.
So End Grain vs Edge Grain Cutting Boards: Which is best??? This is one of those classic cases of there being no “best”. If you threatened to steal all my steak if I didn’t give an answer I would probably say you can’t go wrong with a good end grain board but there is nothing at all wrong with a nice edge grain board either.
A Few More Random Cutting Board Thoughts
Never, never, never, never, never (get the point?) use a stone, granite, or glass cutting board. Those will destroy your knives.
Plastic cutting boards are great to have around for raw chicken or other raw meat. Since they can go in the dishwasher they can easily be sanitized.
If you need some good knives to go with your new cutting board I am a big fan of Dalstrong knives. They won’t break the bank but are great quality.
Maple is probably the most common wood for good cutting boards but walnut or cherry are great options as well. I really like the look of some of the walnut boards but they are a bit more expensive than maple. Other woods like teak, larch, or birch can be found as well as bamboo but I would just stick with maple, walnut or cherry for a good cutting board. Use those other woods for serving boards.
