I Tested 15 Plastic Cutting Boards to Find the Best Ones for Everyday Food Prep

Plastic cutting boards are easy to dismiss: They show scratches easily, slide around, and dull knives faster than an end-grain wooden board. But, if I’m honest, I use my plastic boards just as often as my treasured The Boardsmith butcher block. They’re dishwasher-safe and less porous than wooden boards, which makes them ideal when cutting up meats or items that stain (lookin’ at you, beets). 

Beyond those attributes, what makes a great plastic cutting board? Well, ideally, it won’t dull your knives after a few strokes, and the surface won’t get gouged every time you cut on it. But I wanted to dig in more to find the best plastic boards. So, I tested 15 of them by running brand-new chef’s knives over them, supreming citrus, and slicing bread with a serrated blade.

The Tests

• Knife Sharpness Test: I used a professional edge tester to measure the sharpness of a brand-new chef’s knife before running it over a corresponding plastic board’s surface 50 times. I then re-measured the sharpness and calculated how much it dulled. 
• Slicing Bread Test: I used a serrated bread knife to slice crusty bread on each board. I wanted to see if the sharp, jagged blade would dig into the board’s surface and scratch it. 
• Supreming Citrus Test: I sliced an orange and supremed a grapefruit on each plastic board. I noted if the board slid around as I removed the rind and sliced the citrus.
• Cleaning Tests: I hand-washed all of the boards and ran applicable ones through a cycle in the dishwasher, noting if they were damaged afterward. 

What We Learned

Plastic Cutting Boards vs. Wooden Cutting Boards

I’ll get this out of the way: A plastic cutting board will dull your knives faster than an end-grain wooden cutting board. Plastic is harder than porous wood. (You can read more about why wooden cutting boards are gentle on blades in my review.) So, if you buy a plastic board and find your knives seem to dull rather quickly, don’t say I didn’t warn you; It’s just their nature. 

That being said, in my tests, none of the boards absolutely wrecked the knives’ edges—the worst a knife's blade dulled was 52%, and it was still technically as sharp as a utility razor blade. Plus, having tested knives and cutting boards a multitude of times, I can tell you that sharpness readings are finicky and don’t paint the most accurate picture. So, my takeaway is: Expect your knife to dull if you frequently use a plastic cutting board, but it won’t (and shouldn’t) be overnight. 

How Much Did the Plastic Cutting Boards Dull the Knives?
Cutting Board	Knife’s Average Sharpness Before*	Knife’s Average Sharpness After	Percentage Increase
Frederick’s and Mae Large Plastic Cutting Board	83.3	123.3	32.5%
Farberware Extra-Large Plastic Cutting Board	116.6	155	32.4%
Misen Anti-Slip Cutting Board Set	121.6	178.3	47%
Great Jones All Aboard	107.2	120	12.15%
OXO Good Grips 2-Piece Plastic Cutting Board Set	121.6	126.6	4%
Yoshihiro Hi Soft High Performance Professional Grade Cutting Board	125	153.3	22.4%
OXO Good Grips Plastic Utility Cutting Board 14.7" x 10.3"	66.6	90	35%
Our Place Daily Board	101.6	155	52%
Material The (grippy) reBoard	108.3	86.6	Negative (likely a fluke)
Winco CBWT-1218 Cutting Board	51.6	60	16.3%

*measured in grams of weight required to cut through the wire

Wood also ages better than plastic thanks to its natural plant fibers. When you cut on an end-grain wooden board, it splits those fibers, but they eventually come back together. (For a good visual, imagine slicing vertically into a paintbrush.) Plus, even if the board does end up with some scratches after long-term use, you can always sand it down and start anew. A plastic board, on the other hand, shows cut marks more prominently, as pieces of plastic are permanently gouged away.

What’s a Plastic Cutting Board Good For?

I love my wooden The Boardsmith end-grain board, but I’ll admit, when I’m butchering a chicken or cutting up beef chuck for stew, I usually grab my plastic board. Sure, wood has antimicrobial properties, but it can also be big and heavy, making it difficult to wash. My plastic board, on the other hand, can be tossed in the dishwasher when I’m done. Yes, part of why I will always have a plastic cutting board on hand is because I’m lazy. The other part is because I treasure my butcher block board and don’t want it to get gunky or stained. (Beets and berries are particularly troublesome.) 

On the other hand, plastic cutting boards are cheap enough that I don’t care if they stain, and they offer a non-porous surface if you’re concerned about food safety and contamination (though gashes can accumulate bacteria). And as I mentioned, they’re often dishwasher-safe. 

Grips Were Good

It’s risky if your cutting board is sliding around as you slice. So, I preferred boards with grips that kept them in one spot. Corner grips, like on the Material board, were particularly effective at grasping the countertop at all four edges. I also liked the rubbery feet on the bottom of the Frederick’s and Mae board, which elevated it from my sleek countertop and kept it steady. The Yoshihiro board was unique in that it was made of heavy, grippy plastic material, so it stayed put even without having separate rubbery grips. 

No Plastic Cutting Board Was Perfect

I found pros and cons with all of the plastic boards I tested, including the winners. There were so many variables to consider: how much the boards dulled knives; how beat up they got; if they shifted around on the counter; and if food or blades slipped on the surface when I was cutting. 

Let’s start from the top. As I mentioned, nearly every board dulled blades (save for the Material, which somehow seemed to make the knife sharper, though sharpness readings are finicky). When it came to getting noticeable cut marks, all boards emerged with slashes. The Yoshihiro had some of the most visible cut marks, but this is intentional—it’s made of soft plastic that’s meant to gash easily so that it’s gentle on knives. And because of its soft, rubbery material and heft (it weighs close to five pounds), it also stayed put on my countertop. The light, hard OXO boards, on the other hand, were more prone to slipping around, and my chef’s knife slid on their slick surfaces when I sliced. But the two small OXO boards only dulled knives by 4%, and scratches were barely visible. While none of them hit it out of the park, none of the boards were truly awful. 

What Size Plastic Cutting Board Should You Choose?

I gravitate toward mid-sized boards: around 16 by 12 inches. Smaller boards are good for tiny prep tasks—say, cutting up citrus for a cocktail garnish—but you’ll struggle to keep bits of diced onion contained. Large boards—like the large Frederick’s and Mae— were difficult to fit in my sink to clean. I think having a medium-sized board and a small one for tiny tasks is a good balance. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in a Plastic Cutting Board

While a plastic cutting board will dull knives, it shouldn’t happen too quickly. I liked boards with grippy material lining the edges or corners—it helped them stay put. Size-wise, I lean toward 14-by-11-inch boards, which provide enough surface area for standard cutting tasks, like dicing an onion, but aren’t so big as to be difficult to clean or move. In my tests, I preferred plastic boards that had a little texture over slick, hard boards, which made my knife more prone to slipping and clacking against the surface. 

Our Favorite Plastic Cutting Boards 

What we liked: This is a great, lightweight cutting board. The surface has some tackiness to it, which helped keep citrus from slipping in my tests. This bit of cushion also meant that the chef’s knife didn’t dull at all. The grips on the corners helped it stay put on my countertop, and I liked that I could hang the board up for storage. It’s also reasonably priced. 

What we didn’t like: The grips on the corners are prone to coming off, which defeats their purpose. However, Material does sell the reBoard without grips. The surface did show some light scratching after cutting bread on it with a serrated knife. 

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 14.75 x 10.75 inches
• Other sizes available: No
• Weight: 1.13 pounds
• Materials: Plastic, silicone
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

What we liked: This board was neck and neck with the OXO boards, but it stayed put on my countertop better, and the surface was less slippery. The knife I used was only dulled by 12%, which was quite low, and knife scratch marks were faint. It has a juice groove on one side, which is useful when cutting up messy ingredients, like grapefruit. The board can be flipped to expose a flat side. The handle makes it easy to hold onto the board when cleaning, and it has a hole in it so that you can hang it up. 

What we didn’t like: It did scratch slightly and a loaf of bread slid when sliced on it.

Key Specs 

• Dimensions: 16 x 12 inches
• Other sizes available: No
• Weight: 2.5 pounds
• Materials: Polypropylene and silicone
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

What we liked: The inexpensive boards from this line, including the set of smaller boards, have been some of our favorites ever since we first tested plastic cutting boards in 2019 (though they have been redesigned since then). During my tests, this board was decently gentle on knives, dulling the chef’s knife by 35%—about average. The 14.75-by-10.5-inch size was good for most prep tasks, and one side of the board has a juice groove, which is handy. 

What we didn’t like: The design of the OXO boards has changed since we first tested plastic boards in 2019; they’re now harder and slicker. In my tests, the knife clacked against it and was more prone to sliding on the surface when cutting. 

Key Specs 

• Dimensions: 14.75 x 10.5 inches
• Other sizes available: Yes
• Weight: 1.86 pounds
• Materials: Plastic
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

What we liked: This $8 (!!) plastic board was thick, grippy, and spacious—I couldn’t ask for more from an option that costs about the same as a latte. It also only dulled the chef’s knife by a negligible 16%, and there weren’t any prominent scratch marks. It was easy to hold over my trash can to toss citrus peels and dust off bread crumbs. 

What we didn’t like: The citrus slid around when I cut it, but not terribly. It doesn’t have a juice groove. 

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 18 x 12 inches
• Other sizes available: Yes
• Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Materials: Plastic
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

What we liked: This set of small boards is part of the same line as the larger OXO winner. They were gentler on knives than their larger sibling, dulling the chef’s knife by a mere 4%. Scratch marks were practically invisible, and having a juice groove on one side was nice. 

What we didn’t like: The biggest board in this set is only 10.75 by 7.25 inches, which is a little too small for most prep tasks. But, if you pair it with the bigger OXO board, you’d have a nice set of varying sizes. The boards were hard and slick, making them prone to slipping.

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 10.75 x 7.25 inches; 13 x 9 inches
• Other sizes available: Yes
• Weight: 1.2 pounds; 12.1 ounces
• Materials: Plastic
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes

What we liked: Because of its soft material and heft, this board didn’t slide around the counter whatsoever. The tacky texture of its surface helped it grip foods when I used it; it was easy to supreme slippery citrus and crusty bread stayed put when I sawed at it with a serrated blade. It was also quite gentle, only dulling the knife by 22.4%. This was one of our winners in our previous tests, and it’s held up. 

What we didn’t like: This board will show cut marks, since it’s intentionally soft. It’s more rectangular than square, which takes some getting used to. It’s also pricey and isn’t dishwasher-safe. 

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 17.25 x 9.75 inches
• Other sizes available: Yes
• Weight: 4.12 pounds
• Materials: LDPE plastic 
• Dishwasher-safe: No

The Competition 

Also Recommended:

• Frederick’s and Mae Large Plastic Cutting Board: This is such a pretty board! It also performed well. My knife only dulled by 32%, which was a standard amount in my tests. The juice groove was useful when supreming citrus, and I liked the grippy feet, which kept the board steady. This board wasn’t a winner because it was way too big, but the medium size looks more approachable.
• Misen Anti-Slip Cutting Board Set: This set didn’t budge, but it did, however, dull the blade by 47%. That said, it’s still a good set that provides a solid surface for slicing slippery things, like citrus. It also didn’t scratch readily. 

Not Recommended:

• Our Place Daily Board: This board was a versatile size and the grips on the sides helped it stay put. However, it stained after slicing citrus and dulled the chef’s knife the most of all the boards I tested.
• Farberware Extra-Large Plastic Cutting Board: This board didn’t dull my blade all that much (32%), but it slid around. Because it’s so thin, it warped when I hand-washed it with hot water, though it did spring back. 
• HOMWE Kitchen Cutting Board Set: This set was too hard and slippery, plus the three sizes are too similar and small.
• Gorilla Grip Reversible Boards: This set of boards was too small, and the surfaces were hard and slippery. 
• Black Slip Resistant Polyethylene Cutting Board: While this board did well at first, it became quite damaged after further use. Plus, it’s no longer available. 
• JB Prince Rubber Cutting Boards: This board significantly dulled a new blade after just 50 strokes. 
• Choice Cutting Board: While it performed well, this board slid around too much. 
• Sur La Table Polypropylene Cutting Boards: This set also moved around too readily.

FAQs

How do you clean a plastic cutting board?

Most of the plastic cutting boards I tested were dishwasher-safe, save for the Yoshihiro, which must be hand-washed. That said, thinner boards, like the Farberware, warped when exposed to hot water. 

How much should you spend on a plastic cutting board?

Not much, I’d argue. Plastic boards, like nonstick skillets, break down over time and use, so buying an expensive board is overkill. Most of my winners (except for the Yoshihiro) were under $60 at the time of publication.  

Why We’re the Experts

• Grace Kelly is a senior editor at Serious Eats, where she’s been reviewing gear for nearly three years. 
• She tested nine plastic cutting boards by running new chef’s knives over them, using a serrated knife to cut bread on them, and by supreming citrus on each board. 
• We first tested cutting boards in 2019. Since then, our favorite boards from OXO have been redesigned, though we still like them.