The 6 Best Plastic Cutting Boards, According to Our Experts

The Bottom Line: The Best Plastic Cutting Boards

Look no further than the KitchenAid Classic Plastic Cutting Board (view at Amazon) for an excellent all-around workhorse. It grips well to the counter, allows smooth-feeling cuts and drops nicely into the dishwasher for clean-up. The dual-sided design gave us a trenched side for juicier items and a flat side if we needed to move without washing the board. If you love high-end gear, the Hayate Yoshihiro Hi-Soft High-Performance Professional Grade Cutting Board (view at Amazon) provides for soft slicing, making prep a joy while protecting the edge of your knives. If you need a variety of sizes (at a price you cannot beat), grab the Gorilla Grip Cutting Board Set (view at Amazon). These boards are easy to clean, they're light and easy to move around the kitchen and they have handy grips and trenches.

Choosing a Plastic Cutting Board

Can It Tackle Tough Tasks?

Cutting boards get cut—it’s that simple. So, durability is a top factor in choosing a good one. A board that absorbs knife strokes without sustaining nicks and cut marks will likely wear more slowly, as will a board that doesn’t warp or crack from the high heat of the dishwasher. Cutting boards will likely get dropped frequently and moved around a lot, so finding one that can withstand the “elements” of the kitchen is crucial.

Does It Resist Stains and Odors?

Many different foods will come in contact with your cutting board, and although they should all clean relatively easily, some boards hold onto strong odors and stains—especially from produce like onions or beets. Besides being smelly and unpleasant, having a board that absorbs odors can also be unhealthy. “Absorbent” is not a word you want associated with your board, as absorbed odors can transfer to other foods, making them taste odd or inedible. They can also signal the possible presence of bacteria. And though stains are not a health risk, they can damage the look of your board and make it feel worn before its time. With innumerable materials that resist color and odor issues, you should never settle for one that doesn’t come clean.

Is It the Right Size?

Size factors into many elements of your cutting board decision, from how much the board can accommodate to where it fits on your counters and how it will be cleaned and stored. Knowing your needs will help determine which size (or sizes) are right for your kitchen. Purchasing a board too big to store can cause obvious pain points while having one too small will hinder your prep. Think through your regular usage before choosing your board(s).

Is It Easy to Clean and Sanitize?

Cutting boards are not just cutting surfaces that save your countertops; they also keep your kitchen clean and orderly. A perimeter well for catching juices can save time mopping up meat and produce messes by collecting them for disposal. A dishwasher-safe board that fits in your machine can save cleaning time, though some larger boards or those made of specialized materials may need to be hand-washed. In that case, note the board's weight and maneuverability to ensure you can manage it in the sink.

Our Plastic Cutting Board Tests

We tested each cutting board with daily use over six weeks to get the broadest insights. We evaluated the construction of each board and how the material affected our cutting strokes, the feel of the knife and the amount of visible wear frequent use created. 

During our testing, we did not use any stabilizing aids, such as damp paper towels. This allowed us to gauge the board's stability as designed. We tested the feel of cutting on each type of plastic material (yes, they are vastly different), and we checked our knives to see how they were affected. After slicing onions and slippery squid, we sniffed our boards for retained odors, held them up to the light to observe cut marks and gashes and ran them through the dishwasher (if advised) to see if they warped. Finally, we inspected them for stains and noted how easy they were to maneuver and store. 

We Also Considered

Henckels Plastic Cutting Board Set, Set of 3 ($35 at Zwilling): We loved this sturdy set with silicone anchors that grip the counter well—but clearly we weren’t the only ones, as this set is currently sold out everywhere. However, we do have some good news: You can still purchase the cutting boards individually (view options at Zwilling).

Joseph Joseph Folio Chopping Boards, Set of 4 ($80 at Amazon): The Joseph Joseph set featured a folio that neatly and attractively contained all four boards, and it was easy to grab them by the handles for use. However, we were concerned with the depth and number of cut marks these boards retained, and we felt they were wearing too quickly.

Misen Plastic Cutting Boards, 2-Piece Set ($39 at Misen): This board set had great gripping feet and offered a good range of sizes for a multitude of tasks. While our knife cuts were barely visible, our knives did stick and squeak against the board’s surface during prep, which we didn't love.

OXO Good Grips Carving & Cutting Board ($33 at Amazon): The OXO performed well with slicing, absorbing our strokes well. The board didn’t have any issues with odors or staining, but the silicone feet seemed a bit undersized for the large board and didn’t stabilize it well. And while the board is dishwasher safe, we found that it was too big to fit inside a standard dishwasher.

Common Questions

Which cutting board is best, wood or plastic? 

There is much debate about which cutting boards are the best. When used and cleaned correctly, both plastic and wood cutting boards can resist harboring bacteria and last a long time. The best cutting boards are well-maintained and replaced when needed. Both plastic and wood can sustain nicks and grooves from frequent cutting, and in some cases, boards can break or crack. You will find the best cutting board is the one you can easily maintain.

How do I clean a plastic cutting board?

Most plastic cutting boards are dishwasher safe, so cleaning them is a fairly straightforward process. If your board is hand-wash only, or if it's too large to fit in a dishwasher, wash it well with warm, soapy water and thoroughly rinse it to remove all the detergent. Then, let it dry completely before using it again.

How often should I replace my plastic cutting boards?

Your board's longevity will ultimately depend on its construction and how often you use it. The best time to replace your board is when you notice significant wear. Cutting boards take a lot of abuse, and some show it sooner and more intensely than others. Replacing worn boards is essential for keeping them safe for use and maintaining a sanitary kitchen environment. Nicks and divots can harbor bacteria, and warped boards won’t sit flush with the counter, making them unstable and a potential cutting hazard. Additionally, lots of cuts in the board could deposit microplastics into your food.

Do plastic cutting boards dull knives? 

Regardless of your cutting surface, repeated cutting will eventually dull any knife. The hardness of the plastic and lack of forgiveness when cutting play a part in how quickly knife edges wear. Harder surfaces like glass, ceramic, stone and some hardwoods can accelerate the dulling of your knife edges, while softer surfaces like end-grain and softer woods and more forgiving plastics can extend the edge's sharpness. The only way to truly maintain your knife edges is to sharpen them regularly. 

Our Trusted Expertise

Tiffany Vickers Davis is a chef, writer and food entrepreneur with over 25 years of experience. Beginning in high-profile restaurant kitchens, she owns and operates a fresh-prepared meal company that ships nationally. Before starting her company, Tiffany was the test kitchen director at Cooking Light magazine, testing hundreds of products from stoves to knives during her 14-year tenure with the brand. She uses wood and plastic boards at home and swears that stability is the most important factor in choosing her boards.

This article was edited by Katie Tuttle, a commerce editor and contributor to publications such as Food & Wine and The Spruce Eats.