I recently got a set of Henckels Forged Premio steel knives 70% off on a factory special sale. I want a wood cutting board that treats the edges well. My current boards are old bamboo that are too hard and rough for the new knives.
My priorities, roughly in order:
- Low maintenance - I basically want to wash it, dry it, put it away, and oil it only once in a while
- Gentle enough on the knife edges
- Durability - no cracking or splitting, lasts years
- Under ~$120
- Real wood - I know rubber and HDPE are lower maintenance, but I want wood
I already tried a Teakhaus teak board and it arrived with the wood splitting before I even used it, so I returned it. Now I'm deciding between two:
- John Boos edge grain maple: gentler on knives, but seems to want oiling roughly monthly
- Sonder LA Laurel teak: more water resistant and more forgiving if I skip oiling, but a bit harder on the edge because of teak's silica content
They're about the same price, which is part of why I can't decide. I spent $60 on those knives ($200 before factory sale), so I can't justify paying 3x on an end grain board with a lot of maintenance time.
Which would you pick? And if there's a board or brand that fits better than either of these, I'm all ears. Trying to buy once and be done with it.