Cutting board, cutting board with juice groove or butcher block?
If you cook every day and want to use the whole surface, take a plain cutting board. If you cut a lot of meat, fruit or tomatoes, or want to serve on it as well, a cutting board with a juice groove is handier. If you chop often or work with big cuts of meat, choose a butcher block: thicker, heavier and rock solid on the worktop.
All three are made of wood and you cut on all three. The difference is in thickness, weight and that one groove along the edge. Below you read what each board is good at.
The three side by side
| Cutting board | Cutting board with juice groove | Butcher block | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Size (TheWootz) | 45 x 36 x 3 cm | 45 x 36 x 3 cm | 40 x 40 x 6 cm |
| Good at | Everyday cutting, vegetables, bread | Meat, fruit, tomatoes, serving | Heavy chopping, big cuts of meat |
| Work surface | Usable edge to edge | Slightly smaller because of the groove | Large and flat |
| Weight | Light enough to grab every day | Light enough to grab every day | Heavy, stays put |
| Storing | Easy | Easy | Usually stays on the worktop |
The plain cutting board
The wooden cutting board is the board for every day. Without a juice groove you use the whole surface, edge to edge. Vegetables, meat, bread, herbs: it all fits on it. At 3 cm thick it is sturdy enough not to wobble and light enough to rinse off and put away after use.
The cutting board with juice groove
A juice groove is a channel that runs all the way around the edge. Cut a piece of meat, a melon or a tray of tomatoes and that groove catches the juices, so they do not run across your worktop. That also makes the cutting board with juice groove nice to serve on: a sliced steak or a piece of cheese can go straight to the table. The work surface is slightly smaller than on a board without a groove.
The butcher block
A butcher block is thicker and heavier than a cutting board. The butcher block from TheWootz is 6 cm of solid beech wood and measures 40 x 40 cm. That weight keeps it rock solid, even when you work with a large knife or a cleaver. Ideal for anyone who cuts a lot of meat, bones out big pieces or simply wants a block that is always ready to go. You will not be putting it away often: a butcher block is a board that lives on the worktop.
Which one suits you?
- One board for everything: the plain cutting board.
- Plenty of meat and fruit, or serving too: the cutting board with juice groove.
- Plenty of chopping, big pieces, or a fixed spot on the worktop: the butcher block.
- A gift: the cutting board with juice groove, because it goes on the table as well.
Plenty of people combine two boards: a butcher block that stays put and a lighter cutting board for quick jobs or for serving. Still in doubt? Then try the board finder on the Boards page: three questions, half a minute.
Which wood?
All three TheWootz boards are solid beech wood, made by hand in a social workshop in Friesland. Why beech, and how it compares to oak and bamboo, you can read in Beech wood, oak or bamboo.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a cutting board and a butcher block?
A butcher block is thicker and heavier. The TheWootz butcher block is 6 cm thick, the cutting boards 3 cm. That keeps the butcher block rock solid during heavy chopping; a cutting board is lighter and handier for everyday use.
What is a juice groove for?
The groove around the edge catches moisture and juices from meat, fruit and vegetables, so they stay on the board instead of on your worktop.
Does a butcher block need different care?
No, the same as a cutting board: wash it, dry it straight away and oil it twice a month. Because a butcher block is bigger and thicker, you use a little more oil each time. See Caring for a wooden cutting board.
