The 5 Best Advantages Of Using A Rubber Cutting Board

As I wrote about at length in this post back in August, a good knife is the most important tool in your kitchen. As long as you take good care of your knife (or knives, if you have several of them), it will continue to reward you by making cooking easier and more enjoyable!

For a long time, I’ve alternated between using the marble cutting board that stays out on my countertop, and plastic cutting boards that I’ll pull out for meat or other messy foods. Neither of these materials are particularly good for knives, so I started looking into different types of cutting boards to find a better option.

I ended up learning quite a bit about the advantages of rubber cutting boards (which I didn’t even know were a thing before now!) and ended up buying this one based on what I learned. Now I want to tell you all about why you may want to consider a rubber cutting board for yourself! 🙂

So let’s dive in and explore 5 of the biggest advantages of using a rubber cutting board versus one made of wood, plastic, or other materials.

5 Advantages Of Using A Rubber Cutting Board

1. Knives Stay Sharp

Any time a knife comes into contact with a solid surface, both the knife and the surface itself are affected. If you have a nice, sharp kitchen knife, you can help keep it that way by choosing a cutting board that won’t be unnecessarily hard on your knife.

Plastic and stone cutting boards are the hardest on knives. Most wood cutting boards are slightly softer (with the possible exception of bamboo), and rubber cutting boards are softer still.

Instead of fighting back against your knife, the surface of a rubber cutting boards will absorb the knife strokes. Switching to a rubber cutting board will keep your knife sharp for longer than traditional boards can.

2. No Slipping

Flimsy plastic cutting boards and smooth wood cutting boards have a dangerous tendency to slip around on smooth countertops. There’s no safe way to use a sharp kitchen knife if there’s a chance that your cutting board could slip at any second!

Rubber cutting boards, on the other hand, are denser and more resistant to slipping than any other type. A 12 x 24” rubber cutting board may weigh close to 5 pounds, so you can use it with the peace of mind that it won’t be going anywhere!

3. Easy Cleanup

For the most part, there’s nothing wrong with a nice end-grain wood cutting board. They’re not especially hard on knives, but they do require a particular type of cleaning and care (scrubbing, oiling, conditioning, etc.) to keep them looking nice.

Rubber boards, on the other hand, require very little upkeep. As long as you keep it clean by hand washing it in soapy water, you won’t have to worry about a rubber cutting board drying out, cracking, or warping over time.

4. Lasts Forever

If there’s one thing I’ve noticed about the plastic cutting boards I’ve had over the years, it’s that they don’t age well! Eventually they end up looking scarred and stained, and no amount of scrubbing can restore them to their original glory.

But with a rubber cutting board (much like wood ones), you can refinish the surface as needed to keep it looking like new. All you have to do is sand the surface to eliminate imperfections!

5. More Sanitary

Rubber is non-porous, making it an excellent choice of material for a cutting board. There’s nowhere for bacteria to hide, and it won’t absorb liquid either.

This makes rubber cutting boards easy to keep clean, because all they need is a good wash with soap and water. No need to worry about hidden bacteria, weird smells, or unsightly stains. 🙂

Which Rubber Cutting Board Should I Get?

Unfortunately, rubber cutting boards are not all that popular in the U.S. yet, so there are relatively few options to choose from compared to other types of cutting boards. But that being said, it’s perfectly possible to get a great rubber cutting board if you know what to look for!

My Pick: Notrax Sani-Tuff Rubber Cutting Board

Available in 18 x 24”, 12 x 18”, and 6 x 8” sizes

Notrax Sani-Tuff cutting boards are made in the USA, certified by the National Sanitation Foundation, and are FDA approved. These antimicrobial cutting boards are made from natural rubber, so while they aren’t exactly cheap, it isn’t more than you’d expect to pay for a nice wood cutting board.

I got the 12 x 18” board, but they have bigger and smaller boards available too. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed using it so far, and if they could talk, I’m sure my knives would say the same! 🙂