Beautiful and Well Made Maple Cutting Board
I was under the mistaken impression that if an item was sold in the Kitchen Department for Food Preparation that it would be Food Safe. That is not necessarily true. Many of the products for kitchens are manufactured with materials, coatings, or treatments that are less than desirable. They may look nice but may not be the best alternatives.This Black Friday, we made an effort to replace all of our plastic and mystery material cutting boards with safer alternatives. We knew we wanted hardwood cutting boards that were uncoated or treated only with food safe substances that were disclosed. That should be easy. It is not. The reviews were mixed and in many cases, finding out what was used to treat the cutting boards was not readily available. After spending a considerable amount of time looking for new cutting boards, we decided to order three different sizes from three different manufacturers.The Medium Wood Maple Cutting Board from WoodForChef was the first cutting board that we ordered and received. At 16 x 12 inches and made of maple, this cutting board was our choice for everyday cutting of fruits and vegetables as well as slicing up cooked meat. We had high expectations for this board and were extremely pleased with the maple cutting board that we received from WoodForChef.The WoodForChef cutting board arrives uncoated. The cutting board is shaped well and sanded well. It came out of the package and sits flat on the counter. Reversing it so that the bottom is facing up, the cutting board also sat flat on the counter. No rocking. For us, this untreated condition is perfect. If you are looking for a cutting board to pull out of the package, toss on the counter, and start cutting. Stop. This cutting board will be a horrible disappointment. You should consider this cutting board to be a fantastic collection of pieces of maple that has been shaped into a very useable cutting board once it is finished.To finish the board, we washed it first with regular dish soap without getting it very wet, hand dried it, and set it upright to finish drying. Yes. You should not use dish soap on a wood cutting board on a regular basis since it will remove oils, dry the board, and ruin it. We wanted to make sure that it was not dirty from manufacturing and shipping. We then washed the board with a food safe cutting board soap that we have used for years, hand dried it, and set it upright to finish drying. Now the fun begins. The cutting board received food safe oil every time that we thought about it for about six days. When if finally quit drying quickly when oil was applied, beeswax was applied and the board was buffed. The result of this "project" was an absolutely beautiful maple wood cutting board.The last week we have used the board for all of our general cutting every day. The board sits flat on the counter with no rocking and the maple is hard enough to not scratch too much. It is a very nicely sized cutting board that is easy to use, not to heavy but heavy enough to not move around, and will hopefully last for many years if I do my part to take care of it on a regular basis. The only caveat is that it needs to be prepared before use. The attached pictures are of the WoodForChef Medium Wood Maple Cutting Board after being washed, oiled, and waxed.
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Wow....
UPDATE: I have now used the board and still love it. Clean up is a breeze and even my super sharp chefs knife barely marred the surface. I did some research on how to condition a new board. The advice is to give a thick board, which this is, 3 to 4 coats of oil, letting each one soak in for at least an hour. Makes sense. Even an unused board, sitting neatly on a shelf, needs to be oiled occasionally. Cheers! 😊My first impression after opening the box is WOW. It's stunning. Heavy, thick, sturdy, well-made, and other glowing adjectives. The surface is very smooth, even before I conditioned it. (I assume it was pre-conditioned but looked like it could use more.) The instructions say to coat monthly with conditioner, let sit for 1 hour, and wipe off excess. I coated the top and sides with mineral oil, which was immediately absorbed, so I applied a second coat. Then i coated the bottom. The oil really brings out the wood's gorgeous color and grain. Of course, I know it isn't really about aesthetics, but since I haven't used it yet, I'll have to wait to comment on its functionality and success with raw meats. Until then I can't wait to use it. So pleased!
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W
William H. Billings
December 15, 2025
Everything A Cutting Board Should Be!
It's large enough to be a proper workspace. It's beautifully made. It has two sides, one of which has a trough at all four sides to keep liquids from spilling over onto your countertop. I use the 'smooth' side the most because almost all of what I'm cutting is dry. It's well made, has a nice heft to it, and won't slide around while you're using it. However, it's not so heavy that it's cumbersome. It's easily cleaned, and can easily be stored in a cabinet if you don't want to leave it on your countertop.. You won't find a better cutting board, at any price!
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minor defects but great products
Love mine - was wrapped very nice - however it did come dented and a huge sliver out of one side - a little disappointed
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MoneyMiser D
January 26, 2026
Beautiful Cutting Board
This is really more of a show piece in my kitchen. It is durable as a cutting board, but it also doubles as a serving platter. It is easy to clean, and the juice grooves are a good depth. I use food grade mineral oil on it to keep it conditioned.
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Regina N.
January 19, 2026
Great Maple Wood cutting Board
I am very pleased with this Maple wood cutting board. It arrived quickly and was neatly packed. It is exactly what I was looking for. This makes a lovely addition to my kitchen essentials.
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cracking
updateowned 11 months used only 7 or 8 timesfollowed instructions for care however its cracking and separating from rest of the board.I bought 10 boards that i kept in addition to 4 i returned because of defects.the 10 i kept includedteaktropical walnutblack walnutand bambooend grain and long grainseveral different brandsafter 11 months the bamboo boards are the only ones not cracking or separatingand i have used them almost daily .They are much cheaper and have no issues.I dont know why no brand is able to make a boardfrom the other woods that last.The teak, black walnut,and this board all had high ratings and failedI have a cutting board (maple i think)that was given to me by my parents its over 50 years oldit sat in damp basement for 50 years only used to clean fish NEVER OILED onceit has no cracks or warping.now its in my kitchen and and i take care of it and the only reason i bought more boards is because it does not have the juice grooves.Since it seems no brand knows how to make durable cutting boards from wood anymorei would recommend just getting bamboo (brand greener cheif)
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