Cutting Boards are almost a personal thing. Some people prefer plastic some want wood. For wood models, there are many to choose from. While Maples are the preferred choice of cutting board enthusiast, but another wood is coming up, teak. Unlike other wood, its naturally more oily. This means that it resist warping and absorbing more water. This means its more durable and generally requires maintenance. However, as with anything, there are drawbacks, Silica. Silica is a hard substance found in glass that is known to damage knives. Nevertheless, this article will talk about the Best Teak Cutting Board and what you should look for.

What is Teak?

Teak is a Tropical Tree that typically grows to a height of 131 feet tall. Aside from its flower and fruit, Teak is mostly prized for its lumber. Thanks to its naturally high oil content, it requires less maintenance than normal wood. Because of this, it is often used in construction where high moisture content is present. Its a favorite among boat builders, furniture and area where there are high concentration of termites.

Silica in Teak Cutting Board

One downside to Teak is its Silica content. The Silica makes the wood incredibly hard and difficult for wood workers. They have to constantly replace their tools thanks to damage from Silica. But in terms of cutting board, most manufacturer choose wood from area where there is less Silica. Its generally concentrated at the Bark of the tree. But for Cutting Board, manufacturer will often time choose area where its away from the bark. As a result, damages to knife from Silica should be minimal.

Is Teak Good for a Cutting Board

Wood is a popular choice for cutting board. It has a beautiful color and excellent feedback. When you cut, you feel it responds making it satisfying to cut. However, wood has its issue. Its more difficult to clean. You have to dry it properly and its prone to splitting or cracking.

A lot of this is due to how wooden cutting board is made. Instead of a solid piece of wood, its built by combining many pieces of smaller wood. To combine them, manufacturer will use glue to piece them together. The issue with this design is that, different pieces of wood will absorb water at different rate. This makes them expand and contract at different rate.

This of course causes stress and eventually cracking. You can avoid this by oiling the board. But of course, most people dont. This is where Teak comes in. Remember that its naturally oily. Because of this, it requires much less maintenance than normal wooden cutting board. Since its more oily, its less likely to warp or crack.

Best Cutting Board Size

With a cutting board, size matters. The worse model you can get are the tiny one. Those are only good for cutting cheese or lemon. But for actual cooking, you should get one thats at least 15 x 20. You can go bigger and that of course gives you more cutting area. The biggest issue is that when it comes to cleaning, can you fit it in the sink? Maybe if you have a bigger kitchen, but those with smaller one needs to be aware of that.

Weight, Thickness and Stability

Another benefit to bigger size board is weight. Its more stable and less likely to move around. The extra thickness also means that its less likely to warp. Finally, you simply have more wood. Sometimes you need to sand it down due to wear and tear. With a larger cutting board, it wil simply last longer.

For thickness, I recommend you get one that is at least 1 inch.

Can you Cut Meat on Teak Wood?

Yes, I dont see why not. Teak, like other wood is naturally anti microbial. The fact it has more oily resin means that it will absorb less of the myoglobin (Blood). Just wash it and you should be fine.

You should also be able to cut things like vegetables and fruit.

Cleaning Teak Cutting Board

Cleaning a Teak Cutting Board is simple, just use Soap and Water. Its drying that you should take care of. Be sure that it has a lot of room so that air can flow. This lets it dry rapidly and prevents it from warping. This will also cut down the rate of mold growth. Less moisture means less chance of mold.

Best Teak Cutting Board List

Below, you will find a list of some of the Best Teak Cutting Board. There are a few option to choose from, get one that best suits your kitchen.

Teakhaus Wooden Cutting Board – Large Wooden Rectangle Carving Board With Hand Grip (24 x 18 x 1.5 Inch) (Best Overall)

This Teak Cutting Board by Teakhaus is one of the best on the market. Its large, durable and easy to use. However, at this size, it can be a little big. For a smaller kitchen, you might have some difficulty cleaning it. I recommend you measure your sink. If anything, get a sink with a detachable head.

TeakHaus Edge Grain Carving Board w/Hand Grip (Rectangle) | 20″ x 15″ x 1.5″ (Best Mid Size Model)

For a slighty smaller one, try this 20 x 15 model by the same brand. It has the same construction as the winner. This model does not have juice groves so it is reversible. On the sides, there are easy to carry handle. Making it less cumbersome than other models.

TeakHaus Edge Grain Cutting/Serving Board (Rectangle) | 12″ x 8″ x 0.55″ (Best Small Teak Cutting Board)

Having lime, vegetables or just want to use it as a serving tray. Get this 12 x 8 inch model. It comes in a half an inch so its light and easy to transport. Since its teak, it has less maintenance than regular wooden cutting board.

Thoughts

Teak is a great wood for a cutting board. While I dont think it will replace maple, it has its place. Its less maintenance and more durable. The best brand that I found was teakhaus and they make it in all sizes. I recommend that you get one that fits your kitchen. Make sure it fits your sink so that you can at least clean it.

Looking for a Maple Cutting Board? I recommend checking out John Boos Cutting Board.