Carving Board with Juice Groove - Large (L) Teak Wood Cutting Board 20”L x 15”W x 1.5” Thick - Sustainably Harvested & FSC Certified - Knife Friendly with Beeswax Oil Finish

I’m an intermediate/advanced amateur cook and have been cooking since a small boy—I’m 62. I am well versed and experienced at all types of cooking, curing meats, pickling, baking artisanal breads, sous vide, pressure cooking and canning, butchering, smoking, grilling, dry aging, etc. I have $thousands in kitchen equipment and an investor in 3 local pub/restaurants. I’m a retired aerospace engineer/rocket scientist an Air Force Space Operations Officer. I’m also an amateur woodworker and can make boards, though it is some work to do it correctly. I’ve said all that to say I’m very familiar with quality equipment including kitchen equipment e.g. even cutting boards of which I have several in wood and plastic. I recently bought a house w/ a much larger kitchen and lots of counter space. The tops are granite tile so flour, etc. gets in the grout making it harder to clean. I plan to replace the large island top with a smooth solid surface but I decided to purchase a large cutting board for now (which I’ll use later as well). This will allow me to cut veggies, cooked meat, etc. but also to work dough. I’m well aware of John Boos boards and their quality…and price! I was ready to purchase a Boos board until I saw this board review on ATK as their winner. I have a great respect for their opinions and testings. I purchased the 18” x 24” x 1.5” board flat on one side and with a juice channel on the other. It arrived today. What a beautiful board. I showed my wife who does not share my appreciation for quality kitchen equipment and her response was “ That’s pretty!” More importantly, the board is very well constructed. It is perfectly flat and fairly well oiled. I did oil it as recommended, though it only took 3 coats and not very heavy—less that the 4-5 in the instructions say it might take. Mine has no cracks whatsoever. I do have two very small dents on the smooth face but it was very well packaged. I can only assume it was accidentally damaged before packaging. I could have returned it but decided not to do so as I’m sure there will be many other battle scars before I’m done with it—when I die! This is the best board I own. It is large, which is just what I wanted—a board with real estate so I have room to work. It is heavy and stays in place. I can see why ATK gave this their top rating. I am VERY pleased!

We did a lot of research when shopping for a good cutting board. We had all of our concerns in mind- size, weight, color, type of wood, spill guard, raised and price. Without spending three times as much for something that isn’t “forever” this was it. This wasn’t our first and won’t be our last cutting board. But for what we needed and where we are in our life right now, it’s perfect. It sits out on our countertop 24/7 and is the everyday board. We added pegs to raise it off the counter, as it sits by the sink. No splinters at all, it’s smooth and we take care of it by washing it and oiling it with food grade wood oil. It looks beautiful afterwards. This is it after a few days of the oil on there, not washed, it’s only been used to slice some bread.

This butcher's block is beautiful and so handy!!! For years I've used thin, flexible plastic cutting boards for the ease of clean-up and the ability to pick up the cutting board in its entirety and transfer its contents to the cooking pot. I knew that this would be a departure, but wanted a large butcher's block capable of holding a large turkey for carving or of providing space for large cutting jobs - a whole "garden full" of vegetables for a minestrone, or 5 to 6 onions for a vat of pinto beans...This block delivers!! We get compliments on it all the time! It very quickly became a fixture in the kitchen. I did not purchase with the intent of transporting ingredients to a pot or of carrying as a cheese tray - in my opinion, this would be too large and heavy for those types of jobs. If your hope is to buy a fixture that will stay put, then this is a gorgeous option. It leaves ample room for large cutting jobs, and the one side with the channels would minimize the mess of carving a juicy bird. It's also ideal to use a wooden cutting surface to improve the longevity of the sharp blade of your kitchen knives. I am an intensive home cook, and this board gets heavy use, and has stood up well to this use for nearly a year, and surely many more to come. When I purchased this board, I immediately checked for warping - it had none. I gave it several coats of a non-food based oil (that won't go rancid...I have liked the Snow River wood oil, 8 oz, also purchased on Amazon) over the course of several days, giving time for the oil - applied liberally then spread to a thin and even layer with a cloth dedicated for this purpose - to absorb. About once a month, I apply a fresh coat of the oil to the surface of this butcher's block to renew the depth of color and protect the wood. Early on the board developed a SLIGHT warp, only enough so that I noticed a bit of rocking on one diagonal, but this was quickly remedied with a small bit of the sticky waffle-like material used to hold area rugs in their position under one corner. Voila! Problem solved. With a board this large I am sure that it would be nearly impossible to avoid all warping. It is nice and thick and heavy, so that this warping I've seen has been MINIMAL and only noticed when using the entire surface for a cutting job, and, as I said, is eliminated with a VERY thin strip of the rubbery material described above. I make it a rule to never cut raw meat directly on this board, just using a plastic, flexible cutting board atop this board to contain the mess and reduce the risk of cross-contamination. I'm sure you could do this safely on this butcher's block if you keep up with cleaning it, but with my lackluster cleaning tendencies, I worry I might risk cross-contamination. I do cut up fruits and veggies all the time directly on the surface of this board. Everything I have read suggests that an occasional, liberal sprinkling of kosher salt and scrubbing with a cut lemon is good to sanitize the board. I use a kitchen scraper to lift debris or peelings from the surface, and it's good as new! Please know that I am firmly in the "rub some dirt on it" camp, and am not overly concerned with germs. As long as I keep raw meat directly from the surface, I am happy with an occasional wipe-down and the salt and lemon scrub to keep this board clean! LOVE THIS BOARD. Have included a picture with an 8-inch chef's knife and a grapefruit that just fits in the palm of my hand to give an idea of size.

Teak wood is valued for its durability, water resistance, and beauty. Teak is used from boat building to the obvious...cutting boards. Teak cutting boards are great because they not only have natural oils that keep it from drying out too quick, but it also naturally fights bacteria growth, (if your not nasty leaving food on it or not washing it). To add to the fabulous wood that teak is, it is kind to knives, as well as beautiful. I own all kinds of wood cutting boards and teak always wins hands down. There is good reason teak is expensive yet desired for a deck, outdoor furniture, boats, etc. The problem you will always find in teak cutting boards is finding them made well for a reasonable price tag. Well, apparently I found my new cutting board company. I received my board from ProTeak today and honestly, best board ever!! I've spent high money on lower value boards at William Sonoma, Pottery Barn, (same company), and many other places. No way do they compare to this beauty. I love the drip grooves it has, as well as the side handles. (Side grooves for easy lift) This board was thick but not so think you can't carry or put it away easily. (I have those too) Not too thin where it looks sad and easier to crack/break. Right thickness, right large size, beautiful, TEAK, grooves where they should be, right price. Why look further? ***Please note that when buying a new board you must care for it properly. Like cast iron, or carbon steel, wash and season your board BEFORE your first use. People tend to buy a board and immediately put it to use. Don't. Step one: Wash board with warm soapy water, stand it tall and allow to fully air dry. (No heat drying) I dry boards on racks for air flow, or on their sides. Never lay flat to dry. Step two: Oil it down. I use coconut oil. No need for expensive cutting board oils. Also, coconut oil has natural properties that keep it from going rancid like many other oils. Step tres: Let it soak in the oil overnight. Step four: Wipe off any extra oil. Lastly: Enjoy. If you take a few minutes to care for your board from day one, your board will keep its beauty for life. Season it regularly with coconut oil, and you will find your board will gift you many years in return. P.S. NEVER EVER NEVER SOAK. It will destroy the board. Again, like cast iron and carbon steel. That means NO DISHWASHER. NO!! ok, I'm done. Enjoy your new board. :)

UPDATE: Truly impressive customer service, this company has gone out of its way to do the right thing - I didn't even have to ask. You can confidently buy from this seller, knowing that should you have any issues they will stand behind their products. This is a solid, sturdy, proper cutting board. It displaces a many years old teak board only an inch thick and within an inch each way the same size - this is SOOO much more stable than the old one! The "handles" routed into the ends are very helpful. Upon drying after washing with warm (not hot) water & a mild soap, the raised grain was so rough it continually grabbed the lint-free cloth and shredded proper (Bounty) paper towels. This is probably still a good price for this board even though it needs to be stripped & properly finished - even 100 grit knocked down the grain and left it much smoother, taking it to 220 or beyond then oiling it will get it to where it's supposed to be. Given this I'd rather have bought an unfinished board. It'll take at least 3-4 pieces of sandpaper to get through the sloppily applied oil & board butter from the factory, then you can start sanding it.

It's very large and heavy but I love it for cutting big items (chicken, etc.) and it's easy to clean and looks great.

I have an 30 year old wood board that's still going strong, but its just never been as big as Id like. So I picked up this board and Im very happy. Its well made and cleans up well with no lingering smells. Its harder than my old board, but its not hard and abrasive like bamboo so my knives are happy. Ive mineral oiled/waxed it overnight and its looks great and should help protect it. I would advise anyone buying a wood board to do the same, and then just give it a rub down as needed, or at least once a month... and let the oil "soak" for 30 mins. Heck, if you at least wipe it down with mineral oil/wax once a month it will probably be OK, but dont leave it go untreated or it will eventually delaminate and warp. It is darker than most boards, but I like it. Its not the same old same old...

Lest start with the packaging, it was not well packaged. The board was wrapped in thin plastic and in a box that was much larger than the board so it was bumping around in the box with no protection the entire trip. One of the corner is chipped because of this. The board itself is looks very nice, thick at 1.5 inches which I love, and sturdy but not too heavy. Out of the box the board was very smooth but, as many other people have reported, after wiping it down with soapy water on a wash cloth it became rough. Not as bad as others I have seen but enough to see small splinters all over the paper towel I used to dry it off. I wiped it down multiple times and the splinter were no more but it is still rough enough that I know it needs sanded before I will be able to use the board. As others have also said it also needs to be oiled/waxed before use, it looks as if they may have put a little oil on before shipping but just enough to keep it from splitting during the trip. As of right now I do not think I would recommend this board. Having to oil/wax before use is not something that I should have to do unless stated on the product page but is easy enough and just a part of board maintenance so acceptable. I should not have to finish the wood working process by sanding it down and I find this unacceptable.