Teakhaus Marine Teak Wood Cutting Board w/Juice Groove, Edge-Grain, Medium

Why it's worth it

This edge-grain teak board is the one we'd put on most counters. It's gentle on knife edges, it handles moisture better than most hardwoods, and the juice canal and corner hole make it easy to carve on and easy to stash when you're done.

Teak puts up with a wet kitchen better than most hardwoods. The wood is full of natural oils, which is why it's been used on boats for centuries, and Teakhaus sells it unfinished — no coating, no plastic, no sealant. That matters for a board that gets rinsed and wiped down several times a day. It dries out more slowly than an untreated maple or walnut board, so it's more forgiving if you're not perfect about upkeep.

Edge grain is the sweet spot for everyday chopping. The planks are glued so the long grain faces up, which lets shallow knife marks close back over instead of staying as open scars. Your blade sinks in slightly rather than skidding off, so edges hold up far better than they do on bamboo, glass or hard plastic. It's the orientation published reviews keep landing on for home kitchens, and it costs a fraction of what a true butcher block does.

From our review of 5 cutting boards, by David Sinclair, Managing Editor

What we like

• +Teak puts up with a wet kitchen better than most hardwoods
• +Edge grain is the sweet spot for everyday chopping
• +The juice canal and corner hole aren't decoration
• +At 16 by 12 inches, it's big enough to work on and small enough to handle

What to know

• –It can't go in the dishwasher, and it needs oil
• –Half an inch is thin for a wood board
• –It's the wrong board for raw chicken