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Cutting boards are an essential kitchen item, and a personalized cutting board makes a thoughtful and enduring gift for anyone who loves to cook. Not only are they necessary for chopping, slicing, and dicing, but they can also serve as cheese and charcuterie boards for entertaining. A personalized cutting board is ideal for a housewarming or wedding present or to celebrate a special occasion. Options for customizing a cutting board range from simple monograms to handwritten recipes, and they’re available in many different materials and sizes.
Here are our picks for the best personalized cutting boards.
Best Overall: John Boos End-Grain Rectangular Chopping Block
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Williams Sonoma
Manufacturer of indisputable quality
Will last a lifetime of slicing, chopping
Reversible
Heavy to handle
Three letters maximum
This style of cutting board is exceptionally solid and sturdy, crafted from end-grain maple with the option of adding a monogram or name engraving up to three letters maximum. It's reversible, too, so either the engraved surface or the flat backside (with no engraving) can be used as the cutting surface. One thing to note with John Boos boards is that they do require some care and maintenance, such as oiling the board before first use and routinely thereafter when cleaning, particularly if you plan to put it into heavy service. This board is hand wash only.
Dimensions: 20 x 15 x 3 inches | Material: Maple | Weight: 21 pounds
Best for Barbecue: Bisonwoodworks Competition BBQ Cutting Board
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Bisonwoodworks
Large enough for almost any chopping task
Available in different woods
Made in Kansas
Big and heavy, but no helpful handles
Size makes hand washing a challenge
This is one serious reversible cutting board. Designed to handle large cuts of meat, it's also nice for slicing up juicy fruits and veggies. The substantial and elegant cutting board is available in three different woods, which you can also get without engravings, if you wish. It has a deep well around the entire edge to catch juices and bits (excluding the 16 x 12-inch version), making this board ideal for carving grilled meats or slicing watermelon at a backyard barbecue. It even has finger slots for easy lifting when it comes to transporting from grill to table. Available in five different sizes, this is easily large enough to handle a rib roast or whole bird and stay put under its own weigh—plus, it’s gorgeous. This board arrives with the first treatment of food-grade mineral oil, but will need to be kept well-oiled with use.
Dimensions: 12 x 16; 18 x 18; 16 x 20; 18 x 24; or 20 x 30 inches | Material: Maple, mahogany, and walnut | Weight: Varies by size selection
Best Plastic: Blackbird Design Monogrammed Commercial Plastic Cutting Board
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Courtesy of Etsy
Commercial grade
Edge groove catches juices
Multiple colors for different cutting tasks
Engraving may collect food bits
All plastic degrades over time
Unlike boards made from wood and bamboo, plastic cutting boards are dishwasher safe, making them easier to clean and sanitize. They're also easier to store as they tend to be thinner and lightweight. These NSF-certified, commercial-grade plastic boards feature a juice groove around the edge, are available in six different colors, and can be personalized with the word, name, number, or monogrammed initials of your choice.
Dimensions: 16 x 12 x .5 | Material: Commercial plastic | Color Options: Blue, red, brown, white, yellow, green
Best With Recipe: Uncommon Goods Personalized Family Recipe Board
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Courtesy of Uncommon Goods
Follow recipe right from the board
Natural hardwood, cherry, or maple
Made in Vermont
Preserving engraving requires routine use on backside
On the small side
This personalized cutting board offers a special way to preserve and share a cherished family recipe. You just need to send a scan of any handwritten recipe and it will be laser-etched onto a sturdy and attractive cherrywood board. Alternatively, the recipe to be etched can be typed in a handwriting-style font. The result is both a sentimental keepsake and practical way to conserve an heirloom recipe, keeping it handy for regular use while the original can be safely stored away, protected from stains and spills.
Dimensions: 12 x 9 x 0.75 inches | Material: Cherry or maple | Weight: 1.75 pounds
Best for Cheese: Promozone Personalized Family Name Engraved Cheese Board Set
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Courtesy of Etsy
Matching onboard serving tool
Natural bamboo resists bacteria
Custom placement of engraving
Serving area smaller than overall board
Lots of nooks and crannies to clean
This classy, yet practical bamboo board features an area for serving cheeses, three cheese tools that store in the top of the board, and a small, shallow ceramic dish that could be used for serving olives or holding jams and chutneys to pair with cheese. The board’s surface can be engraved with a family name or the text of your choice. At 13 x 13 inches, it's a nice size to be able to serve a few different cheeses, and the included cheese tools allow you to serve hard cheeses as well as softer, more spreadable cheeses.
Dimensions: 13 x 13 inches | Material: Natural bamboo
Best Butcher Block: Ikonic Personalized End-Grain Maple Butcher Block
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Courtesy of Etsy
End-grain cutting surface is easier on knives
Edge groove to catch juices
Rubber feet deter movement on countertop
Only one side of board is useful
This hefty, 2-inch-thick butcher block is made from end-grain chunks of maple wood. End-grain boards (where the ends of the board are pieced together) can be more expensive than other wood boards because cut marks are not as visible as on other wood boards. The board is also much easier on your knife blade because it’s hitting the vertical wood fibers.
This board features a deep juice-catching groove around the edge and rubber feet to prevent it from sliding around on a work surface. Its price includes a custom engraving on its surface, which could be a monogram, name, or any text message. You can optionally add a personalized message engraved on the back of the board, as well, and choose to add a bottle of food-grade mineral oil to keep the board in top condition.
Dimensions: 18 x 16 x 2 inches | Material: Maple
Best for Bakers: Mark & Graham Maple Wood Pastry Board
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Courtesy of Mark & Graham
Center, edge markings help with rolling dough
Built-in spot to rest rolling pin
Lip edge keeps board in place when rolling
Measurement marks will need extra care to preserve
If you’re looking for a gift for an avid baker, this refined maple pastry board might be just the thing. It features inch markings along the left and bottom edges as well as circular markings in five different sizes, from 5 inches up to 14 inches—handy for measuring and cutting dough for tarts, pies, and pastries. The board also has a built-in lip on the underside of the front edge to prevent the board from slipping when rolling dough and a groove on the top right corner to hold a rolling pin in place.
This board can be personalized with a custom engraving of up to two lines of text (up to 16 characters each) in your choice of eight fonts.
Dimensions: 20 x 15 x 3 inches | Material: Maple | Weight: 21 pounds
Best Wedding Gift: Dragon Forged Studios Custom Olive Wood Cheese Board
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Courtesy of Etsy
Rustic design
Made from trees that no longer produce fruit
Juice grooves can be added
Lower case letters only
Some have bark edge, others don't
This rustic-chic board, handmade from a solid piece of olive wood that retains its natural edge, is available in many different sizes and with or without a handle or juice groove. Olive wood has a prominent and lovely grain, is durable and long-lasting, and is a bit more stain-resistant than softer woods.
This board from Dragon Forged Studios can be engraved with the first names of a couple in an elegant, handwriting-style font, making it a charming and heartwarming present for newlyweds. It could be used as a serving board, cheese and charcuterie board, or cutting board, though you shouldn't cut into anything on the engraved side. It can even be displayed as decoration in a new home. This board is hand wash only and must be wiped down with cutting board oil or mineral oil every one to three months.
Dimensions: 15 x 8, 17 x 9, or 19 x 9 inches | Material: Olive wood
Runner-Up, Best Wedding Gift: Uncommon Goods Personalized Cutting Board
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Uncommon Goods
Board works for chopping or elegant serving
Handcrafted in in Maryland
Round serving style also available
Tops out at 12 characters
Nooks, crannies around letters present cleaning challenge
The design of this 100 percent hardwood maple board is both hip and retro with a bit of ’70s flare. Up to 12 characters and an optional heart run along the edge of this handcrafted board, making it perfect for newlywed or family names. It’s endlessly useful and even makes cheerful wall art. To clean, hand wash with mild soap and water, dry, and preserve with food-safe mineral oil, which can be added onto your purchase.
Dimensions: 16 x 12.5 x 1.125 inches | Material: Maple
If you want to personalize a cutting board that will be both practical and stylish in the kitchen and last for years to come, the John Boos End-Grain Rectangular Chopping Block (view at Williams Sonoma) is our top choice. Looking for a wedding gift? We like Dragon Forged Studios Custom Olive Wood Cheese Board (view at Etsy), which can be engraved with the couple's names and makes a beautiful addition to any new home.
What to Look for in a Personalized Cutting Board
Practicality
Although its appeal may be its beauty, a cutting board is one of the most used tools in the kitchen. So when shopping for a personalized cutting board, it's important that it be sturdy and useful. The size should be practical, in both function and storage—a large cutting board that can fit a heartfelt message is a nice gift, but not if there's nowhere to put it in a small city apartment.
Sustainability
Many of us are thinking about the environment before we purchase goods, so it's smart to keep sustainability in mind when buying a gift for someone. Look for a cutting board that is eco-friendly and made with things such as recycled materials, bamboo, and salvaged wood.
Safety
Before clicking "buy now," read the product description carefully to ensure the cutting board can be used with food; some products may be for display only.
FAQs
Which is better: wood or plastic?
When it comes to appearance, wood wins top billing, but plastic or glass is best when talking food safety. The crevices in wood can harbor bacteria, and since wood is porous, it can cross-contaminate if raw meat is cut on it before vegetables, for example. Therefore, it is best to use separate types of cutting boards—like plastic or glass—to prep raw meats, and then save the wood boards for fruits, vegetables, and bread.
What is the best way to clean an engraved cutting board?
You should read the care instructions before purchasing or cleaning a personalized cutting board as each product will have its own set of cleaning guidelines. Most wooden boards should be washed by hand with warm, soapy water and towel dried, while glass and plastic are often dishwasher safe.
Why Trust The Spruce Eats?
This article was written by Danette St. Onge, formerly the Italian Food Expert for The Spruce Eats and a features editor at Cook’s Illustrated magazine. An avid fan of kitchen appliance and utensils, she spends hours combing the Internet, comparing options, reading reviews, and testing to find the best tool for every job.