Top News

This $12 cutting board oil has more than 37,000 5-star ratings.

There are many excellent reasons to swap your plastic cutting board for a wooden one, but simply making the switch is not enough to reap all the benefits of a wooden board. Without consistent care, it has very little reason not to warp, crack and swell. As wooden cutting boards weather, their splinters and cracks can harbor moisture and tiny bits of food, breeding mold and bacteria. Gross.

Thirteen Chefs Mineral Oil

$14 $12 at Amazon

Wood is porous, so it goes through a natural cycle of absorbing and releasing moisture. Losing moisture too quickly can cause rough spots or damage to the board; I’ve learned that the hard way, as I watched my favorite cutting board split down the middle. A water-resistant barrier prevents rapid moisture loss, so implementing a regular care routine is the easiest way to keep your cutting surface intact—and therefore secure from mildew and pathogens.

In addition to plant-based cutting board oilI’m still a fan of this food-grade mineral oil from Thirteen Chefs. It’s food-safe, flavorless and odorless, which is a benefit over some beeswax-based options I’ve tried that give my food a faint soapiness. At $1 per ounce at its sale price, it’s impressively affordable. I’ve been working on the same bottle for months, buffing less than a capful into both sides of my biggest cutting board once a quarter, and it hasn’t shown even a hint of going rancid yet.

What I like about this oil is that I can use it for multiple applications. I don’t just mean conditioning my wooden spoons and spatulas, which I have done. I also buffed a couple of tiny surface scratches out of my sofa leg with it, and it worked like a charm.

For the best results, use the Thirteen Chefs mineral oil with a microfiber cloth, pastry brushor an oil applicator. I’m determined to make as water-resistant of a seal as I can around my wooden cutting boards—a moisture-repelling forcefield, if you will—so I usually follow the mineral oil with a whisper-thin layer of John Boos Board Cream. This helps lock in moisture and contain any stains or smudges from the mineral oil, almost like following up a skincare serum with an occlusive moisturizer. Also, this treatment protocol is for hardwood cutting boards only: think Boos boards and butcher blocksnot soft, springy cypress boards.

If you’ve switched to wooden cutting boards to safeguard your cooking, give Thirteen Chefs mineral oil a try. You’ve already invested in a microplastic-free kitchen tool—a thin layer of Thirteen Chefs every couple of months is enough to make it last longer. Trust me, your health and wallet will thank you.

Shop More Wooden Cutting Board Care at Amazon

Cutting Board Oil Wax Applicator

$16 $15 at Amazon

RMP Finishes Cutting Board Oil

$5 at Amazon

John Boos All-Natural Care Set

$26 at Amazon

Wood Butter Cutting Board Wax Conditioner

$10 at Amazon

Clark’s Cutting Board Oil

$25 $23 at Amazon

At the time of publishing, the price was $12.

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.