Why We Don’t Recommend Metal Cutting Boards

Metal cutting boards are described as either stainless steel or titanium. Most hype centers around titanium, with manufacturers claiming their boards are certified “pure titanium,” a material that’s widely used in aerospace and medicine, including surgical implants, though typically in the form of a titanium alloy (meaning it is mixed with other metals). 

As part of our testing, we used the weights and measurements of the boards to calculate their density and it became clear that two of the so-called titanium boards were in fact stainless steel. Their much heavier weight and low prices, well under $100, are clear signs that they’re not titanium, which is considerably more expensive. Would other claims prove equally dubious? 

Every time we cut food on any of the metal boards, that knife dulled dramatically. The knives’ sharpness scores progressively became worse—quickly going from out-of-the-box sharp to dull, requiring repair or maintenance. We saw no significant difference between stainless steel or titanium boards; they were equally hard on our knives. By contrast, the identical knife assigned to a wooden board stayed in near-new condition throughout.

Our conclusion? Metal cutting boards are too tough on kitchen knives. Like glass cutting boards, their unyielding surface lacks elasticity, so it can’t cushion the blade as wood or plastic surfaces do. Even though the knife’s steel is technically harder, its fine, sharp cutting edge is fragile, and becomes rolled over or smashed against the rigid metal with each contact. This happens surprisingly fast: Chopping a handful of herbs, an onion, a squash, and a tomato as we did in our testing all could be done in the course of preparing a single meal. By the time we tried to slice tomatoes in the final test, we had to saw back and forth on the tomato’s skin with firm downward pressure. One knife’s dull blade slipped right off the tomato, which is dangerous. By contrast, the knife we’d only used on a wooden board glided through the tomato on the first try, yielding a perfect tomato slice—just as it should with a virtually new blade. 

In addition to rapidly dulling our knives, the metal boards felt awkward to cut on and handle. Knives clacked unpleasantly against their hard surfaces. They were thin; all measured less than 2 mm thick. The stiff metal boards didn’t sit securely on our work surfaces. One arrived warped, and with the exception of one board with an L-shaped side that wrapped over the counter’s edge to help hold it steady, these boards slid, spun, or rocked unless we put a damp paper towel underneath as an anchor. Worse, their surface texture was unpleasant to touch and use: Pieces of squash peel stuck firmly to the metal, and the occasional screeching sound when scooping up chopped food with a bench scraper set our teeth on edge. 

People are drawn to metal cutting boards in large part because of their supposed cleanliness, so we paid close attention to how they held up to use and how easy they were to wash. One thing we noticed from the start: Metal boards show every fingerprint. And wherever food touched, we saw more spots and blotches, on both steel and titanium surfaces. After each food-chopping test, we scrubbed the boards with hot soapy water and a sponge, rinsed them well, and dried them with towels. We were surprised to see that the surfaces still had dark splotches showing where we’d cut food and still had most of the fingerprints. 

We also saw knife scratches on every board; the worst appeared on the titanium board. These scratches were concerning, said our science editor, Paul Adams, who noted that metal boards generate microscopic metal shavings. “Every scratch represents metal that is shaved off the board, and potentially ingested.” 

One steel board’s surprisingly fussy instructions warned us “do not use strong detergent” and “do not soak it or expose it to high heat places. Put it in upright position to air dry.” However, when we tested this by leaving all the boards wet overnight, and by leaving boards with fresh lemon slices on them on another night, none rusted or showed any other signs of damage.

After 10 trips through the dishwasher, food splotches and fingerprints cleared up—at least until we touched them again—but the knife scratches remained. While metal cutting boards are touted as exceptionally durable, any piece of kitchen equipment will show signs of use, and these metal boards are no exception. While plastic boards have raised concerns about knife damage causing them to shed microplastics, wooden boards pose no known health threat when they are scratched. 

Although the trend of metal cutting boards is relatively new, concerns about properly cleaning cutting boards are not. Every few years, rumors arise (and are firmly quashed) that wood cutting boards harbor dangerous bacteria. We explored this question: We sent an independent laboratory a stack of wood, plastic, bamboo, and composite cutting boards to see if any particular material harbored more bacteria after washing. 

The lab colonized the boards with salmonella, then washed them with hot, soapy water, comparing results to spraying them with bleach solution or with undiluted vinegar. 

The results were excellent news for home cooks. The lab found that all of these cleaning methods were equally effective at reducing bacteria to less than 10 CFUs (colony forming units)—which is a safe level. As our science editor explained, “Less than 10 CFUs is essentially zero.”

The bottom line: You don’t need to sacrifice your knives—or your nerves—by using metal cutting boards. They are not more durable or easier to clean than other kinds of cutting boards, and they will damage your knives. We don’t recommend them. A good quality wood or bamboo cutting board is a far better choice. Or if you prefer, plastic boards are also gentler on knives.