The best wood for chopping boards

If you buy acacia chopping boards in Germany, you will usually not get the African wood species acacia, but robinia wood. Despite this actually incorrect declaration, the name acacia has prevailed. The false acacia has good durability and hardness for a European tree species. However, the main reason for its success as a wood for the mass market is its very low price. Unfortunately, the wood has a strong tendency to warp, crack and splinter. Therefore, false acacia is not the best choice for chopping boards.

Bamboo is not actually a type of wood but a grass. A wood-like material can only be obtained through a complex technical process. The fabric is cut out and re-glued. The high technical factor of production means that there are very different qualities. As a lot of glue is used in the production process, the quality of this glue is also decisive for the evaluation of bamboo cutting boards. As a rule, bamboo has very coarse pores, is hard and tends to warp, especially when it comes into contact with water.

The beech is the most widespread deciduous tree in Germany. As a relatively heavy and dense European wood, it is comparable to oak. The wood has a strong tendency to shrink and crack quickly and requires careful and gentle handling. It is therefore not suitable as wood for chopping boards and is only available on the market as a cheap alternative.

Oak wood has a relatively high strength for a European hardwood, similar to beech. The annual rings are clearly set off in the oak and give the wood a decorative structure. It is particularly popular for interior fittings, furniture, windows and doors. Oak is only suitable for chopping boards to a limited extent, as it can warp if it comes into contact with water for a long time.

Thanks to its high oil and rubber content, teak has the best resistance to wood-destroying fungi of all the woods described here. Its surface is particularly smooth. Knife blades stay sharp on the wood for a very long time, as it is very gentle on the blade. Teak has a low tendency to warp and is hardly prone to cracking and splintering. It is considered a very high-quality precious wood, ideally suited for chopping boards and chopping blocks.