8 Best Wooden Chopping Boards in the Philippines 2025 | Buying Guide Reviewed by Chef

All home cooks have at least one cutting board in their kitchen. All kinds of ingredients can be cut up on this wooden block, and it comes in different sizes and thicknesses. Generally, this type of board provides enough space to slice or chop anything you need to cook.

When sliced, cooked meats usually secrete juices that might get messy on a simple cutting board. For this, it's better to use carving boards—they are characterized by a juice trough around the wooden block, which catches the juice from the meat and prevents it from dripping.

As such, they can also be used for cutting up juicy fruits or veggies. Alternatively, you can use your carving board as a presentation platter during dinners or parties, otherwise known as a charcuterie board.

Unlike the other types of cutting boards, breadboards are significantly longer to accommodate loaves or baguettes. They have deep elongated grooves on the surface that do a great job of collecting bread crumbs. You might need to invest in this type of board if you make homemade bread or purchase unsliced bread often.

Putting your whole force on every chop can cut up thick meat slices, but this can also damage the wooden board beneath it. Cutting boards are thinner and lighter, so you need a butcher's block for this sort of kitchen action. A butcher's block has more weight and thickness for stability—no more worrying about your every hack and slash.

The go-to material for wood cutting boards is maple. It is sturdy enough for daily use but not too punishing for knives. This material has closely packed grains and smaller pores so it doesn't soak up liquids easily, making it easier to wash and dry up. 

Since it has natural antimicrobial properties, it is tough on germs and stops their growth. Unfortunately, maple can easily get stained from brightly colored foods such as fruits and meat.

Walnut is the most knife-friendly among all hardwood materials. It comes in a dark and rich color and has soft closed-grains like maple. And you need not worry about stains and scuff marks, as this material just hides them. However, you might want to choose another option if you have nut allergies.

If you're looking for a more affordable option for maple wood, go for bamboo or beechwood. Though bamboo is not a hardwood, it is still durable—you can use it for your every day kitchen needs. It is also lightweight, flexible, and sustainable since it grows fast.

Like maple, beech is water, dirt, and germ-resistant and has small pores. Many manufacturers use this wood as it ages like fine wine—the darker the red hue of the wood, the older it is in age.

Often found in Southeast Asian countries, this tropical hardwood is a good cutting board for busy kitchens—it's definitely worth the investment! Teak wood could last a really long time due to its hardness and durability, as it contains high levels of silica. 

It has close grains and produces natural oils, making it water-resistant. Even with constant washing, it won't warp the wood, but the hardness could greatly diminish the sharpness of your knife. Also, it can be a bit expensive.

Other tropical woods that are used for chopping boards are tamarind, Acacia, Mahogany, and Tanguile. Tamarind wood is often used in wet markets to chop meat, as it can withstand constant use. Also known as Sampaloc wood, it is highly resistant to decay and insect attacks, making it great for slicing raw ingredients.

On the other hand, Acacia and Mahogany wood are water- and scratch-resistant. These reddish-brown woods also have natural antimicrobial properties that make them safe for food preparation. Meanwhile, Tanguile or Philippine Mahogany is a type of hardwood that's lightweight yet durable. It has a reddish-brown color and a fine-grain pattern, too.

Rectangular chopping boards are the most common type of cutting board. They have a large surface area for cutting up any type of ingredient, may they be small or big. Some cutting boards also have rounded corners that make them look more elegant.

Although they don't offer much space, square and round chopping boards are great as serving trays for parties. They can be used to serve pizza, cheese, cold cuts, and other finger foods to your guests. However, they can also be utilized to cut up small ingredients such as fruits and herbs.

Novelty-shaped boards can be in the shape of your favorite animal, or in some instances, your favorite cartoon character. Some also come in irregular shapes such as waves for aesthetic purposes. If you're aiming to get a novelty cutting board, just make sure that it is large enough to have some space for food to be put on.

Most board makers prefer hardwood trees that grow slower and have denser compositions. Maples, teaks, and walnuts are some of the best examples of hardwoods that don't scratch easily. Porosity also contributes to the hardness of any type of wood. It refers to the size of the pores in the wood, which is determined by the wood grain. 

The size, direction, and appearance of the wood fibers are the wood grain. Closed-grain wood is the best type for a cutting board since it has smaller pores and is smoother to the touch. This quality prevents liquid from getting into the wood, keeping it safe from bacteria and other microbes.

You might be tempted to get that beautiful wooden chopping board without checking the material, however, there are tree species that create poison as a defense mechanism. It's best to avoid those species as the toxins could get absorbed into the food. If you're not too sure which wood is safe, keep in mind that fruit-bearing or sap-producing trees are generally food-safe.