Just as a painter would be lost without basic tools of his or her trade, so too would a chef flounder for want of a Boos cutting board made of maple. Consider it for just a moment. Any of us would be at a loss in a kitchen without a simple wooden cutting board. Think of the wide variety of meal preparation tasks for which a maple board or block is essential – tasks as simple as slicing a lemon or a lime to create a refreshing drink, or as complicated as chopping, dicing and peeling fresh vegetables for a delicious Julienne salad.

For starters, maple is a particularly hard wood. On the Janka hardness test hard maple scores 1450, compared to yellow birch at 1260 and nutmeg hickory at 1290, for instance. If your kitchen is like most, your cutting boards will be put to the test, so go with a strong wood such as maple. Besides being strong, maple cutting boards are appreciated for their looks. They’re not really remarkable, and that’s a plus. After all, who wants a cutting board that clashes with the rest of the kitchen. Maple’s soft and relatively consistent coloration – a combination of tans and light and dark browns – makes it a good match for a wide range of kitchens, whether traditional or contemporary.
They come in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and styles, with an assortment of features that will enhance their utility and looks. Besides the standard shapes - round, square and rectangular – you’ll find octagons, a wave-shaped Boos board, and even a number of maple cutting boards shaped like cows, roosters and more. Thicknesses range from under one inch up to 6, and grain-styles vary from edge to end-grain. An end grain cutting board not only showcases a beautiful checkerboard pattern but also offers superior performance for serious chopping tasks. Features worth considering include carved channels for capturing the juice of meats, nested pans for collecting scraps, wood or steel feet as found on a footed cutting board, and handles or finger grooves that make it easy to move these maple blocks around your kitchen and dining room.
Don't overlook our full assortment of John Boos cutting boards or our entire collection of wooden cutting boards.