Customer Reviews

John Boos Chop-N-Slice 20-by-15-Inch Maple Cutting Board

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(8)

 

 

I received the Maple Chop & Slice 1 1/2" board for Xmas '09, and despite all the hype, I am disappointed with it. It began to split within a few weeks and now has several splits. As a home chef, I use the board daily, it is not allowed to remain 'wet' (such as with fruit juices), is wiped clean after each project and is wiped clean and dried, not immersed. It was conditioned before use and regularly since. Therefore, the three stars. Otherwise, the size and weight is great. If I had to buy one (which I probably will sooner than later) again, I would opt for an end cut and thicker board.

BTW, anyone know if there is a warranty on their products? I emailed BooS customer service but never received a reply.

I looked quite a long time for a cutting board to use on my kitchen island and finally decided on the Boos 20" x 15" x 1.5". It arrived extremely well packaged and in perfect condition.

The actual thickness was 1.25", but this didn't detract from its usability. I chose this size because I wanted something substantial enough for usual cutting chores, but also something that would still fit (mostly) into the sink for washing/rinsing. This fit the bill perfectly.

It first appeared that it would slide around the counter a bit while being used, but I actually haven't found it to be a problem (and I use it a lot now).

Quality is very good and on par with what one would expect from a John Boos product. Care is typical and I also highly recommend using the Mystery Oil initially and regularly to keep your board in top shape. I believe reports of splitting or drying are directly related to a lack of care.

I'd buy this again - highly recommended.

The John Boos Chop-N-Slice cutting board is a very good board that exceeded my expectations. Over the holidays, my in-laws were staying with us and did most of the cooking. I was worried that my brand new board would not survive the abuse because of the way they cleaned and used it. Normally, I would clean the board with a wet soapy towel and immediately rinse and dry. My in-laws on-the-other-hand would wash it in the sink with copious amounts of running hot water and lots of soap and let it air on the dish rack. The cutting board held well despite this repetitive cleaning, and I didn't notice any warping or splitting which I noticed on my previous wooden cutting boards. I did see some splintering on the corners which is expected since this board's edges are not rounded.

Wow, how dumb; these other reviews are astounding. First Fine quality wooden boards don't come with a "sealer"; you must care for your board by oiling (mineral) regularly. Second, if you correctly hand-wash and air dry your board then warping is never an issue, especially for a board that is 1.25+ inches thick.

These are not cheap, low quality boards. These are professional grade and should be treated as such. If you are uninformed enough to cut meat on these boards or put them in a dishwasher then you will destroy them.

This is a decent cutting surface to be used as a back up or if you cook with others and want a second surface or have very tight kitchen space. It is fairly small, but since I have a large end grain board, it is sized right as a small backup board for me. I will use one side for small cutting jobs and the other surface as a cheese and cracker/appetizer board for get togethers.

I have a few issues with the board at the price. The edges have no radius on them and are uncomfortably sharp. They need to be sanded round before use in my view. This should be done with an 1/8" or 1/4" machined radius on all corners during manufacture.

Secondly the board came with a plane mark stripe (done when planing the surface in manufacture) across the entire width of one cutting surface. The stripe is brown which leads me to believe it was burnt into the surface by the cutting blades as the board stopped moving through the planer for some reason.

Finally, the the other side had two noticeable compression dents right out of the box. Rock Maple is not easy to dent. This board was not packed well and the board was loose in the box with no padding on the interior of the box on the bottom surface. Sure enough, there were two impact perforation dents on the bottom of the box that convince me improper packing & shipping resulted in the compression dents.

That said, at this price a plane mark across an entire surface width, and the sharp edges add to my mark down of two stars. It is functional, but at the price with shipping, these finish issues are not acceptable in my book.

For the price, I think this is a great cutting board. My issues are that (1) it is much lighter than it looks in the photo; it's almost whitewashed. And (2) when I run my hand over the surface, it is so rough it feels like I am going to get a splinter. Maybe I just received one that wasn't sanded? That's how it feels, on both sides.

I bought the 20 X 15 X 1.25 inch model (at Cutlery and More) and it warped within a month when cleaning only with a damp cloth. Fortunately they replaced it and paid the return shipping. The first one appeared to be unfinished without a protective sealer, a quality control problem. The replacement board has not warped after a year's use, but I believe the thicker models are less prone to warping.

Great cutting board! Make sure to get some good oil for it and oil it right away; Who knows how long it's been in storage. Rule of thumb: oil every day for the first week, every week for the first month, and every month for life. Make sure you oil it liberally and let the oil soak in overnight. It might get a bit messy, but it's better than having a cracked board!

...update...Had it now almost 4 months. On 1 of the edges, there is a slight separation where the pieces are glued together. Main thing on any board is to keep it well oiled. I wash and dry the board immediately after use, and oil well once/month now. If you are not willing to do frequent oiling, do not buy a wood board. They are great, but need to be oiled regularly or they will separate with time. I love the heavy weight of the board. I have very sharp Japanese knives, they are not cutting up the board at all.

Only had it about a month, but so far so good. Nice and thick. This board 1 1/4" thick, the board it replaced eventually warped, it was only 3/4 thick. So worth the extra money to get a thick heavy board that will not move around when cutting. The main thing about any cutting board is to oil it regularly. When you order the board, be sure to order "Block Oil." I like this for regular maintenance of the board. I have tried others, like this oil the best. How often to oil? One brand I saw recommended once/day for the first week...once week for the first month...then once month. This is what I did with this board. However, since the board brand new and of course dry, for the first 7 days I oiled with plain pure mineral oil since you can buy in any drug store for a cheap price. After that, starting using the "Block Oil." Block Oil - Non Toxic Bamboo and Wood Oil Finish (Natural)This oil hard to find in the stores so recommend you buy it from Amazon same time as the board. We have very sharp Japanese knives, the board is holding up to them. This board on the Test Kitchen recommended list. Worth it so far. Bought this size as it fits nicely in our kitchen cabinet drawer.

I love this cutting board. It is just the right size to cut veggies or roll out dough. It is very well made (THICK AND HEAVY) and I plan to have it for a very long time. I keep it oiled and use it often. I have discarded the other boards that I own and now only use this one. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.