Dust on a cutting board are you serious ???

Our large cutting board has a lip that goes over the edge of the counter. It sits directly above the pullout garbage bins, making cleanup a breeze. It’s cleaned after use, but is never put away.

Roarah, that salmon looks so good!

LOL, I use mine just about every day, but always put them away. I hate seeing too many items on my counters.

I have a large walnut cutting board that lives on top of my gas range...they are the same exact size. I only remove it while using the range, it creates an elevated extra 30" of counter space 99% of the time. I use it for everything but onion/garlic and meats. I also have another smaller mixed wood cutting board for meats which I wash after every use, I usually scrub it with salt and let air dry. I oil mine when they look dry. My brother has a tiny kitchenette in his old downtown apartment and he was so happy to do the same trick for extra counter (which he actually needs).

Have you looked into how much weight the 42” drawers can take? I tend to load up my drawers and shelves, and would worry about them warping.

Roarah, I think we need more info about that salmon recipe. Are those raspberries?

I have three wooden cutting boards, the biggest of which is about 12 x 18 inches. I stand them up on end like books and tuck them in on a little-used section of counter next to the refrigerator, out of sight. Some folks have ones that are easy to hang on a wall, where they are both within easy reach and look a bit arty.

PS I feel the same way @tatts does about storing often-used things down low. I often wonder about the wisdom of storing toilet paper and towels on low, open shelves in a bathroom. Seems like THEY would get dusty and be less than clean and fresh!

I keep my “earlywood” board out all the time, on different counters as needed. Also have a couple of protein safe ones ready, the rest are in a cabinet.

I have an open floor plan home and don’t like to have clutter on the kitchen counters. I keep three things only on the counter - a peppermill, a ceramic butter keeper and the 1 1/2” thick maple Boos cutting board. I use it for everything except meat and use salt to eliminate odor if needed. Besides being a tool I use every day It adds an organic element to an otherwise white space.

I have one large wooden cutting board and never use it for cutting. It is used to put hot cookie sheets or a large roaster pan on to cool down and is otherwise put away. I prefer non wood cutting boards that I can put in the dishwasher after use and those are put away also.

A woman I know had granite installed in the late 90's.

She had them make a cutting board too. It is always to the right of the sink and is used often during the day.

I am sure she has other cutting board tucked away for some purposes. This is not her kitchen but similar idea.

Granite will dull knives quickly. Corian and the like can be used as cutting boards, being a plastic product. Our boards are in a cabinet. We don’t like lots of stuff on the counters, unless we’re cooking. Everything gets put away after.

I have that Stages sink and keep the cutting board in the toekick drawer. Honestly I reach for the cheap thinner cutting boards most of the time, which are stored in a super-convenient open vertical slot beside the sink. The beautiful walnut one comes out for food display.

@latifolia The 42" drawer holds up to 90 pounds. Is it enough? I have no idea.

There is a lot of great discussions. Many thanks to all of you. roarah's salmon looks very delicious.

@scrappy25 What do you think about storing cutting board in toekick drawer?

Daisy, I just drizzle balsamic and sea salt over the salmon. Then I squash whole raspberries over the top, fresh rosemary and for the adults I add Stilton cheese, the kids get no smelly cheese;). Wrap in foil and throw on grill till it flakes.

Sky, are you thinking deep or shallow drawers? If deep, and you’re thinking china, then tape out a space with the dimensions of the drawer. Pile it up with china to the height of the drawer. Then weigh each pile and write it down. Add it up and you have your answer.

I store my cutting boards under my corner prep sink. I purchased a couple of very inexpensive "tray dividers" and put them under the sink. The cutting boards are stored lengthwise in the dividers (one per slot) with the deep ones extending into the back of the normally unusable space under a sink base (both corner and "straight", but even more so corner). The fronts are right by the door and are easy to grasp and pull out. You don't need to reach the back to get one out or to put one away.

I do keep a small one on the counter that I use every day to slice cucumbers & green peppers for my lunch. I simply lean it up against the wall behind the prep sink and it quickly dries there. (There's enough space to allow air circulation around it. I wouldn't lay it flat if it's wet after rinsing/washing it.)

The others are not used daily, so they go under the sink. That includes, by the way, the boards I use for rolling out cookie or pie dough. (I tried using our granite counter, but it doesn't work very well, the wooden boards work much, much better.)

@latifolia It is a three drawer cabinet. I wanted to do the measurement, but the majority of my dishes is still in the box. We did not unpack everything after we move because we know we are going to redo the kitchen. But I weighted several individual ones. It seems fine. If I fill up one drawer with dishes, it could weight 50-60 pounds If I am right.

I leave my cutting board out all the time. It’s 3 feet long by 2 feet deep so moving it around is not really practical. Do I love the way it looks on the counter....not really, but this area next to my stove and prep sink is used several times a day. I can’t imagine taking a cutting board out and putting it away all the time...even if it was small one. A kitchen is a place for working. I also have a cutting board on my range that comes in handy.

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I store my wooden cutting boards in a drawer under my wall oven, they aren't real large so no problem with weight & I have 2 smaller plastic type in a drawer next to my cook top, which I use & wash & put away. So far this works for us, but am mulling over getting a larger wooden one & depending on size it might have to sit out on the counter.

@Nidnay Love your pretty kitchen. How do you wash it if you don’t move it?

I never actually “wash” it. It just gets wiped with a damp sponge. No meat ever touches this board.....I lay a thin plastic cutting surface on top of it if I’m working with animal products. I think I’ve had it for at least 20 years. I do oil it regularly.

In my first house I had a large heavy butcher block cutting board on my counter. I cleaned the top every time used, but under it once a week. One day I went to clean under it and there were maggots. It only take 8 -20 hours for fly eggs to turn into maggots. That thing went right to the trash. Even at a strong 20 year old I wasn't about to clean under that heavy thing every day.

functionthenlook....... holy moly, that’s pretty disgusting and scary! How many of you are now looking under your cutting boards???

Did your board have legs?? I think it’s important to have air circulation under the board which is why it’s helpful to have small legs attached to the bottom of it (especially if its large and stays out all the time). And your experience kind of drives home the point that heavy washing or soaking a cutting board is not advised especially if there is no air circulation underneath.....just traps in moisture.

No mine didn't have legs. That would of been a good idea. But after that I only wanted a cutting board that I can put in the dishwasher.

I have many, many cutting boards but one is always out on the counter by the sink. That's the area I use for all of my prep so it gets used, washed, used, washed multiple times per day. But I use the lightweight plastic cutting sheets for any major messy food prep and all meats, etc. After a quick rinse they go straight to the dishwasher. I can use 3 or 4 for each meal prep. Those flimsy cutting sheets are stored in the cupboard over the refrigerator along with my baking sheets, being held upright in a file divider/holder from the office supply department. I love those flimsy cutting sheets as you can fold them into a funnel to move onions, vegetables, etc to move them to the stove and easily get them into the pot.

I leave my cutting boards out. If I haven’t used them for a day or two, a quick wipe with a towel or clean sponge will pick up any (unlikely) dust.
They are on little rubber feet, so if you are concerned about creepy things, just lift the boards and wipe the counter. You can buy little stick-on felt or rubber feet or pads at a Target or Home Depot.

sky1122, there have been a couple of instances reported here over the years of weight in drawers being heavier than thought when planning or anticipated, (like, buying a few cast iron pieces, or deciding to rearrange what is where), causing problems or failure. I would say, get heavier duty slides if you can.

I don’t use wood cutting boards. I have one large board , one medium board and one small. They can all fit on the bottom rack of my dishwasher to sanitize. I store them all in a spot left specifically for them inside a bottom cabinet . Instead of having the pull out shelves fill the entire base cabinet we left about a 6” area on one side to stand our cutting boards up in.

Ours are either in the top drawer in the island where we use them or in the dishwasher. They are not wood.

I leave our cutting boards on the counter so they look like decor when they aren't in use.

Obviously cutting boards are one of the most-used things in our kitchens. So why don't more people do this?

I had a cutting board like that in my old kitchen. The problem with it is cleaning. It was far too big for my sink at the time, so I could only cut bread on it. Even with that limited use, I still loved it.

@AnnKH This design has one limitation which is you have to have certain size of cutting board in there, is it right? I wanted to have one of those at first. But when I was thinking what if I need to change the cutting board, I decided not to do it.

My slide-out cutting board is reversible. We've had the kitchen for 6 years, and haven't reversed it yet. It does pull out to clean.

My Mom had a similar cutting board, and when her board needed replacing, she had my uncle make a new one in his woodworking shop. There isn't really anything special about it, except the routered bottom edge as a finger pull. If my cabinet maker ever goes out of business, I might have him make me a spare before he closes up shop.

One of the few regrets in our new kitchen is that we didn't put another one of these next to the fridge!

Our first home had a pull out cutting board. the home I grew up in did as well. When it needed upkeep my mom would sand it with a sander then oil it and it was a new cutting board again. I only remember that being done one time in the 23 years I lived there.

This is the largest "cutting board" I ever designed.

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It's 7'8 x 5'4.

The cutting boards that pull out look very unstable to me. You can see they are not even straight because there is no support on the one end when it is pulled out. I'd prefer to have my cutting board on a solid counter surface.

Actually, my pull-out cutting board is very stable - but you're right, it is not perfectly level when pulled out. My DH chops like mad on this thing every day, and has never had a cutting board malfunction. I even clamp a grinder to it without a problem.

I always left my largest and heaviest cutting board out - and I found it attractive. I had it for 20 years and it never developed maggots - and had no feet. Now I've a built-in, identical to your second photo. I swipe mine with a damp wash cloth before using. Dust won't kill anyone, but I'm a wee bit strange about it, perhaps. I use a plastic cutting board for meat, poultry, and fish. I do have several smaller cutting boards which I use mostly for charcuterie, and they fit into a tray holder in a cabinet. Some are well-used and not particularly attractive, some are plastic, and some are glass, which I also use for larger hot items on my granite as temporary protection.

Yes I leave mine out. Only use them for bread and wipe with a damp paper towel before and after use. No meat, fish, or eggs in my kitchen. Use a plastic one for fruit and vegetables that goes in the dishwasher.

@2ManyDiversions I always think we should change the wooden cutting board every 2-3 years. That is what I was doing for many years. Now knowing we can take a good care of our cutting boards that will last for many years, I will invest a nice one or two and try to keep them forever.

@AnnKH Do you actually use the cutting board in the position as in the picture? I though that is where it gets stored. When you use it, you will move it from that spot and use it on the counter.

Here's my hubby cooking the first meal in our new kitchen. He uses this cutting board - in place - every day. If he chops something soggy - like tomatoes, when making salsa - he wipes it down and leaves it pulled out to dry. We have other cutting boards - like a big one that fits over one side of the sink - but this is his favorite.

Over the years I’ve done both, but lately have my heavy walnut board out. I don’t typically keep it in the sink though. I move it around depending on need. I still mostly use the plastic one that came with the Stages for cutting. I keep all of my boards and the accessories that came with the Stages in the cab just right of the sink which is my main prep.

I love the look of layered cutting boards in kitchen photos on Instagram, and had planned to leave mine out, but when it came down to it I didn't like the clutter, I store mine in drawers. When I'm prepping, I have to get out the knives and bowls anyway. So its not like it's a hardship to get out the cutting boards too.

Jackson Heights NYC White Shaker + Paonazzo Marble · More Info

Jackson Heights NYC White Shaker + Paonazzo Marble · More Info