Not all wooden cutting boards look, feel, or perform the same. The type of wood you choose affects everything from the color of your board and how it ages to its hardness, weight, knife feel, and how easily everyday cutting marks show.
At Woods & Wax, we make solid wood cutting boards from several hardwood species, including Maple, Walnut, Cherry, White Oak, Red Oak, Purpleheart, and Padauk. Each has its own character, and there isn’t one wood that’s right for every kitchen.
This guide compares our cutting board wood types so you can choose the board that best fits how you cook, your kitchen, and the look you want.
Compare Our Cutting Board Wood Types
| Wood | Approx. Janka Hardness | Color | Grain | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hard Maple | 1,450 | Cream to light tan | Fine, subtle | Best all-around cutting board |
| Walnut | 1,010 | Medium to dark brown | Fine to moderate | Premium appearance & knife feel |
| Cherry | 950 | Pinkish brown to deep reddish brown | Fine | Warm appearance & everyday prep |
| Purpleheart | 1,860 | Brown-purple to rich purple | Fine to medium | Unique statement boards |
| Padauk | 1,970 | Orange-red to deep reddish brown | Medium | Bold statement boards |
Janka hardness measures resistance to denting and wear. A higher number does not automatically mean a better cutting board. Extremely hard woods can feel harder against a knife edge, while moderately hard woods often provide a good balance between durability and knife feel.
Maple Cutting Boards
Best All-Around Choice
Hard maple is one of the classic woods for cutting boards, and for good reason. It provides an excellent combination of hardness, durability, appearance, and everyday usability.
Hard maple has a relatively tight, fine grain and a light cream-to-tan appearance. Its light coloring also makes it easy to see the surface you’re working on while giving a kitchen a clean, traditional look.
With a Janka hardness of approximately 1,450, hard maple is hard enough to withstand frequent chopping and food preparation without being excessively hard.
We particularly like maple for boards that are going to be used rather than simply displayed.
Choose Maple if you want:
- A dependable everyday cutting board
- A light, clean appearance
- Fine, relatively subtle grain
- Excellent durability
- A traditional butcher-block look
- A board for frequent food preparation
Best for: Home cooks, everyday chopping, vegetables, meat preparation and general kitchen use.
Walnut Cutting Boards
Best Premium Choice
Walnut is one of our favorite woods when someone wants a cutting board that looks just as good sitting on the counter as it does being used.
Its rich brown coloring can range from medium chocolate brown to dramatically dark streaks depending on the individual piece of lumber.
Walnut is also somewhat softer than hard maple, with a Janka hardness of approximately 1,010. That softer surface can provide a very pleasant feel under a knife while still being sufficiently durable for normal kitchen use.
The tradeoff is that cutting marks can develop more readily than on harder species. We don’t necessarily consider that a disadvantage. A quality wooden cutting board is a working kitchen tool, and those marks become part of the board’s character.
Choose Walnut if you want:
- A darker cutting board
- A premium or high-end appearance
- Comfortable knife feel
- Natural variation between boards
- A board attractive enough to leave on the counter
Best for: Premium kitchens, home chefs, gifts, serving and everyday food preparation.
Cherry Cutting Boards
Best Warm-Toned Choice
Cherry is an excellent choice if you want something between the light appearance of maple and the dark appearance of walnut.
Fresh cherry can begin relatively light with pink and reddish tones. One of its most interesting characteristics is how its appearance develops over time. Exposure to light and normal aging can deepen cherry into a richer reddish-brown color.
At approximately 950 on the Janka hardness scale, cherry is softer than maple and provides a pleasant cutting surface.
Because cherry naturally changes color, a cherry cutting board purchased today may look noticeably richer after months or years of use.
That’s part of what makes the species special.
Choose Cherry if you want:
- Warm reddish-brown coloring
- A board that develops character as it ages
- Comfortable knife feel
- Fine grain
- Something different from traditional maple
Best for: Everyday food preparation, warm-toned kitchens, gifts and cooks who appreciate natural wood aging.
Purpleheart Cutting Boards
Best Unique Color
Purpleheart doesn’t look like an ordinary cutting board.
The wood is known for its naturally purple coloration, which can range from brownish purple when freshly worked to much richer purple tones as the wood is exposed to air and light.
No stain is required to create the color—the color comes from the wood itself.
Purpleheart is considerably harder than maple, walnut or cherry, measuring approximately 1,860 on the Janka scale.
That makes it highly resistant to dents and wear, although the harder surface will feel different under a knife than softer woods such as walnut or cherry.
Choose Purpleheart if you want:
- Naturally purple wood
- Something genuinely unusual
- High hardness
- A statement piece
- A memorable gift
Best for: Statement kitchens, gifts, serving and customers who want something different from traditional cutting-board woods.
Shop Purpleheart Cutting Boards →
Padauk Cutting Boards
Best Bold Color
Padauk is another species that immediately stands out.
Freshly worked Padauk can have an intense orange or red-orange appearance. Over time, exposure to air and light generally causes those colors to deepen toward darker red and brown tones.
Like Purpleheart, this coloration occurs naturally in the wood.
Padauk is also one of the hardest species we offer, measuring approximately 1,970 on the Janka scale.
Its combination of hardness, grain and dramatic natural coloring makes every Padauk board a little different.
Choose Padauk if you want:
- Natural orange-red coloring
- A highly distinctive cutting board
- Very hard wood
- Something outside traditional Maple, Cherry or Walnut
- A statement or gift board
Best for: Statement pieces, serving, gifts and kitchens that could use a dramatic natural accent.
Maple vs. Walnut vs. Cherry Cutting Boards
If you’re deciding between our three most traditional cutting-board woods, the choice is surprisingly simple.
Choose Maple if durability and everyday versatility are your priorities. Its harder surface and light, fine grain make it our favorite all-around choice.
Choose Walnut if appearance and knife feel are more important. Its dark coloration creates a premium look, while its slightly softer surface feels excellent during food preparation.
Choose Cherry if you want something in between. Cherry provides a warm appearance, comfortable cutting surface and beautiful color that becomes richer as the wood ages.
There isn’t a wrong choice between the three.
For most kitchens, we’d start with Maple for performance, Walnut for appearance, and Cherry for warmth and character.
Which Cutting Board Wood Should I Choose?
If you’re still undecided, start with what matters most to you.
I want the best all-around cutting board:
→ Hard Maple
I want a dark, premium-looking board:
→ Walnut
I want a warm wood that gets richer with age:
→ Cherry
I want a pronounced, rustic grain:
→ White Oak or Red Oak
I want something people will notice:
→ Purpleheart or Padauk
For someone purchasing their first quality wooden cutting board, Hard Maple is difficult to beat. If the board will live permanently on your countertop, however, appearance may be just as important as hardness—and that’s where Walnut and Cherry really shine.
Why Woods & Wax Uses Solid Hardwood
A cutting board doesn’t need to be complicated.
We prefer solid hardwood because it allows the natural characteristics of the wood to become the focus of the board. Each piece of lumber has variations in grain, color and character, which means no two finished boards are exactly alike.
Our boards are sanded through multiple stages before being conditioned with food-safe mineral oil and finished with our wood-conditioning wax.
The result is a simple philosophy:
Start with good hardwood, finish it properly, and build a cutting board that’s meant to be used.
Caring for Any Wooden Cutting Board
Regardless of which wood you choose, proper care has a larger impact on the life of your cutting board than the difference between most hardwood species.
Wash your board with mild soap and water and dry it promptly. Never soak a solid wood cutting board or put it in the dishwasher.
When the surface begins looking dry, apply food-safe mineral oil or cutting-board conditioner. Regular conditioning helps slow moisture absorption and keeps the wood looking its best.
With proper maintenance, a quality hardwood cutting board can provide years of everyday use.
Read Our Cutting Board Care Guide →
Frequently Asked Questions About Cutting Board Woods
What is the best wood for a cutting board?
Hard maple is one of the best all-around choices because it combines approximately 1,450 Janka hardness with fine grain, excellent durability and a comfortable cutting surface. Walnut and Cherry are excellent alternatives when a darker appearance or slightly softer cutting surface is preferred.
Is Maple or Walnut better for a cutting board?
Neither is universally better. Maple is harder and better suited to someone prioritizing durability. Walnut is softer and darker, making it an excellent choice for someone prioritizing appearance and knife feel.
Is Cherry good for cutting boards?
Yes. Cherry is a fine-grained hardwood with approximately 950 Janka hardness. It provides a comfortable cutting surface and develops a richer reddish-brown color as it ages.
Does harder wood make a better cutting board?
Not necessarily. A cutting board needs enough hardness to resist excessive denting and wear, but extreme hardness isn’t always desirable against a knife edge. This is one reason Maple, Walnut and Cherry are popular choices: each provides a different balance of hardness, durability and knife feel.
Why does my wooden cutting board look different from the product photo?
Wood is a natural material. Grain, knots, mineral streaks, heartwood, sapwood and color vary from tree to tree and even from one section of the same tree to another. These variations are part of what makes each solid wood cutting board unique.
Will the color of my cutting board change?
Yes. Natural wood changes as it ages and is exposed to light. Cherry typically becomes darker and richer, while woods such as Purpleheart and Padauk can experience particularly noticeable color changes. Regular oiling and waxing also tends to deepen the appearance of the grain.
Find Your Cutting Board
Whether you prefer the clean appearance of Maple, rich darkness of Walnut, warmth of Cherry, pronounced grain of Oak, or dramatic natural colors of Purpleheart and Padauk, the best cutting board is one you’ll enjoy using every day.
Explore our handmade solid wood cutting boards and choose the wood, size and style that fits your kitchen.