Cherry Wood Cutting Boards
Custom Face Grain Boards Handmade in the USA
Up to 2″ Inches Thick | 30-Day Guarantee | Free Shipping
Handcrafted from locally sourced American black cherry, our face-grain cherry cutting boards bring warmth and character to any kitchen — and only get better with age. Whether you’re a home cook who takes their tools seriously or looking for a gift that will be used and loved for decades, you’ve found it. We also offer premium maple cutting boards and walnut cutting boards, or we can custom build any size or shape you need.
Why Our Cherry Boards Are Worth It
- Locally and ethically sourced American hardwoods — never imported lumber
- Milled up to 2″ thick — nearly double the thickness of most competitors’ boards
- Waterproof glue construction prevents warping, splitting, and joint failure
- Precision milled, assembled, and finished using professional woodworking techniques
- Pre-oiled with food-safe mineral oil — ready to use straight out of the box
- Proudly handmade in the USA by real craftsmen in Nampa, Idaho
- Optional laser-engraving available for personalization or gifts
- 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee on every board we make
- Carefully wrapped and packaged to arrive in perfect condition via FedEx or UPS
- Free ground shipping to all lower 48 states — no hidden fees
How to Choose the Right Size Cherry Cutting Board
Not sure which size is right for you? The best cherry cutting board for your kitchen depends on how you cook, the size of your workspace, and what you’ll primarily be using it for. Here’s a simple breakdown to help you decide:
10×12 — The Everyday Prep Board
Perfect for smaller kitchens, apartments, or as a second board kept on the counter at all times. Ideal for quickly slicing fruit, chopping herbs, cutting sandwiches, and light daily prep. Compact enough to store easily without taking up valuable drawer or cabinet space.
10×16 and 12×20 — The Versatile All-Rounder
The most popular size range for home cooks. Large enough to prep a full meal’s worth of vegetables or break down a whole chicken, while still being easy to wash and store. This is the size most often purchased as a kitchen staple or a thoughtful housewarming gift.
12×24 and 14×20 The Serious Cook’s Board
Ideal for those who cook frequently or tackle larger tasks like batch prepping, carving roasts, or preparing multi-component meals. The generous surface means less shuffling and more efficient prep. Also a stunning serving board for entertaining.
16×30 and 20×36 — The Professional-Grade Board
Designed for professional chefs, serious home cooks, large families, or anyone who wants a dedicated carving and prep station. At this size, the board doubles beautifully as a charcuterie centerpiece for large gatherings. The 2″ thick construction keeps boards of this size stable and warp-resistant for years of heavy use.
**A good rule of thumb: Your cutting board should be at least as wide as your longest knife blade, and ideally give you 2–3 inches of clearance on each side while you work. When in doubt, go one size bigger than you think you need — you’ll use the space.
Cherry vs. Maple vs. Walnut: Which Wood Is Right for You?
Cherry is our most popular wood for a reason. It strikes the ideal balance between hardness, knife-friendliness, and visual beauty. With a Janka hardness rating of 950–995 lbf, cherry is firm enough to withstand years of daily use without the surface degrading, yet soft enough to be genuinely gentle on your knife edges. Its fine-pored grain resists odors, self-heals minor knife marks over time, and — most distinctively — deepens from a warm salmon tone into a rich reddish-brown as it ages. If you want a board that becomes more beautiful and stronger the longer you own it, cherry is your wood.
Hard maple is the workhorse of cutting board woods and the most widely used material in commercial kitchens. At 1,450 lbf on the Janka scale, it is significantly harder than cherry, making it extremely scratch-resistant and long-lasting. The tradeoff is that maple’s greater hardness is slightly less forgiving on knife edges over time. Maple’s blonde, light-toned appearance keeps a clean, bright look and is ideal for those who prefer a more neutral, modern aesthetic in their kitchen.
Walnut sits closest to cherry in terms of hardness (around 1,010 lbf) and shares many of its best qualities: self-healing grain, excellent knife friendliness, and beautiful aging. The key difference is appearance — walnut is a rich, deep chocolate brown, making it the most dramatic and visually striking of the three. It is also the most premium-priced due to the slower growth rate of walnut trees. If you want maximum visual impact and don’t mind the higher price point, walnut is a stunning choice.
All three are available in custom sizes with engraving. Not sure which to choose? [Contact us] and we’ll help you pick the right wood for your kitchen.
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All About Our Cherry Wood Cutting Boards
There’s a reason cherry wood has been a favorite of fine craftsmen for centuries. It’s warm, rich, and gets more beautiful the longer it lives in your kitchen. But beyond looks, cherry wood earns its reputation through performance — it’s dense enough to hold up to years of daily chopping, tight-grained enough to resist moisture, and forgiving enough on your knife edges that you’ll never dread prep work.
We chose cherry as one of our three core materials because it consistently delivers on every quality we look for: durability, food safety, longevity, and stunning natural beauty. Here’s a closer look at why cherry wood is in a class of its own.
Our Process of Creating A Cutting Board
Customize Your Cherry Cutting Board
What Qualities Make Cherry Wood Stand Out?
Cherry wood comes from the American black cherry fruit tree — a deciduous hardwood prized for its straight, fine grain and natural luster. Unlike many hardwoods, cherry’s best quality may be its behavior over time: it deepens from a pale blush to a rich amber-brown as it ages, which means a cherry cutting board you buy today will be even more stunning in five years than when it arrives.
Cherry’s closed pore structure is a critical advantage for cutting boards specifically. Unlike more porous woods, cherry resists absorbing the liquids from raw meat, fish, and produce — meaning less opportunity for bacteria to take hold in the grain. It’s also naturally fragrant with a subtle, pleasant aroma that won’t compete with food.
For those who care about sustainability, cherry is one of the most responsibly harvested domestic hardwoods available. It’s grown and certified across FSC-managed forests throughout the United States, making it a smart choice for eco-conscious buyers who don’t want to sacrifice quality for conscience.
What are the Most Common Uses for Cherry Wood?
Cherry is a top-tier material across industries: fine furniture, luxury car interiors, custom cabinetry, musical instruments, flooring, and high-end kitchenware all rely on cherry for its combination of beauty and reliability. The same qualities that make cherry ideal for a heirloom dining table make it ideal for a cutting board you’ll pass down someday.
In the kitchen specifically, cherry’s tight grain resists odor absorption better than many alternatives — a major advantage when you’re regularly working with garlic, onion, and raw proteins. It’s also dense enough to withstand deep cuts without developing the unsightly grooves that become bacterial harbors over time.
One reason cherry remains so popular in woodworking is that it’s easy to work with precisely — which means tighter tolerances, cleaner joints, and a surface that sands to a silky finish. That craftsmanship advantage passes directly to you in the form of a board that feels as premium as it looks.
Protect Your Investment
Our 100% food-safe Board Butter conditions and protects your cherry board, extending its life and keeping it looking beautiful for years.
Our Process: Handcrafted from Start to Finish
Every board we make is built to order. Not mass-produced. Not warehoused. When your order comes in, we get to work. Here’s exactly what goes into the board you’ll receive.
Step 1. Place Your Order
Your order kicks off a hands-on build process tailored specifically to you. Every board starts as raw lumber, not a shelf product.
Step 2. Wood Selection
We hand-select our cherry lumber from trusted local suppliers. Only boards with the right grain, density, and color make the cut.
Step 3. Milling & Assembly
Each board is planed to exact thickness, strips arranged for both visual balance and structural integrity, then glued under controlled pressure with waterproof adhesive.
Step 4. Sanding & Detailing
We progressively sand every surface, round every edge, and eliminate every tool mark until the board feels silky in hand. We don’t rush this step.
Step 5. Custom Engraving
Laser engraving is done with precision and reviewed before cutting. After engraving, the board is lightly re-sanded to preserve crisp, clean detail.
Step 6. Sealing & Conditioning
Boards are conditioned multiple times with food-safe mineral oil to protect the wood from the inside out. No shortcuts, no surface-only finishes.
Step 7. Inspection & Packaging
Every board is hand-inspected before it ships. If it isn’t right, it doesn’t go out.
Step 8. Shipped To You
Carefully packaged and shipped free via UPS or FedEx to all lower 48 states.
Cherry Wood’s Strengths
We’re not going to oversell you. Instead, here are the five most meaningful reasons cherry wood consistently earns its place as one of the best cutting board materials available — and the honest context behind each one.
Cherry’s straight, uniform grain gives it exceptional resistance to shock loads — meaning it absorbs impact from heavy chopping without cracking or splitting over time. Its closed pore structure also means it resists absorbing the juices from raw meat and produce, which is critical for food safety. Porous cutting boards become bacterial breeding grounds; cherry doesn’t give bacteria a place to hide.
Whether it’s breaking down a whole chicken, slicing a baguette, or serving a charcuterie spread, cherry handles every kitchen task with ease. The same hardness that makes it durable also makes it gentle on knife edges — you’ll spend less time honing and sharpening when you work on a properly dense, smooth surface.
Most materials look worse the older they get. Cherry is the exception. Raw cherry starts pale and pink; over time it deepens to a rich, warm amber-brown that most customers come to love even more than the board they first received. It doesn’t fade or gray — it matures. Regular oiling accelerates and enhances this process beautifully.
Cherry is one of the most sustainably sourced domestic hardwoods in the U.S. It grows in FSC-certified forests and regenerates faster than many competing hardwood species. When you choose a cherry board from us, you’re choosing a material that was harvested responsibly and will last long enough that you won’t need to replace it for many years — that’s the lowest-impact purchase you can make.
A cherry cutting board costs more upfront than a big-box store plastic board. It should — it’s not the same product. The real comparison is over time: a $20 plastic board needs replacing every year or two, accumulates deep knife grooves that harbor bacteria, and ends up in a landfill. A cherry board, properly maintained, can last decades. You’re not buying a cutting board; you’re buying the last cutting board you’ll need for a very long time.
In our article, ‘Why Should You Consider Choosing a More Expensive Cutting Board?’, we discuss the many reasons why our cutting board materials are the most cost effective on the market. From safety and durability to sustainability and versatility, cherry wood cutting boards are truly one of the most cost-effective on the market.
How to Care for Your Cherry Wood Cutting Board
A high-quality cherry wood cutting board is a long-term investment, and with the right care it will last decades — potentially a lifetime. Follow these simple guidelines to keep your board in peak condition year after year.
Daily Care
After each use, rinse your cherry cutting board with warm water and a small amount of mild dish soap. Scrub with a soft sponge or cloth — avoid abrasive scrubbers that can score the wood surface. Rinse thoroughly and dry immediately with a clean towel, then stand the board upright or place it on a rack so air can circulate on all sides. Never leave it lying flat in a puddle of water.
What to Avoid
Never put your cherry cutting board in a dishwasher. The combination of prolonged heat, steam, and moisture causes even the best hardwoods to crack, warp, and split. Similarly, avoid soaking the board in standing water or leaving it sitting wet on a flat surface, which promotes uneven moisture absorption and warping over time.
Monthly Oiling and Conditioning
Oiling is the single most important maintenance step you can take to extend the life of your cherry cutting board. Once a month — or whenever the wood begins to look dry, pale, or dull — apply a generous coat of food-safe mineral oil or our cutting board butter to all surfaces of the board, including the sides and bottom. Work the oil in along the grain using a clean cloth. Allow it to soak in for a minimum of four hours, or overnight for best results, then wipe away any excess. Regular oiling prevents the wood from drying out, cracking, and becoming brittle.
Removing Odors Naturally
If your board has absorbed strong food odors from garlic, onion, or fish, sprinkle coarse sea salt across the surface and rub vigorously with half a cut lemon. Let it sit for three to five minutes before rinsing clean. This naturally deodorizes the board without the use of harsh chemicals that could damage the wood or affect food safety.
Dealing with Stains and Deep Scratches
For surface stains, the lemon and salt method above works well. For deeper staining or surface scratches that have accumulated over years of use, lightly sand the board with 220-grit sandpaper in the direction of the grain. Wipe away all dust with a clean damp cloth, allow to dry fully, then re-oil the board thoroughly. Cherry’s natural self-healing properties will continue to work on minor knife marks over time.
Storage
Store your cherry cutting board in a dry, well-ventilated area. Keeping it upright is ideal as it allows air to circulate evenly on both faces of the board. Avoid storing it pressed flat against a surface where one side cannot breathe, which can cause uneven moisture levels and eventual warping.
With this routine, your Mahogany House Woodworks cherry cutting board will reward you with decades of reliable performance and beauty.
So What Actually Makes a Great Cutting Board?
Three things matter most: durability, food safety, and knife-friendliness. Cherry delivers on all three.
Durability means a board that can take daily use — chopping, slicing, dropping — without warping, cracking, or developing the kinds of deep grooves that harbor bacteria. Cheap boards fail here quickly, especially when exposed to moisture. Cherry’s tight grain and density give it structural resilience that cheaper woods simply don’t have.
Food safety means a surface that doesn’t absorb and retain the liquids from raw proteins. This is where many porous woods fall short. Cherry’s closed pore structure minimizes absorption, and our mineral oil conditioning creates an additional barrier. That said, no wood cutting board is dishwasher safe — hand wash only, always.
Knife-friendliness is often overlooked. A surface that’s too hard (like glass or ceramic) will destroy your edges. A surface that’s too soft will get scored and gouged quickly. Cherry sits in the ideal hardness range — firm enough to last, gentle enough that your knives will thank you.
All of this is why we keep coming back to cherry. It isn’t just a beautiful wood. It’s the right wood.
A quality wood cutting board will be able to withstand years of use and won’t warp or crack even if it is dropped occasionally by accident.
This is why most chefs will often tell individuals to avoid buying wood cutting boards from big retailers such as WalMart as they are sure to become damaged over time and their absorbent wood materials will also absorb liquids and expand because of it warping the wood, leading to bacterial growth, and cracking the boards over time.
Secondly, a great cutting board will also be able to have wet foods such as meats or vegetables sit on it without it absorbing these liquids and becoming a bacterial growth center. Although you should never put your wood cutting board in the dishwasher, a bit of water or liquid here and there should not affect your board. This is where woods such as cherry come into play as they do not absorb liquids easily and their fine grain makes them less susceptible to water damage over time.
In conjunction with durability, your wood cutting board should be able to handle being cut on every single day and occasionally dropped. Your run-of-the-mill cutting boards usually end up with massive groove marks in the board from being cut on and will likely crack and break after a single drop but, with cherry wood, its shock load absorbance level paired with its strong and fine grain makes it perfect to avoid these common cutting board pitfalls. It also only becomes even more hard and durable over time making it very long-lasting in nature.
Considering the fact that we’ve discussed the cost-effective nature of cherry wood above, the fact that it is a tad bit more expensive than other wood cutting boards out there actually makes sense and still makes it more cost-effective based on its lifespan alone. Because cherry wood is durable and strong, it lasts far longer than other woods out there and this means that you will only spend this price once in the time you would regularly spend a slightly lesser price two or three times over.
Lastly, cherry wood is not very absorbent and can be easily cleaned down between uses making it a relatively easy wood to care for. Although it may not be as easy to care for as a plastic cutting board, the lifespan of this wood and the safety of the wood continues to make it one of the best materials for cutting boards guaranteed.
All in all, cherry wood is one of the best options for cutting boards out there and that is why we continue to opt for it time and time again. We want the very best for our clients and this is why we don’t just choose woods but rather evaluate them and determine why and why not they are the best choices for the job. For more information regarding wood cutting board care, check out our in-depth article on ways to naturally clean a wood cutting board today!
Cherry Cutting Boards Make the Perfect Gift
Looking for a gift that is genuinely useful, beautifully handmade, and built to last a lifetime? A custom cherry wood cutting board from Mahogany House Woodworks is one of the most thoughtful gifts you can give for any occasion.
Our cherry boards are a popular choice for wedding gifts, anniversary presents, housewarming gifts, holiday shopping, and milestone birthdays. Add custom engraving — a couple’s last name and wedding date, a meaningful quote, a family monogram, or a personal message — and you have a one-of-a-kind keepsake that will be used and admired every single day.
Every board is handmade in the USA, ships with care, and arrives ready to give. We also offer gift messaging and can ship directly to the recipient. Because each board is crafted to order, we recommend ordering at least two weeks in advance for gifting occasions.
Our Customers Love Our Cherry Wood Boards...
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — cherry wood is widely considered one of the best materials for cutting boards. Its Janka hardness rating of 950–995 lbf makes it tough enough to withstand daily use for years, while its fine-pored grain is genuinely gentle on knife edges, meaning your blades will stay sharper for longer. Cherry is also naturally resistant to odors and bacteria, self-heals minor knife marks over time, and develops a richer, more beautiful appearance as it ages. For both practical performance and visual appeal, very few cutting board materials match cherry wood.
With proper care, a well-made cherry wood cutting board can last 20 years or more. Unlike cheap plastic or thin wood boards that crack, warp, and deteriorate within a few years, a 2″-thick handmade cherry board is built to withstand decades of daily use. Cherry wood actually hardens over time, meaning the board becomes more durable — not less — as the years pass. Many customers consider our cherry boards a once-in-a-lifetime kitchen purchase.
Face grain boards are constructed by gluing wide, flat planks together so the broad face of the wood is the cutting surface. This orientation showcases the most visible and dramatic grain patterns, making face grain boards exceptionally beautiful — ideal for both cutting and serving. Edge grain boards are built with the long edges of the wood strips forming the cutting surface, resulting in a slightly more durable, scratch-resistant surface that excels under heavy daily use. Both are excellent choices; face grain prioritizes beauty, while edge grain prioritizes maximum durability.
Absolutely. Cherry wood’s fine, tight-pored grain is naturally inhospitable to bacteria. Research has shown that wood cutting boards actually trap bacteria within the grain, where they become immobilized and die as the wood dries — unlike plastic boards, which develop deep grooves over time that permanently harbor bacteria. Our cherry boards are also finished with 100% food-safe tung oil, meaning no harmful chemicals will ever leach into your food.
Yes. We offer custom laser engraving on all of our cherry wood cutting boards. You can engrave a name, monogram, special date, meaningful quote, or custom logo. Engraved cherry boards are one of our most popular gift choices — especially for weddings, anniversaries, housewarmings, and the holidays. Simply select the engraving option when adding your board to cart and follow the prompts to submit your text or artwork.
No. The dishwasher is the fastest way to ruin a wood cutting board of any kind. The intense heat, sustained steam, and prolonged exposure to water will cause your cherry board to crack, warp, and split — sometimes after just a single cycle. Always hand wash your cherry board with warm water and mild dish soap, dry it immediately, and it will serve you well for decades.
Cherry wood darkens through a natural process called photoxidation — exposure to light and air causes the wood’s lignins to oxidize, gradually shifting the color from a fresh, light salmon tone to a deep, warm reddish-brown. This process is one of cherry’s most beloved characteristics and is unique among common cutting board woods. Rather than fading or losing character over the years, a cherry board only grows more beautiful with age and use.
Apply food-safe mineral oil or cutting board butter to all surfaces of the board — top, bottom, and all four sides. Work it in along the grain with a clean cloth. Let it absorb for at least four hours or overnight, then wipe away any excess. Repeat this process once a month, or whenever the wood looks dry or lighter in color than usual. Regular oiling is the single most important thing you can do to extend the life of your board.
We source our cherry lumber locally from trusted suppliers in and around the Nampa, Idaho area. We hand-select every piece — not just order by the pallet — which means only the best wood ends up in your kitchen.
Our standard turnaround is 12–15 business days. Because every board is built to order, this is the time it takes to do it right. During peak seasons like the holidays, we’ll communicate any updates. Most customers tell us the wait was more than worth it.
Yes. Every cherry cutting board leaves our shop pre-treated with food-safe mineral oil and is ready to use right out of the box. We recommend a fresh coat of board butter every few months to keep it in peak condition.
We ship via UPS and FedEx, selecting the carrier that gets your board to you fastest based on size and destination. Every order is carefully wrapped and packaged to arrive without damage. Shipping is free to all lower 48 states.
Most cherry cutting boards you’ll find in stores are mass-produced overseas and cut to minimal thickness to reduce cost. Our boards are handmade in the USA, milled up to 2 inches thick (nearly double the industry norm), and built by craftsmen who take the work personally. You can feel the difference the moment you pick one up.
Yes — every board comes with our 30-Day Satisfaction Guarantee. If you’re not happy with your purchase for any reason, we’ll make it right. [Read our full guarantee here.]
Absolutely. We build custom cherry cutting boards in virtually any size or shape — rectangular, round, oversized, engraved, you name it. For very large custom boards we may need to ship freight, but most orders ship standard ground. Request a free custom quote and we’ll get back to you quickly.
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