Boos Maple Edge-Grain 24×18

John Boos has been making butcher blocks in Effingham, Illinois since 1887. The company survived two world wars, the plastic cutting board fad of the 1990s, and the bamboo trend of the 2010s. It survived because maple is the right material for a cutting board and Boos is the right company to make one.

The 24×18 edge-grain board is the size that actually fits a home kitchen. It's heavy enough to stay put when you're mincing herbs and light enough to move to the sink. The maple is gentle on knife edges — harder than bamboo but softer than the glass boards that dull your knives in a single use.

Oil it once a month with mineral oil. Don't put it in the dishwasher. It will outlast every other tool in your kitchen.