I went to Chef's Tools and got a large (20"x15"x1.5") cutting board for ~$60. Vs those boards you linked which were up to $600
Throw away any cutting board thats not wood. (Bamboo being the exception although I dont know if bamboo is wood?)
Plastic cutting boards will contaminate whatever you are cutting on it with a load of micro and, in many cases macroplastics.
Seriously, give your plastic board some action without food on it and then carefully collect the shavings.
Re:Kitchen Optimizations
by throwway120385 on Wednesday December 31, 2025 @05:40PM
(#46449100)
Same thing with giant peninsulas and breakfast bars. They're there to look nice for real estate photos, not to be a useful thing that gets used often. If you want a table in the middle of your kitchen rip out the island and put a kitchen table there. It's more comfortable and you can actually look at the people you're eating with.
I like the kitchen island as a massive prep space. Large enough for 2 large cutting boards, plenty of bowls, and other ingredients.
Not using it for anything else though.
They are good to socialize while cooking. Friends csn have a glass of wine next to you while you cook. Also to put the trash under without blocking other peoples flow.
> being able to walk directly between everything
This is the classic kitchen work triangle, popularized in the 1950s. It's still true today!
This is also one of the central ideas around making computers go really fast.
> Throw away all cutting boards not made of wood or plastic
https://www.johnboos.com/collections/cutting-boards
> Garbage bowl
I have one of those rubbermaid tall/thin trash cans where my kitchen island used to be. Sometimes I will pull my fridge into the middle a little bit so it's easier to get at. That's the kitchen optimization advice that I would offer - The kitchen island is often a productivity & convenience scam. It took me a long time to learn this. From a simple geometric & topological perspective, being able to walk directly between everything without having to always pick a direction around some obstruction will reduce your cortisol levels by a scientifically-quantifiable amount.