Do You Need a Juice Groove? When It Helps and When It Doesn’t

Do you really need a juice groove on a cutting board? Here is when I add one, when I leave the board flat, and what I consider before routing it.

Do you really need a juice groove on a cutting board? Here is when I add one, when I leave the board flat, and what I consider before routing it.

Not every hardwood belongs in the kitchen. Here are the woods I would avoid for cutting boards, why they can cause problems, and what I would use instead.

Charcuterie boards and cutting boards can look almost identical, but they are usually built for different jobs. Here is how I choose between them and when one board can do both.

A good finish makes a cutting board look better, feel smoother, and handle daily use without drying out or soaking up water. In this guide I’ll cover the best food-safe finishes for cutting boards (oil, oil + wax blends, and simple mineral oil), how I apply them in my shop, and how often you actually need to reapply to keep your boards looking great.

Build cleaner, flatter cutting boards—face, edge, and end grain—with shop-tested tips for milling, glue-ups, sanding, grooves, and finishing. Includes jig recommendations and troubleshooting.