5 Creative Cutting Board Uses – In and Out of the Kitchen
In the past I've talked about why wooden cutting boards are best, and 7 things you should never do to your cutting board, and done a review of Proteak (Teakhaus) cutting boards, so when Madeline from Teakhaus by Proteak contacted me about sharing their beautiful cutting boards with you again, I thought, “What could I say that I haven't said already?” I decided to have a little fun with this one and offer some suggestions for cutting board uses other than cutting, since the Teakhaus boards are so beautiful you'll want to show them off. I'm also including some basic cutting board info, to familiarize you with different types of cutting boards.
Note: Proteak recently rebranded their cutting board division into Teakhaus by Proteak. New website, same quality product. This post originally featured a giveaway, which has ended.
Jump to:
- Cutting Board Use #1 – Serving Platter
- Cutting Board Use #2 – Trivet for Hot Dishes
- Cutting Board Use #3 – Photo Backdrop
- Cutting Board Use #4 – Art Easel
- Cutting Board Use #5 – Cake Plate
- What's the Difference Between a Butcher Block and a Cutting Board?
- What's the difference between “end grain” and “edge grain”?
- Why Use a Teak Cutting Board?
Cutting Board Use #1 – Serving Platter
It's great to be able to carve meat right at the table for large gatherings, but carving up a critter on your favorite platter is hard on the knife and the platter. Teakhaus cutting boards are pretty enough for company, and the built in juice canal on many of the boards keep potential messes off the tablecloth. They also make a great fruit and cheese platter for hors d'oeuvres or buffets.
Cutting Board Use #2 – Trivet for Hot Dishes
Smaller cutting boards are great for keeping fresh out of the oven pans from scorching your table or countertop. While I certainly wouldn't stick them in the oven (cutting boards are not roasting planks), or leave them sitting on a burner (my mom “branded” the pig shaped cutting board I made in junior high by leaving it on the electric stove burner), a quality cutting board will hold up to a range of temperatures.
It should be noted that over time, long term exposure to extremes of temperature and humidity will weaken the glue that holds boards together. For instance, do NOT soak your board for an hour in dishwater and then dry it by the stove. That would be bad – very bad. Letting a pan cool on it or cutting half frozen meat – not a problem.
Cutting Board Use #3 – Photo Backdrop
For those of us who dedicate a portion of our time to pretty photos, a quality cutting board can make a great backdrop. Those who have poked around the site have likely seen the Teakhaus cutting boards in a number of my posts. The warm tones and patterns of the wood grain complement most foods without making the photo look too busy.
Cutting Board Use #4 – Art Easel
When I was a little girl, every year I would pine over the big art kit in the Sears catalog. I loved arts and crafts. I never did get that kit (it was pretty spendy and the Christmas budget was small), but over time I created my own kit of supplies and improvised materials. One item I found that worked great for an improvised easel was my mom's biggest cutting board. A couple of oversized clips to hold my paper in place, a kitchen chair to set it on, and I was in business. My boys never had the fun of improvising like I did, since grandma Jane found them a used easel at a garage sale, but I have many fond memories of my homemade “art studio”.
Cutting Board Use #5 – Cake Plate
Back when we had the family catering business (Irene's Custom Cakes and Catering), we had an assortment of boards specifically cut to size that we used and reused for wedding cakes and such. I don't do many fancy decorated cakes since the business has long closed down, but once in a while I do like to dress things up. Round cakes I can fit on a large plate, but I don't have a platter big enough for a 9″x13″ cake. I do have several large cutting boards. 🙂 Cutting boards also make great bases to build gingerbread houses.
To use a cutting board for a cake platter, I prefer to cover it first with a piece of butcher paper – shiny side out. This will provide a blank backdrop for your cake, protect your board, and make it easier to wipe up any wild frosting spills.
What's the Difference Between a Butcher Block and a Cutting Board?
Traditionally, butcher blocks have been used as the name would imply – for butchering. They tend to be large, thick and made using an end grain. Larger boards are heavy enough to stay put pretty well on their own. Smaller boards may have rubber feet to help keep them in place.
What's the difference between “end grain” and “edge grain”?
CuttingBoard.com states in the article “Butcher Blocks vs Cutting Boards, What's the Difference?“:
End grain means that the end of the wood fibers are exposed, whereas edge grain means that the grain is running along the outside. The major difference is that end grain is resistant to cuts and scarring and is even self-healing over time, as the density of the fibers will push back into place.
So those beautiful squares of wood aren't just attractive – they make a butcher block cutting board tougher and more long lasting.
Why Use a Teak Cutting Board?
The article “Teak Cutting Boards – Worth the Hype?” lists the main attributes of teak as:
- Nearly Maintenance Free
- Resistant to Scarring
- Extremely Durable
- Sustainably Harvested, if you buy from the right source
Teakhaus Cutting Boards were also rated as the best cutting boards by Cooks Illustrated (best overall board) and Wirecutter (best wooden board).
These cutting boards are beautiful! I’d use it for cutting, of course, but I can also see us using it as a trivet for our cast iron pans. I like the rectangle butcher block with juice canal and hand grips- it looks super useful!
I use cutting boards for so many things in my kitchen. One of course for carving, one for chopping veggies etc….. right next to the stove, and one just sits on the counter as an always clean place for sandwich /lunch /snack prep….. And as the perfect serving tray for almost anything. I love all of the teakhaus boards..so beautiful! It would be hard to choose a favorite.
These cutting boards are beautiful! We’d use it for cutting, of course, but I can also see us using it as a trivet for our cast iron pans. I like the rectangle butcher block with juice canal and hand grips- it looks super useful.
I’ve been watching Teakhaus for years- I love their stuff!
I’m sure I would use this cutting board; but it does almost seem to pretty to mar! It would also look pretty leaned up against a backsplash or somewhere else in the kitchen, when not in use – it’s that beautiful!
What a beautiful and useful product. Of course I would use it to cut vegetables and such but it would also be used when we cut up the deer brought in by one of the hunters in my family.
I would use it for cutting and processing all of our garden produce.
I would use it mainly for cutting. I love the beauty and durability of wood cutting boards.
I love the way these cutting boards look! So classic. I would use it with my knife collection that my hubby has gotten me over the years. I love a good knife and cutting board!
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these are beautiful cutting boards needless to say, and very functional!
but i want to say like you i lost both parents, and mom was the one that made thanksgiving and get togethers work. after dad died it wasn’t the same, he held family together. after mom left it fell apart
and was never the same. i feel for your loss, and your heart felt memories that will always be there.
i know you loved her alot and she was very important to you… one day you will see her again, but till then
you will do as i, and many others, you will carry on the way she did.
abba bless you and comfort you….. thank you for sharing your mom and all you do….
Thank you for your kind words, Rosy.
Besides the obvious use for cutting board i could use to put my hot canning jars on
I like the one you have chosen for the giveaway the best. I would use it for chopping, of course, but the rest of your suggestions sound pretty good. My grandchild might even use it for an easel.
Beautiful cutting boards. I wasn’t familiar with them.
Teak is a great choice for a cutting board; durable and a treat for the eyes!
This is very pretty! I would use it as a serving board when I host our annual Mom’s Christmas party for our homeschool group. We have lots of ladies here and I enjoy making big platters. This would make a particularly lovely cheese board!
What a wonderful giveaway and timely as I am in need of a good size quality cutting board…thank you for the giveaway opportunity and many blessings for this holy seasons…
I would definitely use it for cutting. A good sturdy wooden cutting board is always an asset in any kitchen.
Years ago I learned the “Art of end-grain.” My friend had a wood shop in the hills of Vermont. All the scrap hardwood was run through a planer to size it one way. Then the pieces were turned to size it totally square. The resulting blocks were glued and clamped over night. Then the strips of blocks were glued. The final step was to flat sand the finished boards. When you see what may seem like a high price for an end grain cutting board … it’s worth it!
Thank You for the opportunity to win this beautiful cutting board. I can see these as Christmas gift that will truly be enjoyed by the recipients ! Happy and Healthy Holidays to You and Your Family.
I would use it for a cutting board. It is gorgeous.
I would love to use one to cut everything! Would probably serve a great many things on it too, they are too beautiful to hide in the kitchen! I do like the looks of the Proteak Butcher Block cutting board with the with juice canal! I love them all! Thanks for the chance!
I would definitely be cutting on it but also like the trivet idea. I like the bowl cutout board very much. Thanks for the giveaway!
I’d use it for cutting on one side and hang it, other side showing, the rest of the time within quick reach. I can hang bundles of drying herbs in front of it for particularly pretty effect, and it can double as a serving plate.
Normally I would use a cutting board as, well, a cutting board, but these are so beautiful I just may have to display it for a while.
I suppose my favorite is the Rectangle End Grain Cutting Board with Hand Grip/Juice Canal 20 x 14 x 2.5 but I just love the one you are giving away here. I would display it behind my juicer and use it to prepare my fruits and vegetables for juicing.
These boards are gorgeous. My friend has one and I am jealous every time I see it. She uses it for everything and I’m sure I would also. Hers is just a straight flat board, but I like the channels, a lot less mess.
They’re so pretty I’d be tempted to just display it, but I’d use it as a serving platter over the holidays, and for chopping vegetables daily. The best one is the largest one. I like to spread out.
Did I mention how pretty they are?
I would use that beautiful cutting board at work. I cook for an elderly woman who owns a huge home and great kitchen. Even though it has a great kitchen, she has no cutting board, I use an old melamine plate for cutting. Ick!
would use the board for not only for cutting but for kneading bread dough too.
Nothing beats a wood cutting board! My brother made one in shop many years ago using different cuts of wood. i still have it. lol
I’m not familiar with this cutting board so I would be learning the many different ways to use
such an interesting board?
The boards are beautiful. They could be used as a piece of art, but I will use for cutting.
I think I would really like the 16 x 12 with juice canal/reversible flat with hand grips. It looks like a manageable size for me and I like the two different sides. I’ve always wanted one with the juice canal – especially for cutting up watermelon and pineapple which always makes a juicy mess. That would solve it for me! And of course it would be great for everyday use. I can see myself leaving it out when guests come over too, because the boards are really lovely.
I told my husband that I want this cutting board for Christmas. Let’s see if he listens. Ha ha they are beautiful and I have a better chance of winning one than my husband hearing me.
P.s. I would use it for cheese balls and crackers or my cholocate chip ball with graham crackers
I love these boards especially the Rectangular Carving Board with the multicoulored squares. I would use it for all my cutting needs and then display it proudly in my kitchen. I love that it is made from susstainable and organic wood. Thanks for the chance to win!
Love this!!! Thanks for opportunity.
I would use it for chopping. I love the Rectangle End Grain Butcher Block.
Thanks for doing the giveaway.
These are beautiful cutting boards. I like them all. I could use the large butcher block the most for slicing briskets,ribs, and other roast meats. It would my go to cutting board.
I would use it for cutting and also as a trivet for cast iron.
A cutting board is on my daughter’s Christmas list, so I’d be gifting it to her – even though I want to keep it!
I’ve never seen a functional kitchen item that is so aesthetically pleasing! I would leave it out on the counter to display it, all the while using it to chop up my garden veggies and homemade breads. My favorite is the Rectangle Butcher Block with Juice Canal and Hand Grips 24 x 18 x 1.5 in
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Love the round one!
Oooh, I’d LOVE one of these. Fabulous!
What a lovely piece of art!!! I’d use my board for a fruit/cheese platter. Hot plate on my table, rolling out dough for my chicken pot pie’s, and cutting up an assortment of veggies and such. Oh I really adore the Circle End Grain Butcher Block!!
These cutting boards are beautiful! I would use one for cutting vegetables and fruits. Also for butchering deer and our home grown chickens!
I would use the cutting board to hold quarter of venison as i slice it up. I have a glass cutting board and it was moving all over the place. I know that a wooden cutting board would stay in place. Then during the summer, i would use it to prepare all the vegetable i grew.
I love cutting boards! I have a small collection, but none as gorgeous as this. I like the one you’ve chosen to give away best. I would keep it on my counter all the time. I would use it for kneading dough and of course cutting and as a trivet. It’s really beautiful!
That is one lovely cutting board! I would use it for meal prep, cutting veggies mostly. I love the photo backdrop idea for my jewelry! I would use it for that as well!
I like a good rectangular board. One side for cutting and the other for rolling out dough, biscuits and other yummies. The end grain boards are beautiful!
I would love to use this cutting board for many uses, but my husband especially fell in love with teak 20 years ago and had to sell his special dining table. It would be a great reminder for him of the many uses and the beauty of teak. I would probably like to use the board for a floor based dining table for the children and tea parties. Thank you for making these beautiful items.
What a beautiful cutting board. I’m happy to enter this contest.
Beautiful boards I don’t think I could pick a favorite but would definately use it to carve at the tanle
It would be very pleasing to the eye in my kitchen as well as extremely useful. I’ve read about Teakhaus products and their durability. They are second to none!
These are, as so many have previously stated, lovely. I would probably proudly use it to chop my garden veggies for preserving.
I would use the cutting board for everything plus it is so beautiful, I would have to have it out for display.
I’d use the board you’re giving away for carving meat. Another board I really like is the Rectangle Carving Board with Hand Grip 24 x 18 x 1.5. The grain is just so beautiful, and it’d be perfect for processing produce.
The 18×20″ w/handles looks good to me for using in herbal preparations, drying herbs on,etc. They are lovely as a photo background. Thx for sharing about them.
The 18×20″ would be useful for herbal preparations. They are lovely tools.
This looks beautiful. My husband has been wanting a decent cutting board/butchers block for a long while now. If I won it that’s exactly how I’d use it… I’d give it to him to use lol. Since I’m a stay at home mom of 4, it would make a great Christmas present so I don’t have ask my husband to essentially buy his own present.
I think I’ve used my big old cutting board for all those same uses you list here, but THIS board you’re giving away would certainly look much better doing any of them than my cracked warped old board I currently have!
These end-cut boards are great and I was also interested to see that Teakhaus has other lines as well, including some thinner, less-expensive cutting boards that look great too and make a little more “budget-friendly” choice!
Yes, the Butcher Block Collection contains their premium boards – thickest, best wearing – but I’ve tested boards from their Marine collection and their Traditional collection, and they are all excellent quality.
Hand grips are so helpful for moving large blocks and these end grain examples are so beautiful!
these boards are so beautiful! i have always used wood cutting boards and they get used several times a day every day as i cook from scratch. these boards would definitely not be relegated to just the cutting function, but would also have to be used in a manner to display their beauty, whether it be as trivet or serving tray or just left in the open where it can be seen when not being used. i have to admit, i might have a little trouble making that first cut! i looked at the website and to be honest i can’t pick a favorite, other than i do like the juice canals, they really do help. i too have lost a parent, and thanksgiving has not been the same here either. but life goes on, so happy thanksgiving and merry christmas and happy holidays to all. and thank you Laurie for your website and newsletters.
You’re welcome, Doris. thank you for your kind words. Wishing a wonderful holiday season to you and yours, too.
This is a really beautiful cutting board & if I won one it would be well used; in addition to cutting board, display piece, trivet, & serving board are all duties it would see!
You could also make one into a gorgeous clock or a sleek backboard for a family photo.
Rectangle Carving Board with Juice Canal and Hand Grips 16 x 12 x 2
$99.99
This is my favorite. It’s large enough to contain my foods and small enough to move around the kitchen. The handles and juice canal are just icing on the cake.
This is not just a cutting board, this is a work of art. the wood has such beautiful nourishing qi, which would bless the food and our home all the more. I love the butcher block 24″ with the juice canal. i have been wanting to upgrade from our worn out cutting boards and have dreamed of owning something so stunning and versatile. Thank you teakhaus for taking good care of the trees that have given of themselves with such love.
Oooh, I would totally use it for aging cheese!! Looks like it would work wonderfully for this!
You might want to double check and see if the oils would interact with your cheese, as the boards are naturally resistant to rot.
I would love to have such a high quality cutting board on my counter ready for all the cutting and chopping I have to do every day to feed my family.
These boards are absolutely beautiful! These would make excellent gifts with some fresh baked bread and jam or cheese and fruit!
These are beautiful cutting boards! I would use it for cutting, of course, and also for instagram food photos. The board you’re giving away is actually my favourite!
I’ve never had a teak cutting board before. What a beauty! I’m sure I would use it mostly for cutting up fresh garden produce for huge salads, and might even use it on the table as a trivet.
These boards all are gorgeous! If I had to pick one, I’d pick the Rectangle Butcher Block with Juice Canal and Hand Grips 24 x 18 x 1.5 in. It sounds like it would be perfect for carving my turkey on Thursday. I only wish I’d ordered one in time for the big day!
Thanks for hosting the giveaway and Happy Thanksgiving!
These are so beautiful, I’d leave mine out as a display piece all year long, using it when needed.
I would use it as a cutting board–I need a good one. My favorite one is the rectangle one with juice canal and hand grips 16 x 12 x2.
I currently use my wooden cutting board for a trivet when my other trivets are taken and as a great serving platter whenever we have bread as a side to our meal. I’d love to have the option to use my current one as a trivet and this beauty for a serving dish.
Beside using it as a cutting board, it would make a wonderful serving platter. The boards are all beautiful. I especially like the juice canal and handles
I am so happy and grateful that you included Canada in your giveaway so first if all thank you whether I win or not I can dream! I would use it underneath my mandolin to catch my purple carrot slices that I make into ribbon pickles for my family at Christmastime and all the rest of your great ideas!
I like the cheeseboard. I have been trying my hand at making cheese and this would be perfect for cutting and serving.
I would let my daughter , a food blogger, use the board for a beautiful base for her pictures.
What a beautiful design! I need 1 good cutting board for meats and this looks like a perfect cutting board for it!
So many great ideas and I would love to try all of them!
I would use it as a dedicated board for kneading dough and rolling out pie crust. They are just beautiful!!!!!
Wow that is really beautiful! I would love to have one to use it as a serving platter!
What a beautiful cutting board; I would love to use it to display a cheese flight!
They are all so beautiful! My choice of cutting boards would be the 20 X 15 X 1.5 rectangular board with hand holds, I have a fairly small kitchen. My goal is to heal after cancer with a raw vegan diet, lots of jiucing, so I do need the proper equipment. Thank you so much for this opportunty.
These are Beautiful Cutting Boards and almost too beautiful to use! That said I would use mine to cut vegetables on. Thanks for doing this!
I love the look of these cutting boards. I have several small ones, used for trivets, mostly, but to have a good one for actual cutting would be nice. LONG ago, I bought a similar one as a wedding gift. I would have loved to have given it to myself, though!!!
I would use this for cutting and for use under hot cast iron and casseroles. I do love the idea of using it as backdrop for taking photos! My home is so cluttered, I need something to tame down the other items so the photo is more calm.
Beautiful cutting board. I would use it as a cutting board.
Beautiful board. I would use it for cutting vegetables, fruit, and or meat
I love these cutting boards. I have never owned one but a favourite would be the one offered in the drawing. If I win I will give the board to my Mom. She would appreciate the beauty of the piece and place it on her kitchen as part of the decorum but also for chopping, cutting, sitting hot pots/pans on it.
I would love the rectangular cutting board with the drip edge for everything I do in the kitchen… my husband too! They would be used to cool canning jars (rather than the cooling rack for cakes and cookies..ehem not a very sturdy option), cut whole chickens to get the most of the whole of the chicken, other meats, produce and cheeses… properly sanitized with every use of course. I can already see this in my kitchen and it is a work of art just sitting on the counter!
These look fantastic! The rectangular one would be great to have. I would use it as a tribute for our cast iron; with our large family there are always multiple pans on the table at dinner!
The cutting boards are so beautiful. They would be a perfect way to serve your fresh homemade bread!
i will clean up my venison
This summer I discovered these beautiful Teakhaus “works of art” in a gift shop on cape cod. As a photographer , organic gardener, and culinary artist , these boards would serve as a wonderful showcase for culinary demonstrations, with friends and at farmers markets. I would photograph my heirloom tomatoes, garlics and herbs on these beautiful boards! I love them all. The rectangular board you have chosen is my favorite.
I will use the cutting board to cut up all my fresh vegies 🙂
This is so lovely that it is like a piece of artwork— almost a shame to use it for a utilitarian purpose!
I would probably use it as a trivet, but since it’s so pretty I’d want to display it in some way.
I would have it on my kitchen counter at all times!! I’d use it daily for cutting but also for a prop for food photography. Those cutting boards are gorgeous! When did I become so domestic? Haha
I would love to own a cutting board this beautiful, use cutting boards for everything from kneading bread to canning produce
Though I would love to have a teak cutting board I would probably just display it because it’s so beautiful. I would like the one shown in your photos!
That is a very pretty cutting board lol i found your page by looking at your pumpkin pie leather.
My first use for the cutting board would be for making juice!
I would use it for my everyday chopping; onions, garlic, veggies and fruits. My favorite board is the Rectangle Butcher Block with Hand Grip 20 x 15 x 1.5 in. Thanks!
What beautiful boards! Would work great with our cast irons pan!
I’ll be using my board on the table for a useful cheese tray.
i would use this beautiful cutting board as a trivet on my dining room table.
I’m also using my cutting boards. It seems like I cook a lot and there’s always chopping that is going on, especially when my daughters come to visit. Everyone grabs a cutting board and we’re off!
I would use mine to cut up pieces of deer meat to get them ready to put on the grill and the extra meat would be sealed and put in the freezer until summer cookouts. I would love a great product like yours to cut everything from veggies to cutting meat to the size that would not waste anything.
These are gorgeous cutting boards and teak is so durable!! This would replace both my Rubbermaid cutting boards (that aren’t really “boards” at all). They’re so beautiful, I’d leave if out on the counter all the time. I make a lot of salads and that means a lot of chopping. It would be a pleasure to do all my cutting and chopping on one of these boards (I’ve always wanted one).
The cutting board is beautiful enough to have displayed if I had enough room in my kitchen which I don’t *sigh*, so it would just mostly be used to chop vegetables or, occasionally, as a trivet for a hot pan. Would love the opportunity to have one!
I love the cutting boards with the groove that prevents the juice from running all over the counter. I would definitely use it to chop and cut things in the kitchen. These are beautiful. They are like a work of art.
These are so beautiful! I would use (of course) for food prep, but I love the use of it as a platter! Using it as a trivet would be helpful here too, my extra counter space the hubs built for me out of scraps isn’t very heat tolerant!
At first I would bean anybody with a cast iron skillet who even looked like they were going to cut something on it! But I would get over that (haha) and use it for daily cutting of veggies. I might use the other side for kneading bread. Thanks for the great opportunity.
I think it would be beautiful for serving a selection of cheeses.
I would love the rectangle butcher block with hand grip. We got new cabinets and I miss my old breadboards that pulled out for cutting. This would look so nice with the new dark cabinets and granite counter tops.
Wow, beautiful! I would use a this large wooden butcher block for a workstation in my kitchen. I do not have a wooden one or so large. And, I like this the best of all. The juice channel is a good Idea, we are meat eaters, but the size is so awesome.
I would love to win this cutting board. My old one is finally biting the dust after 15 years of hard use.
Wow. I could spend too much time browsing through all the beautiful things on their site. Thank you for bringing this company to my attention. Practically speaking at present I would choose the 1.5″ rectangular board with juice canals and handles in the 24×18 – I am not very creative with other uses, but I am sure my children would use it to do puzzles on when it is off duty otherwise.