With hundreds of options, it’s easy to get overwhelmed buying a new cutting board and figuring out which options are American made. Below is our research on cutting boards made in the USA.
Complete List of Cutting Board Brands Made in the USA
Virginia Boys Kitchens specializes in walnut cutting boards. They offer these boards in a range of different sizes, and styles and also sell serving boards. Walnut boards provide a good amount of resistance and ensure you get a clean cut without dulling the blade.
With a commitment to quality and the environment, Virginia Boys Kitchens handcrafts their boards in the USA using certified sustainably grown walnut wood. Their boards are designed for all purposes, including chopping vegetables, meats, herbs, or fruits. They also work well as serving boards.
John Boos offers three types of cutting boards – classic rustic-edge cutting boards, reversible ones, and round cutting boards. Each of these is available in maple, cherry, or walnut, all sourced in America.
Their boards are finished with beeswax, and no two are the same, using the natural wood grain to create unique patterns, colors, and variations. John Boos is committed to sustainability, utilizes 25% less material waste to be more energy efficient, and has a 25% less carbon footprint.
Epicurean sells a range of wooden cutting boards, depending on your needs. Their boards typically come as a ‘series,’ meaning you can get one cutting board style in various sizes or color options. They also have different features, with some having handles, others having holes in the corner for easy transport, some having an inset to hold onto, and others being just complete blocks.
Epicurean’s cutting boards are made from an eco-friendly nonporous paper composite, creating a natural, textured look for the boards. They typically have silicon on one side, too, to help them stay in place. However, Epicurean does state transparently on its site that they source its silicon from China.
Whether you’re a home cook, gourmet chef, or even a hunter who needs to cut up big game, Epicurean has a clearly-labeled cutting board range for you. Their boards are heat resistant up to 350°F and dishwasher safe, but not safe to use in the microwave or as a cooking utensil.
Architec sells a wide range of cutting boards, ranging from wood to plastic to concave to circular. They’re best known for their ‘Original Gripper’ cutting board range which features a thermally bonded polypropylene cutting service that’s dishwasher safe. Their wooden cutting boards include non-slip rubber feet, which use a patented heat pressure process to be injected into the wood.
If you’re looking for something that satisfies both chopping meat and vegetables, the Architech FlipChop is designed with polymer on one side for meats and proteins while the other has bamboo for cutting vegetables, helping to prevent cross-contamination. Though they’re not dishwasher-safe, they are BPA-free.
Dexas makes a few plastic cutting boards out of Texas. They are a huge plastics manufacturer, and not everything they make is produced in the USA, but some of the popular cutting boards are. We linked the specific sections on their website and Amazon store, where you can find them at an affordable price.
J.K. Adams has a great selection of wooden cutting boards made in the USA that are sourced from North American hardwoods and finished in their Dorset, Vermont, factory. Not everything they sell in their online store is made domestically, but a lot of kitchen staples are. The country of origin is usually labeled clearly in the product description of each page.
Brand name: Coastal Carolina Cutting Boards
Headquarters: Holly Ridge, NC
States manufacturing in: NC
Handcrafted by veterans in the USA, Coastal Carolina cutting boards sell traditional single-block cutting boards. As they’re handmade and own CNC machinery and laser engraving machines, they can engrave boards with messages and logos and make the board into a specific shape or add a juice tray.
This cutting board is made of wood blends to create an aesthetically appealing striped design, unique due to each board’s manufacturing. And you can choose from light, medium, dark, or mixed shades, as well as different sizes.
Words with Boards makes customized cutting boards from American-sourced hardwoods. These boards are perfect for a holiday or birthday gift. They also make lazy susans and lots of other kitchenware and bar accessories.
Whetstone Woodenware makes beautiful cutting boards from hard maple sourced only 10 miles away from their woodworking shop. Everything is handcrafted, and they also make a lot of other woodenware for the kitchen.
New Hampshire Bowl and Board uses locally grown North American hardwoods and traditional woodworking techniques to make cutting boards and carving boards that will stand out in your kitchen. They also have cool charcuterie boards and bowls to check out.
Lancaster Cast Iron specializes in cast iron skillets, but they also make wonderful wooden kitchen utensils, cutting boards, and cheese boards. Their cutting boards are sourced from 100% Pennsylvania cherry trees.
Mike’s YouTube Video on American Made Cutting Boards
How to Find Cutting Boards Made in the USA
Did you pick up a cooking hobby during the Covid pandemic? You are not alone. More and more Americans have been learning to cook in the past few years, so the demand for high-quality kitchenware has risen drastically. Cutting boards are one of the most important tools you will use in your kitchen.
Finding American made cutting boards can be challenging, as many manufacturers source their materials and products from overseas. However, there are a few things you can look for to ensure that you are purchasing a cutting board that is genuinely made in the USA.
Here are a few tips for finding cutting boards made in the USA, but first, let’s look at what “made in the USA” really means.
What Does “Made in the USA” Mean?
The label “made in the USA” is regulated by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has laid out specific guidelines that must be met for a product to be able to display the “made in the USA” label.
According to the FTC, a product can only be labeled “made in the USA” if it is “all or virtually all” made in the United States. This means that all significant parts and processing of the product must take place in the United States, and the product must be assembled or processed in the United States as well.
Check out our detailed labeling guide for more information on the FTC’s “made in the USA” standards.
Materials
The first thing to look for when finding cutting boards made in the USA is where the materials and components are sourced from. Cutting boards are typically made from wood or plastic.
Wood
Wood cutting boards are the best material for cutting boards because they are durable and will not dull your knife. They are generally made from various kinds of wood, such as maple, cherry, walnut, or oak. If a cutting board is made from hardwood, it is more likely that the wood is sourced from within the United States as opposed to softwood. The US has one of the world’s highest production rates of hardwood lumber, only second to China. On the other hand, softwoods, like pine or fir, are almost entirely produced in China.
So, if you’re looking for a US-made wooden cutting board, check what type of wood it is made from. If it is made from hardwood, there is a better chance that it is sourced from the USA.
Plastic
Plastic is usually sourced from China, as they have a lower production cost. If you are looking at purchasing a plastic cutting board, it is not likely to be made in the USA.
However, the USA still has a significant plastic manufacturing industry (though not as significant as China’s). So it is still worth checking the label to see where the materials are sourced from, as some manufacturers source their plastic materials from the USA.
Labeling
The label is one of the most important things when finding a cutting board made in the USA. Title 19 Chapter 4 Section 1304 of the US Code states that all products made abroad must be labeled accordingly. This is a huge help when weeding out foreign-made products. This, in addition to the FTC-protected “made in the USA” label, makes it much easier for consumers to track down American products.
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) requires that any product that is advertised as “made in the USA” be “all or virtually all” made in the USA. So, when you are looking for a cutting board made in the USA, check to make sure it meets the FTC’s guidelines. Double-checking is particularly important because there is no pre-approval process to use the “made in the USA” label.
When looking for a cutting board, ensure the label clearly states that the product is “made in the USA.” Some companies will try to trick consumers by using phrases like “assembled in the USA” or “made with American parts.” These phrases do not mean that the product is made in the USA and should not be relied upon when trying to find a genuinely American-made product.
Some companies also use American flag icons or other patriotic imagery on their labels in an attempt to make consumers believe that their product is made in the USA. However, these images are not regulated and should not be used as the sole basis for determining whether a product is actually made in the USA. When in doubt, always check the language on the label to be sure.
Other Tips
In addition to checking the label, you can do a few other things to ensure you are buying a cutting board that is genuinely made in the USA.
Check the Company’s Website
Another good way to ensure you buy a cutting board made in the USA is to check the company’s website. Most companies that make products in the USA will proudly advertise this fact on their website. If you cannot find any mention of where the cutting board is made on the website, likely, the product is not actually made in the USA.
Keep in mind that companies are not required to state the country of origin on their online or promotional materials, so the silence speaks volumes in this case.
Check Company’s Social Media
Social media is another great way to research a company and determine if its products are made in the USA, as “made in the USA” is a huge selling point. If you cannot find any mention of where the product is made on a company’s social media, likely, their products are not actually made in the USA.
Contact the Company Directly
If you are still trying to decide whether a cutting board is actually made in the USA, your best bet is to contact the company directly and ask. Most companies are happy to answer questions about their products and will be able to tell you definitively whether or not their cutting boards are made in the USA.
Cutting Boards Not Made in the USA
When doing our research, we came across several popular cutting board brands that are not making their cutting boards in the USA. See the full list below – we’ll continue to update this as we do more research.
- OXO Good Grips – Made in China.
- Material – Made in the U.S., Europe, South Korea, and China.
- Teakhaus – Made in Vietnam.
- Shun Hinoki – Made in Japan.
- Food52 – Mostly made in the USA, but some are made in Vietnam, Italy, Thailand, and China (it specifies on each product page).
- Williams Sonoma – Mostly made in the USA, but also in Taiwan, Vietnam, and China (it specifies on each product page).
