Milly's Guide: A Good Board

How to choose them, use them and keep them beautiful for years
A good chopping board will always earn its place in your kitchen: it protects your knives, gives you a stable surface to work on and, especially if you choose well, will become one of those pieces you reach for every single day without even thinking about it.

At Milly’s, we’re firmly in the ‘buy once and buy well’ camp when it comes to boards. A beautiful wooden board or a well-made wood fibre board should last for years if you treat it kindly. And looking after them properly is actually pretty simple.

First things first - what don’t we recommend?
Glass and marble boards may look gorgeous sitting on your bench, but your knives will absolutely hate them. They blunt edges incredibly quickly and make chopping noisy and uncomfortable too.
Plastic and resin boards definitely still have a place - especially for raw chicken, seafood or anything where cross-contamination is a concern. The key is replacing them once deep scratches start appearing as, over time, those grooves can harbour bacteria. For everyday cooking though? We’re big fans of timber and wood fibre boards.

Wooden chopping boards - the hardworking classics

A large wooden board is one of the nicest things to prep on. They’re stable, gentle on knife edges and often get better looking with age.
Some are designed purely for prep, while others will double as serving boards for cheese, antipasti or a very good steak night.
The biggest thing to understand with timber boards is this. Wood is a natural material so it needs a little moisture protection to stop it drying out, cracking or absorbing too much water. Think of oiling your board a bit like caring for leather shoes. Ignore them forever and eventually things go south!

How to care for a wooden board - a simple step-by-step guide
1. Wash it properly
Wash your board with hot water, a soft cloth or brush and a little dishwashing liquid. Then dry it straight away. Don’t leave it sitting wet on the bench to air dry - timber hates prolonged moisture.
2. Never soak it
No sinks full of water. No leaving it out in the rain to ‘sterilise’. No dishwasher. Water is the fastest way to warp, split or weaken a wooden board.
3. Store it upright if possible
Boards dry more evenly when air can circulate around them. Leaning them upright beside your bench or splashback is ideal.
 
4. Oil it, regularly
This is the crucial step that keeps timber boards healthy.
Use:
food-safe mineral oil
board butter
specialised products like Boos Mystery Oil or Board Cream

Avoid:
olive oil
vegetable oil
nut oils
These can go rancid over time and leave your board smelling a bit … regrettable.
 

How to oil your board

• Make sure the board is completely clean and dry
• Apply a generous amount of mineral oil or board butter using a soft cloth
• Rub it over the entire surface, including edges and handles
• Leave it to absorb overnight if possible
• Buff off any excess the next day
• Done.
  

A new board may need a few extra treatments early on while the timber settles in. After that, once a month is usually plenty for regular home use. If your board starts looking pale, dry or chalky, that’s your cue.
 
What about stains and smells? Boards used for garlic, onion or beetroot occasionally need a little refresh.

Try:
coarse salt and lemon
a paste of baking soda and water
gentle scrubbing with a damp cloth
And don’t panic about knife marks. Small surface scratches are normal and part of a well-loved board’s character.
Deep gouges, however, are worth sanding back lightly, and then reoiling.
 

Wood fibre boards - the low-maintenance overachievers

Boards like our Epicurean range have become hugely popular over the past few years - and for good reason. 

They’re:
lightweight
dishwasher safe
excellent for knife care
easy to store
brilliantly practical for everyday cooking
They’re made from compressed wood fibres and resin, which gives them a much tougher, more stable structure than solid timber.
They don’t need the same intensive oiling routine as a wooden board, but they do appreciate being dried properly and treated reasonably kindly (and, actually, a light oiling if you have time will always have them looking their best).
If they become slightly rough or “fluffy” over time, a quick sand with very fine 220-grit sandpaper smooths them beautifully.
 
Our final rule of thumb? If your chopping board:
feels dry
looks thirsty
has lost its richness
or starts absorbing water quickly … it’s asking for oil 😊
 
A little regular care makes an enormous difference - and a good board looked after properly can easily become one of those kitchen pieces you’re still using twenty years from now.