How to Choose an Olive Wood Cutting Board: Size, Shape and Thickness

Thanksgiving is a week away, and for a lot of Canadian kitchens that means one thing: suddenly there is a lot more chopping, carving and serving to do than usual. Turkey, stuffing, three kinds of vegetables and a pie all need a place to be prepped. It is also the moment many people realise the board they have been using is too small, too thin, or simply the wrong shape for the job.

If you are thinking about adding an olive wood cutting board to your kitchen, or buying one as a gift, the choice comes down to three questions: what size, what shape, and how thick. Get those right and the board will feel like it was made for the way you cook.

Every board we sell is carved from a single piece of olive wood by artisans in Crete and finished only with organic olive oil and beeswax. That means no two are identical, but the same simple rules apply to all of them.

What Size Cutting Board Should I Buy?

Size is the decision that matters most, because a board that is too small turns every task into a juggling act. As a simple guide:

• 20 to 25 cm: perfect for quick jobs like slicing a lemon, mincing garlic, or serving cheese for two.

• 30 to 35 cm: the everyday sweet spot. Big enough to dice an onion and a pepper without food spilling over the edge, small enough to wash easily in the sink.

• 40 to 50 cm: for carving a roast or a Thanksgiving turkey, prepping a full meal at once, or building a grazing board for a crowd.

Before you choose, measure two things: the counter space where the board will live, and your sink. A board you can rinse and dry comfortably is a board you will actually use every day. Our Rectangular Cutting Board comes in lengths from 20 cm all the way up to 50 cm, which makes it the easiest place to start if you already know the size you need.

Round or Rectangular Cutting Board?

Rectangular boards are the practical workhorse. Their straight edges give you a long, usable cutting surface and make it easy to sweep chopped food into a pan. If you are buying one board to do most of your prep, rectangular is the safest choice.

Round boards shine on the table. A round board naturally becomes the centrepiece for bread, cheese, or a pie, and it is lovely for chopping herbs with a rocking motion. Our Kyklos round olive wood board is a favourite for exactly this reason: it moves from prep to serving without looking out of place.

If you want something in between, an Oval Cutting Board gives you a softer shape that still works well for slicing, and a natural edge board brings out the wild character of the grain. Many home cooks end up with two: one rectangular board for prep and one round or natural edge board for serving.

Handled vs Handleless Boards

A handle is all about movement. If you often carry food from the counter to the table, or love serving bread and charcuterie straight from the board, a handle makes life easier and looks beautiful hanging on a wall hook between uses. Our Cutting Board with Handle is carved with the handle and board as one continuous piece of wood, so there is no joint to loosen over time.

A handleless board gives you every centimetre of surface for cutting and sits more compactly on the counter or in a cupboard. If the board will mostly stay put for chopping, handleless is the better use of space.

A simple rule: buy for how you serve. Prep boards work best without a handle; serving boards are better with one.

How Thick Should a Cutting Board Be?

Thickness affects stability, weight, and how long the board lasts. For daily chopping, you want a board that feels solid, does not flex, and does not slide around when you press down with a knife. Thicker boards also have more wood to absorb years of use, which is part of why a good wooden board can last for decades.

Thinner boards are lighter and easier to carry, which makes them ideal for serving cheese, fruit, or appetizers. They are not weaker, just better suited to lighter work.

Whatever thickness you choose, the way you care for it matters more than the measurement. A quick wipe, a thorough dry, and regular oiling keep olive wood stable. Our complete olive wood care guide covers everything you need to know.

Matching the Board to the Way You Cook

Here is a quick way to narrow it down:

• You cook every night: a 30 to 35 cm rectangular board.

• You host Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner: a large rectangular board for carving, plus a round or handled board for serving bread, cheese and appetizers while the bird rests.

• You love cheese and charcuterie: a natural edge or handled board. Browse our olive wood serving trays and dishes to round out the table.

• You are buying a gift: a mid-size board with a personal message. Our custom engraving turns a useful board into a keepsake.

If price is part of your decision, we break it down honestly in our post on how much olive wood cutting boards cost, so we will not repeat it here. And if you are still deciding whether olive wood is the right material at all, our comparison of the best wood for kitchen cutting boards is a good next read.

Use Thanksgiving as Your Test Run

The right olive wood board is the one that fits your counter, your sink, and the way you actually cook. Start with size, choose the shape that suits how you serve, and pick a thickness that feels solid in your hands.

This Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect test. Pay attention to what happens in your kitchen: did the turkey hang over the edge of the board? Did you run out of space for the vegetables? Did the cheese end up on a dinner plate because there was nothing nicer to serve it on? Those moments tell you exactly which size and shape you are missing.

Orders are processed in 3 business days and arrive in 5 to 8 business days anywhere in Canada, so a board chosen now will be settled into your kitchen well before Christmas hosting begins. Explore our full range of handcrafted olive wood cutting boards, or see everything in one place on our all products page. Every board is finished with olive oil and beeswax and ships from Oshawa across Canada.