Updated October 18, 2026. Maker prices and specs checked on each brand's own website on that date.
The short answer: for most home kitchens, the best butcher block is a board-style end-grain block, 1.5 to 2.5 in thick, that sits on the counter and still fits in the sink. A 3 to 4 in chopping block suits heavy cleaver work, and a freestanding block on legs is furniture as much as a tool. Our end-grain maple butcher block board is the board-style option at $139.99.
Key takeaways
- There are three formats sold as "butcher block": board-style (about 1.5 to 2.5 in), chopping blocks (3 to 4 in) and blocks on legs (10 in tops and up).
- Prices we found on makers' sites ran from $139.99 for our board to $2,221 for a 30 × 30 in John Boos block on legs (checked October 18, 2026).
- America's Test Kitchen found 15 lb the weight sweet spot and 1.5 to 2 in the comfortable height for most testers.
- End grain takes more oil than edge grain, so plan the upkeep: see the 7 rule for butcher block.
Who wrote this: James Taylor at Bevel & Bond. We make one end-grain maple board, so we are on this list and have a stake in it. We have not lab-tested the other blocks. Their specs and prices come from each maker's product page, linked in the table and checked on October 18, 2026; test findings are America's Test Kitchen's.
Not sure whether you need a butcher block or a cutting board at all? Our butcher block vs cutting board explainer covers the definitions. This page assumes you want a block and helps you pick one.
Butcher blocks compared: board, chopping block or block on legs
| Block | Format | Wood / grain | Size (in) | Thickness | Weight | Price | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bevel & Bond End-Grain Maple | Board-style | Hard maple, end grain | 17 × 13 | 1.75 in | 10+ lb | $139.99 | Our product page |
| Teakhaus Butcher Block Cutting Board (L) 331 | Board-style | Teak, end grain | 20 × 15 | 1.5 in | 11 lb | $160 | teakhaus.com |
| Teakhaus Butcher Block Carving Board Extra Thick 313 | Board-style, juice canal | Teak, end grain | 20 × 14 | 2.5 in | 15 lb | $210 | teakhaus.com |
| Virginia Boys Kitchens Medium End Grain Walnut Butcher Block | Board-style, reversible | Walnut, end grain | 14 × 18 | 1 3/8 in | Not listed | $175 (sold out when checked) | virginiaboyskitchens.com |
| John Boos Maple Chopping Block (CCB Series) | Chopping block, reversible | Hard maple, end grain | 18 × 12 to 24 × 18 | 2 1/4 in | 15 to 30 lb | $235.95 to $453.95 | johnboos.com |
| John Boos Maple Square Chopping Block (CCB Series) | Chopping block, reversible | Hard maple, end grain | 12 × 12 to 18 × 18 | 3 in | 13 to 26 lb | $211.95 to $276.95 | johnboos.com |
| John Boos "AB" Maple Butcher Block | Block on legs | Hard maple, end grain | 18 × 18 to 30 × 30 | 10 in top | 135 to 295 lb | $1,395 to $2,221 | johnboos.com |
Best for: which butcher block fits your kitchen
Best board-style butcher block for everyday prep: Bevel & Bond
Best for: a counter-top block you use every day and can still wash in the sink. Ours is end-grain US-grown hard maple, 17 × 13 × 1.75 in and over 10 lb, made in Oregon, USA, with a juice groove, side handles and non-slip rubber feet. It ships free in the U.S. in a gift box, with a 5-year limited warranty and 30-day returns. See the maple butcher block board.
Trade-off: it is smaller than the 15 × 20 in America's Test Kitchen suggests for most cooks. If you break down whole briskets or turkeys, look at the larger boards below.
Best larger board-style block: Teakhaus end-grain teak
Best for: more surface at a similar weight. Teakhaus lists its Butcher Block Cutting Board (L) 331 at 20 × 15 × 1.5 in and 11 lb for $160, reversible with hand grips (maker page), and its Extra Thick 313 at 20 × 14 × 2.5 in and 15 lb with a juice canal for $210 (maker page, both checked October 18, 2026).
Trade-off: the 313 is 2.5 in tall, above the 1.5 to 2 in range most of America's Test Kitchen's testers found comfortable.
Best for cleaver work: a 3 to 4 in chopping block
Best for: heavy, forceful chopping where height and mass help. John Boos lists reversible end-grain maple chopping blocks at 2 1/4 in (18 × 12 from $235.95) and 3 in thick (12 × 12 from $211.95), described as made in the USA with domestic and imported materials (2 1/4 in page, 3 in page, checked October 18, 2026).
Trade-off: America's Test Kitchen notes that a forceful cleaver cut on end grain risks splitting along the grain more than on edge grain; in its test the only board that cracked under a cleaver was an end-grain model. Good construction and steady oiling matter more at this end of the market.
Best freestanding block: a butcher block on legs
Best for: a kitchen with floor space and a budget for furniture. John Boos lists its "AB" Maple Butcher Block with a 10 in end-grain top from $1,395 (18 × 18) to $2,221 (30 × 30), finished with Boos Block Cream with beeswax (maker page, checked October 18, 2026).
Trade-off: it never goes in a sink, so all cleaning and oiling happens in place.
How to choose a butcher block in 5 steps
A buyer's checklist built on America's Test Kitchen's published testing. Once it arrives, our butcher block care guide takes over.
- Choose the format. Board-style blocks live on the counter and go to the sink. Chopping blocks are taller and heavier. Blocks on legs are freestanding. Decide where it will live before you compare prices.
- Size it to your counter and sink. ATK recommends the biggest board that fits both and that you can lift; its suggested minimum for most cooks is 15 × 20 in (ATK).
- Match the height to the cook. Most of ATK's testers were comfortable at 1.5 to 2 in. Taller blocks, or blocks on feet, suited taller cooks but made shorter testers hunch (ATK).
- Check the weight against your sink routine. ATK found 15 lb the sweet spot. Testers cleaned 19 to 33 lb boards on the counter rather than lift them (ATK).
- Budget for oil, not just the block. End-grain boards in ATK's test absorbed 26.5 g of oil per session on average, against 6.6 g for edge grain (ATK). Use food-grade mineral oil, then a balm such as Board Balm Cutting Board Conditioner, and follow a schedule like the 7 rule.
Frequently asked questions
Do butcher block cutting boards need feet?
No; it is a preference. America's Test Kitchen found feet raise the surface, grip the counter and let air under the board, while reversible footless boards give you two surfaces but must stand on edge to dry. Our board has non-slip rubber feet.
How heavy should a butcher block cutting board be?
About 15 lb is the sweet spot America's Test Kitchen found: stable for chopping and still light enough to carry to the sink. The board-style blocks in our table run from just over 10 lb (ours) to 15 lb (Teakhaus 313), going by maker listings checked October 18, 2026.
Is a butcher block on legs worth it in a home kitchen?
Only if you have the floor space and want a permanent prep station. The John Boos blocks on legs we found start at $1,395 (johnboos.com, checked October 18, 2026), roughly ten times the price of our $139.99 board, and they are cleaned and oiled where they stand.
Is the Bevel & Bond board a butcher block?
Yes, in construction: it is an end-grain butcher block board, 1.75 in thick. It is a board-style block, not a freestanding one. For the difference between the terms, see butcher block vs cutting board.
Want a board-style butcher block? See the Bevel & Bond end-grain maple board: $139.99 with free U.S. shipping, a gift box, a 5-year limited warranty and 30-day returns. Register your board's warranty and we'll send you a free tin of Board Balm.
Keep reading
- End-grain cutting boards worth comparing
- How to care for a butcher block
- Best wood cutting board by type
When was this article last reviewed?
This guide was written and last reviewed on October 18, 2026 by James Taylor. Competitor specs and prices were read on each maker's website that day; test findings are America's Test Kitchen's, published June 24, 2025.
