Chopping and cutting require a nice cutting board. Some of you may prefer to make it by yourself. But there is one confusion most people suffer from. Should their cutting board have a juice groove? 

It’s hard to decide whether you need to have a cutting board juice groove or not. 

No, it’s not mandatory to have a juice groove on the cutting board. Unless you cut big pieces of raw meat frequently. It’s hard to clean and it shrinks the surface of the board. If you are making the cutting board by yourself, it’s hard to add juice grooves. However, it can keep your counter clean. 

You don’t have to decide whether to have a cutting board with a juice groove yet. I am going to explain both the pros and cons of it. So, keep reading. 

Does A Cutting Board Need A Juice Groove? 

No, it’s not necessary to have a juice groove on your cutting board. Although it has some benefits, it creates more problems for you. Let’s see why the juice groove can be a problem. 

It’s Tough To Clean:

The groove contains all the juice from the meats and veggies. And meat grease, bacterias, etc also gather up in the groove. So, it’s really time-consuming and tough to clean up. 

Rubberwood for cutting board materials is a good option. But they are already a little tough to clean. So, a juice groove makes it harder to clean them. 

As the space is smaller, sometimes you may miss some spots. As a result, the grease or other wastes rot there. And, your cutting board gets ruined easily. 

Difficult To Scrape Up: 

There’s a really annoying thing about the juice groove. While chopping, tiny pieces of veggies and fruits get stuck in the juice groove. Also, when you scrape the chopped item into a bowl, it’s really difficult. 

They get stuck in the groove and you miss the bowl. Sometimes when you are in a hurry, it’s a mess. 

Shrinks The Usable Surface:

Do you know the cutting board juice groove bit size? The width of a cutting board juice groove is typically 1/2″ or 5/8″. And the groove is about 3/4″ inches inward from the board. So, if you think about it, a good portion of the cutting board goes there. 

So, you always lose some more surface. It doesn’t matter how big or small your cutting board is.

Tougher To Build By Yourself:

Some prefer to make cutting boards by themselves which is really easy. But making a juice groove on a cutting board is really difficult. It needs a lot of tools. Such as jigs, routers, etc. 

It needs a lot of calculation. And using a power tool like the router is really risky. Also, it is expensive to borrow. So, even if you want a cutter board with a juice groove, you should buy one. Try not to build it yourself. 

These are the reasons why most people like to avoid a cutting board with juice grooves. And, they choose a cutting board without a juice groove. But that doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any benefits. To know them, read the next part of the article. 

What Are The Benefits Of Juice Grooves? 

Yes, I have said that you don’t need juice grooves in the cutting board. They have many problems. But still, some people, especially professionals, like to have that on their cutting board.  But why? Let’s discuss the reason. 

Keeps Your Counter Clean:

Some meats and fruits, especially raw meats, have an excess amount of juice. When you cut them without a juice groove, the liquid gets all over the counter. And then you have to clean the whole counter. 

Prevent Bacteria From Spreading:

Raw meats contain a lot of bacteria. And the bacteria spread on the kitchen counter with the meat juice. And you know what? This bacteria can spread all over the kitchen and make you sick. 

Having a juice groove helps contain the bacteria only on the cutting board. So, those who often cut raw meat especially professionals like to have a juice groove. 

So, for these benefits, some people prefer juice grooves on a cutting board. But that doesn’t mean you can’t achieve those benefits without having a juice groove. Read the next section to know how. 

What Are The Alternatives To A Juice Groove? 

Do you want to get the benefits of a juice groove? But also don’t want to experience the hassle that comes with it? There are options for you too. Let’s discuss what you can do.

Let The Meat Rest:

Worried about greasy meat juice dripping all over the kitchen counter? Here’s a simple trick. Let the raw meat rest for some time after you remove it from the heat source. It will help the meat absorb extra greasiness and juice. 

When you cut the meat after some time, your kitchen counter won’t be messy. Okay, but that won’t work for brisket and other meat dishes with excess oil. To handle those, follow the next hack. 

Use Kitchen Napkin:

Place one or two kitchen towels on the side of the cutting board. So that the excess oil or juice from fruits will be absorbed by the napkin. And you just have to clean the napkin instead of the entire kitchen counter. 

Also, it will help prevent bacteria from spreading all over the kitchen. It will give you another bonus advantage. It will prevent the cutting board from moving too much. 

Sometimes, the cutting board can be a little warped. You can fix the warp of the cutting board by yourself. But putting a kitchen towel underneath it also helps. 

Use Double-Sided Board:

Still not convinced about not having a cutting board with a juice groove? There’s a solution for that too. Buy a double-sided cutting board. Some double-sided cutting boards have a juice groove on one side, and another side is plain. 

That way, you can enjoy any type of cutting board you want. My suggestion would be Guanci Double-sided Cutting Board. 

So, these are the alternatives you can go for. And avoid the problems related to a cutting board with a juice groove. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Conclusion

That was all I had to say about juice grooves. Now it’s up to you, whether you need a cutting board juice groove or not. I hope this article helped you with making the decision. 

And don’t forget to chop and cut carefully. That’s all for now. Have a good day.