My Thoughts on Material Kitchen’s New Plastic-Free Cutting Board
Material Kitchen’s reBoard, made from recycled plastic and renewable sugarcane, was one of its first products, launched about a year after the company started in 2019. It was also the item that — at least to my mind — put the company on the map as a DTC kitchenware brand to be reckoned with. I remember suddenly seeing the thin profile, textured surface, and vivid colors all around Instagram and YouTube. It felt like every food person had one. (At some point, a mini-model joined the lineup, and then a grippy version with silicone corners to prevent slipping.)
When it came time to report our story on the best cutting boards, we got far and away the most recommendations for the reBoard, which meant expert cooks were using it for real (not just in a it-was-gifted-to-me-to-put-on-social-media kind of way). I’ve owned one for years and love it, too.
But now (along with what feels like the rest of the world), I’m becoming increasingly aware of the microplastic making its way into our bodies. And though some of that is out of our control, the kitchen is home to a lot of plastic items and parts that we can, without too much trouble, phase out.
Material has hopped on that bandwagon with its just-introduced MK Free Board, “a 100% plant-based cutting board, free of permanent microplastics,” as the brand describe it. When I asked for more detail on the makeup, the brand told me that it’s made from natural clay minerals and biodegradable biopolymers derived from plants.
I’ve been testing the board for a couple of weeks now, and so far, recommend it. The surface looks and feels strikingly similar to the reBoard. It’s not so hard that it feels like I’m damaging my knives. And the fact that it’s subtly textured — one of my favorite features of the original, as it creates friction to help with steady and controlled cutting — remains.
There are some new developments as well, namely a moat. I will say, the lack of this on the reBoard was one of the few reasons I wouldn’t pull it out sometimes. Though the divot in the MK Free Board is fairly shallow, it works well for foods that aren’t too juicy, like citrus and tomatoes. I even sliced a skirt steak on it, which worked well. (Though I’d probably still opt for a board with a deeper moat if I was cutting something with a lot of liquid, like a peak-season watermelon.)
The board is bigger and even thinner than the original — not explicitly a bad thing, though I personally prefer the slightly smaller size better. It feels just a bit more manageable to pick up, clean, and store (while still providing ample room).
My final observation: My knife made marks on the surface after I used it to chiffonade kale the other day. Still, knowing these aren’t releasing a plume of microplastics, I don’t care.
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