THE FUSE

One of the quiet MVPs of my kitchen is the humble cutting board. They are so necessary for me that I have seven — in different shapes and sizes, no less. Most of them are plastic, though. In the last few months, I’ve been trying to move away from plastic in my kitchen due to the potentially hazardous effects microplastics could have on our bodies (shoutout to our Senior Lifestyle Editor Quinn Fish for putting me on to this).

Naturally, I’ve been looking for plastic-free alternatives, and while I love my paper composite Epicurean boards, I’ve also become a major fan of Material’s The MK Free Board. The plant-based cutting board is huge, making it perfect for meal prepping, family dinners, and big baking projects. I’ve only been using it for a couple weeks, but now I don’t want to be without it!

Material is known for its stylish (and useful) kitchenware, like knives, cooking utensils, tableware, nonstick pans, and more. I’ve been a big fan of the brand’s reBoard, which is a beautiful BPA-free plastic- and sugarcane-based cutting board that has sold out 10 times (unsurprisingly, it’s currently out of stock).

For a completely plastic-free option, I turned to The MK Free Board, which Material introduced earlier this year. It’s made from “100% plant-based biocomposite of natural clay minerals and biodegradable biopolymers,” the brand says. Like my plastic cutting boards, this one is also dishwasher-safe, which gives it a major leg up for me over wooden versions.

This best-selling cutting board is 17.5 inches long (making it just a tab bit longer than the Wonder Oven Pro), comes in three colors, and costs $48. It’s a real hit with customers, too, who’ve given it a collective 4.8-star rating.

Because I love the reBoard, I had high hopes for The MK Free Board — and it did not disappoint. It’s roomy enough to work on two different recipes at once. I cut up broccoli on one half then used the other half to slice open a vanilla bean for Ina Garten’s Brownie Pudding right after.

The board has two different sides, too: one with a groove to catch runoff from tomatoes or meat, and one that’s completely flat. I usually prefer the flat side for cutting veggies and fruit, but I make roasted pork tenderloin once a week, and the other side is perfect for that.

So far, I’m impressed that there aren’t any knife scratch marks on the board yet, or any staining. It also fits in my dishwasher without issue, even though it’s quite large.

If you’re going plastic-free or stocking up on holiday gifts for the cooks in your life, look no further!