One of the reasons you are remodeling your kitchen is to make it more user-friendly for cooking and baking. If you do a lot of cooking and baking, and are getting new kitchen countertops, then you might think of getting an inlaid countertop cutting board. Basically, these are cutting boards that are imbedded already into the countertops to make a permanent cutting or kneading board for you.

The Disadvantages

If you don't do much cooking or baking, then getting such an immobile countertop cutting board may wind up being more trouble than it's worth. You have to be committed to clean it with bleach every time you use it. Many people with wooden immobile countertop cutting boards recommend oiling it regularly. Eventually, you will have to sand it, too, if it's made out of wood.

If the countertop cutting board doesn't fit exactly, then there will be traps for crumbs and other organic material that you won't be able to clean. Although many professional kitchens avoid this problem with strictly bleaching their cutting boards every day, if you can't commit to this kind of maintenance, then get a conventional, portable cutting board that you can plunge into a pan of soapy water.

The Advantages

If you cook every day, you are probably already committed to a cleanliness routine for your kitchen. These habits can be easily incorporated into maintaining an inlaid countertop cutting board. These boards act not only as chopping blocks and kneading boards for dough, but they also make great hot plates.

Some countertop surfaces like zinc will melt at any temperature over 300 degrees Farenheight. Other countertop material might not melt or bend, but change color or leave permanent unsightly stains. A wooden immobile block avoids this damage or warping to your expensive countertops.

And another big advantage for avid cooks is that the board does not move. Although portable plastic cutting boards are inexpensive and easy to clean - they also can unpredictably move on you when you are chopping, slicing, grating or setting down a hot casserole dish.

An inlaid countertop cutting board can transform an ordinary kitchen into an extraordinary one for the foodie in your family. Wooden chopping blocks are not only traditional (and functional), they are incredibly beautiful. They give a comforting, old-fashioned touch to any modern kitchen. And if your kitchen is mainly metal tones - say, all stainless steel - then you need as many warm tones as you can to counterbalance the cold metallic colors.