Which Cutting Board to Use

So what kind of cutting board is best?  This depends in part on what you are willing to spend and the size of your kitchen and countertops. The size of your sink also matters.Since you'll have to clean the board often, being able to fit it into the sink would help.

You may end up with multiple boards to accommodate different tasks. For example, a huge board isn't needed to slice up a small amount of cheese, but if you're slicing up large cuts of meat or chopping lots of vegetables you'll want something bigger.

There are various types and each have their own pros and cons, and there are many safety implications, with regards to bacteria and food contamination.
 

Type	Pros	Cons
Plastic	Inexpensive New boards are easy to clean by hand Dishwasher-safe Available in lots of shapes and sizes	Rough on the knives Susceptible to staining, as juices/blood from food get caught in grooves formed from use Heavily used boards can actually trap bacteria in the grooves, making it more resistant to decontamination through handwashing
Wooden	Has some natural antibacterial properties Looks great	Can warp Usually not dishwasher-safe Can be more difficult to clean than plastic
Bamboo	Can last long if properly maintained Looks beautiful	Not dishwasher-safe Expensive Requires regular maintenence
Glass	Very easy to clean either by hand or in a dishwasher	Dulls knives Can break The sound of metal scraping/cutting against glass can be annoying

Cleaning

All boards can be cleaned with hot soapy water and rinsed after each use. Boards should be dried thoroughly and not stored wet. Nonporous boards such as plastic or (usually) glass can be cleaned in a dishwasher. Laminated wood boards may crack and split in a dishwasher.

Wooden and plastic boards can be sanitized with a solution of 1 tablespoon of unscented, liquid chorine bleach and 1 gallon of water.  Cover the board surface with the solution and let it stand for several minutes. Rinse with clean water and pat dry with paper towels.

Cross-contamination

Avoid cross contamination of food by using a separate boards for cutting raw meats and produce.

Board Replacement

In any case, excessivly worn boards with grooves that are hard to clean should be replaced.