T&G Rectangular Chopping Board in End Grain Natural Hevea Wood, Medium

I've had this chopping board for about a year and a half now, and I use it daily. Overall, I am extremely happy with the board and would purchase the same one again if someone pinched mine!

I find that this "medium" sized chopping board is a very suitable size for regular, day-to-day food preparation. It's not so large that it's unwieldy or takes up too much space when stored vertically on the work surface, but it's large enough that you can easily chop up plenty of things at once without having to transfer things off the board. For instance, I can easily dice an onion, courgette, pepper, garlic and a couple of chicken breasts without having to move anything off the board during the preparation process. It's also small enough that I can wash it in our reasonably small sink and leave it to dry on a typically-sized drying rack.

I haven't found that there are any particular problems with damage from knives, and certainly, I'd say that the knife damage has been less noticeable on this board than on previous man-made chopping boards that I have owned in the past. Certainly, you can see faint marks where knives have scored and scratched the surface, but I don't think this is surprising given that I've used it daily since July 2009, and I've found that the cuts and scuffs are only very shallow, and don't constitute deep or serious damage; the surface still feels very smooth to the touch, and there's no way that there are any cuts deep enough to trap any visible pieces of food. I chose this board because the cutting surface was made from end-grain (rather than edge-grain) wood. This means that any knife damage is less visible, and also, it results in less damage to the knives themselves. With end-grain boards, there is "give" in the fibres of the wood because you're cutting across the ends of the fibres, and the knife is accommodated by this, whereas with edge-grain boards, you're cutting across the fibres, and this resistance apparently causes more wear to the knives that are used, and the damage to the board is more visible (or so I've read!).

With regards to slippage, I haven't personally experienced any problems with the board slipping around (and I use it laid directly onto my work surface, no damp dish cloth underneath). Since I tend to position the board quite close to the edge of the work surface, I'm almost stood right above it, and so any force I exert on the board is straight downwards, hence I have no problems with it moving around.

I periodically condition the wood when it starts to look a little dull. I do this by putting a little vegetable oil on a piece of folded kitchen paper, and then I buff this into the clean, dry chopping board. This instantly refreshes the appearance of the wood, and it takes it back to having the same rich finish as it has when it was new. Also, since this board looks really attractive, I like to use it for serving birthday cakes on - it looks really nice as a chunky serving platter!

I can only think of two negative points about this product, both of which can be avoided if you use it properly. Firstly, after washing the board, it's important to not leave the board sat in any water (e.g., put it on a drying rack or dry it straight away, rather than standing it directly on the draining board), and not to stand the board in such a way that water can stay pooled within the little inset handle (sometimes if it's left on its end, you get a little puddle!). Secondly, if you leave brightly coloured food (e.g., fresh red chilli, chorizo) on the board, or do not wash the board up after preparing food of this nature, the colour leaks into the wood and it does stain. I've found that this comes out eventually after several washes, but it's worth remembering that if you use the board to prepare food with very strong, transferable colours, you should try to wash it straight away.

One thing to bear in mind is that due the nature of the product, it is quite heavy. For most people, this won't pose any problems, but I wouldn't recommend this board for anyone who has mobility difficulties or any medical conditions that affect the strength of the hands and wrists.

This Chopping Board is made from solid wood. Heavy and stable, the finger slots on each end of the block make for easy positioning. When I laid it next to my new knife block and stood a crusty loaf on it, it gives that 'Old English' appeal.

I read one review which said the block moves when cutting bread on a smooth suface, I've had no such problems but if I did I would use the rubber backing from an old mouse mat.

Great product.

I was very pleased with this purchase. A good quality chopping board that stands up well to daily use. It's a good weight, so doesn't slide about when being used and is really easy to keep clean. Highly recommended!