{"product_id":"john-boos-cherry-r-board-cutting-board","title":"John Boos R-Board Cherry Cutting Board (24\" x 18\")","description":"\u003ch2 class=\"text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eA Classic American Edge-Grain Board in Cherry\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eJohn Boos has been making butcher blocks in Effingham, Illinois since 1887, and the R-Board is their straightforward, do-everything cutting board. This is the cherry version at 24 by 18 inches and an inch and a half thick, a genuinely large prep surface with room to break down vegetables, carve, and stage a whole meal. It is reversible, with recessed finger grips on each side so a heavy board is easy to lift and flip. As solid American cherry, it is inert and sheds no microplastics, with no coating to wear off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eCherry is the quietly excellent choice for a cutting board. It is a softer hardwood than maple, which makes it gentle on knife edges, and its close grain and small pores give it natural resistance to bacteria and moisture. It also carries a warm reddish-brown color that deepens with age. The R-Board is edge-grain construction, where the long edges of the wood strips face up. That is not quite as kind to knives as end grain, where the fibers stand vertically, but it is meaningfully more affordable and still far gentler on edges than any plastic, glass, or steel board.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eOne credential worth stating accurately: the John Boos R-Board line is NSF certified, which is a genuine third-party certification for food-contact safety. That is a real standard, distinct from our own assessment below.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTrue Shift Score: 8.8 \/ 10\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4\u003e\u003cem\u003eThis is our own assessment, not a lab result, though it is worth noting this board carries a real NSF food-safety certification on top of our view. \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt lands just below the end-grain boards for one honest reason: edge grain is a touch less gentle on knives and self-heals a little less than end grain. Everything else is excellent. It sheds no microplastics, it is solid made-in-USA cherry from a brand with a 130-plus-year record, it is large and built to outlast you, and cherry's softness and close grain make it genuinely knife-friendly. For most kitchens this is a practical, beautiful pick, and the small gap from a 9 is about construction nuance, not quality.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Honest Tradeoffs\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e1. The honest knock on edge grain is simply that it is not end grain, so for protecting high-end knives an end-grain block edges it out. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e2. At 24 by 18 and around 13 to 14 pounds in cherry, it is a large, substantial board, which is a plus for stability and a consideration if your counter or storage is tight. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e3. And it carries the usual wood-board upkeep: hand wash, dry promptly, oil regularly, never the dishwasher. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e4. Cherry shows its patina over time, which most owners consider part of its charm rather than a flaw.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 class=\"text-text-100 mt-3 -mb-1 text-[1.125rem] font-bold\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eHow We Evaluate Cutting Boards\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003ch4 class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe look at four things, and none of them is a lab score:\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/h4\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e1. Whether the material sheds microplastics, \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e2. How kind it is to your knives, \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e3. Whether any glue or finish is food-safe, \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003e4. And how well it lasts with normal care. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"font-claude-response-body break-words whitespace-normal\"\u003eCutting boards are a microplastics-and-glue question, not a PFAS one, despite what some guides imply.\u003cstrong\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"John Boos","offers":[{"title":"24\"L x 18\"W \/ Cherry","offer_id":50420636909815,"sku":"B001NG6QLW","price":197.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24\"L x 18\"W \/ Maple","offer_id":50420636942583,"sku":"B00063QBK4","price":154.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18\"L x 12\"W \/ Walnut","offer_id":50420636975351,"sku":"B003EI91C8","price":205.7,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18\"L x 12\"W \/ Cherry","offer_id":50420637008119,"sku":"B003HY276Q","price":110.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20\"L x 15\"W \/ Maple","offer_id":50420637040887,"sku":"B0000CFV4K","price":124.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20\"L x 15\"W \/ Walnut","offer_id":50420637073655,"sku":"B004FNU8OQ","price":233.45,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"20\"L x 15\"W \/ Cherry","offer_id":50420637106423,"sku":"B001NG8S4A","price":158.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"18\"L x 12\"W \/ Maple","offer_id":50420637139191,"sku":"B00063QBF4","price":94.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"24\"L x 18\"W \/ Walnut","offer_id":50420637171959,"sku":"B002ACKG8C","price":326.25,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0881\/1642\/9047\/files\/811gzHvyjUL.jpg?v=1768287363","url":"https:\/\/thetrueshift.com\/products\/john-boos-cherry-r-board-cutting-board","provider":"The True Shift","version":"1.0","type":"link"}