Cutting Board: A useful place to start dinner

Choose a preparation tool first

A good-looking board can make an ordinary cooking session more enjoyable, but it needs to work where the recipient prepares food. Start with usable space, a stable surface and enough room for the ingredients they normally cut. A display board covered in lettering may not offer the same working area.

This is a food-preparation gift, rather than a cheeseboard with serving knives. Some boards do both jobs, but buy the function the recipient actually wants.

Match material to the care they will give it

Wood, bamboo, plastic and composite boards have different weights, textures and cleaning instructions. Read the maker’s guidance for food use and their knives rather than accepting broad claims such as indestructible or maintenance-free. Wooden boards may need hand washing, careful drying and occasional suitable oil; another material is not automatically dishwasher-safe.

• Measure the working area, sink space and where the board will be stored.

• Consider lifting weight, handles or grips, and whether the board sits securely.

• Check whether the price buys one board or a set, and read every board’s dimensions.

Make the practical gift personal

For an anniversary, a wanted cooking tool can be more thoughtful than a decorative object they would never use. Settle whether it is for one enthusiastic cook or a genuinely shared kitchen interest. A card can carry the milestone without putting an engraving across the cutting surface.

A chef’s knife is another choice when their preparation tools need attention. If the pleasure is serving food rather than chopping it, a cheeseboard set is a better starting point.