The 7 Best Charcuterie Boards, Tested and Reviewed

The Pottery Barn Chateau Wood Handcrafted Round Cheese Board earned the top spot in our test due to its impressive performance and gorgeous design.

We tested the 15-inch diameter board in black and several testers commented it was their favorite board. The dark black color makes the charcuterie visually pop off the board, creating an eye-catching centerpiece for the table. Another advantage of the black color is that it helps hide stains. After leaving salami, strawberries and cheese on the board overnight, we found no signs of staining.

The handle makes it easy to carry and wash. Even though it’s hand wash only the finish helped leftover bits of food slide off easily while washing and the circular shape fit over our sink well so water didn’t run off the board onto the counter. There weren’t any signs of scratching from our testers cutting cheese, however, we noticed that a fairly hard scratch from a knife resulted in a minor knick in the black finish. This was only slightly noticeable, but it’s something to keep in mind when using it. If black isn’t your preference, it’s also available in brown or white-washed finishes.

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It’s hard to beat the Epicurean boards that give you the best bang for your buck since you can use them as charcuterie boards, prep boards, cutting boards and just about any other time you need a board.

Not to mention you'll get three boards for just under $60. The set includes three boards made from durable paper composite. In our tests, no stains remained after leaving the charcuterie on them overnight and these cleaned up beautifully. Plus, they’re one of the few boards that are dishwasher safe.

The boards come in three shapes and sizes, reminiscent of slate boards, making them incredibly versatile and allowing you to use the just one board or scatter multiple around a table. The compact sizes allow for easy storage and the light weight makes them easy to move around or quickly hand wash.

This round olivewood board is simple but stunning. Its striking grain pattern and rich colors elevate the circular shape and the varying grain ensures each piece is one-of-a-kind.

Inada particularly appreciates a round-shaped charcuterie board because it can stand out as a centerpiece and allows for easy placement of accompaniments around it. The raised edges around the perimeter of the wooden board keep the charcuterie from falling off, which is helpful when passing the board around or prepping ahead of time before moving it to the table.

This board kept its gorgeous appearance after washing and was easy to hand wash since it’s fairly light, plus the lip gave us something to hold on to while cleaning. Just like any other wood board, it's prone to staining and the strawberry juice seeped into the wood overnight and wouldn't wash off. While this happened with other boards as well, it was more noticeable on this one due to the lighter color. A light coating of mineral oil may help prevent some staining, but it’s best to keep items that can stain, like berries, in a separate bowl or protect the board with wax paper. The brand recommends occasionally rubbing the wood with food-safe mineral oil to keep it from drying out.

The Fable Serving Board is the perfect small charcuterie board for intimate gatherings or solo snacking. The carved-in handles and small, lightweight design helped us carry the board with ease. The slight lip on the edges helps kept food from falling off, but it’s also nice that the board can be flipped over for a completely flat serving surface. In our stain testing, we noticed that strawberries left behind a slight mark, but the dark wood helped disguise it so that it was barely noticeable.

The board is hand wash only and our experts appreciated that food residue wiped away easily with a damp sponge, though larger chunks needed more washing to come off. The brand recommends treating the board regularly with food-grade seed oil or wax to preserve the finish and prevent drying.

Fable also states this board is crafted with FSC-certified European ash wood that’s heat-treated for durability, lighter weight and moisture resistance. You can purchase it in a large size or as part of a set.

For those who love to host large gatherings, the Crate and Barrel large Octavia Marble Board with Cheese Knives is an excellent choice.

The large 23" x 14" marble surface provides a beautiful canvas for creating an artful charcuterie board filled with an array of meats, cheeses, crackers, spreads or whatever else you choose to include. Many of our testers commented this is one of their favorite boards, particularly due to the elegant marble combined with the gold charcuterie tools set into the board. One thing to note, the set-in tools take up a fair amount of space on the board.

When it comes to staining, oil marks were left behind from the salami and there was some strawberry staining, which can happen with any marble board since it’s a porous material. To help protect your board, Inada recommends using something underneath the charcuterie, like wax paper or placing items in a disposable palm leaf bowl which protects the board and can be used to separate foods.

The cool marble helps maintain the temperature of the food and if you’re entertaining outside, Inada suggests setting it on top of ice to help keep everything cold. The downside to large marble boards is that they can be quite heavy. We found the board was somewhat heavy to carry and maneuver around to wash due to the large size and weight.

This serving board gives you the best of both worlds with acacia wood and slate serving board, and comes with two small ceramic bowls for accoutrements like olives or nuts.

The contrasting colors and textures give this board a modern-yet-rustic feel. The acacia base features recessed slots for the ceramic bowls and the slate board, which are removable, allowing you to serve them as one piece or separately. Inada particularly loves acacia wood and black slate charcuterie boards because they make the food stand out rather than blend in with the board.

When we removed the board from the packaging, we noticed some oil-looking patches on the slate that didn’t come off after washing. While it’s not noticeable when the board is filled with charcuterie, it’s worth noting if it might bother you. The strawberries left behind some marks on the slate, so you’ll want to protect the board to avoid staining.

If your decor style leans toward natural and earthy, you’ll love this platter from CB2. Unlike typical wood or marble boards, this one is made from basalt stone giving it a distinctive look that suits many different interior styles.

Each platter is unique because it’s sliced from a large piece of basalt and sanded to create a smooth surface, ensuring a one-of-a-kind piece. Just know that you won’t get exactly what’s pictured on the website. The stone board we tested had an egg-like shape rather than the circular or oval ones shown on the CB2 website.

Straight out of the box the stone looked striking, but it needed a few washes to get clean enough to serve on. This made the stone look more matte than polished, which enhanced the organic look of the stone. In our Lab, salami and strawberries left stains on the stone, which is typical of porous materials so you may want to take precautions to protect it when serving on it.