Garnish Tools

Cutting Board

A bar cutting board is a small board, around 25 to 30cm by 15 to 20cm and 1.5 to 2cm thick by our guidance, kept for citrus and garnish. It gives a steady, clean surface for wedges, wheels and twists beside where the drinks are made. Keep it apart from boards used for raw meat and fish, because a garnish goes into the glass uncooked.

See all bar equipment

A small rectangular board of light-coloured wood with rounded corners and no juice groove, on a white background.

The tool

About the Cutting Board

Small Enough to Stay on the Bar

A board around 30 by 20cm holds a lime, a knife and the wedges you cut from it. A bigger board crowds the space you need for glasses and the shaker.

Thickness keeps it steady. Around 1.5 to 2cm is stiff enough not to flex under the knife and light enough to carry to the sink.

One Board, for Garnish Only

A wedge of lime or a strip of peel goes into the drink as it is, with no cooking to kill anything on it. In food hygiene terms it is ready-to-eat food.

So the garnish board never meets raw meat, fish or poultry. The UK Food Standards Agency advises separate boards for raw and ready-to-eat food, and a bar follows the same logic.

It keeps flavours apart too. Onion or garlic juice left on a board turns up in the next lemon you cut, and in a Tom Collins there is nowhere for it to hide.

Wood and Plastic Both Work for Fruit

Plastic goes in the dishwasher. Hardwood needs washing by hand but resists the deep cuts that build up in plastic over time.

Wood or plastic for a bar board

Dishwasher

Hardwood: No; wash by hand
Plastic: Yes

Knife marks

Hardwood: Resists deep scoring
Plastic: Scores with use

Care

Hardwood: Oil now and then; dry on its edge
Plastic: Replace once deeply scored

Weight

Hardwood: Heavier and steadier
Plastic: Lighter and easier to carry

Hygiene

Hardwood: Sound if washed and dried after use
Plastic: Sound if washed; deep cuts hold dirt

Feature	Hardwood	Plastic
Dishwasher	No; wash by hand	Yes
Knife marks	Resists deep scoring	Scores with use
Care	Oil now and then; dry on its edge	Replace once deeply scored
Weight	Heavier and steadier	Lighter and easier to carry
Hygiene	Sound if washed and dried after use	Sound if washed; deep cuts hold dirt

What matters more is the cleaning. Wash it in hot soapy water after each session, rinse it and dry it fully before it goes back on the bar.

Stop It Sliding Before You Cut

A board that slides is how fingers get cut. Lay a damp cloth flat underneath and press the board down so it grips the counter.

Cut with the board flat on a solid surface. Balanced over the edge of a sink or a drip mat, it tips the moment you lean on it.

Using it

Using the Cutting Board

Usage

Cutting lime and lemon wedges, wheels and twists, halving citrus for the press, and slicing fruit or cucumber for long drinks. Keep it for fruit and garnish only, apart from boards used for raw meat, fish or strong-smelling food.

Pro Tip

We keep a clean, damp cloth beside the board and wipe it and the knife between fruits. Juice left standing on the surface makes the next cut slip.

Professional Tips

Lay a damp cloth flat under the board so it cannot slide.
Wash and dry your hands before you cut garnish.
Wipe the board and knife between lemons, limes and anything else.
Stand a wooden board on its edge to dry.

Alternatives

Budget Alternative

A small plastic board kept only for the bar. It is light, goes in the dishwasher, and is cheap to replace once the surface is scored.

Premium Option

A hardwood board in beech or maple, oiled now and then. It resists deep scoring and is gentle on a knife; it needs washing by hand.

Specifications

Material
Hardwood such as beech or maple, or food-safe plastic
Capacity
Around 25 to 30cm by 15 to 20cm, our guidance
Details
About 1.5 to 2cm thick, flat on both faces; fruit needs no juice groove

Go further

More to explore

Common Questions

What size cutting board do I need for a bar?

Around 30 by 20cm and 1.5 to 2cm thick suits most home bars, by our guidance. It takes a lime, a knife and the cut wedges, and still fits beside the shaker and bottles. A thinner board can flex as you cut, which pushes the knife off line.

Wood or plastic for cutting citrus?

Either works for fruit. Plastic goes in the dishwasher and is cheap to replace once scored. Hardwood is gentler on a knife, and studies have not found it less hygienic when it is washed and dried properly. Choose the one you will clean after every use.

Do I need a separate board for garnish?

Yes. A garnish goes into the drink uncooked, so it counts as ready-to-eat food. A board that has held raw meat, fish or poultry can carry bacteria onto a lime wedge. Strong flavours such as garlic and onion carry across as well.

How do you stop a cutting board slipping?

Lay a damp cloth or a damp sheet of kitchen paper flat underneath it and press the board down; it grips the counter. Boards with rubber feet do the same permanently. Never cut on a board balanced over the edge of a sink or a drip mat.

Can a wooden cutting board go in the dishwasher?

No. Heat and long soaking make wood swell, warp and split. Wash it by hand in hot soapy water, rinse it, and stand it on its edge to dry. Plastic boards can go in the dishwasher.

How do you clean a board after cutting citrus?

Rinse off the juice, wash the board in hot soapy water, then rinse it and dry it fully. Citrus juice is sticky, and left standing it makes the surface tacky and the next cut slippery. Oil a wooden board now and then once it is dry.

Master the Technique

The garnish kit, and cutting ahead

Make something

Made with the Cutting Board

Used In These Cocktails

Adios Motherfucker Grateful Dead Campari & Soda Tom Collins Cape Codder Gin Sling

Related Equipment

Updated 18 October 2026

Back to Equipment Guide