Design fail in the kitchen: why the stainless steel board fails for me
19/12/2025
Translation: machine translated
Pictures: Stephan Lamprecht
Stainless steel as a material for a chopping board: how does it work? And won't it ruin the knives? Spoiler: I'm only moderately enthusiastic. If at all.
A proper base is essential for chopping in the kitchen. After all, you don't want to ruin the worktop. The brand Esmée produces stainless steel chopping boards. Is it any good?
First impression: Wow, it's heavy!
When I unpack it, I'm surprised by its weight. My kitchen scales show a proud 750 grammes. And that's despite the cutting board measuring just 20 × 29 centimetres, which is the size of an A4 sheet and only three millimetres thick. Remember: stainless steel is heavy.
The handling doesn't convince me
The weight of the board initially seems to be an advantage. The chopping board rests firmly on the worktop and does not slip away when chopping onions for the first time.
The board is particularly impractical for everyday cooking. It is difficult to grip. The manufacturer has thought of a recessed grip. But as there are no «feet» under the board, lifting it up is a fiddly job that strains my fingernails.
What bothers me even more is the lack of a juice channel. If you're slicing raw meat or onions, it's still fine. But if you're slicing tomatoes or a juicy roast, the liquids run straight onto your worktop and form a lake. The only thing that helps is juggling with kitchen paper at the same time. But who wants that?
The noise level takes some getting used to, but is not annoying when working. When quickly chopping or slicing herbs and peppers, for example, it sounds as if you are working directly on your worktop. I quickly get used to the unpleasant sound of a metal blade on a metal board.
Antibacterial and no more discolouration
According to the manufacturer, the board should not discolour, even if you chop peppers or tomatoes - that's what it says on the packaging. And that's true. Metal boards do not discolour. However, there are clear scratches on the board after a short time. I had expected them, but not quite so quickly. However, they are not particularly deep. Food residue does not stick to them. This is different from plastic boards, where dirt easily sticks in the grooves. But of course every touch leaves fingerprints on the stainless steel part. However, I don't think this is important for a kitchen utensil. It's often washed anyway.
On the packaging, the manufacturer emphasises that the board «is antibacterial». However, this is not correct in the pure sense of the word and is a nice advertising ploy. «Antibacterial» means that a material has a targeted effect against bacteria. The tannic acid in some types of wood used for chopping boards is an example of this.
Stainless steel does not have this property. What is meant is that the metal surface is easy to keep clean and therefore prevents germs from multiplying. After running a programme at 60 degrees or more in the dishwasher, there should be no germs left.
And the knives?
Even without studying physics or materials science, it is easy to assume that stainless steel is not a good base for knives in the long term. Although steel, glass and marble are in vogue, they make for blunt blades. How strong the effect is depends, among other things, on the hardness of the blade and the working method. In my tests, I have not yet noticed any wear effect. My colleague Simon will soon be taking a closer look at knife blade wear in a video. You can look forward to that.
Firstly, I always sharpen my knives briefly before starting work. And I prefer to only use the second best of my knives. I don't want it to get blunt after all.
On the other hand, I find the board as a whole so impractical that I now use it for something else. In my craft corner, it serves me well as a shelf for the hot glue gun. Sorry.
In a nutshell
This chopping board leaves me perplexed
The board does what it should. It protects my worktop when cutting. I find it impractical in everyday life simply because of the weight. And I'm worried about my fingernails.
Pro
- Design
- Dishwasher safe
Contra
- High weight
- Juice from meat or vegetables runs down
- quickly scratched
Header image: Stephan Lamprecht
Hamburg local, bookworm, and ice hockey fan. Dad and granddad. Constantly tinkering around with my smart home setup. I love DIY, the outdoors, fashion, and cosmetics.
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