I own an Epicurean cutting board and I have been using it for a year and a half now (current wear shown at the end).
I bought this with my own money as my personal top choice for my new apartment.
I am not personally worried about the formaldehyde levels which I will explain below.
However, those who are chemically sensitive may not be able to use this cutting board, especially if highly sensitive to formaldehyde, or may need to let it off-gas for a month or so first, before using it.
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Epicurean and Formaldehyde
Richlite, the material that Epicurean cutting boards are made of (they also make countertops), is paper pressed together with phenol-formaldehyde and pigments and they claim the final emissions are only 0.001 ppm (parts per million) formaldehyde.
This is wood fiber based, there is no plastic and therefore no microplastics.
How To Make Sense Of That….
0.001 ppm would not make a dent in the background levels of the room since this is within outdoor air limits.
Solid wood can give off 0.00675 ppm.
There is 0.0002-0.006 ppm formaldehyde in rural and suburban outdoor air.
There is 0.0015-0.047 ppm in urban outdoor air.
Formaldehyde in the air is both naturally occurring and created by industries/humans.
Certifications
Epicurean cutting boards are GreenGuard Gold certified which allows for 0.0073 ppm of formaldehyde in the room when that product is used in a regular-sized room.
However, Epicurean claims to only have 0.001 ppm formaldehyde emissions.
Smell
Epicurean cutting boards do smell of formaldehyde when new (to me at least).
I can smell it and so can many people who have commented online.
I found it took 40 days for the smell to completely dissipate (and I have a very high sense of smell). Others online have also commented that it took up to four weeks.
Leave it in a warm place with plenty of airflow to off-gas, if you want it to off-gas first.
You can also put it through the dishwasher, or put it in the sun where the high temps will help it to off-gas faster.
I have found that the smell comes out a bit again, many months later when the board is soaking wet. I’m not worried about that at all though.
(Though they are technically dishwasher safe, some people have found they warp a bit and need to be plied back into shape).
Review
Nice Look and Feel
I really like how this cutting board looks and feels, which is why I bought this over a totally non-toxic solid wood option.
I like that they feel warm and soft (and are also very lightweight).
(You can actually find solid wood options for around the same price, which I review here.)
Very Low Maintenance
But, on top of how it looks, I bought Epicurean over solid wood because it needs no sealer or conditioner and it can go in the dishwasher.
It is also less porous than wood so it does not require disinfecting.
Pretty Good on Knives
It’s easier on knives than other eco-friendly options (like glass for example).
The downside for some is that they are harder than thicker wooden boards, which have some give to them.
And as one cook says “they are tougher on [knife] edges than they should be.”
Good Longevity
I have had one in the past and it also held up really well over time.
At 1.5 years of daily use I’m happy with it.
Different Options
They have different styles (some with juice grooves), different sizes, and three different colors. Some have feet which keep it more stable for those of you who are serious cooks.
At 1.5 Years of Everyday Use
This is my everyday cutting board for the last 1.5 years and here is how it looks now.
I have not done any sanding or any other maintenance (no oils).
Corinne Segura is an InterNACHI-certified Healthy Homes Inspector with certifications in Building Biology, Healthier Materials and Sustainable Buildings, and more. She has 10 years of experience helping others create healthy homes. You can book a consult here.
Robin A
Thank you for posting about this. I use the cutting board as well as some of their utensils that are made out of the same material. Do you perchance know if a utensil that is specified as nylon is safer than a generic plastic one? Some of their utensils have nylon blades, which I like for being gentle to cookware but still have enough of a thin hard edge to break up ground meat or other ingredients while sautéing…
Robin A
PS OXO brand also has utensils with nylon parts, which I like as well, and specifically says they do not use recycled plastic in their manufacture. Many thanks for any info you can offer!
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
i have an article on nylon
Kathryn Elise
It’s really helpful how you break down the formaldehyde levels in Epicurean boards and compare them to everyday exposure makes the risks much easier to understand. Your tips about off-gassing and dishwasher use are practical for both sensitive users and everyday cooks.
Kathryn Elise
It’s really interesting to see how material science and practical use intersect in something as everyday as a cutting board. I appreciate how you break down the formaldehyde emissions and offer tips for off-gassing it’s the kind of detail that makes a home truly healthier.
khatija akter
It’s fascinating how materials like Richlite balance durability with environmental safety, even with trace formaldehyde levels. Your explanation about off-gassing and air quality really highlights how everyday items can impact our surroundings more than we realize.
Gary Davis
We have several Epicurean orange-brown color cutting boards. They are approximately 4 years old and they still emit a distinct formaldehyde aroma whenever they’re heated, including hand washing in hand-safe hot water. After 4 years, the “off gassing” process is still not complete. The statistics given in the above article suggest that, if Epicurean’s emissions statement is true, we should be smelling formaldehyde in our urban air, The odor released by these cutting boards is strong… stronger than any formaldehyde smell I’ve noticed in urban environments. Something clearly doe not add up here. If it smells like formaldehyde, it’s probably formaldehyde.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
they do smell like formaldehyde if you put it close to you, and I mentioned that about how when it’s wet the smell still comes out, this is normal of products that are made with phenol-formaldehyde. If it’s just in the room with you (not close to your face) it’s not noticeable to me at all, and if you measure the formaldehyde in the air with and without the cutting board in the room I’m quite sure you would not pick up any difference or any amount higher than outdoor ranges. but for chemically sensitive folks, they may not feel comfortable with this level/smell which is valid.
Taylor Swift
Exposure to formaldehyde can cause a number of health effects
I read that you are not personally worried, but I am and frankly I am also worried about you and your integrity. I can’t understand that you’d be really recommend this over non-toxic options. It seems performative and one can’t imagine you are not getting paid to write this, and wouldn’t if you were not paid.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
exposure to formaldehyde is inevitable, it exists in our body, our foods, trees, wood, plants, and the air everywhere we live. So we are not trying to avoid formaldehyde, which is impossible, only high levels.
This cutting board will not make a dent in the background levels of a room but could bother sensitive folks.
This is not a sponsored post, nor did I receive the cutting board for free. I bought it with my money from Amazon, and I use this in my kitchen.
Also this is not my “best non toxic cutting board” article, which has more stringent requirements. This is simply a review of what I use.
JC
I like your response to this comment. I think it’s worth repeating how low the formaldehyde level that these boards emit is compared to solid wood; and the rural, suburban and urban air we breathe. I have three of them and really like that they are easy to maintain and far less likely to harbor fungus and bacteria. I have been using them for years and have never had an issue. They are a little harder on the edges, though.
Corinne Segura, Building Biologist
I’m happy with mine still as well will add a photo of how it looks now after being used 3-4 times a week for a while now.
Leo
I really don’t think the formaldehyde off-gassing will be the problem, the microscopic pieces of phenol-formaldehyde might be though. It’s still a polymer, even if it might not be a (thermal) plastic. Not a problem per se but it’s not specifically formulated to break down if ingested and we’ve seen where such microplastics end up in the body. Further research is needed until we know whether that’s a problem but personally I wouldn’t want pieces of phenolic resin accumulating in my body.