I think it boils down to three things – (1) Price, (2) Knife Impact and (3) Ease of maintenance/cleaning – your personal weighting of the importance of each of these probably will help you know which one to buy. For example, if you want a cheap, easy to clean board and you are using low end knives, then a plastic cutting board will probably do the trick. If you’ve got really nice knives that you want to care for and have some money and time to maintain/clean the board, a high end wood board is probably the better option. Let’s go through these one at a time.

1. Price – A good quality wood board is generally going to cost you more money than a plastic or glass board and a high end butcher block will cost you A LOT more money than a plastic board. Still, with the right maintenance, a good quality wood board could last you for a LONG time. Most of my plastic boards have seemed to wear out or stain over time (especially the very thin plastic type). When a high end wood board gets worn, you can sand it down and it’s virtually new again.
2. Knife Impact – Everything I’ve ever read indicates that a wood board will be better for your knives than glass or plastic and it seems to make sense. Wood has a little more give, so it naturally is less dulling on the knives. That said, if you’ve got a $10 knife, it’s probably getting dull when you slice through butter never mind when you cut on the glass/wood/plastic surface. If you have nice knives that you really want to maintain, the investment in a wood board is probably worth the money.
3. Ease of Maintenance/Cleaning – to me, this is a big factor. I love my nice wood cutting board. I hate cleaning and maintaining it. I like throwing my cheap plastic board in the dishwasher, knowing that the dishwasher is killing the bacteria and not working extra hard to keep it clean or maintained. Wood boards require extra work. Keeping it properly oiled and cleaned is critical to keeping it in good shape and free from bacteria. Still, as I said previously, if you put in the time, a wood board will last for a LONG TIME.

Hopefully that helps. My opinion - I have a nice board and a few cheap plastic ones. If I’m lining up some serious chopping, I break out the nice board. If I need to chop one thing quickly and then I’m done then I break out the cheap plastic.

Oh, and invest in a good knife sharpener. Even if you have a good board, you need to keep your knives sharp. It’s easier and safer to be cutting with sharp knives.

We like two different types the wood and the new plastic self-healing style.
Both styles allow the blade to slice in and not dull as quick and because both can be bleached And sterilized.
Another added benefit of the wood cutting board is we can burn it in the winter as firewood if we can’t decontaminate it or it won’t come clean. We can be burn the plastic style as well too, and allow the wood in a wood stove to last longer.

We use Old Hickory Knives and found out as long time ago that cutting on glass, counter tops ceramic counter ops or ceramic cutting slabs, even marble or dinner plates will dull knives so badly that the edges need to be reground so they can hold an edge.
So we now have lots of different thickness and sizes of cutting boards in wood and sanitary plastic.
The benefit also is that wood and the plastic style are not that expensive and can be sterilized in the dishwasher too.
A note abotu our wood boards. We have trees that we had cut down so we make our own Oak slab cutting boards fron teh stumps and left over tops that were laying out there,. Granted they are unusual in shape, but they also didn't cost us anything.

I recently switched from glass cutting boards to bamboo, which is what I think you have in your image there. I couldn't stand the loud clanging of the knife against the glass and it dulled my knives extremely quickly. Plus, because you can't cut into the board, it was difficult to cut completely through many materials, especially pork meat!

I like the bamboo because it isn't so fiberous as other wooden cutting boards, it's lighter, it has a natural bamboo smell that has kept for quite a while, it cleans well, and often recycle bamboo is used.

Wood is definitely the best cutting board choice. Below is a brief analysis of the different types.

1) Glass. Pros - bacteria can be removed. Cons - Really really bad for your knife edge.

2) Plastic. Pros - Doesn't damage your knives. Bacteria is easily removed from a brand new cutting board. Cons - Used plastic cutting boards harbor bacteria in the cut areas that is not removed when cleaned by hand. If the water in your dishwasher is not hot enough or you don't use a disinfecting detergent, the bacteria MAY splash around in your dishwasher and end up on other surfaces. One study supporting this cited in the web site below. This is not the only such study.

3) Wood - Pros. Good for your knives. Bacteria on surfaces die very quickly. Cons - If you intend to completely drench the board or you intend to hack at it with an axe, you may still be able to find bacteria from yesterday's chicken that wouldn't be found on the surface.

I have tried most types and I prefer glass. I have several on my counter tops, protecting them, I don't need to store them in a cupboard, they stay there all the time and a quick clean enables me to use them for preparing food. They are also decorative.

When I used wooden ones they were always difficult to clean and I never knew for sure that they were germ free.

Some plastic boards are supposed to remain germ resistant, but after using for a while, they become stained, scored and scratched, they look nasty and I can imagine all the bacteria lurking in the crevices.

I don't find that the glass ones blunt knives especially, but I sharpen my knives regularly anyway, so if they did it would not be a problem.

Yes, marble is great for rolling dough, it's because it is cold, making the dough easier to handle.

I do not think that the wood or glass cutting boards would be good choices because they both can chip off in your food easily without you knowing it has happened. I think that the marble cutting board would be the best and safest option because marble is a much harder and stronger substance than wood or glass cutting boards. I do not think that the name brands have much bearing on the safety or quality of the cutting board. Wood, plastic and glass cutting boards can get tiny open spots in them, which can cause bacteria to form on them so easily. Always wash your cutting board in very hot water and never cut vegetables or fruits on a cutting board that has had meat of any kind chopped on it, without first washing it. You really should cut your vegetables and fruits first and then place them in the refrigerator until you are ready to cook them, then cut the meat.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_iwxvfbiH-xU/ShIMV0ZRLxI/AAAAAAAAAHg/G5utNn9_n7s/s400/cutting+board-+marble.jpg

I have always been someone who likes the wood cutting boards because they give me a nice solid board on which to cut. The plastic boards always seem to flimsy for use, although their care can actually be slightly easier to clean and keep in good shape.

I’ve never used a marble or glass cutting boards so I can’t really speak with any sort of assurance as to the quality of those types of cutting boards. I would imagine that the bonus of either of those cutting boards is that it would be harder for food particles to get stuck in the cutting board.

Of course with wooden boards there is a better traction on the food and the cut than it is with plastic but along with making sure you clean those boards off well, you also have to make sure you keep the wood treated so it doesn’t dry out.

Plastic is good for cutting meat because it isn't as porous as wood. I prefer wood for cutting veggies, fruit and tofu

We used wooden cutting boards for years in our restaurant, but they do require a lot of maintenance, as they harbour so many germs. You should always have separate boards for meat, fish, and veggies. Good plastic ones are fine, they do stain more though. I have a glass board, they look nice, but are not practical for cutting meat, and the sound gets on your nerves, as well as dulling the knives! Yes, it is true about marble being good for pastry. The colder the surface to roll it , and knead it , the better.