You might think that a pull-out cutting board provides extra space to chop vegetables, but it's designed to serve a different purpose.
If Your Kitchen Has a Pull-Out Cutting Board, Its Original Use Might Surprise You
Published on Jan. 07, 2025
Living in an old home is always an adventure. Even after five years, I still occasionally find unique features and quirks in my 100-year-old farmhouse! Some of them, such as phone niches, have a fairly obvious purpose, but then there are others—like these strange tiny doors or an upside-down baluster—that leave us scratching our heads.
If you have a pull-out cutting board in the kitchen of your old home, you might think its purpose is obvious, but I’m here to burst your bubble. These sliding boards weren’t originally meant to be cutting boards at all. Instead, they served another equally handy purpose in the kitchen.
Why do cabinets have a pull-out cutting board?
If you’ve discovered a pull-out cutting board in your kitchen, you might be tempted to start chopping vegetables on it. However, that’s not how these retractable boards were originally used. Back when your home was built, chances are the thin, slide-out board actually served as a “breadboard.” These were used for kneading and slicing homemade bread.
Having a hidden breadboard actually makes a lot of sense, if you think about it: The slightly lower surface gives you more leverage while kneading. Plus, since the boards weren’t used for everyday chopping, they would generally last much longer before needing to be replaced.
Can I use it for vegetables?
If you’ve been using your pull-out cutting board to chop fruits and vegetables, don’t fret. It’s perfectly fine to use this old-timey kitchen feature for food prep, just like any other wooden cutting board. In fact, many people particularly like that you can put a trash can underneath the board and brush scraps directly into it. It’s even become popular to incorporate a slide-out cutting board in new kitchens.
Just keep in mind that the board will wear down over time if you chop produce on it regularly, especially if it’s an original version that’s 50+ years old. There are replacement pull-out cutting boards available should this happen, but they generally need to be custom made and, as such, are pricey. If you end up purchasing a replacement, we recommend looking for a maple cutting board, which is durable and easy to clean.
