Olive Wood vs Acacia Wood Cutting Board - Which One Should You Choose?

If you're someone who enjoys cutting your favourite vegetables in style and performing a remarkable chopping ritual on the cutting board, so choosing the best quality wood for your cutting board might be your dream. Whether you are a professional chef or a home cook, having the perfect cutting board can impact your culinary experience and also cause of increasing the durability of your beloved kitchen tool. 

For this purpose, this article will guide you about the features of both olive wood and acacia wood to help you choose the best one based on your preferences and needs. Without wasting any time, let's dive into this article and learn what kind of wood would be ideal in all aspects of a perfect cutting board.

Olive Wood

Olive wood is known for its beautiful, unique, and natural grain patterns. Its rich golden brown hues often deepen with age, and its dense composition ensures that items made from it will last a long time. 

Olive wood is less frequently harvested due to its scarcity and high aesthetic value which makes it a luxury material. This rarity and unique appearance contribute to its higher cost, as olive trees grow slowly, explaining why it is more expensive.

Durability

Olive trees are extremely dense and durable, so everything made from them will also be tough. The Janka hardness rating of olive wood is 2,700 lbf, demonstrating that it is harder than most commonly used woods, such as maple or oak. This makes it highly resistant to wear and scratches, a quality that many people look for when buying cutting boards. 

Antibacterial Properties

Olive wood has natural antibacterial qualities thanks to its density and tight grain, which reduce the chance of food particles getting trapped and prevents damage to the wood. 

Maintenance

While this precious and rare wood is durable, it still requires periodic maintenance to ensure it remains in excellent condition for years to come. Regular care, handwashing, and oiling with food-grade mineral oil are necessary to prevent it from drying out or cracking. Despite its hardness, olive wood can be prone to chipping if handled roughly. 

Aesthetic Appeal

Each olive wood cutting board is unique and has intricate and swirling grain patterns that make it a standout in any kitchen. Its beauty, combined with functionality, makes it a perfect choice for both professionals and cooking enthusiasts.

Pros

• Stunning, unique appearance.
• Naturally antibacterial and hygienic.
• Long-lasting and resistant to moisture. 

Cons

• Expensive and not widely available.
• Can blunt knives over time due to their hardness​. 
• Requires more maintenance compared to some other woods.

Acacia Wood

Acacia wood is derived from multiple kinds of acacia trees found in tropical and subtropical regions. This unique wood is characterised by its durability, strength, and resilience to insects and water. It has distinctive grain patterns, and if we talk about its warm tones, then this wood has tones from golden yellow to dark brown.

Because of its durability and resistance to wear and tear, acacia wood is not only used in kitchen utensils but also in other home products like furniture, flooring, and outdoor products. 

Sustainability

Acacia is highly sustainable because its trees grow quickly and abundantly. Since it is fruitless, it is harvested for its wood, which is then crafted into various products. Environmentally conscious people will love to use the items made from this wood as it is eco-friendly.  

Density and Strength

Acacia wood is a dense hardwood that is exceptional in strength and durability. It is perfect for heavy-use items like furniture and cutting boards. Its Janka hardness rating is around 1,750 lbf. With just a little bit of maintenance, you will be rewarded with the company of acacia wood items. 

Low Shrinkage Rate

This wood has a low shrinking rate compared to pine, birch, maple, cherry, and oak. This means that it can maintain its shape and size well even in humid conditions.

Affordability

If we compare acacia wood with others, we find that acacia is more affordable and provides a cost-effective option without compromising on its quality. while many other types of wood provide the same benefits but due to their higher prices, it is impossible for the average consumer to purchase them. 

Pros

• Affordable and widely available.
• Resistant to moisture, rot, and wear.
• Sustainable and eco-friendly.

Cons

• Can have irregular grain patterns with natural knots​
• Requires regular oiling to prevent cracking.
• Not as unique in appearance as olive wood.

Olive Wood vs Acacia Wood - What’s the Difference

After we’ve covered the introduction, benefits, pros, and cons of olive and acacia wood, we can now start differentiating between them. This comparison will help you decide which is the most useful or perfect for you, whether for kitchenware, furniture, or decorative items.

Aesthetics and Appearance

Olive wood tends to stand out more due to its intricate grain and unique colour variations. Each piece is crafted from a single block of wood, which makes each piece unique and different. Olive wood cutting boards come in multiple shapes that look visually striking on the kitchen countertop.

These cutting boards are ideal for chopping and presenting food to guests. Acacia, on the other hand, has a more constant and warm tone, which can fit well in both modern and rustic kitchens. The cutting boards made from acacia wood are hard and dense, so your knife will not be destroyed when you cut or chop things on it.

Durability and Knife Impact

Olive and acacia wood are both durable, but olive wood is much harder. Its toughness makes it more resistant to scratches, which can also dull knives faster. Acacia provides a better middle ground between durability and knife-friendliness, making it better for everyday use if you want to maintain your knives. 

Price and Availability

When considering the annual harvesting of olive wood, the time it takes for trees to grow large, and the fact that they can eventually become infertile, it becomes clear why the wood is so expensive, especially when crafted into items like cutting boards.

On the other hand, Acacia wood is more affordable and widely available, which makes it a more budget-friendly option for most kitchens. You can purchase an olive wood cutting board for around 40 to 60 British pounds and an Acacia wood cutting board for around 25 to 80 British Pounds.

Sustainability

If we consider the sustainability of acacia wood, it scores higher than the sustainability of olive wood. Acacia trees grow rapidly and are harvested in an environmentally responsible manner, while olive wood is often sourced from trees that are no longer producing olives and are infertile. The wood is one of a kind and less eco-friendly because it takes a long time to grow.

Which is Best for a Cutting Board?

Olive wood cutting boards are best for those who prioritise aesthetics, durability, and antibacterial properties without caring about expenses and maintenance problems. They are perfect for cooking enthusiasts and professionals who want to cut, chop, and dice to the perfect level. 

Acacia wood is perfect for those who go for the more affordable, multifunctional, eco-friendly, and durable option. It is the best choice for everyday use to balance your kitchen’s beauty with the versatility of the wood. 

Conclusion

Cutting boards are magnificent pieces that enhance the look of your kitchen and also provide multi-functions like cutting, dicing, mincing, slicing, presenting, and rolling different vegetables, meats, bread, etc.

If you're looking for a cutting board that is luxurious, durable, functional, and crafted with attention to detail and focuses on the beauty to make your kitchen look wonderful while giving extended benefits, then olive wood cutting boards perfectly suit you.

If you want cutting boards that are eco-friendly, multifunctional, versatile, and affordable at the same time, then the Acacia cutting board is your best bet.