Mara De Luca

Former line cook turned home-lab tester focused on how board materials affect edge life. Shares repeatable procedures and plain-English results.

Boards should preserve edges first; all other features are secondary.

I kept a log for 30 dinners, switching boards while my petty and gyuto stayed fixed. When the microscope showed micro-rolls after just two prep sessions on a glassy bamboo, I tossed it. The end-grain rubber kept edges honest, and my sharpening stone stayed on the shelf.

Skeptical of hard, resin-heavy surfaces; favor end-grain rubber and maple.