Over the Sink Cutting Board

The best kitchen gadget I’ve bought in ages is an over the sink cutting board. As the holidays approach I’ve been thinking that I’d get one for each of my siblings. Let me show you the three I liked best and why I chose the one I did.

Before I do that, let me just paint a picture for you. It’s one that I’m sure you’ve run into before, too.

I was making salsa for a get together with my in laws a few weekends ago. I’ve had this one cutting board that we got as a present from our homebuilder when we moved in (which I thought was a pretty ingenious present). It’s made out of the same material as our kitchen countertop so it all matches.


Even though it has a little groove around the edge to catch drips and seeds it never catches it all – especially when cutting tomatoes or watermelon.

So, I’m standing there cutting up the tomatoes, juice running off the board and starting to chart a course to the edge of the counter where Rocky, the family Chihuahua, is impatiently waiting to catch what he knows is headed his way when my sixteen year old son walks by and says “You know, Mom, you should get that kind that fits over the sink like Grandma has.”

Sometimes I’m really slow to catch on. My own mother has used this style for years but it never dawned on me to try one because I had this gift from my home builder. (Yes, I win the slow-to-catch-on award but, then again, my children are used to that from me.)

Now, on to the three styles that I think are the best.

Sink-top Cutting Board with Built-In Colander

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There are some vegetables and fruits that you need to rinse after you slice and dice and there are some that are really juicy and leave a big mess while you’re cutting them.

Using a sink-top cutting board that has a colander built in is best in those situations. You can flip your peels or cores aside – even into the sink itself – and then put your cut pieces in the attached strainer to let the juice run off while you’re working.

Make sure that the one you buy has a removable strainer because it will be easier to clean BUT you want to make sure that colander fits really well during use, doesn’t slip around a lot, and is big enough to hold the amount you normally cut up at one time. It’s a pain to have to pull out the colander and dump the contents into yet another bowl.

I found this one model that works for most sink sizes, has great ratings, seems very solid and of a good size.

Bamboo Cutting Board that Sits Over the Kitchen Sink

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My mother swears by bamboo for cutting boards. My dad picked up a cheap set he found on one of those deal sites for her and she’s used nothing but ever since - this includes the one that fits over her sink.

Bamboo is an environmentally friendly choice because it grows fast which means we’re not harming a natural resource as much as we would be if we used a wood cutting board but it’s also easy to clean, self-healing, and won’t do as much damage to your knife as some other materials.

Personally, the best bamboo cutting board that fits over the kitchen sink is this Bamboo Corner Grip Cutting Board with a lime green colander built inr. It’s large enough to cover even a double sink and has a corner opening so you can push your rinds and cores into the sink for disposal later. If you’re going to get this one make sure you use this link because it leads to the lowest priced listing I found on Amazon.

Sink Cover Cutting Board

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The one challenge I faced finding the perfect cutting board was the size and shape of my sink. I have one of those double sinks with a seamless edge and no lip. It’s a very wide opening to cover so I had to carefully check the measurements of each option to make sure it would span the entire opening.

I found one that was both long enough to cover both sinks but also wide enough to cover almost the full width. It’s got a very generous work space and since I can swing my faucet to the side I won’t be hampered by anything sitting above me hands as I work.

If you’ve got a similar set up, I think you’ll find the Lipper International 8831 is just the solution for you.

I’ll have mine in time to be a great help during Thanksgiving preparation. We’re entertaining family at our house this year and I like to do fresh veggies and fruits as appetizers while we’re waiting for the turkey to be done. It’s also going to get a lot of use next summer with all the watermelon we devour. No more drips running off the counter! I can’t wait.

Check out one of the three over the sink cutting boards I researched above and let me know what you think!