The paddle board has a channel on one side of the board for juices. The other two boards do not have a channel. All of the boards contain an antimicrobial agent.

Since these 3 boards are also nonporous and dishwasher-safe they are easy to keep sanitary compared to wood board.

This set has one large board and two smaller boards. The large board is great for big cutting jobs and the other two boards are useful for smaller prep jobs.

I would favorably compare the features of this set to more expensive poly boards. They lack the visual appeal of more expensive poly boards and only the paddle board has a channel for excess juices. Pads would be nice too but then you could only cut on one side.

To date these boards are holding up pretty well. I've had poly boards from outlets that showed knife marks. These boards seem more durable than those poly boards but do show marks when a hard cut is made.

Update: I've had these boards for over six months and I find myself using them constantly. I cook daily and they are wearing well. They don't damage my expensive knives and only show scratches when I make a hard cut. However, if you use the boards constantly they will start to look scratched if you "heavy handed" like me. I'd rather have a mark on my board than a damaged knife. I've changed my rating to five stars as these poly boards have worked out great. I bought the 12"x18" Farberware board too because this set has worked out so well. The 12x18" board is a nice addition if you cook whole birds or other jobs that can use a large board with a wide juice channel. I rarely use my attractive wooden boards these days and find myself using the Farberware boards for almost all my cutting jobs.

18 of 20 found the following review helpful:

You Can Never Have Enough Cutting Boards  Sep 28, 2002
By Warren Holzem
There comes a time in every cook's life that they realize that it would be easier to have multiple cutting boards instead of taking the time to clean and re-clean a single board multiple times just to make one meal.

This is a nice little collection. They all fit in the dishwasher, and even the smallest isn't so small that it has no utility. The bundle also was priced less than I found similar sized boards for in local stores.

They may not last me the rest of my life, but they are sturdy enough that I've already got more use than I paid for, and they've still got plenty of use left in them.

You're not going to get your picture in Better Homes and Kitchens magazine for having these in your kitchen. They make no fashion statement at all. But they do have plenty of utility, and isn't that what you're interested in when you need to chop, slice or dice something?

45 of 55 found the following review helpful:

Disappointing quality.  Feb 16, 2003
By Aaron Contorer
This is a good, very useful type of cutting board. The sizes provided are handy. However, in the set I received, the largest board was substantially defective: the color is irregular in places, and the thickness in inconsistent. The board is thicker near the edges than it is in the middle, which is a serious flaw since the knife needs to contact the board throughout the cut.

I've owned several cutting boards, and never had one with a defect. It's an extremely simple product, and almost all types are flawless. To receive one with two separate, easily noticeable flaws is very disappointing. I cannot recommend this product.

13 of 15 found the following review helpful:

Not perfectly flat  Nov 20, 2002
By Loretta Matson "Loretta"
I bought two sets of these. They're great for smashing wet things like handmade paper and pasted items. But both of the largest boards were warped--tippy on one side and stable but not flush with the table on the other. Still, for the money I'm very happy with the small boards which *are* perfectly flat.

11 of 13 found the following review helpful:

Cheap but poor quality...  Jan 07, 2004
By tiger01
I agree with some earlier reviews: These boards have uneven thicknesses, and the cutting surface is not flat. This means the boards can wobble on the countertop. Farberware may be inexpensive, but it's no bargain. Spend the extra dollars on a KitchenAid cutting board, which is thick, perfectly flat, and has non-skid rubber grips. If you're on a budget, Ikea cutting boards are even cheaper than Farberware but still better.

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