How to make a DIY cutting board for juicy meat

DIY cutting board that looks fab and works amazing for less than $22.

I do occasionally like to prepare a juicy roast beef, but slicing it on a traditional chopping board is usually a messy affair. All the juices that flow around spill over from the board to the kitchen countertop surface. 

I have imagined various chopping board designs that would take a lot more juice than the traditional cutting board with a juice groove, but the epiphany came when at an IKEA store, I saw the GRILLTIDER serving tray and PROPPMÄTT cutting board close to each other. Their sizes were so closely matching and could provide my ultimate design.

How to make a cutting board with a juice tray

Total Time: 30 minutes

Step 1: Measure and mark the cut line

On the PROPPMÄTT side with a hole, draw a line parallel to the short side of the chopping board at a 78 mm (3.07″) distance from the border.

Step 2: Shorten the cutting board

With the circular saw, cut the board along the line drawn in step 1.

Step 3: Round the corners

Use the smaller piece of scrap wood cut away from the PROPPMÄTT as a template to draw the curved edges on the remaining PROPPMÄTT board.

Step 4: Cut the corners

With the reciprocating saw, cut the corners to make them as round as the others.

Step 5: Smoothen edges

Smooth the edges with an orbital sander or sandpaper. If you want, you can sandpaper the board surface, too.

Step 6: Protect the cutting board

Apply protecting oil to the board, as per IKEA instructions.

Step 7: Attach bumpers

Attach the rubber feet bumpers to the lower side of the GRILLTIDER serving tray.

Step 8: Position the stoppers

Position the rubber gaskets approximately in the corners of GRILLTIDER. Do not glue them; you will have to remove them to clean GRILLTIDER.

Step 9: DIY cutting board with juice tray is ready

Position PROPPMÄTT on the rubber gaskets and you’re ready to start cutting.

Supply:

• IKEA PROPPMÄTT Chopping Board (17 3/4″ x 11″)
• IKEA GRILLTIDER Serving Tray (15 3/4″ x 11 3/4″)
• 4 rubber feet/ bumpers of your choice
• 4 rubber gaskets

Tools:

• A saw (ideally a circular saw and a reciprocating saw)
• Sandpaper 
• A pencil

How long did it take, and what’s the cost of this DIY cutting board?

Cutting the board, rounding the corners, and sandpapering the result took somewhere between 20 to 30 minutes; add a few minutes to position the rubber feet bumpers and the gaskets. In less than an hour, spending less than 30 Euros, I now have a large chopping board that can take up to 500ml of liquid!

What do you like most about this DIY project?

I love the amount of liquid this IKEA hacked chopping board can take, the totally easy cleaning (no corners, no rods, no screws, nothing), and the look of the drain/ gutter that runs all around the board that says, “Don’t worry, I can take it.” The combination of steel and wood also adds a nice design touch.

What to pay special attention to?

The single critical element is the rubber gaskets that support PROPPMÄTT cutting board inside the GRILLTIDER tray. They have to provide sufficient adherence for the board to stay put, and their height has to be sufficient to ensure that enough liquid can flow below the board. Be also careful with the height of the feet bumpers; if they are too low, they won’t support your new SAFTIKÖTT cutting board. (It means “meat juice” – a name I coined for this DIY cutting board for meat.)

Nothing is particularly complicated in this design: the hardest step has been figuring out how to support PROPPMÄTT inside the GRILLTIDER tray. There were many design candidates, but each of them had its own drawbacks.

~ by Daniele T

Our favorite IKEA cutting board hacks

The IKEA STOLTHET, an elevated cutting board with a stand, went viral when Tiktoker @grillodesigns demonstrated three different ways to use the cutting board, each one more creative than the last. 

While IKEA markets it as a cutting board, Medina Grillo re-imagined it as bookends for her shelf or nightstand. 

Pushing the boundaries even further, she used it as a laptop or monitor stand for her desk. And lastly, as a tiered tray in her kitchen for a coffee station or cooking spices.

Watch the many uses of the STOLTHET chopping board in this video. 

The video has garnered over 10 million views on social media, with many users expressing their excitement at the cutting board hack. Viewers have chimed in with their own suggestions, including a cheese board, sofa armrest table, or a small table for kids to use in their car seats. The most creative use award goes to viewers who suggest using it in the toilet as a footrest. 

Thanks to Grillo, we now have a new appreciation for the humble cutting board. So grab a few when you’re shopping at IKEA because this many-sided IKEA cutting board is a wonderful addition to your home and makes a great gift for friends and family. 

The versatile IKEA cutting board: APTITLIG

Long before the STOLTHET, the APTITLIG was the versatile one. It’s been made into a bathroom countertop, a floating wall shelf, and even a mouse pad. See our tutorials for more ideas. 

Lluís trims the APTITLIG bamboo cutting board into an elegant, minimalist floating nightstand.

Elisa makes a one-of-a-kind bamboo mouse pad from an IKEA cutting board.

The IKEA APTITLIG cutting boards add much-needed counter space to Melissa’s small bathroom. A small space lifesaver!

IKEA LAMPLIG cutting board 

The LÄMPLIG is a large IKEA cutting board made from an easy-care material — bamboo. On one side, it has a milled groove to collect juices. Flip it over, and it fits over the kitchen countertop with an edge that keeps it stable against the worktop.

The LÄMPLIG also has its fair share of IKEA hacks, with this kitchen island hack being our favorite. 

All you need to do is pair two LAMPLIG cutting boards with the KALLAX for a budget-friendly kitchen island.

See more IKEA kitchen hacks.

The post How to make a DIY cutting board for juicy meat appeared first on IKEA Hackers.