For juicy foods and preparation where liquid control matters, INGE is the most practical AtaNova format because it has a milled juice groove. For smaller vegetables, cheese, snacks and easy table service, Handle 340 is compact and easy to carry. Handle 480 gives you the most single-board space, while the two-board AYA set is useful when you want separate boards available for different everyday tasks.
The Most Important Rule: Separate Raw Meat from Ready-to-Eat Foods
Board shape does not replace food-safety practice. When preparing raw meat, poultry or seafood, keep it separate from vegetables, bread, cheese and other foods that will be eaten without further cooking. Use separate boards or thoroughly wash and dry a board before it is used for another food.
The two-board AYA set can make separate workflows easier, but the boards themselves are not labelled for specific food groups. Decide which board is assigned to which task in your own kitchen.
Best for Juicy Meat and Foods: INGE
INGE measures 300 × 200 × 20 mm and has a milled juice groove. That groove helps catch juices and excess liquid before they run directly off the board, so INGE is the clearest choice when liquid control matters.
A groove does not make a board self-cleaning or eliminate cross-contamination risk. After contact with raw meat, wash the board by hand with dish soap under running water and dry it immediately before using it again.
Best for Vegetables and Everyday Prep: AYA or Handle 480
AYA gives you two smooth oak boards — 300 × 200 × 15 mm and 240 × 180 × 15 mm — which is useful when you want a larger and smaller surface available during everyday preparation. Handle 480, at 480 × 200 × 20 mm, is better when you prefer one large uninterrupted working area.
For vegetable prep, the right choice is therefore less about a special material and more about your preferred workflow: two separate sizes with AYA or one larger work surface with Handle 480.
Best for Cheese, Snacks and Table Service: Handle 340
Handle 340 measures 340 × 150 × 9 mm. Its narrower shape, handle and hanging hole make it well suited to smaller preparation, cheese, snacks and carrying food from kitchen to table.
If you regularly build larger serving arrangements, Handle 480 gives you more space while keeping the same handled format.
When AYA Makes the Most Sense
AYA is the only AtaNova configuration supplied as two separate boards. That makes it useful for kitchens where different tasks happen at the same time or where you prefer to keep a larger and smaller board available.
If you choose to dedicate one board to raw foods and the other to ready-to-eat foods, keep that system consistent and still clean each board properly after use.
Oak Care After Food Preparation
- Wash by hand with dish soap and a sponge under running water.
- Dry immediately after washing.
- Do not use a dishwasher or leave the board soaking.
- Refresh the wood regularly with paraffin oil suitable for wooden kitchen boards.
- Natural differences in grain and colour are normal.
Wooden Cutting Board or Slate Serving Board?
This article is about oak boards for preparation and serving. If your main goal is presentation rather than chopping, compare that use with our live Personalised Slate Serving Board guide.
Next Useful Steps
See the live Personalised Wooden Cutting Boards page for the current Handle 340, Handle 480, INGE and AYA options. Browse Home & Living for related wooden home and kitchen pieces. For a format-first comparison, read the Personalised Cutting Board Buying Guide. For maintenance, continue with How to Clean and Care for an Oak Cutting Board. For personalisation ideas, see What Should You Engrave on a Personalised Cutting Board?. For a Mother's Day gift decision, read Personalised Cutting Board for Mother's Day.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is INGE only for meat?
No. Its juice groove is useful whenever you want to control juices or excess liquid.
Can I use the same wooden board for meat and vegetables?
Only with proper separation and cleaning. Raw meat, poultry and seafood should be kept separate from foods that will be eaten without further cooking.
Which AtaNova option is best for cheese and snacks?
Handle 340 is the most compact handled format for smaller preparation and serving.
