# To Juice Groove Or Not To Juice Groove?



## 18wheelznwood (Jan 21, 2021)

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of juice grooves, I usually use a dedicated carving board with juice grooves to cut cooked meats on. I'm looking to sell some cutting boards and would like to ask you all how much value a juice groove might add? This is actually my first end grain board.



















Getting ready to start the final glue up as soon as it warms up a little. I've made several edge grain cutting boards also and am wondering if there is a big enough difference in price to justify the extra effort in making end grain boards. Thanks, Mark.


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## PurpLev (May 30, 2008)

why not make both?

you can also gauge based on sales which people prefer so you can make more of those (with or without) in future builds.

When selling anything, the rule of thumb is always - it's about what the customer wants, not what your personal preference is. they are not buying it for you


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## splintergroup (Jan 20, 2015)

Personally I like the juice groove, but hate sanding it clean of router burns, especially with end grain. There is also the risk of screwing up.

I'd place finger grooves on the sides first.


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## LittleShaver (Sep 14, 2016)

The board I made for us has a juice groove on one side and no groove on the other. Finger grooves on two edges.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

as purplev said if your selling them let the customer tell you.i rarely put them in,as splint said a pain to sand and a slip and a ruined board.


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## 18wheelznwood (Jan 21, 2021)

Just thinking that a juice groove on an end grain board is an open invitation for standing liquid and unneeded moisture penetration. Maybe offer them in end grain but with a warning that cracks may occur if left with standing liquids.


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## tomsfoolery (Oct 29, 2020)

For those that do put in juice groove, how far from the edge do you put them and how deep do you rout them. I got 4 boards all flatten and I am getting ready to build a jig for the juice groove. I am not sure how far from the edge to put them. Thinking 3/4" but not sure. Thanks.


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> For those that do put in juice groove, how far from the edge do you put them and how deep do you rout them. I got 4 boards all flatten and I am getting ready to build a jig for the juice groove. I am not sure how far from the edge to put them. Thinking 3/4" but not sure. Thanks.
> 
> - tomsfoolery


when i have done it 3/4" is about what i did and about a 3/8" deep.


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

If you use a side cutting flute cutter you don't get the burns.









I have a set of the long shank ones that I also use for fluting turnings.
(For use in a router table, of course. Do not attempt freehand unless you're cutting the edge of your board)

10x easier and 10x better quality cut than a bullnose bit.

My $0.02



> Personally I like the juice groove, but hate sanding it clean of router burns, especially with end grain. There is also the risk of screwing up.
> 
> I d place finger grooves on the sides first.
> 
> - splintergroup


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## BillGo (Oct 8, 2020)

> If you use a side cutting flute cutter you don't get the burns.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I would love to see a video for how to use this bit, and get the corners right. I searched YT, but could not find an example of using this kind of bit for cutting a juice groove. Pleeeeeeese?


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## northwoodsman (Feb 22, 2008)

Being culinary trained and a chef instructor, I'm a big advocate against juice grooves. If you let your meat rest properly once it is removed from the heat source, most liquid will be retained in the meat once the muscles relax. The exception is the excess fat from the point/cap of a brisket. Watermelon always makes a mess also. A juice groove really reduces the usable surface on a cutting board. I place a clean towel or two under the cutting board making sure that you can see it around the edges and allow it to catch the drippings. It also prevents the cutting board from moving around. In my opinion a juice groove is the point of difference between a cutting board that is designed for a professional and one that is geared towards home use.


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

> I would love to see a video for how to use this bit, and get the corners right. I searched YT, but could not find an example of using this kind of bit for cutting a juice groove. Pleeeeeeese?
> 
> - BillGo


I marked the start and stop lines on my router table fence and pivoted on and off when the edge of the board was at the line. I started and stopped short of the line, checked it, then snuck up on it some more until I liked the corners.

Didn't make a video. Wouldn't know how to post it if I did.


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## DS (Oct 10, 2011)

I think it turned out okay…


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## BillGo (Oct 8, 2020)

Nice DS! Thanks for the explanation!


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## pottz (Sep 15, 2015)

> Being culinary trained and a chef instructor, I m a big advocate against juice grooves. If you let your meat rest properly once it is removed from the heat source, most liquid will be retained in the meat once the muscles relax. The exception is the excess fat from the point/cap of a brisket. Watermelon always makes a mess also. A juice groove really reduces the usable surface on a cutting board. I place a clean towel or two under the cutting board making sure that you can see it around the edges and allow it to catch the drippings. It also prevents the cutting board from moving around. In my opinion a juice groove is the point of difference between a cutting board that is designed for a professional and one that is geared towards home use.
> 
> - northwoodsman


+1 totally agree!


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## tomsfoolery (Oct 29, 2020)

> when i have done it 3/4" is about what i did and about a 3/8" deep.
> 
> - pottz


Thanks that was what I was considering.


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## them700project (Aug 12, 2015)

I also do not like them for my use. I use my boards in the kitchen so any mess is on the counter which easily cleans up. If i cut on the counter I move stuff to a serving dish. So the only advantage i would get is a little less mess onthe counter. But I would lose surface area, make it harder to clean, and its extra work(cutting and sanding it).


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## Davevand (Feb 10, 2016)

> Being culinary trained and a chef instructor, I m a big advocate against juice grooves. If you let your meat rest properly once it is removed from the heat source, most liquid will be retained in the meat once the muscles relax. The exception is the excess fat from the point/cap of a brisket. Watermelon always makes a mess also. A juice groove really reduces the usable surface on a cutting board. I place a clean towel or two under the cutting board making sure that you can see it around the edges and allow it to catch the drippings. It also prevents the cutting board from moving around. In my opinion a juice groove is the point of difference between a cutting board that is designed for a professional and one that is geared towards home use.
> 
> - northwoodsman


+1
I don't have juice grooves in my cutting board, don't believe they are needed and waste a lot of space. If I were making a bunch of cutting boards with grooves I would either buy or make a scraper to match the groove to minimize sanding


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## OzarkSawdust (Dec 14, 2018)

> Being culinary trained and a chef instructor, I m a big advocate against juice grooves. If you let your meat rest properly once it is removed from the heat source, most liquid will be retained in the meat once the muscles relax. The exception is the excess fat from the point/cap of a brisket. Watermelon always makes a mess also. A juice groove really reduces the usable surface on a cutting board. I place a clean towel or two under the cutting board making sure that you can see it around the edges and allow it to catch the drippings. It also prevents the cutting board from moving around. In my opinion a juice groove is the point of difference between a cutting board that is designed for a professional and one that is geared towards home use.
> 
> - northwoodsman


I agree also. I was never a certified chef, but I've had some formal culinary training years ago. The towel thing is always what we were taught and used. I'm getting ready to start making cutting boards also, finely got a planer and jointer, and will make mine without groves.


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## 18wheelznwood (Jan 21, 2021)

Well, I juice grooved. Made an edge grain cutting board for my Dad and put one on one side. I bought a Kreg router table and a DeWalt 618 router. Took a couple practice pieces but figured out my stopping point at the corners, marked it on each side of the board. The center point of my router bit lines up perfectly where the two fence panels meet when the fence is in the closed position, which gives a perfect target. So just pivot the board down along the fence while sliding it to prevent burn marks. I slid the board side to side to the marks and the corners matched up nicely. Only one hiccup, I let the board move away from the fence slightly at one point and ended up with a divot on the outer side of the groove. I rounded that edge over with a contour sanding block and voila the divot is history.


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