Totally Bamboo Big Easy Cutting Board

I've always loved using end grain bamboo cutting boards because they are easy on knife blades. They also tend to be somewhat self-healing which I will touch on later.Until recently my main cutting board was a 12-in x 12-in two-sided end grain bamboo board which I loved using. Unfortunately it is a little bit too small for my current needs. Searching Amazon revealed the availability of only a few end grain bamboo boards. When I came across this board my concern was a few very old reviews that suggested there were potential quality issues. I decided to purchase it anyway knowing that if there were major issues with it when it arrived I could always send it back.I was very pleasantly surprised with the very high quality of this board. It is 16-inches by16-inches in size and quite thick and heavy. Because of its size and weight, It is a board you will probably want to leave in place permanently on your kitchen countertop.Although it is not mentioned in the description, this is a one-sided board only. The working side has a trough going around it which is both wider and deeper then most other boards and is intended to catch juices and liquids from carving meats and other foods.I had originally hoped it was a two-sided board without the trough on the opposite side so there would be a full unobstructed 16-inch by 16-inch cutting area. However, the reverse side is not flat but instead tapers a couple of inches from the edge to give the impression the board is floating when it's on your countertop. I was not disappointed because I quickly realized that the trough was not a limiting factor but was in fact a very useful feature even for cutting things other than meats, fowl and fish. Because the trough is over an inch wide and fairly deep It can also catch most scrap cuttings from things like vegetables or cheeses preventing them for falling off the edge of the board onto your countertop.Some people here have chosen the alternative cutting board sold by this company, the "extra large" Totally Bamboo - Bamboo Big Easy Chopping Block, measuring 19" x 13.5" It is a nice looking board but I was not interested in it because the cutting area is not end grain. And, although it is referred to as extra large, the surface area in square inches is actually identical to the 16-in X 16-in end grain board. However, that board might be more useful for those looking for a traditional chopping block rather than a cutting board as its name implies.Finally, my experience with end grain bamboo is that it is, to a certain degree, self-healing when cared for properly with food grade mineral oil. This board is no exception. The mineral oil gets into the end grain fibers of the cuts and expands them a bit. When the oil dries, normal cuts in the surface tend to be much less visible and may almost disappear completely to naked eye.I also attached 2-in x 2-in non-skid pads near the corners of the bottom of the board to prevent it from sliding on my granite counter. They work great. I don't want my board moving around while I'm using it.I absolutely love using this beautiful board and have no regrets with this purchase.