When you are ready to use them you just pull them out, chop your ingredients, clean and slip right back into space. They stay up and out of the way for day to day use. Some boards can be pretty pricey but if you take your time and look you can find that most of them are pretty cheap. Unless you just want to get a high price board, you can usually find one that can fit just about any budget. While shopping for the best chopping board make sure you have in mind what you will be using your board for.