I think that is a gorgeous kitchen. And if your butcher block gets icky, you could sand it!

I love it too! It's one of my favorite inspiration photos; after seeing it my mind was made up on getting the white inset cabs. The layout of my kitchen is even a little similar, except I'm thinking about putting my induction cooktop in the corner. I'd love to have the marble too, but DH is dead-set against it. So, I'll probably settle for a beautiful whitish granite.

You're so right about sanding, I almost forgot about that!

Hi Erika. I got wood countertop estimates from Brooks Wood, Devos Woodworking and Grotthouse Lumber. If you were to go with Brooks Wood Premium Wide Plank line you wouldnt have a problem with the 'wear and tear' of other wood countertops. They have a process which completely seals the wood, and supposedly NEVER has to be refinished.....even with a sink or cooktop. Look at the website for further info www.brookswood.com I will say that the Premium Wide Plank line comes at a price. When my island estimate came back at $15K, I decided against wood!! I was able to get the estimate down to $5K from Devos but it didn't come with the same sealing process and warranty.
I know you asked for pictures and have probably done all of this research already, but just in case you hadn't come across Brooks Wood, I thought I would send it!!

My mother has a butcher block farmer's table in her kitchen which is about 20 years old (at least). She uses it as a prep area as well as a gathering spot since her kitchen has very limited counter space. The table has faded, has scratches etc but still looks good to me . The nice thing is that red wine stains etc have been bleached or sanded out. I think with wood countertops (for the most part) you need to accept the idea of a patina of sorts - much like marble. I like it personally and would have liked it for our island except we ended up putting our sink there so it wouldn't have been a good match.

You can see that whole kitchen (and lots more gorgeous kitchens) at www.thekitchendesigner.org. That's Susan Serra's website. I wish I had found out about her before I started my kitchen, I would definitely have used her.

I have an actual butcher's block, not a countertop, and I'd include a picture if I could figure out how to do it. We've had it for 40 years and it was old when we found it so it's had a lot of wear; however, it is the one thing in the kitchen that I can not give up. It works as an island, staging area, landing area, cutting board, etc. I give it no special care other than to wipe with a spray containing bleach if I've cut up any meat. It could be sanded I suppose but I've never felt the need to do that.

Another thing that you could do, esp. with a big chunky block like the one in the picture, is to not fasten it to the cabinets. It's going to be so heavy that it's not going anywhere, 'cept maybe in an earthquake or tornado. That way, you can just flip it over and have a pristine surface for like when you're showing the house for resale. If it has to be fastened down, then use minimal fasteners & either fill or plug the fastener holes with wood plugs.

When it gets really, really icky, the surface can be planed. Finding a shop with a wide enough thickness planer would be the biggest challenge.

FWIW, my butcher blocks have been in for a year and a half and look fabulous. They have a few nicks (from one of my favorite knives that someone used the tip of to pry a jar lid) but none are really noticable. I also chose a couple of harder woods for the blocks, but there's always sandpaper!

I also used Grothouse, and they were wonderful to work with.

My cousin has a butcher block on legs that has worn in the center (it is somewhat ancient) and I love that look. I just thought I would see how the wear plays out with my counter tops, and know I could "fix" it if I thought I had to.

Kara: Thanks so much for that info

afr66: I enjoy kitchens that look lived in and not just showpieces, so the patina would actually be a plus for me.

Jeannie: I've spent hours drooling over Susan Serra's website. :)

Sue: I upload my pics onto a website called Photobucket (it's free) and next to each of your photos they include an html code that you can cut and paste right into your posts here on GW. Like you, I plan to chop on my butcher block. So you don't have to oil it or anything to keep it from cracking? Wow, that sounds like easy upkeep.

cilantro: Great idea about flipping the butcher block!

mamadada: When I called Crown Point Cabinetry, I mentioned your kitchen and "the kitchen renovation forum that I frequent." The designer responded, "You mean Garden Web?" hehe! Your kitchen is what made me fall in love with butcher block. I considered foregoing the prep sink so that I could have my island like yours. I wonder if you find yourself babying the butcher block still, or are you really chopping away on it?

claybabe: If you ever just happen to have your digital camera hanging out around your butcher block, I'd love to see it! :)

Has anyone done a drop-in butcher block like this one?

{{gwi:1911710}}

This kitchen belongs to personal chef Sally Cameron. She had it routed so it sits in her countertop and she says she turns it around so that it wears evenly.

I've included a link to a newspaper article about her kitchen renovation that includes her comments about the things she felt she had to have in her kitchen as well as pics and a video.

Here is a link that might be useful: Dream Kitchen Reno for Personal Chef

mamadadapaige, if you don't mind, could you tell me how many samples you got from Grothouse and what were they? How did you ultimately decide on the Brazilian cherry. Oh, well, of course, because it is to die for!!! HA!

I have a very small island compared to yours, but I am looking at Brazilian cherry, African mohagany and maybe even the Teak. BTW, to everyone else, be sure to ask Grothouse for a brochure if you have not done so already. It has more pictures and examples then their website. I also might be interested in a distressed finish. Wonder what the cons of that would be?

Thanks for any info mama. And, erikanh, good luck to you figuring this all out. Sounds like we are in the same boat.

Thanks pup, I'm going to send for the brochure today.

hi erika,
funny you mention that about crownpoint because the designer I worked with called me about a month ago and said that calls had been coming in and because of MY kitchen!! I was floored and so flattered. He was a little peaved that I hadn't mentioned his name as the new clients weren't making their way to him (his name is Mark Wirta by the way... tons of experience with kitchens / gave me rock solid confidence that it would all be done the right way / REALLY easy and nice to work with / VERY responsive to my phone calls and to changes I asked to make / was not at all bothered that I came up with own design and did not try to "take over".). Anyway, there I gave him a plug.

re: the butcherblock. I have been oiling it once a week or so / maybe once every other week now that I have had it a while. it is very easy and quick to oil and not a hassle at all. i have to admit that I haven't been chopping on it a lot but have been using it as a work surface. I did roll out dough on it and that was nice to have such a big surface. it cleaned up nicely after that. i thought i'd be chopping on it by now, but still can't bring myself to do it even though I love the look of a well used chopping block.

hi pupwhipped - I would be happy to share with you how it all happened and thank you for the nice compliment! First, I was googling custom butcherblock countertops and came up with this place in Texas - they work in Mesquite which is VERY hard and really pretty. They sent a couple of samples (free of charge... made me feel bad that they didn't get the business / they were very pleasant to deal with ). I can't remember their name, but I was set to go with them until I found out that freight to me in Massachusetts would be $750... so I started looking around and found out about Grothouse from GW. I spoke to the man who answers the phone at Grothouse... he was very knowledgable (Chad or something like that) and explained that I was looking at Mesquite. he said don't do it - mesquite splits because it is so dry (not sure if this is true or not but I wasn't willing to risk it as I had heard nothing about the Texas company and only excellent recommendations re: Grothouse). He said that the closest coloring and hardness to Mesquite was Brazilian Cherry so I ordered sample of End Grain, Edge Grain and Flat Grain. I asked neighbors, friends, family etc which they preferred. We all unanimously preferred the end grain (which just so happened to be the most expensive --- which is truly the story of my life). My architect placed the order for me which netted a 25 ish % discount - I paid direct though and my architect gave me a gift of not charging me to place the order (which is his and probably all architect's normal custom).

anyway, I think it makes my kitchen and I am so happy we splurged for it and I can tell you if you decide to go with Grothouse you will not be disappointed. they are VERY professional and with a very fast turn around time. The cost for the BB top ended up being about $23 / sq. ft. more than the granite cost, so it is an upcharge but maybe not so much that you can't find some savings elsewhere in the budget to afford it.

Let me know what you decide to do. The other choices you are considering sound really nice too.

ps: when I ordered the grothouse samples, i figured first that i'd probably end up going with them and had called them several times to ask big and small questions. otherwise I wouldn't have forked over $75 for samples (but I did get that $$ back when I placed an order and having the samples was absolutlely the only way I would have been able to make a decision).

geez, i guess i was a little long winded...

i remembered the name of the Mesquite BB company out of Texas. It is Living Elements. The sample they sent was gorgeous! I just ended up chickening out in the end because I couldn't find anyone on GW or anywhere else to recommend them and then had the negative advice from Grothouse about Mesquite (which they don't carry so maybe it was salesmanship??)

Here is a link that might be useful: Mesquite

Hi Mama,

Just read your post and had to write because just yesterday I spoke to both Evan at Grothouse and Mark Wirta at CrownPoint and it's all because of you! How many inches thick is your Brazilian Cherry Butcher block?

Just wanted to add that Evan sent me some images of different types of woods -- the Sapele Mahogany and Walnut are also gorgeous in both end grain and side grain.

And Mark Wirta of course knew whose gorgeous white kitchen I had seen on Garden Web -- the one that led me to him. I just e- mailed him some drawings and a wishlist.

Thanks again for all the wonderful information you have so very graciously and generously shared with all of us.

Hi mamadada! (ok if I call you that?)

Thanks so much for your info about your butcher block. I would love to have that big expanse of work space to chop on and roll dough on! Maybe I should investigate putting my prep sink in a separate piece on the end ... Decisions, decisions...

I do remember you mentioning Mark Wirta in one of your other posts. Now I feel bad that I didn't ask for him. =( But I've already started working with a nice woman named Carol Stevens. I'm on pins and needles waiting to see what kind of design she'll come up with, but she says it will take a few weeks. I wish I could come up with my own design like you did, but I have a long, skinny kitchen that has so far stumped me. I was working with a local KD, but her pricing came in hugely over budget, and I was never completely happy with any of the designs she did for me.

My KD recommended Grothouse and I was thrilled to find such praise for them here on GW. I ordered a wenge edge grain sample today! My main sink is going in my island, which is where I want the wood. I'm a little nervous about this, although the man I spoke with at Grothouse said about 80% of their tops have sinks now. This is why I'm planning on using the marine grade finish.

SO...mamadadapaige, thank you for continuing to answer questions about your beautiful kitchen. I want to second the request for the thickness of your island top. I said 2 inches for my sample (the minimum they do is 1 1/2), but I really have no idea what would be best. Thanks!

Janefan:

I couldn't find anything on Grothouse's website about a marine finish. Can you chop on that?

Erika

We had a long maple butcher block counter on our center island for 14 years. It was stained from foods, newspaper ink, water, scorch marks from hot pans and whatever and looked bad. We sanded it, but it never did look very good after that first year. We were surprised at how deep some of those stains went; we never did get those out! We were told we had to be very careful what we sealed it with because we did use it for food prep and cutting every day. I realize that not everyone has had the problems that we did, but the bottom line is that we did. Personally, I was very glad to get rid of it with our kitchen reno and have not missed a bit these past eight months. Here's one pic of the old counter top:
{{gwi:1826781}}
Lynn

Lynne,

Thanks so much for posting that. That's exactly the kind of pic I was looking for: a butcher block that's been used to prepare food and cut on every day for years. In this pic, it looks kind of dried out. Were you oiling it? I'm definitely leaning toward a darker wood like mamadadapaige has and I would not put a sink in it. I really don't mind oiling it every day (would force me to keep my island from collecting clutter), but I also don't want to baby it.

Erika

Sorry to hijack the thread but I wanted to ask mamadadpaige, was you kitchen featured on This Old House by any chance? I was watching a show and they did a big grothouse lumber island top just like yours. I immediately thought it was your kitchen.

erikanh, the marine grade finish may have been on the brochure from Grothouse that my KD gave me. You cannot chop directly on it and I don't believe it can be re-finished down the road.

Lynn--thank you for sharing your experience. You mentioned staining, but will you tell me if your counter warped or grew moldy around the sink? Thanks.

I, too, am wondering about how much mildew, mold, staining, etc. would be expected on an unsealed butcher block top with a sink nearby. Because of space constraints in our small kitchen, we have to put the sink (our one and only!) in the island, which we also want to use as the main food prep. area, i.e., lots of chopping. We thought that having an undermount sink and surrounding it with maybe 6" of granite might reduce some of the water damage to the wood. Has anyone done anything like this? Thanks for all the great advice and experience, this website is addicting but also a lifesaver!

Regarding our former, loooong butcher block island counter: It never warped, but did try and grow a blackish mold around the sink edge many times . . . and we live in New Mexico where our average humidity is 9%. I took this pic right before it was to be torn out, so the caulking hadn't been repaired and redone for a while, and it looked it! I do have to say that, if a wet rag was left overnight on it (our son was a teenage then, so this happened a number of times), the wood would feel very soggy and soft the next morning and we had to be careful not to put anything heavy on it until it dried out and hardened back up. I don't know if this is something that happens with all butcher block counters or just ours. We occasionally oiled it with mineral oil, as it was safest to use around food, but we didn't oil it every day. When it was first installed, the cabinet maker told us that it had been sealed with something that was food safe. I have no idea what he used, as this was 15 years ago. We had plans to oil it once a week . . . but life happened, and it gradually became a once a month or two. When we did oil it though, the color did not change significantly.

It was constantly picking up new stains from things, such as fruits and veggies (strawberries, blueberries, Swiss Chard, red onions, nectarine skins, etc.), coffee, tea and many other things as well. The ink from a newspaper or magazine page that got accidentally dampened while lying up there was another BIG stain source. I suspect that it wouldn't have stained so readily if we'd have kept it oiled more, but I don't know that for sure. We were just told that many things available to oil wood counters with were not safe if you actually used the counters for food prep, so we stuck with mineral oil.

I'm not trying to discourage anyone from putting in a butcher block counter; I'm just telling you our experience with ours. Before we put ours in, I'd never heard a negative experience about them. After we started having problems with ours, I began to hear quite a few. Perhaps it was the wood, the oil, or the cabinet maker (local), but I'd urge anyone considering them to do your research before you commit.

Thanks again, Lynn. It's so helpful to get different perspectives! I'm banking on the advances made in finishes over the past few years--the finish I'm looking at is supposed to be completely water-resistant, but not approved for food prep (though safe as far as food touching it). I plan to put my sample to the test big time--maybe even leave a corner of it sitting in a bowl of water for a few days!

I had maple butcher block counters all through my kitchen for 35 years! I loved them. Could chop anywhere. I oiled them once a month with warm mineral oil (food grade only). Looked great - a little worn around the edges, but well-loved & kind of "pro" For a change of pace I am currently installing a 30 x 97 piece on the top of the island (with undermount sink) in black walnut from Butcher Block Co. There is no shipping/tax & the total price is $890. It is gorgeous & I will be happy to oil such a beautiful thing!

hi,
sorry I meant to respond earlier... the bb top i have is 2.5" thick (i think that is the minimum of end grain). also nymommy, nope it wasn't my kitchen, but I wish i had see the episode.

lynne, thanks again for all the info.

Luisa! That's great to hear about your former kitchen ... 35 years wow! Are you planning to seal your new butcher block differently since there will be a sink in it? If you seal it to be water-resistant you won't be able to chop on it, right?

I have no idea how old mine is, but it's probably more than twice as old as I am and I LOVE it! Stains and all. It is a stand alone butcher block 39"x24" and is 16" thick. When I first got it I scrubbed it down a lot then sanded it down with some success. I went through tons of sandpaper because after all the years of oiling, etc. it gummed up the sandpaper. Then I gave up and just oiled it with tung oil thinned with food safe citrus solvent. I love having the big chopping area especially for making salads or preparing stirfry.

Erik, I will use the same old warm mineral oil method i have always used. This one will be trickier since it will have an undermount prep sink. The cut end grain will need to be oiled on a regular basis to prevent water damage. It is worth the trade-off for me because i love being able to prepare food freely, cutting everywhere without worrying about killing the knife & ruining the counter.
Forgive the delayed response. The sheetrock had to be painted since the cabinets are arriving this week. I will post some pictures when it starts going together very soon.

My Grothouse wenge sample arrived today. The name of the water-resistant finish is Durata. It's beautiful and I'm in love. But I am concerned.

Beyond the water resistance (I have one corner submerged in a coffee mug of water right now), I'm concerned about writing on it. Sounds silly, but I picture the island as a homework spot, list-making spot, etc. So I tested this and when pressing hard, it does make an imprint. But I pressed HARD. I also banged it with one of those "oversized match" lighters. (Do I sound crazy yet?) That made small round indents, too. But, again, I banged it pretty hard. I actually don't think the marks are necessarily a bad thing, either. I may be okay with the "patina" of hard use. Just have to convince DH.

Hi Janefan,
no, you don't sound crazy... I took the samples I received and gave the kids screwdrivers and had them go to it. I really wanted to see what they could do ... and they love a project!

I did the same thing with the flooring samples I asked for (took a pebble and mashed it around under foot on the sample). It is a good idea, not crazy at all, to test these things out. BUT, depending on your tolerance the patina can add a lot of charm.

I realize I'm sort of hijacking this thread, but...

I fell head-over-heels with my wenge sample last night. Held it in my lap and fondled it. I know, I took kitchen porn to a whole new level. I love it. LOVE it. Finally put it down and went to bed.

My GC picked up the sample this morning and asked what it was. I told him. He said, "This is a beautiful piece of wood." Then...wait for it...

"I would never put it in a kitchen."

UGH!!!!! I felt like he punched me in the stomach (though he's been up front all along with his thoughts on this). It doesn't help that the other countertop material I want for the perimeter is marble--yet another surface that requires one to love a good patina!

SO...I realize I'm the one who has to make the decision, but it's so comforting just to even share this with you all here. And, of course, I'm wide open to suggestions on how to convince DH this is the way to go.

Janefan,
GC's never want you to do anything. I can't tell you how many times my GC didn't like this idea, that idea or the other... I had to talk him through so much because I do more research than his average client and have very specific taste. He wanted me to have my cabinets made through a custom cab. maker that his clients ALWAYS use. I got a price ($8K more than the Crown Point cabinets I ended up with, which I am sure are probably just as good if not better than the custom cabinets). So, he put the Crown Point through such a hard time. He did this with every single decision I made that veered even slightly off of what his typical client does (his typical clients are made of money and don't have to shop for deals the way I did).

Anyway, that aspect of the renovation got old fast and I got very good at standing up for what I wanted. I am sure your GC won't like that you want marble. My GC was aghast that I wanted soapstone and tried repeatedly to talk me out of it. In the end, I couldn't find a slab that I liked, but I'd have gotten the soapstone if I wanted it.

Your GC will move on to another job and when he does you want to be sure the house is a reflection of you and all that you love, not him.

Be strong girl!

Does anyone know where to get that pot hanger from that kitchen??

I'm doing wall pot racks in my kitchen. They're sold in lots of places but I haven't chosen one yet. I included a link to one online store that sells them.

Here is a link that might be useful: Wall Pot Racks

Mamadadapaige, very sorry to see that I never thanked you for all the info you gave me on this thread. THANK YOU!!! One more question now that you've had your block for awhile. Have you cut on it? I want end grain...I think. I just don't know if I can bring myself to chop on it. I recently bought a nice butcher block cutting board from Bed Bath and Beyond. After I used it one time, it had these horrible knife marks in it. I sheepishly confess that I used a serrated knife on it which is what I have always used on my plastic cutting boards. Maybe that was my first mistake? Anyway, would appreciate any comments you can make. Thanks again.

Just wondering where everyone else ended up here. Erikanh, did you get butcher block? Janefan, how about you? I have GOT to order some samples from Grothouse. Been putting it off along with other things. My island has been in for months. Dust is probably getting to the slides on my drawers! Would love an update from any of you...mabye it will help me get off my arse!

Thanks,
pup

hi pupwhipped,

so, I bought this for the express purpose of chopping on it and thought the patina that would develop would be great. as it turns out, i haven't chopped on it yet! I'm chicken!! but it has turned out to be a very family friendly surface. the kids have gotten arts and crafts related stuff on it. there has been lots of food on it, wine, etc and it cleans up beautifully and looks like it is brand new.

i was oiling it once a week in the beginning but it doesn't show the dryness anymore. I am only oiling it once a month or so. The oiling doesn't take long, maybe 5 minutes but I tend to only oil it when it is looking a little beat up and dried out.

I am very very happy with the butcherblock. probably more so than anything. I absolutely love the way it looks and love the warmth and interest it adds to my kitchen. working with grothouse was great. not a single hiccup.

let me know if you have any other questions.
karen

I have 30 year old maple butcher blocks on part of my perimeter and island. In the new kitchen I will use butcher block again, for all or part. I considered everything else and keep coming back to the wood:
(1) I like the relative softness and quietness of it -- by comparison stone is too hard and shiny and noisy
(2) I like soapstone but I am afraid I would get tired of the dramatic black white contrast over time. I'm more of a mid-tone low contrast kind of person.
(3) I love wood next to ivory painted cabs
(4) our butcher block has stood up well for 30 years. No complaints. We sanded and re oiled a few times along the way.
(5) I'm not a rabidly green person but I do like the soft natural renewable quality
(6) wood is timeless

If you keep it oiled you can minimize stains and if you do get a stain -- raspberries and strawberries are wicked -- you can sand them out.

The one thing I have to warn you to never do is put an ammonia bottle down on the wood. Even when I thought the bottle was dry there was apparently just enough to make a ring, and ring from ammonia bottles are really hard to get out. But they can be gotten out.

That's probably more than you wanted to hear . . . . .

Hi Pup,

I just recently finalized my layout, so I haven't ordered my butcher block countertop yet ... still waiting for quotes from Devos Woodworking and the Butcher Block Co. I'm looking for jatoba, mesquite or lyptus, because they are supposedly the hardest woods. I definitely plan to chop on mine, but it's only the end section of the island.

Here's the quote I got from Grothouse Lumber which came within 1 day of my request:

1 @ 2 ½" thick x 36" x 39"

- Edge treatments to be choice of roundover, chamfer, simple cove, or square

- The wood will be End Grain construction

- 100% solid Brazilian Cherry or Lyptus

- One trash hole with integrated lid

- Price includes an initial coat of food-grade mineral oil, to be maintained by the customer

Price: $1869 plus shipping
Insured Shipping: $235 via FedEx

Here are the prices from Devos Woodworking. As you can see they're less expensive than Grothouse. Now I just need to decide between lyptus and jatoba!

Type of Wood: Lyptus Jatoba
Style: End Grain construction using 1.75" (approx) square blocks
Dimensions: 36" wide by 39" long 1,295.00 1,415.00
Thickness: 3"
Shape: Rectangular
Edge Style: Small Roundover or Softened Edge included
Finish: Tung oil with citrus solvent included
Sink Cut-out: None
Cut-Out: Vegetable/Scrap Hole 150.00
SUB-TOTAL: $1,445.00 $1,565.00
Crating & Shipping: To be determined
TOTAL AMOUNT: $1,445.00 $1,565.00

Thanks for posting your quotes Erika! Im considering a slab of BB on the end of my island as well. Do you know how you I guess "attach" it to the other countertop material its butted up against? Or does it just sit there? Wouldnt there be a little gap in between?

Hi twogirls, where have you been??

If I remember correctly the KD told me that the stone is templated to the butcher block so that it fits against it perfectly. I'm wondering if they also apply a thin bead of silicone to the seam.

This is a very helpful thread erika... I'm learning alot! The end grain BB is so very beautiful. mamadada.. that island is GORGEOUS! I can't wait to see what yours turns out like and if I ever get to actually do this instead of just plan it; I'll be in 7th heaven.

Erika - Oh Im around, mostly lurking. We've been finalizing the complete house plans so the kitchen has been on the back burner. Ive been following your threads and I love your ideas. I think we have similar taste :) Did you decide on a CAB co. yet?

Elyse, it's probably too early but have you been thinking about which wood you're going to use? I'm thinking maybe Jatoba -- because it's really hard -- with a walnut trim.

BTW, I've been peeking at all your posts. I know how frustrating it is to not yet have a layout that you really love. When you finally get it worked out, I bet it will just click in your mind and you'll know you're done!

twogirls, I'm still waiting for prices from Cabico. Hope your house planning is going smoothly. I don't know why, but I feel like my brain is on overload with all this decision-making, and it's just one room!

Erika

I have no clue what wood I'd use but I want something I can cut right on. I'm intrigued by Lyptus but wonder if it'll be too red/pinkish. I can't wait to see a pic of yours!

This is a very old thread, but it's one that I bookmarked for my own kitchen renovation nearly two years ago. This thread is mixed with positive and negative reviews of butcher blocks for countertops in kitchens, and as a result of the negative reviews in this thread, I passed on the idea of a butcher block countertop at the time. However, after more reading since my countertop decision was made, I have learned that an end-grain butcher block countertop is more durable than an edge-grain one and could make the difference in how a butcher block countertop is experienced. The posters above who had negative experiences didn't specify which type theirs were. Also, maple is more reactive with moisture than other species like cherry which is more stable against moisture, so you would see more cracking from the expansion, contraction, and warping due to moisture exposure with maple than with other woods commonly used for butcher blocks, and at least one of the posters above with a negative butcher block experience had maple.

There is also a concept of open-grain and closed-grain woods. Oak and walnut are considered to be open-grained woods, so not as suitable for butcher block even though butcher block is still made in these species, particularly walnut. Maple, cherry, and hickory are closed-grain woods and more suitable for a working countertop. Of these three woods in order of hardness, cherry is softest, "hard maple" is harder ("soft maple" is also available and is closer to cherry in hardness), and hickory is hardest. The harder woods like hickory are more dense and could possibly crack more easily with moisture exposure, but they also bear up against knife marks better. Since sanding a butcher block top is something owners often choose to do about once per year, it shouldn't make a difference really if choosing among cherry, maple, or hickory for the hardness alone. Caution should be exercised in terms of spot-sanding, as doing so over a long period could cause the top to become uneven. It is better to sand the entire top at once.

Mineral oil is the standard for countertops frequently used as work surfaces including chopping, and the oil really should be applied regularly, like once per week, throughout the life of the butcher block to provide the best protection. A wax plus oil conditioner is also a possibility.

If I had the option, I would definitely re-consider putting at minimum an end-grain cherry butcher block inset into my kitchen after the information I've found since first bookmarking this thread. John Boos is one of the biggest suppliers of end-grain maple and cherry butcher blocks in all different sizes and thicknesses, and the best prices on these can be found by shopping around online at kitchen and restaurant supply websites. A thickness of three inches is usually recommended as the minimum to make a butcher block inset look its very best, but that thickness could decrease for logistical needs if the entire countertop were being done in butcher block. If an inset is chosen, one of the better ideas I have seen is to let the inset sit higher than the surrounding countertop and do only a minimal silicone seal or nothing at all so the inset could be removed for cleaning and re-surfacing if needed.

One last item I'll mention is that the separation and cracking sometimes seen with end-grain butcher blocks could be almost completely avoided by using a dovetailed configuration, but this is so rare among manufacturers today that it's essentially impossible to find without a custom build by a manufacturer who specializes in this. Below are two photos of dovetailed butcher block.