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petestein1

Walnut Island top used as cutting board - photos & finish details

Peter Steinberg
13 years ago

Almost two years ago I contributed to some posts about using my island top as a cutting board and got some helpful advice. I thought I'd post an update.

As part of a full renovation our kitchen island got a nice beefy top made of black walnut. Even though everyone thought I was nut, I said I wanted to use part of it as a cutting board. After all, it's a kitchen, not a museum. With that in mind, I had to come up with a food-safe finish for it. What I chose, based on advice here, was nothing more than a hand-rubbed application of mineral oil and bees wax.

I'm happy to report that it's been over a year and everything's gone great. First, the island looks great. Everyone comments on it the moment they see it.

Second, using it as a cutting board has worked out quite well. The wood is more than hard enough to stand up to my knives. Not having to get out a cutting board, and then keep all my chopped whatever on the cutting board as I work... it makes life so much easier. For those who told me I needed to do something akin to butcher-block -- making the island top out of end-grain... well, you were incorrect. End-grain would have been harder no doubt but the walnut is more than hard enough. And worst case? I break out a power sander and 1/64" of an inch later my island would be in immaculate condition.

No doubt, the knife leaves marks in the wood. But the wood is "busy" enough that you can only see them if you go looking for them and your eye is within 12" or so of the counter (photos below).

Oh, for those worried about food safety, I still don't get raw meat on the counter (though I think it would be fine as long as I cleaned up with soap and water afterwards). And we don't chop anything "stinky" like garlic or onion though we do work with other aromatics like rosemary and thyme. 15 months later and the counter has no odor of any kind.

Third, the finish. I was worried about this but in the end it's been fine. I melted some furniture-grade beeswax on the stove, added mineral oil (about 2 parts oil to 1 part wax) and let is solidify into a semi-hard paste. I rub it in, let it stand (sometimes for a few minutes, sometimes overnight), and then I buff it out.

At first I was doing this every few weeks but now I only do it every 2 months or so. I could probably stand to do it a bit more often in the quadrant I use as a cutting board, but, well, you know, life gets in the way.

For the first 6 months or so if you left a wet glass on the counter for more than a few hours we were getting drink rings. I had to lightly sand those out and rewax. But now we seem to have a deep enough coating that we haven't had a drink ring -- or any mark of any kind -- for over 6 months.

How do I clean it? A soapy sponge. Simple as that.

Ready for photos? Ok, here's the island as whole:

Take a good look at the image above. Can you see where I've prepared over 100 meals? You know -- the section where I've sliced up thousands of peppers and cucumbers and apples and peaches and melons and tomatoes and potatoes and celery and carrots and parsnips, etc, etc?

Okay, the "cutting board" area is the left side of the island, from the bottom of the photo to the sink. That 25% of the island is the designated "cutting board" section.

Yes, the board closest to the left of the photo has a lot of lines in it, but those aren't knife marks, that's "tiger-striping" in the wood -- I chose that board for there on purpose in case I needed camouflage for knife marks.

Ok, ready for a close-up of the knife marks? This photo was taken from about 8 inches away:

...looks like a cutting board, doesn't it? ;-)

So what problems do I have? Well, we have a lot of friends and cook a lot of meals together, People like to help. Once they get past the "What??! I can cut right on the counter???!?" moment I have two problems.

First, it's hard to keep them in the designated 25% that I use as a cutting board. Yes, the knife marks are subtle enough that they could probably work anywhere but I still haven't let go.

Second, these same people occasionally use a bread knife that can take some comparatively pretty big chunks out of the top. This has only happened once or twice, and with a coat of wax the marks pretty much disappear. But still, it's stressful.

Bottom line? I strongly encourage people to explore using an island top as cutting board. Second, a food-safe finish is easy! Third, I love my new kitchen. :-)

Comments (60)

  • Adrienne Gray
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thank you so much for sharing Peter. I love it when people come back and give us the hindsight... so valuable!

    We're installing a walnut block on the end of our island - I'm definitely going to try your finish advice. If you don't mind my asking, where do you get your beeswax from?

  • Peter Steinberg
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    MyThreeSonsNC... The island is actually 100" long (8'4") and 50" wide (4'2") -- not the 8' x 4' I previously mentioned -- and indeed, the boards run the entire length of the island. And yes, they're pretty wide too -- 7" on average.

    Have I had any problems with warping, curving, cupping... anything like that? Not at all. I think it helps quite a bit though that the boards are a full 1 5/8" thick (the edge has a bevel on the bottom so it doesn't appear quite as a thick to the human eye.

    Also, the boards are edge glued the entire length of the island and doweled together quite frequently I imagine. Floorboards that have cupping problems are rarely edge glued at all, let alone the entire length.

    Finally, you say you don't know where to draw the line -- I'd encourage to make sure the island top is made by someone you like and trust and decide through a conversation with them. If they're worth your money they'll stand by their work and come back to fix any problems.

    AlabamaMommy, you ask where I got the beeswax. I used Liberon brand beeswax that came in 200 gram solid bars (not the paste or liquids -- they already have additives). It turns out to be the same stuff my cabinet maker used for the initial batch. I'm pretty sure I got mine from Amazon but a quick Google search turns up tons of sources.

    I think that answers all the new questions. Keep 'em coming!

    -Peter

  • autumngal
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your island is stunning!

    I'm really glad you posted this. We have a cherry butcher block counter that we cut on and people think we're crazy. I love it. We use vegetable oil on ours and it also works really well. Every few months I pour some more on and rub it in, usually at night and by the morning, it's beautiful again. Our wood counter by the sink is covered with waterlox. We started with vegetable oil there, but it seemed like something more heavy duty would be better around the sink (my children are a mess). Aside from any potential allergy issues, you can't cut on waterlox, it cuts right through the finish.

    Thanks for posting, I hope that it helps many people who are thinking of chopping on their counters to dive in, we love it too!

  • chiefneil
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Looks great and I'm so glad to see someone who doesn't mind a kitchen that looks used! It's a sign of a life well-lived, IMHO.

  • angel411
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Your island is gorgeous! Glad to see it being well-used (like a kitchen is supposed to be IMHO!) Thanks for keeping us posted- such great info. Keep on cuttin'. ;0

  • Peter Steinberg
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    AutumnGal, glad you like your butcher block but vegetable oil? Uh-oh, I think that could go rancid on you -- how long have you been doing that?

    The standard foodsafe oil to use on butcher block (and wooden salad bowls and the like) is mineral oil. It's maybe $2 at your local drugstore or you can pay 3 times more and get it at Williams-Sonoma and the like.

  • rhome410
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Truly gorgeous. It's certainly your right to decide for whatever reasons, and I'm not at all criticizing, you just have me wondering... Why are you limiting the cutting only to the certain 25%? Wouldn't it be nicer to have the island, as much as possible, have a similar look overall, rather than intentionally and particularly wear one section way more than the rest? I am just curious about your thoughts in making that decision. I can see that in a year it's not a big deal, but the difference will get greater with time?

    Thanks for sharing all your info!

  • Peter Steinberg
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    rhome410, it's an interesting point you make in the post directly above. Honestly though, I think it's the only solution.

    First of all, had I replaced that 25% with butcher block it *definitely* would have looked *extremely* different. :-)

    Second, I don't know how I could use all of it evenly. It's a bit larger than 8' by 4'. That's about 20 linear feet of counter space. That's a LOT of counter to chop on.

    Third, the section that I do use is the section bets located for efficiency. It's right across from the range, right above the trash, right next to the sink. Every single other portion of the counter is inconvenient. Can you imagine my working on the other side of the island to chop and then walking the 15' around the island every time I needed to get another spice or add something to the pan? What a pain!

    And really, in the end I don't care what this section looks like. As I said in an earlier post, it's a working kitchen, not a museum. :-)

    -Peter

    P.S. And don't forget that worst, worst, worst case -- I just sand the whole thing down a 64th of an inch, it looks brand new and I use a cutting board like everyone else.

  • rhome410
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    "First, it's hard to keep them in the designated 25% that I use as a cutting board."

    I understand that it wouldn't be possible to get it all completely even, and that it makes perfect sense for you to use the area best located for your work, but you said you actively try to limit people to ONLY use that 25% when cutting. It seems that if you let all of it get used, as is convenient for however many people are using it, it will all get a 'more even' use. And I wouldn't want others trying to work in 'my' workspace when I had a great big island to take advantage of. But that's just what I would do and it's your house! ;-) --And I'm not trying to argue it, like it may sound, just explain the thoughts behind my post, and I'm done talking now. I wish you continued joy on your beautiful island! :-)

  • Peter Steinberg
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ah, I see your point now. Maybe what I said earlier was a bit unclear. In the 15 months of having the island, there have been maybe 5 instances where helpful dinner guests started working outside that 25%. Each of those 5 were different people who are regulars here and pretty quickly got with the program. ;-)

    I'll report back in a couple years on the state of the island and my ability to corral all cutting to this section. ;-)

  • eustacem
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Petestein, I was rereading this thread as you posted it as a response to another wood-counter thread, and a few more questions come to mind, as I love your counter and plan on doing wood myself. Where did your counter come from? Did you have it handmade by your carpenter, and was it a difficult project? If not, where did you purchase it? I've been looking at butcher block but haven't seen anything like this. Also, was it very cost effective? Thank you!!!

  • dazzlemewithcolor
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    pete, it's beautiful!! I have thought about using wood as well. I have the same question as eustacem and want to know where you bought yours and if it's new or reclaimed wood.

    I love the fact that you use it as a cutting board. How does it hold up to glass rings?

    Thanks!

  • eustacem
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    bump!

  • flwrs_n_co
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Eustacem, thank you so much for bumping this!! I was on vacation when this was posted and this thread answers so many questions I've had about putting in a wood countertop and actually using it to cut on.

    Peter, your countertop is so beautiful!! I've seen quite a few wood countertops on this forum but very few seem to get used for cutting. I really want to put in a wood countertop in my prep area but only if I would actually cut on it. Your posting gives me all the information I need to do this--thank you soooo much for taking the time to post this update!!! I have to ask though, was it hard to make that first cut? I believe in a working kitchen as well, but I think it might be hard to make the first cut. Thanks again for such a thorough and informative posting!

  • dirtymartini
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    so beautiful! May I ask...was this walnut top expensive? I don't think I can get this look with a cheaper (Ikea/Lumber Liquidators) wood countertop. It seems I ALWAYS like the look of those countertops when they are waterloxed. I don't like them as well when they are simply oiled. Yours is the first I have seen that I like that is actually usable. I love the look of distressed wood...but for some reason, there seems to be a certain type of wood that looks good distressed, and a type that just looks worn and used.

    Hope this made sense.

  • Peter Steinberg
    Original Author
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Sorry I didn't see new questions had come in:

    -- I don't know how much the counter cost -- it was built by my cabinetmaker and was part of the overall cabinetry bill which included ALL of the kitchen cabinetry. In general though, black walnut is not an overly expensive wood. And if you go with narrower boards, the price would drop (then again, there's more joinery so the price may go up -- best to talk to a cabinetmaker.)

    -- Was it hard to make that first cut? EXTREMELY. But within a few days I didn't give it a second thought.

    -- Drink rings? That's been the only real problem but I'm slowly getting a handle on it. We don't have kids (yet) so we're only dealing with the 2 adults that live here. We put beverages down all the time. But if you leave them a long time, and they're wet on the bottom... well, you get a ring. Sometimes the ring comes out with the next coat of oil/wax, once or twice I had to do a very light sanding in that area. For example, we just had a fondue party for 22 people 5 days ago and in looking at the counter, I can -- in the right light and at the right angle -- make out one drink ring. I'm sure it will come out with minimal effort.

    I think that's it... any other questions?

  • eustacem
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Thanks, Petestein!

  • ocha
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hello there!
    So happy to find this thread.
    Pete, can I ask you how you've managed to keep the area around the faucet base clear of water damage?
    I'm about to install a mahogany countertop and have chosen an undermount sink. There are so many naysayers out there, but our architect thinks it will be fine...I just need a little reassurance about the sink area. I'm looking at faucets that have one lever which extend out so my wet hands won't be over the wood all the time. Yours looks fabulous so you're a great role model! Many thanks! nancy

  • evanstonmom
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Peter.. LOVE the walnut (and your whole kitchen!) we are just getting started with a renovation of an 1880's Victorian in Chicago that has some amazing Walnut wood trim and doors that were brought over from a Castle in England and retrofitted to the house around 1906... the whole main floor has this amazing doors, trim, crown molding, and baseboards.. Our debate was always how do we integrate the amazing old character with the new addition without "faking it" ... The minute I saw your island... I knew that was IT!!! I realized that was the PERFECT way! in another 100 years... my walnut island will look as old as the trim and doors and become part of the history of the house!
    We have about the same size island that you do- we will have the main sink in our island. Can you give me an approximate cost of that countertop? And if you have not mentioned it before, where you got it from?
    Thanks!

  • breezygirl
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Bump

  • francoise47
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hi Evanstonmom,

    Here is the OP's response from October 20th about the cost and the maker of his walnut top:

    "I don't know how much the counter cost -- it was built by my cabinetmaker and was part of the overall cabinetry bill which included ALL of the kitchen cabinetry. In general though, black walnut is not an overly expensive wood. And if you go with narrower boards, the price would drop (then again, there's more joinery so the price may go up -- best to talk to a cabinetmaker.)"

    Beautiful counter! We are also thinking of a walnut island top, but won't cut on it directly.

  • lawjedi
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Re: Drink rings. I learned what I thought was the neatest trick about a week ago. Thought I'd share it here.

    I had several drink rings on some of my wood furniture and it had been bothering me. I started looking online to see if there was an easy fix.

    YES!!!!!!! take a paper bag (like the old grocery ones), lay it over the ring, and then IRON OVER THE RING. I did it on fairly high heat - 1 step lower than my iron's hottest. I went back and forth several times and then peak... back and forth and then peak... The heat drew the moisture out of the spot. I no longer have white water rings on my antique table!!! none on my end table!!! none on my dining table (still not sure how that one got past the awesome finish the table has)....

    hope this helps. I was just so excited!

  • sabjimata
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I LOVE THIS POST!

    Seriously.

    I love that you use your kitchen. I love that you don't baby it. I love that you can handle PATINA!!!

    So, can you post the link to your finished kitchen? I want to take a look around ;)

    This post is an awesome resource for a) people who want to cut on their wood countertop b) people contemplating an island sink c) people who want a sink in wood countertops.

    Go you!

  • kitellie49
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    For those of you considering this - look at "end grain" tops. The square pattern hides the knife marks...

  • marcolo
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Really warm and beautiful.

    I just want to point out, there's a difference between a cutting board and butcher block. petestein1 cuts only vegetables and such on this countertop, so it's a cutting board, which are typically made out of planks even when you buy them separately. A butcher block is made of end grain because it's for, well, butchers--people who cut meat using very large knives and meat cleavers. If you're going to use your countertop to disassemble a pig with mighty blows, then you probably need end grain, and should still expect a lot of wear and tear. But if you're only using it for cutting, you will get the typical pattern of wear you see on a cutting board. In this case, end grain is just a choice, not a necessity.

  • rockybird
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I love what I can see of his kitchen. The island looks stunning. I wish he would post more pics. I am also do a walnut island, although more modern.

  • kellied
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Okay, any reason you couldn't use an almond oil/beeswax finish? I would be more comfortable using that around food than I would mineral oil.

  • carrie_eileen
    13 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Agree - would love to photos of the whole kitchen. This counter - paired with the fun painted finish and ORB pulls - was one of my inspiration pics when planning my own space. Would love to see more of this space!

  • slsbrown1_gmail_com
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    walnut counter top finishes? Has anyone had experience with the Varnique Stain finish. I do not want to use my island as a cutting board. Any suggestions other than oil or wax finish?

  • 2LittleFishies
    12 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I know this was awhile ago but based on Marcolo's post above about not disassembling a pig with mighty blows unless you have an end grain chopping block (which I understand), does the OP cut chicken/fish/meats on the counter or do you only use it for fruits,veggies, cheeses?

  • lstands
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Hello,
    I bookmarked this post long ago as my inspiration after we found ourselves with some sentimental walnut. We have a black walnut tree in our yard, it's 100+ years olds I'm told and a few years ago we had some die back. Many walnuts in our area our dying and in hopes of saving ours we had the dead bits culled. I had it milled into big thick boards, found a commercial kiln to dry it and had a 4x7.6 foot countertop made for our kitchen remodel. The counter will be installed on Monday and I am trying to get prepped to finish it. Here is the question...

    How is your finish holding up now? We have a specialty woodcrafters store in town filled with wise old gentlemen eager to dish out advice. I have recommendations from them from finishing it with walnut oil, boos mystery oil, tung oil, and Tried and True which is a mixture of linseed oil and beeswax. Would you still pick your finish? What is the benefit of including the beeswax? I should mention that we have 4 children and a busy cooking kitchen, perimeter counters are stone. It's been sometime so I thought I would ask how your countertop is doing. Plus, it's so beautiful, it's time to put this post back at the top of the list. Thank you!

  • cventosa
    9 years ago

    Thank you so much! Our black walnut counter top went in 2 days ago and we LOVE it!!!! However, we are getting some rings etc and I was starting to panic! Our contractor used the same mix as you, but obviously we need more! Since my husband was worried about the staining and wasn't as convinced as me, that the wood island was a good idea with a family, I am very excited to see that it will hold up with the proper care! Thank you! CEV


  • cventosa
    6 years ago

    Oh, it's holding up beautifully and so far we oil it twice a year as well. We are pretty careful about using coasters etc, but over all it has been pretty easily maintained and my husband is a believer now! : )

  • Peter Steinberg
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    cventosa, I'm so glad it's working out for you. May I ask how you're finishing it? Is it straight up mineral oil?


  • formerlyflorantha
    6 years ago

    Great story and great example!

    Our Ikea beech butcherblock is not intended for camouflage, but mostly for interrupting long lines of formica countertop in a G-shaped kitchen. We put it either side of our range on the bottom of the G with the range in between. Yes, in 7 years we've had some staining, but don't really care. This is a working kitchen. Having the wood there allows us to move a hot pan off range at short notice, to chop gently, and mostly it's "plunk space" either side of the working area. We have old-fashioned pull-out "breadboards" for most of the chopping, with the one adjacent to the range designated for meat, onions, garlic, strong herbs, and meat pounding. We've already pounded irredeemable holes in both sides of the original one from the cabinetmaker--he used laminated wood and on both sides we've pounded down to the mdf inside the "board." Went to a local company that makes hardwood cabinetry from local trees and got a proper pull-out board as replacement. Love my pull-out cutting board.


    Sad to say, Ikea has quit making solid butcherblock slabs and now sells...[drumroll] laminated butcherblock with mdf centers. So it goes.

    Florantha

  • leela4
    6 years ago

    OT: (Florantha!! You're here! I haven't seen you post in forever. I remember your kitchen. )

    I wish we could have done a walnut countertop in our kitchen somewhere but it's really too small to support that. But I've always loved this post of Peter's. And I love that walnut.

  • OneLuckyGirl
    5 years ago

    Peter Love love love your island! Any chance you could post a current picture? I am working hard to convince my husband to do a walnut counter top on our island, especially since it will be 10x5, but mostly because I love the warmth of it. I want to prove it holds up and is worth the money. Thanks

  • natalie8e
    5 years ago

    Beautiful! How many inches high is the wood countertop?

  • Peter Steinberg
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    1 and 3/4" -- 1" is straight and the bottom 3/4" is at a 45 degree bevel.

    The counter is now 9.5 years old and going strong. There are a few permanent stains from where cans were sitting in a wet spot overnight or some such -- likely if we waxed it more often it wouldn't be a problem. (We should wax it... monthly? But we do it maybe every 6 months.) The knife marks aren't a problem at ALL though and we've cut on the thing DAILY for over 3,000 days straight.

    I think we'll give the whole thing a light sanding at the 10 year anniversary. Now that the kids are a bit older we might be better about waxing it and we might be able to go 15 years before the next sanding. :-)

  • Len M
    4 years ago

    Super happy to have found this post. I read it from start to finish and have learned so much from it and your continued updates, Peter...thank you! The decision to install black walnut on our island when we renovate our kitchen has been solidified. :-)

  • mark_rachel
    4 years ago

    I would make the friends use a cutting board. You can cut on the island top, they can not.

  • Peter Steinberg
    Original Author
    4 years ago

    len, you’re welcome. You won’t regret it. I hope you intend to cut right on the island, not just have a beautiful wooden island that you’re paranoid about getting marked up.


    We passed the 10 year anniversary this past June and while I’ve toyed with sanding it down a bit as mentioned above, I think we’re going to give it a few more years.


    Of course a few weeks after we hit 10 years we got a really bad stain from where I left the metal disc from a food mill sitting on the counter overnight. I don’t understand why a wet piece of metal leaves a dark black stain in the wood. There’s some sort of reaction between the wood and the metal when it’s wet. It’s not a rust stain. The marks are black. I’m sure it will sand out if I bother but… who cares? It’s a kitchen, not a museum.

  • ulisdone
    4 years ago

    I think we used to use oxalic acid to remove water stains from oak dance floors. Might give it a try.

  • John B
    2 years ago

    Thinking of putting one on a large island in my kitchen. Question -- didn't see this issue raised anywhere above -- how does it do with flour and rolling out pastry type things? I assume it's fine with flour on it, etc.? I can see the point about not pureeing garlic on it because of odors and I guess it's better to cut raw meat on a cutting board.

  • Peter Steinberg
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    We make homemade pie dough every Thanksgiving and flour it a number of other times every year. It's no problem. it cleans up easy. We have a sink in the island too so we mostly just sweep the flour into there. It's maybe not as cool as a marble-top pastry bench but if that's your goal you'll need a different surface (or a marble insert or a slab of marble to haul out on occasion.)

  • John B
    2 years ago

    The drink ring thing will drive me crazy. I hope this is manageable and isn't a deal breaker.

    Does it happen every time someone leaves a drink? Or only if it's very wet with condensation?

  • Peter Steinberg
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Well, as I mentioned it's not a drink ring -- it's from a piece of aluminum (a food mill blade) that set wet all night. There are essentially no drink rings and we've had ours for 12 years now. Then again, we don't have a lot of ice-filled glasses sitting around -- we don't really use ice in the house. Also, we don't wax it very often. We should probably do it every few weeks but we've gone 6 months at times. Really, being able to use the island itself as a cutting board is worth most every other potential drawback. Go for it!

  • John B
    2 years ago

    How about the inevitable cooking spills, little splatters of various liquids, like oils, wine, juices, etc.? I wipe these up constantly in my kitchen but never take much note of them. Sometimes I might wipe the counter down the next day and notice something. How does wood handle this issue? thanks for addressing all my questions )

  • Peter Steinberg
    Original Author
    2 years ago

    Everything just wipes right off. That said, this is our island and our cooktop in on the counter opposite. But as I mentioned, we have sink in the island so the counter is endlessly getting wet. And we flour is for pie dough. And we cut every kind of fruit and vegetable right on it.