Hey Guys,
I got an awesome deal on some oak butcher block countertop ($60 for 8ft of 24 wide select oak). I’m wondering how I should finish it. I plan to use it as a standard countertop and usually use a cutting board, but I’d still like a finish I could chop stuff on.
I’d initially thought about polyurethane with 5 or 6 coats, but I remember reading an article about the need for a special finish with wood that exposed to food.
Anyway, I’m interested in any thoughts or suggestions.
Thanks!
Replies
The problem with a half dozen coats of poly is not that it wouldn't be safe for food contact, the problem is that ANY film finish is not appropriate if any cutting will be done. The toughest clear finishes--conversion varnish, two-part poly, etc are still no match for Rockwell 58 chef's knives.
An in the wood finish, such as an oil/varnish mix, applied and any excess wiped off is a reasonable choice, and will cure faster and harder than a pure oil.
I'm not a fan of mineral oil, which is often recommended, because it never cures, but it is not a crazy idea, and is often used on cutting boards, sometimes as a medium for paraffin wax as a pore sealer I suppose.
Aloha Corrib,
For your butcher block, consider using tung oil. Food safe and you can just wipe it on with a rag.
On my butcher block table, which I use as a baking area for kneading bread, it was finished with a light blonde shellac French Polished. (French polishing is incredibly easy with glorious results.) If I was going to chop on the butcherblock, I'd use the tung oil. You can also put the tung oil over the shellac if you wanted to do both.
Shellac is USDA approved for use on foods, so it should also be USDA approved for use on food prep surfaces, I would think.
Before chopping on the butcher block, if you happen to have a scrap piece, perhaps you could use that as a cutting board for awhile and see what the surface looks like after it has been used to cut on. You may want to have a separate cutting board or a specific area used only for cutting.
A hui hou,
Cathy
This is not a both/and situation but an either/or. Either a countertop or a cutting board but not both. Any film finish will be non-toxic once cured so use a durable finish such as varnish but don't use a knife on it. If you want to use it as a cutting board then mineral oil/paraffin is what to use and renew as needed.Gretchen
As good as butcher block looks, I wouldn't want to cut anything directly on it. If you're doing a cutout for the sink, I would use that to make a cutting board. However, most cutting boards aren't oak because of the open grain which collects food particles, which can then go rancid. Food prep on a sealed surface is one thing, cutting on it is another. I would use maple, hickory, etc.
Don't knock oak for cutting boards. It works great. Some yrs ago I read that it is actually safer than those plastic or whatever boards. Evidently the tanic acid in oak helps to fight any bacteria. Of course ours get had washed after use and wiped down with mineral oil about once a yr or so.
It's not that I wanted to knock oak but I would recommend a wood that isn't so porous even if the tannic acid does kill bacteria. If it's not cleaned, there's not much chance of it staying sanitary. It's just that if I had a really nice oak countertop, I don't think I would want to scratch and scrape it up. I would also make sure no ferrous metals sit on an oak counter when it's wet, due to the tannic acid/metal reaction. Almost impossible to get out without going in deep.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
No argument there! If I had a wood counter top I would not want to be cutting on it cuz it shure would not stey nice looking. The cut on part would also change color from the meats etc.
We put a Boos hard maple top on our island and we do use it for cutting
1. light cutting only...put down a poly board/sheet for heavy cutting
2. Boos sells a "mystery oil" which is a combo. of mineral oil and raw linseed oil....(the rest is a mystery).
3. My mother had varnish on hers and scraped it off fleck by fleck with a perry knife (not sure how much we all ingested) DON'T varnish if you're going to cut.
4. Even with light cutting, it will show marks and it will get stained....but I personally would be embarassed to have a pristine butcher block counter (kind of like a car with the little rubber hairs still on the tires....for showing off or driving?)
5. I think oiling it every 6 mos. is being pretty diligent.
Good luck.
Boos Block makes sells an oil for that use. They call it Mystery Oil although it smells like the European product known as Livos. Whichever it is, its great for the use you describe. aloha, mike
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