
- Maple Butcher Block Countertop Wood. Maple is a traditional choice of hardwood for butcher blocks, with fine grain and generally light colours.
- Oak Butcher Block Countertops. Red oak is popular in the northeastern U.S. ...
- Bamboo Butcher Block Countertop Wood. Bamboo may sound like a strange choice for a hardwood kitchen countertop, but it’s actually really practical and has impeccable green credentials.
- Birch Butcher Block. Birch worktops show off the rings caused by the quick growth of the tree. Fine-grained and pale, it has a satin-like sheen that will darken with age.
- Teak Butcher Block. If you are after a centerpiece for your kitchen, teak is one of the hardwoods better suited for a dramatic statement, particularly against solid coloured countertops.
- Cherry Butcher Block Countertops. American or Black Cherry has a naturally deep red or light red-brown colour that darkens with age to a deep brown-red colour in a variety of ...
- Hickory Butcher Block Countertops. Hickory has a warm, reddish tone once sealed that looks amazing. ...
What makes a good butcher block?
Mar 05, 2020 · Maple. Both soft and hard maple make for excellent cutting surfaces. Beech. Measuring 1,300 lbf on the hardness scale, this food-safe, closed-grained hardwood is non-damaging to knives and... Teak. Walnut.
What is the best butcher block material?
Butcher block, butcher's block is a style of assembled wood (often hard maple, teak, birch, or walnut) used as heavy duty chopping blocks, table tops, and cutting boards. It was commonly used in butcher shops and meat processing plants but has now become popular in home use.
What to do with butcher block?
Mar 30, 2022 · Below are 6 choices of wood for a butcher block countertop or cutting board: 1. Maple. Image Credit: Shaneib, Shutterstock. Maple is arguably the most commonly used wood to make butcher block. Hard maple has a high Janka hardness rating, approximately 1,450 lbf. This is high enough that it won’t be easily damaged with regular use, but not so ...
How to build a butcher block?
What is the Best Wood for a Butcher Block Maple Butcher Block Countertop Wood. Maple is a traditional choice of hardwood for butcher blocks, with fine grain and... Oak Butcher Block Countertops. Red oak is popular in the northeastern U.S. because it fits great with colonial style... Bamboo Butcher ...

What wood is used for a butchers block?
hard mapleA butcher block or butcher's block is a heavy duty chopping block, typically laminated of hardwood. Traditionally made of hard maple, it was commonly used in butcher shops and meat processing plants but has now become popular in home use.
What should butcher block be made of?
True butcher block, made from strips of wood bonded together, serves as a work surface. It is the only countertop material appropriate for slicing and chopping. Most wood countertops are made from maple, though oak, cherry, walnut and teak are also used.
Is butcher block hardwood or softwood?
Most butcher block countertops are made from hardwoods, such as maple, cherry, walnut, ash, beech and oak. The density of these woods makes a butcher block resistant to dings, scratches and warping. Other woods that can be used include zebra wood, bamboo and wenge.
Is Oak good for butcher block?
There's More Than Maple Maple is the most common wood species for butcher block because it's relatively inexpensive, durable, and widely available. But almost any hardwood can get the treatment: cherry, oak, beech, birch, tigerwood, and walnut are other great options.Sep 7, 2017
Are butcher blocks worth it?
The only countertop that can actually be used as a cutting surface, butcher-block won't dull your knives like stone or concrete counters. The soft surface also makes for a quieter kitchen. And for those who are a bit clumsier, dishes are less likely to shatter when dropped on wood versus stone.Jan 15, 2019
Can I use pine wood for butcher block?
Knotty Pine butcher block countertops can be custom made to your specifications. We can make Knotty Pine Edge Grain Butcher Block Countertops up to 4-1/2" thick, up to 84" wide, and the length up to 162". Butcher block countertops are available in many other hardwood species.
Is Hevea wood good for butcher block?
thick CenterPointe butcher block countertop comes unfinished, giving you the flexibility to match any design aesthetic—from traditional to contemporary— with your finish preference. Hevea wood is a highly durable, A-grade, face-grain cut designed to exceed your performance expectations.
What type of cutting board is best?
The best wood cutting board, according to Baraghani, is made of maple or walnut, because those are the softest and most beautiful.Dec 22, 2021
What type of wood is used for butcher blocks?
Maple is a traditional choice of hardwood for butcher blocks, with fine grain and generally light colours. It has a smooth texture but it’s very resistent and durable, so a good choice for almost any kitchen and one of the most popular types of wood.
What is a butcher block countertop?
Butcher block countertops can be made from a wide variety of wood types and grades (or finishings). All butcher block worktops are made in a similar way, cutting the wood to shape, sanding and buffing it, polishing and then sealing it before proceeding to install it. But the type and grade of the wood is what will give your butcher block ...
What is the difference between red oak and white oak?
because it fits great with colonial style homes, whereas white oak has a medium tone and fine grain that make for beautifully neutral butcher blocks. Oak butcher block countertops with white cabinets look understated and classic, for example.
What is the color of cherry butcher block?
Cherry Butcher Block Countertops. American or Black Cherry has a naturally deep red or light red-brown colour that darkens with age to a deep brown-red colour in a variety of textures, from straight to wavy or curly streaks. It’s not the most durable type of butcher blocks, but it’s definitely beautiful.
What wood is best for a kitchen counter top?
If you are after a centerpiece for your kitchen, teak is one of the hardwoods better suited for a dramatic statement, particularly against solid coloured countertops. The wood is highly textured with light and dark brown grain.
Is wood bonding stronger than edge grain?
Wood is very strong when parallel to the grain, and the bonding is also stronger when using the face and edge grain, but less strong on the end grain. Wood configurations edge end face grain. There are 3 wood grades. Edge grain is the cheapest, second stronger and most stable of the three, and as such the most popular.
Is bamboo good for a kitchen countertop?
Bamboo may sound like a strange choice for a hardwood kitchen countertop, but it’s actually really practical and has impeccable green credentials. Bamboo is actually a herb that grows incredibly quick, so there is no damage to the environment. At the same time, bamboo countertops are naturally anti-microbial, resistant and durable.
What is a butcher block?
Butcher block. Butcher's block in modern American kitchen. Butcher block, butcher's block is a style of assembled wood (often hard maple, teak, birch, or walnut) used as heavy duty chopping blocks, table tops, and cutting boards. It was commonly used in butcher shops and meat processing plants but has now become popular in home use.
Why is it important to take care of butcher block?
Proper care of a butcher block is important for longevity of the material and, to a degree, food safety. If the material is regularly exposed to water and not well cleaned, then mold can form. The seams where the wood is joined can buckle as the wood expands and contracts.
Where did butcher blocks originate?
Old school butcher block. Butcher blocks origins go back to the last quarter of the 19 th century. Two companies founded in the late 1870’s, in Michigan and Illinois, are largely responsible. Up to that point the most common cutting surface used by butchers was a section of sycamore log.
What is a butcher block?
What is Butcher Block? Butcher block is a specialized cutting surface originally designed to be used in meat processing, with an especially thick, rugged design made to withstand constant contact with cleavers and carving knives. The defining feature of a butcher’s block is that it is an assembled wood product, ...
How long does a butcher block last?
This allows manufacturers to pick out the strongest, straightest, most closely grained pieces of wood to create a butcher’s block which will last for decades, when well cared for. For over a century butchers and commercial chefs have used these specialized blocks.
Where did butcher blocks originate?
For a little bit of history, the use of a butcher block first originated in China, though Europeans have used butcher blocks for centuries as well. The concept was to have a sturdy base on which to butcher meat, hence, the "butcher block".
What is a butcher block?
A Butcher Block is Defined by the Role in the Kitchen. In food preparation, knives are the ultimate chef's tool and go hand in hand with your prep surface. Prepping of vegetables normally involves knife work such as slicing, chiffonade, julienning, dicing and chopping.
What is the difference between edge and end grain in butcher blocks?
In our opinion, all butcher blocks should be made with end grain as opposed to edge grain. End grain means that the end of the wood fibers are exposed, whereas edge grain means that the grain is running along the outside.
Why is thickness important?
Thickness is important because it adds the most important factor: weight. We often see one inch boards that are marketed as butcher blocks, but if you're quartering meat, the last thing you want to do is worry about the block sliding away and having your meat go airborne or onto the ground.
Do rubber feet work on butcher block?
This is also the reason we generally recommend rubber feet for smaller boards or putting a kitchen towel under the block so it doesn't slip. With bigger, heavier butcher blocks or cutting boards, it's not so much an issue. Grain edge is the other tell-tale sign of the role of a butcher block.
