You already know that my favorite countertops are quartz, but butcher block countertops are a great alternative. I love butcher block countertops for their rustic and weathered look. You just can't get the warmth and feel of a butcher block countertop anyplace else.
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One of my favorite benefits of a butcher block countertop is the flexibility that they offer. You can get a butcher block in an endless array of stains and colors. Natural variations in wood grains and colors add depth and beauty to the butcher block. Because of the endless number of combinations that the smaller slats of wood can be assembled to create a full butcher block you should approve the countertop before it's brought to your home to be installed.
A butcher block countertop is a very sanitary countertop material despite what manufacturers of competing countertops might want you to believe. The modern butcher block countertop was first used in the late nineteenth century.
Butchers used to literally cut meat on what is pretty much a tree stump. These blocks that the butchers cut meat on cracked easily because of the orientation of the wood grain. These original butcher blocks were terribly unsanitary.
The invention of the modern butcher block countertop and the use of hardwood maple blocks greatly improved sanitary conditions. Butchers have been using butcher's blocks safely for generations now.
Selecting the proper species of wood is also an important facet of a butcher block countertop. Maple makes a great butcher's block because it is hard enough to withsand the daily abuse that you will put your countertop through but not so hard that it will dull the blades of your knives too quickly.
