Thoughts on wood for kitchen countertops?

[Jade Emperor]

Hello beautiful people!
I’m currently planning my design for my new kitchen. As you may have read, I recently inherited my childhood family home and have moved in.
The house was built in the mid fifties and hasn’t really had a lot of work done to it. The bathroom has been renovated and there have been some improvements over the years, but the kitchen was never a focus for my parents and so it is pretty much in the original condition from the fifties.
Of course, I cannot live with this and am now planning a total renovation to it. Top to bottom, I am going to totally upgrade to my own plan.
In thinking about all the countertops and work spaces, it is really common for these to be a stone variety.
I have been to thinking about perhaps using a wooden countertop product instead. A good, solid countertop that has been properly treated for food preparation throughout.
I would be really keen to hear your opinions, feedback and recommendations for such an option.
Thanks for reading this long post!

 

[dragnlaw]

Congratulations Jade! What an exciting project!

In any renovations I've done I've used tiles for my counters. But I know there are many other options out there. Not knowing just how much counter space you have I'm going to go for the utmost dream. Why not all the various types.

I can only see wood really for baking. Bread, pasta etc.
Marble for candy-desserts.
Tiles for all else. I know many people don't like tile due to grouting issues but it has never bothered me.

I would suggest tile around the stove and sink. Grease and water. Then think about where you would/will make your pasta for the wood. Perhaps between the other two? or somewhere else?

Marble of course is a luxury and basically only for dedicated candy makers. But it is nice for rolling out the cold pastry too.

 

[jennyema]

just no no no no

 

[taxlady]

Regarding the grout issue with tiles, I learned some stuff when I worked at Million Carpets and Tiles. They always recommend adding grout sealer to the grout before it is put between the tiles. It's so much easier than painting all those little grout lines with a narrow brush to seal the grout after the grout has been applied.

 

[Andy M.]

I remodeled my kitchen in 2008. I did a lot of research on countertops at that time. I wanted a countertop material that was very low maintenance and durable, impervious to the typical injuries a kitchen surface may encounter. I ended up with quartz. After diamonds, the hardest material on the planet. Needs no sealing or special treatments like marble or granite. You can put a hot pot right off a high power burner on the surface with no damage. Cannot be stained.

 

[Kathleen]

I'm rough on countertops. Wood sounds lovely but, knowing me, I would place a very hot pot on it leaving a burn mark or cut something leaving knife prints. Also, water marks. If you know you would not do things like this, then wood would be beautiful. With my countertops, I went with a quartz composite. I liked that it did not look like natural stone and fit in with my old house.

Tile was never an option for me for a countertop. My kitchen is tiny and I needed even work spaces. Tile would not work even with sealed grout. Now...on my floor, I have sealed the grout on my tile! I'm rough on floors too.

 

[GinnyPNW]

+ 1 on Andy & Kathleen's quartz comments. My one caution would be to make sure that your things will fit into the cabinets. Meaning, these days, a lot of cabinets are not deep enough for everyday plates specifically. I have uppers that will not hold my plates. Fortunately, I have some uppers that will hold them. So, I've got no choice on where my plates must live.

 

[jennyema]

Quartz! Ours look great with very little maintenance

wood counters are a lot of work

 

[GinnyPNW]

In my kitchen, we have do have SOME wood...on the "counter" of the built-ins of the far wall. The ones with the uppers that do fit my plates.

 

[Aunt Bea]

I would leave it alone and let it be a 50s kitchen with a little freshening up.

For countertops, I’m more than content with builder’s grade Formica.

I also prefer furniture and free standing appliances as opposed to miles of fitted cabinets.

 

[taxlady]

I would leave it alone and let it be a 50s kitchen with a little freshening up.

View attachment 66234

For countertops, I’m more than content with builder’s grade Formica.

I also prefer furniture and free standing appliances as opposed to miles of fitted cabinets.

I really prefer the edges on the counters we had in a house built in the late 1950s. The front edge was rounded and slightly elevated. If you spilled water or some other liquid, it didn't immediately flow onto the floor. I didn't get a wet tummy while washing dishes. Also, the back of the counter had a seamless continuation about 6" or 8" up the back wall. The boundary between back splash and counter was round too, so it didn't collect dirt.

 

[Bama-Rick]

As for wood counter tops.... No, no, no! Too unsanitary too absorbent and easily marred, scared and gouged.

That being said my first job in 1972, was the clean up boy at a butcher shop, and it had wooden cutting blocks/tables. Of course back in the day we'd process deer on the same table we trimmed up T-Bones, Porterhouse and chicken, cross contamination wasn't a thing.

 

[dragnlaw]

"cross contamination wasn't a thing."

and how many people died from it?

I do not use separate cutting boards for separate anything, never have and probably never will. Not bragging, just stating a fact.

If you don't thoroughly clean a plastic board, a ceramic top, or any other kind of top - there's your germs.

 

[Jade Emperor]

Thanks for everyone’s advice. I have decided against wood countertops.
I may just look at a free-wheeling butcher’s block

 

[dragnlaw]

Tearing my heart out! There is a beautiful butcher's block at the cottage. I sooo wanted to steal it out from under the ex's nose - unfortunately it was/is far too heavy for me to handle. Plus the size, being a rather large one, was far too big to fit into my kitchen anyhow.
If it's a real one consider the swoops/swale created by years of shaving them after cutting meat.
But absolutely - GO FOR IT!

 

[dcSaute]

this _real butcher_ block dates to the early 1900's - when the grandfather sold meat out of a horse drawn wagon. something like 110+ years old, and still in daily use, inspected/approved by the country health people every month . . .

 

[dragnlaw]

Beautiful!

 

[dcSaute]

any species used for butcher block will be fine.
maple / cherry / walnut are the usual -
these woods have a tight grain which minimizes liquids/odors soaking into the wood.

 

[dragnlaw]

I knew several people who had wood counter-tops and they were cooks and loved them. One who moved declared she missed the wood in the new place. It made her feel cozy and want to get busy in there.

 

[caseydog]

Just remember that wood will require more maintenance as a countertop. Don't get it unless you are committed to maintaining it.

CD