How do you care for a chopping block-style counter top? Are they likely to stain or burn (hot pots)?
Answers:
Grease ? thats what you want, I keep mine oiled all the time with a good cooking oils or even mineral oil. It will help resist burning, but also seal and sanitize it. And by the way its not cheap a good butcher block costs more than your granite.
Other answers:
I know the health department says to clean wood chop blocks with bleach. you can then cure it with some cooking oil to keep it from drying out.
I know the health department says to clean wood chop blocks with bleach. you can then cure it with some cooking oil to keep it from drying out.
Rub them with oil every week! Clean it with a bit of orange juice to remove oils and grease stains. (Yeah, it really does work!) Also, if you are going to set something hot on it, it should be just fine. If you are worried, put a potholder on it and place the pot on that. You should bleach it after EVERY use. They are a greenhouse for bacteria.
olive oil or cooking oil works good
butcher block counter tops must be sealed regularly with oil, mineral oil is common and safe however most manufactures suggest cooking oil if the counters are used for food prep as mineral oil is a laxative. they do require extra care as the can stain or burn, on the plus side they can be sanded to remove stains, burns and scratches. No they are not cheap, a good maple butcher block costs more than granite tile, and yes they are somewhat in style at least here in the USA but are used mostly on islands in higher end homes.
Spray diluted bleach on it after every use. There's special oil for it. Use hot pads or trivets for hot pans.