Butcher Block Boards - Time Tested And Stylish Too

Butcher block boards were first constructed over a hundred years ago as an answer to problems in the meat-cutting industry.

Professionals still use a Butcher Block board for cutting meats and preparing foods, but they are more commonly found in the home kitchen today.

Butcher Block is made in various thicknesses and shapes and is used as a cooking accessory to spare countertops and serving tables wear and tear.

Butcher Blocks are constructed of blocks of Hardrock Maple laminated together on the edge or end grain to prevent cracking and warping, both of which can lead to the buildup of dirt and bacteria, and to provide a cutting surface that is easy on expensive cutlery and utensils.

An added attraction is the beauty of the close-grained Maple wood in the various and shifting hues of the many blocks making up the butchers board. 

Practical Purpose, Versatile Uses

Butcher Block is now commonly fitted on cabinetry as a countertop or on kitchen islands and carts as work spaces.

In many cases, kitchen islands combine drop-leaf cutting surfaces of Butcher Block with other materials like stainless steel or granite, which are better for working with dough and other cooking ingredients but hard on knives and utensils.

Other ideas are sometimes incorporated into a kitchen island top that lend the island a bit more versatility.

Some have inserts of Butcher Block and granite that can be reversed to accommodate left or right handed cooks.

Butcher Block is not always constructed of Maple.

Bamboo, a very hard wood, is sometimes used, particularly in increasingly popular designs in an Oriental style.

The board is made of Bamboo strips that are sometimes heated causing natural sugars in the wood to turn a richly browned color.