I am unable to find a thread by someone who uses a couple square feet of her huge and gorgeous walnut island countertop as a chopping block. She provided several photos of how that portion of the island looks compared to the rest, and explained how the wood was finished and how she cared for it. It seemed to work brilliantly, but I have no idea who she is.

Meanwhile, here is a thread on wood counters from last year that includes some mouthwatering photos from the astonishing boxerpups.

Here is a link that might be useful: wood counters

Why don't you want to prep directly on the butcher block?? I think that is the best part of having a butcher block island... what am I missing?

Beth

I have a 5X7 island, with a about a 1' piece of butcher block along the narrow end. Extremely handy. Almost wish I'd done the entire island in butcher block.

I think this is the thread that honorbiltkit is referencing.

Here is a link that might be useful: Walnut Island Top Used as Cutting Board

Actually, although wood block is naturally antimicrobial, I would think that the regulations for catering would preclude chopping on it in a residential kitchen.

Since you are not talking about chopping on it, the only issues are wet and hot pots. I was making kale chips last night and had two big (almost full sheet) pans that came right out of the oven and set on my soapstone island. I could have done that on my tile perimeter, too. They probably weren't hot enough to have scorched wood, but perhaps lasagna would have.

So--are you ready with trivets and racks and organized enough to put them out before your pots have to come out now? Is your island never the landing zone for the oven(s)?

I also am a bad splasher when I prep. Are you good at wiping up? Or do you let puddles sit until you're done and wipe up after? Or do you forget to wipe up after and find the water hours later?

Both marble and wood will scratch and stain. Marble probably stains more easily, though you can sometimes poultice a stain back out. Marble will also absorb oils which take a long time to evaporate (sometimes white bread will pull it). Sealing doesn't seem to prevent this. Food grade sealed wood should be easier for these things, though it is also porous. Wood, if it dries, doesn't retain microbes as much as plastics, and you can wipe down marble with alcohol, so I think that's pretty equivalent. Marble etches with acids like lemon and tomato, and seems to love red wine stains.

Hm... Busy kitchen with deadlines? I think wood with trivets might be the better choice. And less expensive to replace if you do wreck it (unlikely) or just want to spruce up the kitchen many years from now.

I'm not a caterer, so can't help you there, but I hope to have a marble top with a large wooden cutting board. Maybe one that can slide back under the counter, when not in use. That way, the wood is there when I need it, but it's marble (love to bake) the rest of the time.

I don't care if the mable gets distressed/used with time, it's functional more than decorative. Also, easy to clean the cutting board if you can pick it up and take it to the sink. And...wooden cutting board sounded easier to lift and put on the island...than the other way around. Marble is heavy and I don't plan to try to lift up marble, to put on wooden top, when I want to bake! :)

Thanks, everyone for your thoughts and the links are so helpful! Bethcw...my concern was exactly what plllog voiced..not sure if I could get away with it for catering. I wasn't sure I would be brave enough to do it either, but after reading through some of the links it appears I probably have nothing to fear! Plllog..thanks for the input. Great points. I'm pretty good at wiping up, but have 3 kids who aren't as good! Anyone else? Pics? Thanks, everybody!

pics?

Well...I went for wood all-the-way-around....in case it helps you decide!

Whole Foods uses wood counters for prep. I'm not sure if they have separate counters for meat prep but have noticed quite a few butcher block counters in the back as well as the front areas. Why would the rules somehow be different for a residential setting?

Those are gorgeous jw. Is that an oiled surface? How long have you had it? How are splashes from the sink going? Are you meticulous keeping them dry?

Samantha111: The counters were sealed with 5 coats of Waterlox (top 2 coats 'satin'), not oiled. Others have reported good success with tung oil but I opted for the more durable(?) Waterlox in part because of the undermount sink. Downside of course is that you can't chop on it....or maybe that's another plus since there will be less damage to the surface.

Top was made by Devos and is pecan wood. I've only had it since June so can't give any real measurement of durability. I wipe it down pretty carefully and regularly but try not to worry too much...

Thanks. It is beautiful! So warm and soothing.

Or you could do both :)

{{gwi:1933780}}

Samantha, the rules for catering differ from place to place. Where I live, rather than having confusing different rules, they pretty much don't allow home kitchens for any kind of cooking/baking that will be sold to the public. Anything more than maybe a small time bake sale or bid-a-basket has to be done in a commercial kitchen.

Wood is a great surface for prep. Proper cleaning in a commercial establishment is different from a home kitchen, however. At the end of the day, in a commercial kitchen, all of the surfaces are cleaned with heavy duty cleansers, and during the day, after each task, they're supposed to be cleaned as well. The daily cleaning is top down, with the upper surfaces cleaned, the counters, the lower shelves and surfaces, then the floor. How many times have you heard horror stories about commercial kitchens where that didn't happen? I've done some catering in a shared commercial kitchen where there was a cleaning crew. Too many times, we'd come in and have to clean before we could start cooking, to meet standards. It wasn't any worse than many residential kitchens--probably why the crew thought it was okay--but we wouldn't work in that environment.

So... Your gov't safety office or health dept. is trying to set standards for home catering. They can say, "wood counters must be scrubbed in XYZ manner and thoroughly dried before food prep can take place". And you're drying your counter and totally miss where the kids have put their boots on the counter and brushed off the evidence.

Plastic cutting boards can be disinfected in the dishwasher. Wood cutting boards can be scrubbed down in the sink and left to dry vertically, away from said boots. They do have to be hard dry to keep the bacteria from growing.

Most people can tolerate a lot of contamination. That's the whole point of the body's immune system. You don't know, when you're catering, who is going to eat your food. There could be someone with a compromised immune system, the very old and very young, who are more sensitive, etc. It's hard enough accounting for unknown allergies, and making sure to point out and label things appropriately. Standard food labelling rules don't require an ingredient to be listed if it is only a trace amount. That's why the newest rules require listing of common ingredients or contaminants (from shared equipment) that may cause allergies, even if they're only in trace amounts (e.g., "contains: milk") Being extra vigilant with food safety, however, is a must. As a professional, you have to control that which is in your power.

It's also a good idea to have different color/composition cutting boards for each kind of food: meat, poultry, vegetables/fruits, and baked goods all have different requirements for storage and cleaning. Using the different boards really helps prevent cross contamination. In theory, an installed wood top could be used just for vegetables, but there's still the issue of accidental contamination. Like, what if you put the grocery bag down on the island and the chicken leaks? Or the boots. Or whatever. There really is no situation where a multi-use surface, like a home kitchen counter, should be used for commercial prep.

OTOH, in a normal, healthy family, accidental contamination of the cutting surface, a missed spot on the scrub down, a cutting board run quickly under warm water and detergent and not dried, etc., is probably no problem at all, and, in fact, might provide the challenge that an immune system needs to continue to be healthy.

Residential catering can be done safely, but it does take a certain level of diligence.

BTW, this is a reason why "personal chefs" are popular here. Unlike make and take catering, personal chefs bring ingredients into the hosts' home and prepare the food there. My understanding is that a meal cooked in the home is considered home cooking for most purposes, unless there is an egregious violation on the part of the chef.

plllog is right on regarding the rules and regulations for catering. Not only do they vary state to state - they vary town to town as to how the state laws is interpreted. If you are doing drop catering (drop meaning cooking in your home and delivering it elsewhere), in many areas you need a license to prepare food at home for sale or for consumption outside your home. Why don't you have a "friendly" - informational only chat with the Board of Health in your town and see what surfaces they might approve. It is in no way a commitment from you- just looking for information. For instance - in some towns near us they require a three bay sink, a hand washing sink and a mop sink - Others only require the three bay sink. Having once been a caterer and now in restaurant brokerage, I can tell you that it is better to find out now what is allowed - rather than half way into your project. Good luck with your new kitchen. Sounds like you will really be using it!

Wow!! You guys are awesome! Plllog...thanks for taking the time to respond for me so accurately and concisely! Cooking is my second career as I started as a nurse so I have a intimate understanding of everything you discussed. Thanks again. And to you and beachpea3...my town is not very "home catering" friendly. They will not even discuss specific rules! I'm still trying to figure all of that out, but in the event I will be able to make it work I'm TRYING to be as prepared as I can. I have a feeling ultimately I may have to do the "personal chef" approach. But that's a different subject...Thanks for all the pics. I really do LOVE the look of the wood. And lavendar_lass..that's like the best of both worlds!!!