Alabamamommy did the opposite of Sas. She lowered her butcher block end. Here is a link that might be useful: Alabamamommy's kitchen

Hi Latimore, We are actually in the process of replacing our BB with soapstone on our perimeter cabinets b.c the areas around the sink were too challenging to maintain. We are keeping our BB on our peninsula. It is John Boo's and we have been maintaining it with mineral oil. I think that BB and SS go really well together. Either way you go, I think that it will be nice. Just a thought, the areas around your range do not seem very big and you may get a good deal on some remnant pieces of SS. I personally like the BB when it is on an island or peninsula but it is all personal choice. good luck!

I work for a large wood countertop manufacturer (company name being eliminated so this won't be an advertisement). About 40-50% of all our wood tops have sink cutouts in them. This is very common and to my knowledge, we've never had one claim/return for product failure. I hope I can address your issues you've raised and provide answers from our perspective: Your Question #1. End vs. Edge grain. We have always used end grain butcher blocks, as my understanding is they are better for your knives (don;t dull them as quickly, etc.) However, end grain is usually thicker, and I am not sure if they can accommodate a sink. Our comments on this question: End grain is indeed easier on knives (vs. end or plank). The key issue to remember is that once you select wood, your knives are already grateful...the improvement is marginal in the bigger picture. End grain can certainly accommodate a sink and that shouldn't be a concern. Your Question #2. Water and food safe finishes. The company I have been dealing with prefers to use a non-food safe finish on an edge grain counter if there is going to be a sink, since they do not recommend using other finishes if the counter is going to be exposed to water (rot, warping, etc.). Our comments on this question: The company you are dealing with seems smart in that they understand the need to provide a moisture-resistant finish. There ARE food-safe finishes (we use a food-safe tung-oil finish). This finish is our #1 selling finish and absolutely stands up to moisture. Depending on the type and amount of use on your wood top, you will need to have the finish re-applied every 3-5 years; this is best done by a professional. The key items you need to follow are: 1)ensure that a tung oil or permanent finish (e.g., polyurethane) is applied to the sink cutout section and all unexposed wood areas and 2) ensure that your installer is experienced with wood tops and knows how to produce a perfect seal to keep water out. If these two items are followed, you'll have a wood top you'll love for many years to come.

The question is always "what are you going to use it for?" Meaning, are you going to use it for cutting on? Or absolutely not? Maybe there are some here with much more experience than I have, but the one's I have done and the research I have found is that you can seal it off, make it last a good long time looking good....but you can't (or shouldn't) cut on it for obvious reasons. If it is going to be used for direct cutting, mineral oil. Quite a bit at the beginning, like twice daily. Then as it starts to saturate, spread out the maintenance. Once a day, then per week, then once per month to three months. If it's dry, then it definitely needs to be oiled. It's not much to do, it's very easy. Pour it on and get some micro fiber to spread it out. Simple.